Power Tools

Talking Ethics With Your Team

2010-09-14T10:14:00.000-04:00

By the time you engage the employees on your team in professnioal development, they are already grown ups with thier own ideas, values and beliefs. Many will think that teaching and discussing ethics is simply baloney. You don’t want to preach, get all ‘touchy-feely, ’ like HR is often accused of, or lecture about the law like an attorney. Whether your team is a band of cynics or bored with the topic - talking about ethical decisions is the first step to acting ethically.

TIPS:

Focus on the clear articulation of goals and outcomes and emphasize critical thinking and analysis. Forget about teaching rules and statutes. If these decisions were clear, there would be no need to discuss ethics – you’d just lay down the ‘law.'

Don’t lecture. Include case studies, discussions, role plays or interactive exercises. Use video, famous scenes from television or movies, or bring in lawyers or whistle blowers.

Keep it brief and to the point. Give examples and tell stories that invite analysis. Don’t bore them with court opinions, law review articles or anything overly wordy or erudite.

Ask questions that reveal how someone thinks and avoid questions that can be answered by parroting back what has been read or previously stated. You want to know that people are grappling with ethical decisions, not just telling you what they think you want to hear.

Give people a chance to talk and be heard. Use small group discussions followed by a larger group de-brief. Don’t make it too lengthy a session or too large a group.

Use slides with print big enough for everyone to read and interesting visuals and photos. Don’t have a lot of slides that you have to go through (leading to either boredom or too-fast a pace.

No matter how much fun the role play or case study discussion is, leave plenty of time for discussions in the large groups and some provocative questions that challenge the team.

Taking discussions about ethics seriously and devoting time to a talking about outcomes and consequences can lead your team to understand that ethical decisions in the workplace are a constant challenge. Articulating your expectations about their importance sends one kind of message and not having the conversation sends a very different one; which would you prefer to send?

Would You Hire Them Again?

2010-09-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

When I talk to the Supervisors, Managers and Executives who make hiring decisions, I usually start out asking “How many of you have can claim a 100% success rate with the people you’ve hired?” People tend to look around, embarrassed that they are not raising their hand, only to laugh when they realize that no one has raised their hand!
Hiring is tricky business and there are lots of tips, processes, strategies, and skills I can suggested for increasing the success rate. But without a crystal ball, the chance of getting up near 100% success only increases with the fewer hires you make! The truth is that even with the best of intentions and armed with solid and proven strategies and skills, jobs shift and things change. Hires made today may not have the lasting power we’d like.

First ask “Why did I hire them?” You may discover that while you saw the evidence for potential, you didn’t capitalize on it. The opportunities for encouragement were missed and chances to provide development were insufficient. They may have started out great, but talent waned when more was asked of them. Perhaps the job changed focus but their motivation didn’t.

Then ask “Would I hire them again?” and if the answer is ‘yes’ than do what you can to recapture the potential before they take it to a competitor. Talk to employees you want to retain about development opportunities and then follow through. If you want your employees to invest their energy in your organization, your organziation better invest some energy in them.

It’s true that there is a school of thought that believes that pouring too much training into employees may educate them for other companies. Younger employees tend to job hop if they can’t be promoted quickly and your firm may not have career ladders with lots of rungs. But not developing your human resources leaves your company at a distinct disadvantage and people tend to stay when they are being developed. They leave for a host of reasons, but getting training and development isn’t one of them.

Generational Power

2010-08-27T09:39:00.000-04:00

I recently drafted a program description for a multigenerational workforce presentation. The Client returned it with their desired modifications, something I invite my Clients to do.

As a Boomer, I didn’t want to promote much skill development in the short amount of time we would have together. However, the program was geared to mostly Gen Ys and they would be more eager to come if there was a promise of acquiring behavior change.

With my experience in realistic outcome descriptions, I kept the learning objectives realistic: they would learn, discuss and understand. The Client had included one that assured them that they would leave with the power to transform their organizations.

I laughed and knew I would need to choose my wording carefully. I asked my Client if they were sure they wanted to put this as a learning objective, creating such a lofty expectation.

The response was pure Y – "I think we should let them know they have the power!" I looked at my computer screen for a while, re-reading the response.

I wonder if I’ll be able to use this example with them so they can see how differently the generations view how we communicate and interact with one another. Will they see the humor or wonder what’s so funny? Will they think I’m underestimating them or myself?

As I wondered how best to reply - I recalled thinking that my teachers and early bosses had no idea what my potential was or what I might accomplish. I remember learning the hard way where some of my limits lay, and also learing where parameters for success would expand or vanish.

My repsonse was that it looked fine with the modifications. Let the sign up begin!

The program description (it's our now) will appeal to the audience. The program description doesn’t just describes what’s likely – it indicates what’s possible.

Customer Service Always Starts With You

2010-08-18T10:34:00.000-04:00

I recently spent a long weekend in Toronto. Described to me by a good friend as “a New York City run by the Swiss,” I found it to be much like I remembered from my trip there 30 years ago: clean, safe, interesting, international and friendly.

While trying to grab a metro/subway trip south, we were confused by the signs and the directions. Unwilling to get into the system only to find we had made a mistake at 10:00 pm – we found a man who was working on one of the doors into the underground system and asked him if this stop, would in fact, get us to our desired location. He told us it would and then, standing up. said "Let me help you."

He walked us back down to the entrance, then unlocked the gate, letting us in (Without paying!!!). He walked us down one flight of stairs, across the platform to another flight of stairs, then walked us up to the second platform. He explained that it’s easy to get confused because the station was a stop for both the north-south train and the east-west train. We gratefully thanked him and were on our way.

Since returning home, I’ve told the story many times. It is evidence to me that Toronto deserves its reputation. The reaction I get form people is "That would never happen here!” And it makes me wonder why couldn’t it happen here?

Everyone has a role to play in customer service and the creation of a reputation. The person (CEO, Executive, Manager, Supervisor, Administrative Assistant, line-staff employee, contract worker, person on the shop floor, janitorial staff member, Customer Service representative, security guard, cashier, sales person, teacher, nurse – I could go on but you get the idea) who really understands reputation -the ‘old’ word for brand - knows that every interaction is an opportunity to reflect well or poorly on their firm/city/self.

I don’t always get the feeling that an organization’s motto is a living credo. I'm not awlays left with the impression that people are acting in support of that motto with every interaction.

If people are the most important resource, is there no money for skill development?

If professional development is critical to attracting or retaining talent, are there opportunities for growth, mentoring and feedback?

If everyone’s input is valued, are senior level folks ensconced with each other and removed from the rest of the workforce?

If integrating home/work more effectively is the goal, are some managers allowed to obstruct the effort and the opportunities?

If inclusion is the message, do women, minorities, or the disabled feel welcome and valued?

Toronto is a big city with a lot going on and it IS a friendly place. The people I interacted with were helpful and nice. The streets and subway are clean. Everyone has a part in it’s’ reputation and success.

How different is that from where you live and work? What can YOU do about that? And I don't mean tellsomeone else to do, I mean actually DO!?

STEM the Tide of Talent Lost

2010-08-12T11:20:00.000-04:00

I don’t know how much press Jenny Jones’s article entitled Closing the Gender Gap in the July issue of Civil Engineering received, but I want to do my part. As I read through her examination of the new report about the critical factors that keep women from pursuing and succeeding in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), it rang too true.

I won’t summarize the article for you here - it’s too good and too significant to summarize. (http://civil-engineering.asce.org/link/ce/2010/jul/62?s=0). It sure got me thinking about how much work there is to do on the part of girls, women, parents, schools, media, teachers, professors, companies, bosses – the Gender Gap may be closing but it’s by inches, not leaps.

We have such a need today for people to go into and excel in the STEM fields. But I read and learned that if you don’t think you can learn, you probably won’t try. If your girl mind-set is fixed and you believe you don’t have the chops to master math or chemistry, then you don’t think practice will help. The power of positive expectations can move you forward, but the power of negative expectations may have you running for the classroom door.

By the time girls have thought about their potential, they get hit with the stereotypes about girls and femininity. Test results are gender neutral but teachers and parents may not be. While boys are girls are about equal in math and science ability, boys have better spatial relation/visualization skills – comes from all that time with blocks, and Lego’s and Connects and Erector Sets. I spent a lot of extra time creating structures (rather than learning arithmetic) using Cuisenaire Rods, which may explain why I did so well in math, until –

I ran into a math teacher who didn’t like me; I didn’t like the teacher; the teacher wasn’t a very good teacher and I cut a lot of classes. How do I know it wasn’t me? I passed with flying colors when I took it from a terrific teacher in summer school. Women may come to enjoy STEM classes over time, whereas men often have an intense interest and ability. If you are a teacher, who are you going to gravitate to and encourage? My money is on the student who already loves what you loves and is easier to teach because of their interest. It’s EASY to teach people who want to learn. It’s harder when you have to figure out how to motivate.

Even findings from female faculty members indicate that it’s tough being a STEM woman. I cringed reading about the study that found that women in “masculine” (STEM) fields were considered EITHER likable or competent, but not both! In spite of tests that prove that this is not the case, the assumption persists. How many times have women gotten the message, either overtly or covertly, that you can’t be pretty and smart (or pretty and funny, pretty and overweight). There is a lack of female role models and mentors and many women report a lack of support when trying to raiase a child while on the tenure track.

It’s not all doom and gloom. There are folks who are getting the word out that girls and women who have an interest in the STEM fields should have equal access to them. Teachers are learning about how to motivate ALL students. Parents are learning about how to advocate for their children in the classroom and helping their kids learn how to be advocates for themselves. Organizations are getting that integrating home and work are important to ALL employees, not just the female ones.

Granted, I opted out of STEM classes as soon as I could. I loved English class and the Arts too, and think I made a pretty good choice for my interests, talents, and skills when I obtained my Masters Degree in Counseling. But it makes me wonder what ELSE I could have done, and how things might have been different, had I thought success was possible in Math and Science.

You Don't Really Love Me - I'm Leaving!

2010-07-27T10:51:00.001-04:00

I occasionally joke in training programs when the topic of motivation comes up, that being married does not motivate people to stay married. Many folks (OK, more men than women, but that’s just been my experience; yours may differ) think that marrying someone is the best indication of “I love you” that there is. Once accomplished, it doesn’t really have to be said again.

When I say that out loud, program participants and audiences laugh. But there is also some recognition that perhaps they have not done enough to make their partner feel loved. Today’s Managers and Executives are beginning to notice that providing employment is not the same things as motivating your people. And if you don’t show them that you ‘love’ them – as the economy improves, they will leave.

It doesn’t have to be that way. While you can’t undo the months of neglect and challenge while everyone was holding on with their fingernails, you CAN do some things that matter – and matter right now:

Know What They Want – Don’t guess about what you think they want or assume they are like you and want what you want. Ask them what they would find motivating. And while you are at it – ask them what de-motivates them. While you can’t promise anyone a job that is free of unhappiness, you can at least know what hurdles may be placed in their way.

Stop the Buck – It’s not HR, or the Board of Directors, or the compensation committee, or the CEO (unless that’s you!) who is in charge of retaining your employees – it’s you! Most studies indicate that allegiance (as well as disloyalty) for employees lies with their manager. YOU are the one in charge of keeping your good employees.

Get Out of Their Way – Most employees are eager to build a positive future with the organizations they work for but if you are not helping them crate that attractive future you may be standing in their way and obstructing them from opportunities. They aren’t interested in tryin to change you – they’ll simply leave.

Inclusion – Do you respect your employees and make them feel welcome or do your prejudices get in the way. Everyone can make occasional prejudgments about others (parents won’t stay late; women avoid conflict; people in their 20’s can’t relate to customers in their 60’s) but if it stops you from valuing the human resources who report to you, they probably feel that.

Go to Grow – If employees think that there is only a small chance for them to grow professionally, whether it is in terms of a paycheck, a title, skill development. or responsibility, they will leave. You lose the investment of time and money, the potential they could have made in the future and you might have provided the competition with an advantage.

Or Else – If you make your employees choose between work and home, it creates stress and resentment. While it often can come down to a difficult choice, as adults, it’s theirs to make. Punishing them for not choosing as you want or as you would makes you act like a punishing parent, and it may cause them to act like kids.

The economy is not improving in leaps and bounds and those of us who have been hanging on may need to continue to hang on. Don’t forget to hang on to your employees too.

How Good of a Partner Are You?

2010-07-16T11:05:00.001-04:00

Mid-Level managers may not set strategy and vision nor are they just learning how to delegate, motivate and influence. Strong managers at this level are strong internal partners. They understand the benefits of internal collaboration. They understand that partnerships don't simply happen because everyone works for the same organization. Organizational charts are nice but they have little to do with how peope actually work together or get along with one another. Working alongside oone another is hardly a guarantee that you will develop a good partnership.

Not only are there techniques that are required to enhance a partnership, but they must be practiced, and honed to increase the benefit of peer collaboration.

TIPS

Control Your Controlling – Being a partner requires give and take. There is no ‘boss.’ Resist the urge to direct which is a popular pitfall for managers. Watch for clues that other people are feeling pushed around. Ask open-ended questions – and they stop talking and listen to the answer.

Socialize - To manage is to be social. The more time you spend together, the more natural partnering will feel. The more you know someone, the more likely you will develop trust. AND - the more they get to know you, the more likely they will see you as trustworthy. It's a two way street. Since good communication is an essential part of strong partnerships, all of the skills involved need to be cultivated as well. You are more likely to partner with people you know well so whether you are outgoing or shy, collegial relationships are the building blocks for internal partnerships. Schmoozing pays off. (As long as you don't come off as a phoney.)

Patch the Past – Your past follows you around and if you have had previous relationship issues you need to resolve them and put them behind you in order to develop a good foundation for the present and the future. While not everyone wants to improve relationships, you should try. If you have tried everything and the past issues can not (or will not) be resolved, try to work with others if possible.

Mom Would Be Proud – Mom used to say (MY mom anyway) “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. “ Never speak badly about your peers to others. It reflects poorly on you when you do it and can burn needed bridges within your firm. You can disagree – but communicate it directly to the person you don’t agree with.

Own It – Don’t pass the buck. No one likes to be blamed for problems and shifting the blame won’t win you any fans.

Share Credit – Success in partnerships comes from collaboration so everyone gets the credit. Success is always a joint effort. If everyone feels part of the success, it can create positive energy going forward.

Know Their Desire – Good partners understands needs, goals, and concerns of the people with whom they work on a regular basis. What keeps them up at night? What are their strengths and areas for development? What frustrates them? What do you expect from them? What do they expect from you (and your department)?

As a peer and an internal resource if you can become an advocate for your colleagues, you can add value in their pursuit for results. Don’t doubt for one minute that being a valuable internal partner doesn't reflect well on you and your employees. You can extend the reach of your employees and create powerful alliances that serve the organization.

I Don't Speak Jargon Well

2010-07-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

I had a great meeting today with a colleague. We met at a Starbucks that was situated half way between where he was off to next and where I was off to next. We were referred to each other by a connection who thought it made sense for us to meet.

"Tell me what you do." I suggested. “I’ve been to your web site, and I have an understanding of your firm, but help me understand your role a little better.”

After mentioning something about ‘value added,’ and ‘passion’ in air-quotes, we both laughed. I told my new pal that he was only allowed three jargon buzz words and after that ------- well, I wasn't sure, but three seemed to be all either of us wanted to admit to using.

Since we both deal in communication skills training and modeling, it made sense to try and behave accordingly. If we can’t figure out what each other really does, it’s unlikely we’ll be helping each other much.

It’s hard to know if its technology or all the Gen-Xer and Gen-Y’s in the workplace (although we were sitting across from each other and both Baby Boomers) but too much jargon in communication is simply weak communication. I don’t know what all the terms mean, but when other use them with such ease - I feel as if I should.

I asked a few people if they knew what the term ‘social enterprise’ was because the person who used the term assured me that everyone else did. Yet I couldn’t find anyone who knew the term. I am not sure what a ‘resilient organization’ is but I’m betting people want to work in one. ‘High performance’ is probably better than regular performance. Things need to be ‘fully integrated’ but I’m unclear about what we are integrating with what. Another firm promotes their ‘real time functionality’ which I guess means that whatever they sell - it works when you want to use it.

Dilbert is alive and well and everywhere!! Simple and clear phrases are almost comically unprofessional. Jargon sure makes you sound important. And it’s everywhere.

But if you are speaking to have your audience understand you and your message, why use words that confuse them? Simple works. But if you don’t have clarity about what you do, the service you provide or the product you sell, you can muddy the word with jargon and overused overly complicated phrases that keep your customers and colleagues in the dark as well.

Speaking and writing clearly and concisely are skills that can be learned. Communicating something that is complex in simple and direct language is incredibly helpful. It translates the mysterious into the accessible.

Most of us learned that we could ‘dress up’ an essay question in school by throwing in a lot of information that wasn’t relevant. Few teachers were fooled, however, but a flimsy excuse for not knowing the answer to the question.

Mid-Level Excellence Starts with the Definition

2010-06-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

One of the challenges of training is that while everyone is unique and every organziation special, there is a universality that exists in the experience of being a mid-level manager no matter where you work. And while large firms have more levels within the middle range than small firm, and not-for-profits are not the same as educational organizations, (which are differnt from government institutions, and corporate firms) there are some truths that apply no matter how big your organization or how sophisticated the culture.

Understanding the role of Mid-Level Manager is critical to being effective and successful. Managing at is difficult because you have top-level management on one side and entry-level management (as well as non-management employees) on the other side. Many of the issues you will be asked to deal with don’t have to do with the organization – they have to do with the people who work there!

TIPS

Be the bridge. First-line supervision is focused on employee productivity, communication, morale, and benefits. Executives are concerned primarily with sales, service, and profits. Your job at mid-level is to be the bridge between them and coordinate everyone so all of the levels behave as a cohesive team.
For the most part, your employees are now managers too. These employees are not managed as easily as non-management employees. Initially, you may find yourself dealing with resistance, resentment, and even sabotage because you often represent change to their status quo, ideas and strategies. And change that isn’t always appreciated. Even if they agree with your ideas and what you say, be a little suspect.
Like any employee, you are the boss and therefore responsible for their work product and actions.
Your job is to improve the bottom-line. You are expected to empower your team to make decisions and take on the responsibility to increase sales/service/profits. Empowering others is essential to your success. If you don't know how to do that, then you will have limited success.
Know your organization and its’ culture. When you lead from the middle, you are not setting strategy and vision. Everything you do needs to compliment, augment, and fit with the existing organizational norms and ways of doing things.

Executives often get to attend external programs for professional development. They are sent awawy to talk to other executives about the challenges they face. First Line Supervisors get training, often internally, to help them make the challenging transition to the first management position in their career. If folks at the mid-level are having to fend for themselves when it comes to professional training and skill development, it isn't much different from crossing fingers and wishing on a star.

Work and Home IS Life

2010-06-16T12:41:00.000-04:00

We make choices every day about our work: what is most important, what to delegate, what isn’t worth our time, and where our energy and focus can be used most effectively. We do the same thing about the lives we lead when we leave work: what is most important, what adds to our enjoyment, what is a necessary responsibility, what isn’t worth our time, and where our energy and focus can be used most effectively. Our lives are a series of goals and choices.

Our culture has become increasingly diverse and the multiple generations that share the workplace each have their own set of values, beliefs and priorities. Not only are people at different stages in their lives, organizations are at different stages in their development as well.

The idea of Work/Home parity (or Balance) means different things to different people. The folks who recently retired most likely thought that the issue of balance was more of a sequential issue: “First I’ll work, and when I retire, I’ll play with the grandkids.” Baby Boomers are thinking about staying at work longer (often due to financial considerations), considering a second career, and may feel sandwiched in between the needs of elderly parents and their kids, just when the career pressures ramp up. Gen X-ers are entering midcareer and feel the pressure of making a misstep, while members of Gen Y are just starting out in the workforce and expect to put themselves first when it comes to life satisfaction.

When it comes to creating a Work/Home balance, different generational needs can often be addressed with technology, flextime, mentoring, providing opportunities for an accelerated on-ramp if they depart and return to work, and creating a culture that is values flexibility. Organizations are focused on their goals and people are focused on theirs. When the two dovetail – it can create a mutually beneficial relationship. It shouldn’t be a battle.

Today's Holy Grail: Balance

2010-06-09T14:22:00.000-04:00

Seeking parity between work and home feels like you are on a quest in search of an elusive ‘holy grail’; it must exist out there somewhere! You know it does! You just have to find it!! Everyone who works has a life outsdie of the office, right?

Balance: What is it, what isn't it, and how can I get some?

What works for one person simply doesn't work for another. It won't make sense to compare your work/life formula for balance to someone else’s. Given the reality that work and life are in constant flux, creating different pressures on us at different times, there ARE a few simple things to do to help create some balance in your life:

Every once in a while review the demands on your time: What are the demands on your time at work and at home? What things are you involved in that are ineffective uses of your time at home and at work?

Prioritize the demands on your time: Are you doing the right things first? Do you know what the most important tasks are or do you handle the easy things first, the biggest things first, or the loudest things first?

Develop skills needed increase efficiency: If you have a tough time ending conversations, you need assertiveness skills. If you spend lots of time worrying about things that might happen in the future, some stress management training would help. If you often miss deadlines, time management or project management skills are an area to improve in.

Integrate these techniques into your day becasue they help create a strong sense of balance:

Positive Self-Talk - The ability to tell yourself that you CAN do things and have handled things like this in the past serves as a reminder that you have managed before to deal with challenges and this is just another in the series;

RET (Rational Emotive Therapy) - Reframe beliefs you have that create emotional reactions into more logical beliefs that don’t create as much internal chaos;

Letting Go of Perfectionism - Don't allow “Perfect” to get in the way of “Good.” You may be the only person who sees any difference between those two things;

Protect the Essential - Those few things that are absolutly crucial are rare. They are critical to your values and standards so make sure you don't comproise them lightly.

Supportive Relationships - You should be able to identify at least 5 people in the key areas of your life (Work, Family, Friends and Community) that can jhelp you should you be in need. The goal is to reduce the sense of isolation that can lead to stress and frustration.

Balance is really created by you for you. While it isn't always easy to manage the demands of work and home, if you know THAT - it's the first critical step in keeping your balance!

The 10 Commandments of the Mid-Level Manager

2010-06-02T11:36:00.000-04:00

The 10 Commandments have served as a code of conduct by which we can live a moral life. Wouldn’t it be interesting (and make organizational life a little simpler) to have 10 Commandments for Mid-Level Managers? See if the following help with professional effectiveness and clarity.

As a Mid-Level Manager, thou shall -

1. Do what the Executive /CEO asks for
Like it or not, Mid-Level Managers exist so that executives can delegate tasks they don’t want to do, are too busy to do, or don’t have the expertise to do.

2. Focus upward (your boss) and downward (your direct reports)
You represent, support and articulate the policies and procedures set by Senior Management and you represent, support and articulate the concerns, interests and observations of your employees.

3. Understand the need for risk
Raising questions to your boss comes with the risk of being seen as insubordinate so effective communication (not total capitulation) skills are essential. That said – you are expected to carry out the goals your boss sets forth.

4. Know it will be a bumpy ride
Not everyone will like what you have to say so prepare for some unhappy folks, some bumps in the road, hurt feelings and misunderstandings, resentments along the way – if you are doing your job right, it is unavoidable.

5. Motivate the Flock
Understanding how to motivate an increasingly diverse workforce and keep them connected to the mission of the organization is a critical part of the job. As those things change, flexibility is an essential asset.

6. Go it alone
It is almost impossible to maintain friendships with people you used to work alongside now that you have control over their work, their resume and their paycheck. They say it’s lonely at the top, but without a strong professional network of peers, it’s lonely at in the middle too.

7. Leverages influence to get things done
The job involves your level of influence and your accountability involves the delivery of services or products that are used or consumed by someone inside your organization.

8. Handle talent with care
The job is about attracting, developing and retaining talent, and making everyone feel welcome, respected and valued.

9. Not make the big decisions
You won’t decide the new markets to enter, what the business strategy should be, select firms to merge with, determine how much to invest, and select the technology to employ.

10. Communicate with purpose
A great deal of time is spent mediating between teams and divisions within the organization, and between the organization and its customers. Mid Level Managers today negotiate between different interests and help them make key decisions about trade-offs.

2P Presentations Impress Your Audience Every Time

2010-05-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

We are a now a TV/Computer screen society and people today expect you to make presentations that are engaging, informative and polished. Professional presenters do not leave success up to chance. They plan for it by crafting a program that is customized for the audience with the outcome in mind.

You can present, using the 'same old same old' that you feel comfortable with, adding the tired PowerPoint that holds no excitement for anyone (including you) and make an adequate presentation. OR - you can present to others in a way that shows your ability to address their informational needs with a powerful and creative style.

Ask - Start with asking the right questions: Who is the audience? What do they want to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation? What do they need to know in order to do that?

Strong Opening – Grab their attention from the very start. Tell a story, use a surprising statistic, ask a question, share an example of the consequence of inaction, show a picture or video, or talk about the benefit or the happy ending if your ideas or suggestions are adopted.

Hello – First impressions matter so make it the right one with professional attire, eye contact and a confident smile (whether you feel it or not). If it’s a little more formal, provide a well crafted introduction of who you are and why you are the person to make this presentation.

Logical Progression – Create a logical sequence for your talk. It can develop like building blocks, have a beginning, middle, and end, or start simply and grow to become complicated. Start where your audience needs to begin and design a map to get them where you want to end up.

Customize – Create a presentation where the focus is one the audience’s need. If they are beginners, start them out with basics. If they have a good grasp of the basics, focus on application. If you have a mix of knowledge levels, make sure to offer additional resources, websites, articles, and books on your subject.

Stop Talking – Allow for questions, discussion, comments or reflection. Not only will you engage your audience, you can determine if they are moving in the direction you had hoped.

Multiple Paths – Use a variety of approaches. Use stories, facts, statistics, pictures, models, terms (and their definitions), examples, handouts, or quotes (but not too many!).

Plan for Questions – Anticipate questions and prepare answers. Have examples ready to demonstrate your points.

Strong Close – Just like your opening, your closing should be strong with a call to action. As a result of your presentation, what are you asking for? Do you want them to know something new, learn about themselves, believe, get motivated, act, buy, or communicate to others?

2P – Preparation and Practice draws the line between savvy and stupid! Rehearsing reduces nervousness by up to 75% and decreases the chance of errors by even more!

Match the needs of your presentation to your audience and your invitations to speak and to be seen as a valuable resource will increase. Communicating effectively is one of the most needed and valued professional skills. THe more senior your position, the more it's expected.

Your Company Culture - It'a About the LEADER

2010-05-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Corporate culture is the company’s value system. It flows from one place only -- the top. Changing a culture is an evolution, not a process and not an event. Impatience will not serve anyone well. Patience is a requirement. The corporate culture can not change unless the LEADER changes, or unless the LEADER delegates the authority to change and then stands aside and allows it to happen.

So if you LEADERS really want to create a culture change, I've got some tips:

What you say has nothing to do with creating the company’s culture. It is only what you do that matters. Stop talking, crafting speeches, selecting slogans and tag lines and start showing up, being seen, and modeling what you are talking about.

Culture starts to be created with the first day on the job, as the employee’s observe the boss’s every move. Be aware of their ongoing and relentless scrutiny and show that the messages you are sending are designed to encourage the culture you publicly espouse. Employees at all organizational levels watch the boss like a hawk and are always watching. Don't forget it. You may think they have better things to do - but this one of the things they think is pretty important.

Just like skiing and gymnastics, you can not learn and improve in an environment where you are not allowed to fall down. Encourage risk taking and allow first-time mistakes. Determine how much risk and failure can be tolerated, and focus on what is learned from attempts. If you punish, limit, curb or eliminate any person for trying to do something new, people learn quickly to keep their heads down. Innovation IS risk.

Change is inevitable and the corporate culture will need changing from time to time. Take steps to inventory and alter the existing culture when it no longer represents what is best for the company. Don’t be afraid to ask “Why is it done thins way? Is this the best/more effective/more efficient? Is there a better way? If we were creating this today, how might it be different? “ And be brave and smart enough to listen to the answers.

Do not underestimate the difficulty of changing a culture of an acquired organization (or your own organization for that matter). The road to change will take twice as long as you think, and casualties will be twice as heavy. Be prepared to go slow. Have a plan based on data, not just hopes and dreams. Spend time doing a cultural audit to determine how big the gaps are and what may need to be done to eliminate or reduce them.

It's not easy to feel the urgency every day AND take the long view. Culture change requires both.

Focus on What People Do Right

2010-05-13T16:13:00.000-04:00

Jon was tired of complaining to me about Linda. A Director of his firm’s division, one of Jon’s senior level managers was taking up too much time and attention. “Every few months we have the same conversation. She doesn’t delegate and doesn’t develop her people. Her commitments take her out of the office so much that she rarely meets with them to provide feedback or instruction. I am not getting through to her“

Mary, a Vice President in financial services was reading yet another book on finding the key to solving her “problem employee problem,” as she struggled to find a yet another new way to work with Steve. “No matter how many times I talk with him about this issue, he still can not figure out how to work well with women on a team. He is a smart guy about so many other things - but on this issue, he is a total twit.”

Jean is wondering if it isn’t time to start a formal written record of her conversations with Sharon. “She has talent by the bushel but she doesn’t check her work. Sure, the errors are caught before things go out, but I don’t see any improvement. There is always some aspect of her work that is simply unacceptable.”

While the names have been changes to protect their privacy, you may recognize these managers. They spend a huge amount of their time focusing on the best way to improve an employee’s area of weakness. While I have many clients and colleagues whose staff is fairly accomplished, requiring relatively little guidance from them, I have far more who wonder how their employees will ever develop to the next level or be capable of more sophisticated work.

If you are spending too much of your time with employees focusing on the best way to improve areas of weakness, you aren't alone. Your management style may be ‘old school,’ and you are wasting valuable time.

Focus instead on creating a strength-based workplace rather than doing remedial work with folks. The reality of any workplace, whether it is a Fortune 100 firm, non-profit organization or an educational institution, is that there are some very real limits as to how much you can really change another person. But there are huge contributions every person can make if you leveraging the capabilities, talents and skills that the person possesses.

The 80/20 rule often applies to boss-employee interaction: the boss spends 80% of their time with the 20% of the employees that require the most help and support. What would happen if the boss focused on the things that the employees did well? By focusing on people’s strengths, they might spend more time boosting the most productive employees.

Both managing (getting work done through others) and leading (developing committed followers) are important. The managers who are head and shoulders above the rest are those that coach, support, and mentor. These are the folks who focus on the strengths of their employees so that they believe in their own success. Leaders focus others on a better future. They inspire others with their optimism and confidence combined with clarity about organizational goals and objectives, as well as ideas about how people can move things forward daily.

Successful managers cut out the things that they don’t like doing in order to unleash the power of their strengths. If you want people to be successful, look at how best to leverage their strengths. talents, and abilities, and find ways to eliminate or reduce the things that make them feel less confident.

Perhaps Jon makes Linda a senior level individual contributor who is charge of projects rather than people. If managing others is not a priority, repeating that it should be won’t make it one.

Putting Steve in situations where he embarrasses himself, the firm, or alienates a percentage of the company’s employees is good for no one. Mary can reduce her headaches by not having Steve lead teams. She might also suggest to employees that while Steve is talented and skilled, his ability to work with everyone at the professional level desired is a ‘work in progress.’ Staff might also make him aware, confidentially, when his remarks veer off course.

Jean might help Sharon find someone who IS a good proof reader and barter a trade in an area where she has a talent or skill they can use. While Sharon may never be good at proofing her work, paying attention to what she is NOT good at and making sure there is some quality control in place is definitely something she can get better at attending to.

A good question to ask every professional is “Do you like what you are doing, or are you drained by it?”

Figure out what people don’t like doing and figure out how to reduce it or even better yet, eliminate it. Focus on encouraging and developing the talent that you hired someone for in the first place.

Drive the Car You Have: Dealing with Ambivalence in a Life Filled with Choices

2010-04-29T10:46:00.000-04:00

Our lives today are filled with more choices than ever. Personal and professional development opportunities, continuing education, work, marriage and children - all are options to consider, and each comes with a variety of alternatives and combinations. Yet, after we make our choice, often with great anxiety and concern, we spend a great deal of time wondering about the path not taken, second-guessing ourselves, worrying about missed chances and dealing with guilt and regret over the options we didn’t choose.

While I facilitated a discussion group entitled “Doing Less, Having More” with a group of professionals, the recurring theme was one of ambivalence about the choices made: the working parent regretted not traveling more for work, thinking that it would have put her in line for a promotion faster; a professional who had been promoted to CFO wondered if there would ever be a good time to start a family; the single manager felt that the likelihood of creating a personal life was remote since the company saw him as always available; and a stay-at-home parent wondered if the MBA she had worked so hard for was now just useless paper. It sounded to me like an epidemic of “buyer’s remorse.”

It called to mind the story of a car purchase I had made. My son had grown to an age where his legs were long, his friends were tall, his band practiced at a variety of homes requiring the frequent transportation of instruments and equipment and my sweet, sexy little car no longer made sense. I did the research, checked out the choices that fit the needs of my checkbook and our garage.

The car I purchased wasn’t all that small or sexy. It didn’t have a leather interior and it wasn't a stick shift. It was, however, practical, affordable, had a good sized trunk and an ample back seat for long-legged teens. As I drove around, I found myself looking at all the other cars I hadn’t purchased with longing. While I could console myself that I wasn’t driving a decidedly parental vehicle like a van or an SUV, the ambivalence of my choice weighed on my mind.

I realized that I needed to just drive the car I bought. Spending my time in regret, wondering if it had been the right decision was a waste of energy and emotion. The choice had been made. I had done a pretty good job of weighing the pros and cons. I needed to live with the choice I made and move forward.

And so did these folks. How could I help them focus on getting the most out of what they decided to do, rather than spend their time wondering if they should be doing it?

There are things we all can do to focus on enjoying the choices made and enhance the selection process for the future:

Sports Car vs. Van – When the dream competes with the practical, create a list of objectives you are trying to accomplish with this choice. Rank your objectives and figure out how many of the highest ranking ones will be met with each choice.

Resist Back Seat Drivers - Everyone has an opinion but you need to silence the voices of others so you can know your own. Don’t take a referendum. Select one or two people who know you well and can provide objective and truthful advice. Ask them what they think the best choice would be and why, and then weigh that against your own thoughts.

Have a Map/GPS - It’s important to know where you are going, and more important to make sure that detours don’t take you too far off course. While the most direct route may not always be possible, you don’t want to travel too far away from where you hope eventually to end up.

Keep Your Eyes on the Road - Once you’ve made the choice, make the commitment to close the book on that particular decision. Enjoy the choice you made, and remember the reasons that made it the right choice now.

Know When to Trade In - Not all choices last forever. You can buy a different car; leave a job that is no longer challenging or return to school. When the criteria for your choice have changed, it may be time to change the solution.
It’s hard not to have some regrets when you have to make a choice:

You are eager to start your own company, but are thisclose to being vested with your firm;

You want to apply for the Director’s position, but the extra travel would create havoc with your family right now;

Additional education will take time and money away from the annual family vacation;

The position you are being offered seems like a dream come true, but the commute will be lengthy and stressful.

Whatever choice you make, if you think carefully about what is important to you, there will be good reasons for it. Focus on all the reasons it is the right choice for you today. The goal is to take the option that fits best and creates the least amount of regret for as long as you will be living with it.

NOTE: Once my son was off to college, I drove a sweet, sexy, high performance car again. It was fun to dirve, allowed only one other full sized adult to join me, and was terrible in bad weather. Once we moved into the city, I traded it in for a used, reliable, heavier car with seat warmers, and room for more than two adults. No regrets - there will be other cars in my future.

What are you Doing When You Interview?

2010-04-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

An interview is a conversation with three purposes:

• Gather Information

• Persuasively Give Information

• Public Relations

With light-speed changes in the workplace and the marketplace, the skills and techniques used to bring in and keep qualified employees need to change too. Both internal candidates and external applicants may want the open position a manager is trying to fill. The challenge is to know exactly what you are looking for, who is available and how to sell the position and your company to them.

And once you get them, it's simply NOT ENOUGH. You have to retain them and develop and leverage their talent. The workforce continues to change:

Up to 5 generations in the workplace

More women

More racial and ethnic deiversity

People staying longer or returning

Technological shifts and advances

The Old Way Isn’t Good Enough

Traditional trial and error of staff selection is no longer effective. It may actually never have been as effective as we had hoped, but people seemed willing to give mistakes a home and a hope for improvment. Rather than viewing employee selection as a monumental task, the integration of effective hiring strategies into everyday duties is the only alternative for organizations that want to excel in the future

All of the employees who are charged with the responsibility of interviewing prospective employees should participate in training programs that prepare them for a strategic hiring focus. They should always be on the lookout for talent and enthusiasm, have a clear knowledge of the positions that are under their authority, and work to create the image that will attract and retain applicants.

Superior interviewing skills sharpen the ability to identify, hire, and promote the best in every field. If you suspect that there is room for improvement in interviewing and hiring skills in your organization, or that the employees who have the responsibility for interviewing are not getting the (guided) practice or feedback they need, don't cross your fingers and hope for the best or pray for magical pixie dust to rain down on them! A well tailored training program can help your participants make better judgements about whom to hire and promote, obtain information about the job and the candidate that are critical to making good hiring decisions, and get educated on employment laws and recent changes in the law.

Organziations that have cut back on critical training programs may have put their future into the hands of well meaning managers who lack the skills to hire well. When you understand how talent comes through your door, you can create internal vehicles that exploit your talent management strategy.

Get Out of Your Own Way!

2010-04-15T12:32:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it's the spring season or simply people starting to think about summer vacation, but this week I have been in many conversations about how to define Work-Life Balance.

I am on record (if anyone keeps track of this sort of thing) as saying that I don’t think balance between these two aspects of our life really exists. I prefer the term integration to balance. Why?

It is unrealistic to think that you can schedule an equal amount of time for work activities and personal life activities. Life is more fluid than that. Work wants you 150%. Family would like you 150%. Where will you be getting 300% ?!

People change, work changes, and things change over time. What seems like a perfect blend of the activities you are spending your time on today will change tomorrow. Kids grow up and don’t need (want) a parent’s constant involvement. Age can refocus your attention, as can health.

I know from experience that one size does not fit all. What works for me isn’t going to work for you. Everyone has different lives, different goals and different priorities.

That said – if you can focus on what you are doing when you are doing it, you stand a better chance of enjoying what you are doing and achieving your goals in that specific area. And the daily (consistent) attention to finding enjoyment and achievement at work, in your community, with your family and with your friends – can provide you with satisfaction. That, in turn, can create a sense of well being that translates into living an integrated life.

Could it be as simple as that?!

Maybe!!

Focus on what you are doing, where you are.
Achieve the goal and then reflect on that achievement and enjoy it.
Celebrate the big things (promotion, weight loss) and the little things (20 minutes of exercise, dinner with out rushing).
Enjoy what you are doing when you are doing it.

You just might make yourself happy.

If You Have Too Much to Do - Make Sure You Are Doing the RIGHT Things

2010-04-09T09:44:00.003-04:00

Time is a precious and finite commodity. You can't save it and you can’t manufacture more of it. You can only use it. The best use of this limited resource comes from mastering two keys tasks:

• Prioritizing the many demands on your time, and

• Using as many time management tools as you can.

It isn't always easy to get a handle on your time. And time is'nt really something you can manage. But activities can be managed.

How well do you use your time? You can inventory how you use your ‘non-productive time’ (driving, sleeping, eating, exercising, walking the dog, watching TV, surfing the Internet), and eliminate those things that are of no value. You can also inventory your use of productive time and figure out if you have the right priority assigned to things that you need to tackle (effectiveness) as well as review your skills in handling these items (efficiency).

With regard to accomplishing work objectives and increasing our productivity and effectiveness, it might be more appropriate to call Time Management, Work Management!

An easy way to get a handle on getting to the right things, is to try the following:

On a legal pad, list all of the things that you need to do. Keep an inch margin on the left hand side of the list. If you want to include personal items (send birthday card, pick out wallpaper), do so. If there are large tasks ahead of you, break them down into more manageable steps (rather than ‘design newsletter’, put down ‘select article topics for upcoming newsletter’).

If there are any items that are time sensitive, write down the due date so you have that in front of you.

Put today’s date at the top of the list.

If you have more that one sheet of paper when you are done, don’t panic.

THEN –

Go through the list and write a M in the left hand column next to any and every item that MUST get done today (upon penalty of death). Try not to put down more than 5 M’s.

Rank the M’s in order of importance. These are the things that absolutely MUST get down today.

Then you start with number 1. When it’s completed, cross it off the list.

Don’t look down the list to find easy things to do (call Mary, return Bill’s call). Do the right (most important) things first. When you have completed all of the M’s, you can then go down the list to see what else to tackle.

As new items come up, add them to the list. Determine where they fit; Are the M’s, or can they wait?

At the end of each day, write a new list with a new group of M’s. If you didn’t get to your last M today, that becomes your first M tomorrow. If something has been on your list for two weeks and you haven’t gotten to it, either make it an M 1 tomorrow, or eliminate it from the list. It’s only making you feel guilty! It isn’t getting done and it isn’t important enough to you to get down.

Why a pad of a paper and not you PDA, Blackberry or Smartphone? Because you can see the paper easily, take it with you, keep it plain sight, have it available on your desk, and the act of writing your list keeps the items in your mind while the act of crossing off completed items can be very satisfying.

Try this for at least a week before you decide whether it will work for you. It’s deceptively simple, but also highly effective. Getting the right things done requires keeping your focus on the right things. Even if you come into work and find that there are fires that need to be put out and emergencies that require your attention, this simple system allows you to return to your plan after any distraction.

Girls and Boys Grow Up and Become Women and Men

2010-04-02T10:46:00.000-04:00

Success on the job and effective working relationships depend upon good communication – which means talking, listening and asking good questions. Easier said than done! When men and women communicate, it can be like trying to understand someone from another country (or planets like Mars and Venus). Effective communication depends on understanding the culture and customs of your gender as well as those of the opposite gender. The problem is that both men and women think that the customs of the culture they grew up in are the right customs to follow.

Many of these customs or rules are invisible to us as adults. What we learned as children (Boys: be aggressive, deal with conflict and competition in win and lose terms, be leaders, take risks. Girls: be nice, avoid conflicts, build and preserve relationships, avoid risks, be fair to all.) does nave an impact on the way we communicate as adults at work

Women tend to use a more indirect form of speaking (“Don’t you think it would be a good idea to…?”, “I may be wrong, but…”) and men use a more direct way of speaking (Less questions, more assertions, direct verb forms such as “Can” or “Will”). What happens is that men tend to view women who speak this way as unsure of themselves. Women perceive men who speak that way as aggressive or authoritarian.

There are also gender differences when it comes to how people listen. Women tend to be perceived as better listeners than men because they are pros at empathic listening. Women listen for two things: content and feeling. Men tend to listen for the verbal transcript and while they can repeat verbatim the primary points made by the speaker, they often miss the emotional part and are more goal-oriented. They want to hear the end result and they want to fix it for the person.

Flexibility is the key to effective communication in all companies. Both men and women must expand their communication strategies so that they can be effective under a wide range of circumstances.

Women can –

Learn to incorporate a direct style into their speech, using words such as “I”, “I want,” “I think,” “I believe”.

Know how to get to the point. Don’t beat around the bush. Eliminate unnecessary details if you are interacting with a man.

Eliminate wishy-washy forms of speech: “kind of,” “sort of,” “maybe”.

State opinions and don’t express them in a question form.

Continue to share feelings but also state the facts clearly.

Men can –

Incorporate some indirect styles of speech when interacting with women. Rather than saying, “This is the way to handle the problem,” try, “One way we might handle this problem is…”

Ask a woman her perspective or opinion.

Make sure men and women equally share “air time.”

Openly express feelings and/or reactions.

Listen without feeling responsible for problem solving. Offer understanding and empathy. Offer solutions and fixes only when asked. Ask a woman if she seeking your advice in solving a problem.

How "Heraclitus" of You

2010-03-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

A while back, I was meeting with a client and we were talking about our work together. It focused on the nature of change and how it was impacting his organization and the executive team. He quoted a Greek philosopher, saying that the man was best known for expressing the notion that you can not step into the same river twice.

Later, he did some some research and sent me an email about Heraclitus (the Greek Philosopher in question), who lived during the late 6th century BCE. The actual proposition was that "although the waters are always changing, the rivers stay the same." Critical of those who did not see the unity in experience, Heraclitus claimed that while opposites are necessary for life, they are unified in a system of balanced exchanges. His point was that while everything is changing, some things change so that it’s possible for the continued existence of other things.

“Managing Change” (individual) and “Leading Through Change: (organizational) are two of my most requested programs. The focus might be on the stages of change, the phases of change, the individual perspectives of change, the plan for change, a potential problem protection process, a roll out plan, a communication plan, or a follow through plan. However, a large majority of the leaders I work with want to get better at managing the transition process and think they can improve thier performance in managing it and improve the effiiciency of others going through it.

We might talk about the pressure for change, creating a shared vision, having the capacity to change, resiliency, and the creation of a plan. We rarely, however, talk about transition as part of a holistic view.

When I designed my first training program on change (way back in the olden days), it contained a module that explored the key changes that can happen in our lives. An interactive exercise that helped participants focus on the universality of change, it usually came down to personal experiences. Learning to drive, leaving home, the first job, a marriage, the birth of a child, a divorce, a death , an illness or accident – these changes were key moments in our lives that shaped us. Not everyone served in the armed forces, experienced a life threatening illness or a devastating act of nature. Everyone, however, had experienced the changes that come from growing older. As Gail Sheehey observes in her books Passages and More Passages, there are some things we experience, simply because we have entered a new decade.

People reported a learned resiliency, a devastating turn of events, a major shift in thought, or a new awareness. Although the experiences were highly personal, they were also universal, My clients today, however, prefer that I focus on the strategic and organizational aspects of change and steer clear of the stuff that seemed a little ‘touchy-feely.’ So that portion of the program fell by the wayside.

I have a new clarity about this. Managing trasntion well is really about finding our footing anew and locating our place. If we can resist a bit less and explore a bit more, there may be fewer struggles. Like Heraclitus, I view transition like water in the stream, always different water, yet still part of the stream.

Whose Time Is It?

2010-03-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

The Managers in the training program I conducted this week were not happy. We were covering delegation and time management – tools that go hand in hand. I repeated a few of the mantras they hear me say over and over again in the several sessions we are together:

You should be doing the things ONLY you can do.

Management is about getting work done through others – not doing the work of others.

If you can’t develop your employees – what are they there for?

This past week, they took an assessment that measured their time and energy management and returned to training to share the results. Many were unhappy. The bad news was that they thought they were managing their time (work) well, but had learned that they were not. No one likes to see that! Making them even more unhappy - they couldn't disagree with the results.

The good news however, was this was something they could fix.

Small changes can net big results: when someone asks if you have a minute (to help out, to answer a question, to show them something), if you are doing something else – then the answer is “no.” And it needs to be a congruent ‘no.’ Saying ‘no' and stopping to talk/listen looks like a ‘yes.’ Waiting for them to continue with what they want to request looks like a ‘yes.’

“That feel rude,” I’m told.

“Who is controlling your time?” I ask.

Tell them to email the question to you and you’ll get to it before the end of the day. Tell them you’ll be in your office and available at a specific time. Allowing interruptions all day long robs you of minutes here and minutes there and before long you are at everyone’s beck and call and none of your tasks are being completed.

Don’t pick up the phone if you are on your way out to a meeting. Don’t tell someone you have time to talk if you don’t.

And sure – you can even say “I don’t mean to appear rude, but I’m finding that I have to stop allowing interruptions that take me off task. I want very much to help you, but this afternoon, later, tomorrow, is a better time for me. I hope you understand.”

I bet they would.

Whose time is it?

If No One Has Asked You for Advice - Save it

2010-03-10T21:51:00.000-05:00

Not everyone who offers advice has been asked for it! While advice not requested is rarely taken well, there are things you can do to enhance the reception of your advice and things you may be doing to sabotage your well-meaning efforts.

Good advice is a wonderful gift but if not offered in a positive and constructive way, it will be ignored. If you really want your advice to be taken rather than simply heard, I’ve got some suggestions:

First, Shut Up
Really listen. Most situations are more complex and involved that they first appear. Get as much information as you can before offering advice. You may only be getting part of the story and advice based on incomplete information is best ignored. Ask questions to make sure you fully understand the situation.

They Are NOT Complete Twits
Unsolicited advice may feel like an intrusion into a person’s personal affairs. It can be seen as an implication that they are incapable of figuring out an issue or thinking for themselves, and taken as an insult.

Who Cares What You Think?
Ask if they are interested in your thoughts. Show them respect and prevent being intrusive by asking if they want your input. You could say something like “As I listen to you, some ideas occur to me that you might find useful. Would you like to hear them?” Remember that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer are both perfectly acceptable.

No Pressure and No Strings
Offer your advice without being pushy. We can never be totally sure about what is best for someone else. There are many things that we can never really know. While we can offer perspective, insights, shares our ideas and history, the other person needs to be trusted to make the decision that they think is best for them.

Like feedback, advice can be offered, but the recipient can choose what is right for him or her. Suggestions that are requested are far more likely to be considered than those that are pushed.

Be Different - SHUT UP!

2010-03-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

Professionals who are interested in getting ahead often have a great deal of terrific information, ideas, and suggestions to impart. However, that is not what impresses most Executive Management today.

The ability to make someone feel that they are the most important person in the room is the skills that is the most rare and the most prized. Listening to others, giving them your full attention, and finding them of interest NOT because they can do something for you, but because they are interesting to you, is a rare and precious skill.

If it’s so easy to do, why is it such a rarity? I think it is becasue people today are distracted easily and many simply don’t have the mental discipline to use this skill in a routine and automatic way. If you are interested in developing this most prized and elusive skill, take heart. I've got some tips:

Listen. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Put down the IPhone, Balckberry, book, memo; trun off or away from the computer screen.

Don’t interrupt. This is all about you paying attention to them, not you talking to them.

Don’t finish their sentences. Let them talk

Don’t tell them that you know what they mean. Try to keep your mouth closed!

Don’t disagree. Avoid using the words “but,” and “no.”

Stay focused. Don’t let your attention wander. Don’t look up or around to see who else has entered the room.

Keep up your end of the conversation. Ask good questions. Indicate that you are paying attention by asking for more detail or clarification. Follow up questions that get to a deeper level of understanding or ask for more information are a good indication of your curiousity.

Don’t try to impress them. This interaction is not about how smart or funny you are, it’s about them.

Oddly enough, the more they get to shine, the better you look! You probably have already done this: on a first date, in a job interview, or with the boss. Doing it consistently is something most people don’t do. If you can behave this way all the time and make others feel special, you will rise above the crowd.

Mentor Beware

2010-02-25T17:55:00.000-05:00

The formal and informal mentoring relationships created within an organization or between professional colleagues are becoming more and more common as people look to develop talent and acquire knowledge. Being a Mentor can be very rewarding. Providing support, suggestions and information to someone eager for it can enrich both your career and theirs. Sometimes however, in an effort to provide assistance, some Mentors go too far. If you want to avoid crossing that line, it’s good to know where it is in the first place.

Avoid:

Putting Your Money Into Their Business Ideas
Investing in your Mentee’s business changes your role: you have now gone from Mentor to Partner. You now have a ‘not so hidden’ agenda as well as a conflict of interest. It's going to be impossible to be objective about your advice and feedback when your money is at stake. Your Mentee can become wary about telling you anything negative because they are now worried about an unfavorable reaction. Rather than invest - assure them that you are honored to be considered as a potential investor but prefer to keep the relationship as a mentoring partnership only.

Working for Them
It doesn't really matter whether you are hired with or without pay - when you do the actual work, you have become an employee. The work your Mentee is responsible for should either be done by them or they should be hiring someone (else) to do the job. Your role is to work behind the scenes. A Mentor can help determine the best way to get things done or provide feedback, but should not be doing the actual work.

Becoming a Personal Counselor
While you can (and probably will) discuss life issues and challenges, pay attention to the line between work and personal issues. If the Mentee is coping with a large psychological concern (e.g., overwhelming anxiety, depression or euphoria, divorce, substance use, parenting, aging parents, a crisis of faith), a Mentor does not give personal advice and counseling. Be willing to listen and point out that you are not an expert in that personal area, and are not a therapsit or counslor. Suggest a call to a local or national hotline that deals with the specific concern (or if the firm/employer has an EAP, suggest an internal resource.)

It’s not always easy to know where the limits of the Mentor/Mentee relationship are. Many of you who are Menoring others are eager to help and are not always clear about where the limits lie. And a lot of Mentees are eager to have trusted Mentors play additional roles in thier lives. Having a clear idea of what things are definitely out of bounds from the start can help you identify areas to avoid.

No Matter How Much Snow Fell - Email Doesn't Work for Everything

2010-02-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

In case you have been cut off from the world for the last two weeks, you know that the Mid-Atlantic region has been doubly socked with snow storms. Everyone has been connecting more than usual via email in an effort to cancel, reschedule, work, delay work, and keep connected. Yes - email is a great way to do all of that, but it falls short in some critical areas. Electronic communication will never be an adequate stand-in and replacement for meeting with someone in-person.

The amount of distance between you and your employees, clients, colleagues, or boss has no relation to how misunderstnadings and conflicts can arise. With so much of how we communicate done through non-verbal behaviors, physical distance often results in an increase in problems that arise from trying to convey our intentions.

A great rule to consider unbreakable under any circumstances is:
Never ever try to resolve a conflict using email.

With no non-verbal cue to clue people in to your intention, the receiver of your communication has to guess what you mean. Amazingly, most of us make negative assumptions, not positive ones. So take the guesswork out of it. As soon as you get a sense that you are being misunderstood, pick up the phone. And if you can't talk to the person you need to in real time, DON’T leave a message that can be left open to misinterpretation. Make it clear that you need to talk to them and ask for the best time to do so.

When you get them on the phone:

Pay careful attention to the tone of your voice. You want to sound as you intend to.

Remove distractions and focus on this conversation. If you are doing something else while talking (such as checking your email), they will get the impression that this conversation isn’t that important to you.

Check to make sure they are hearing your message accurately by asking them. ("Just to be sure, what is the message that you think I'm relaying to you?")

Listen to their tone and see if it is hesitant, uncertain, or disbelieving. If it is, they may still have some doubt about your message.

Resolving conflict when you are separated by distance, even if it’s on another floor of the building takes a little more effort and time. But clarifying the message and your intention to insure effective communication saves you much more time in the long run.

Show me Someone Else's Success First - Then I'll Let you Try (Huh?!)

2010-02-12T10:52:00.001-05:00

In order to stay competitive, get the same (or more) done with the resources you have, retain clients and attract new ones, innovation is required. True innovation is finding a NEW way of doing something. You don't have to be an expert in CQI, Six Sigma or LEAN to know that the 300 year old candle industry hadn't changed much until someone innovated it into a colorful, aromatic multi-billion dollar business.

If you'd prefer to play it safe, try this terrific Innovation Killer: "Who else has done this?"

It seems that few organizations want to be the first at anything. Many of my clients look at my existing client list to see who else like them has hired me. The fear of being the first stops many CEO's and Managers from true innovation. If you ask someone to ‘prove it' first, you don't have to take a chance.

A genuine breakthrough won't have a history to prove that it works. Try using the logic of what could be based on what you know. So rather than looking at what you know to be true, encourage your people to look at what could be true.

What if we typed only using our thumbs? You'd have Blackberry.

What if we made one cup of coffee at a time? You'd have Kuerig.

What if we received a signal from a global satellite? You'd have GPS.

What if we stood during meetings? They might be shorter.

Jumping into the unknown is the path to innovation. No matter what you call it - Brainstorming, Greenlighting, or MindMapping, the goal is to nurture ideas rather than kill them. Because I work with teams who want to do this better, I can tell you that it's tricky business and often counterintuitive and counter to the organizational culture. But if you want to turn the future into an innovative and attractive reality, allow people to create the proof leaders need to make that innovative commitment.

Figure out how much risk, learning, and even loss you can tolerate. Almost every 'right guess' had many 'incorrect' or 'close guesses' first. Let people try. The evidence of those attempts will be what you need to move forward.

Small Talk Can Make a Big Impression

2010-02-04T09:23:00.002-05:00

This week I will have been out more trying to connect with people I don't know (yet) than talking to people I know well (or live with!) Small talk, cocktail chatter, kibitzing – this is the communication staple of networking. Many people confess that they are not very good at it and so they end up either avoiding it completely, talking on and on about things that hold no interest for anyone, or making a sales pitch as soon as they are introduced.

Shooting the breeze EFFECTIVELY is strategic and focused. You can use small talk to help develop a team, create and strengthen your relationship with colleagues, obtain leverage to help secure support, or simply make your relationships more pleasant.

If you enjoy the art of making conversation, it is probably because you like learning about other people. But many people enjoy hearing themselves talk! (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) But if you want to harness the power of small talk and enhance your relationships or improve the work environment you will have to give up listening to yourself and begin learning about others.

Engage THEM
Reduce the amount of declarative sentences you say and increase the number of questions you ask. Shift from “Hey Donna! I just saw the new Scorsese movie over the weekend,” to “Donna! Do you like movies?”

You already know what you like and don’t like. Rather than use up valuable air time repeating what you already know, use small talk to learn something new. If knowledge is power then the more you know about Donna, the stronger your basis for communication with her.

Small talk allows you to learn the wants, needs, goals, desires, thoughts, and hot buttons of the people with whom you work, and those with whom you want to work with in the future. The more you know about these folks, the more effectively you can communicate with them.

It is to your advantage to appeal to the self interest of others and small talk is the vehicle that can help you learn about their self interest.

The most intersting line I heard this week?

"That's a terrific picture of you on your website. Do you really look like that?"

See how much fun networking can be?!

Managing True Intrapraneurs

2010-01-28T17:38:00.000-05:00

Lots of folks have visions of how they's like their organziation to be and they could be tremendously successful ---- but they are unable to convey their visions to others successfully. Unless a vision can be accomplished single-handedly; the visionary needs to "export" the vision.

It is hard to translate a dream into words and representations that have the same power and meaning as the original. But it is even more difficult to overcome the natural resistance people have to change. Developing a shared vision is difficult and complex. But in an organzaition you have to do that successfully in order to have a chance of accomplsihing your dream.

Essential to success in doing it are:

• planning on resistance to change

• being accessible and visible

• over-communicating

• stressing open communication

• rewarding people for change

• being consistent as opposed to going hot and cold on long-range direction

Feeling and Acting Like an Owner
The opposite of feeling like an owner is feeling like a subordinate. People who do not take initiative follow the rules, wait for permission, and do what they are told and often only what they are told. People who feel like they own part of the team/business feel great urgency.

They:

are involved in their work
have a tendency to innovate because they believe their survival depends on it
invest large amounts of time and energy in their jobs.
feel obsessed with their work, making the business grow, and finding areas of competitive advantage.

Businesses have always needed managers who felt responsible for their areas. Today's turbulent environment requires something more. People need to feel responsible for building competitive advantages into the part of the enterprise they run. We want employees to go beyond acting responsibly. We want everyone to actively seek ways of building a competitive advantage in the organization he or she manages.

Empowering Others - Pushing Responsibility and Ownership Down

Empowerment is the reciprocal of power. It is letting go. For most managers, it is counterintuitive.

Management experts have talk a great deal about the importance of delegation. In the last 20 years, participative management has come into prominence rather than the old fashioned (yet still very much in evidence) command and control management. In participative management, the manager solicits input from employees and seeks to let them participate in some aspects of the managerial task. However, in the final analysis, the responsibility still rests largely with the manager.

But under certain circumstances, it is appropriate and even essential to go beyond participative management. When the rate of change is rapid, the technology is complex, the market is varied, and the people working for you competent, it is appropriate to delegate ownership. That means pushing responsibility and ownership down to the lowest level that can handle the task. It might mean backing off from the normal controls a manager normally exercises. It might mean encouraging people to seize responsibility even when to has not been assigned specifically to them. (And then not punishing them when they do that.)

Managing these "intrapreneurs" means you are sponsoring innovators and "rule breakers". As their boss, you have to walk a delicate and often uncomfortable line between knowing enough about the innovation to be able to defend it in a larger political environment, and steering clear so as not to interfere with the power and freedom of the "intraprenuer". Balancing one's personal desire to assume ownership and the organizational need to delegate it, is one of the most sought-after and one of the most elusive characteristics of the effective leader.

If you want to know if you are a leader that manages "intrapreneurs" -- ask the people who report to you.

Enhancing Creativity: Your and Others

2010-01-22T16:25:00.001-05:00

I like to think that creativity is the ability to generate new and useful ideas and solutions to everyday problems and challenges. It’s the ability to take existing objects and combine them in different ways for new purposes. Traditional organizations often simply “make room” for creativity. But forward thinking organizations (like yours- right?!) create a culture around it. They don’t simply support the use of creativity, they embrace it as a significant output of the organization.

Most people love mastery. When it is achieved, we rest on our laurels and continue to do things in a routine and efficient fashion. Why bother to innovate if there is little time and no toleration for risk or error? After all, things seem to be working fine as they are. BUT the excitement of innovation, discovery and creation is often the very thing that is missing from our work.

A Skill Set
Think of creativity as a skill set. By practicing, you can get better at it. Creativity requires patience and a willingness to work for a creative outcome rather than simply waiting for enlightenment (AKA lightening to strike).

• Learn about creativity techniques. You can find this information in books, at conferences, from other people, from software and from the Internet. Spend time with people who you think are creative and ask them how they do it. There is no one right answer and many paths to creativity.

• Surround yourself with people who respect you and encourage you to take risks.

• Celebrate your progress in reaching your creative goals (and partial goals too).

• Start thinking of yourself as a creative person. Learn the skills of creativity, act creatively every chance you get and find places amd people environments that support creative behavior.

Here is an example of a practical program to improve creativity:

1. Set a measurable goal.

Find at least 40 ideas for improvements to a product or service.

2. Set up criteria to indicate whether or not you have reached your goal.

The ideas are novel.
The ideas are useful.
The ideas can be implemented within an appropriate timeframe and budget.

You can enhance your creative output by providing yourself a special thinking time and/or place. Perhaps the couch in the lobby of the building where you work or a corner of a room at home where you can indulge yourself listening to soothing music. Maybe it's when you go running in the morning, or while taking up yoga, mediation, tai-chi or some similar meditative activity. Sometimes simply becoming involved in children's activities such as jig-saw puzzles (for spatial thinking), building blocks, drawing with crayons and role-playing/acting can aid the creative thinking process

Remember, creativity is not a gift -- it’s a state of being. Learning techniques that enhance your creativity will provide you with some useful tools, but it will not automatically change your point of view. Your creativity myths must change as well. But with a little creativity, all that will change!

To Get Create - BE Creative

2010-01-14T14:42:00.000-05:00

In the workplace, creativity is the ability to generate novel and useful ideas and solutions to everyday problems and challenges. It’s the ability to take existing objects and combine them in new and different ways for new purposes. Traditional organizations often simply “make room” for creativity. But a forward thinking organization creates a culture around it. They don’t simply support the use of creativity, they embrace it as a significant output of the organization. Am I talking about you or to you?

Most people love mastery and when we get there, we rest on our laurels and continue to do things in a routine and efficient fashion. Why bother to innovate when there seems to be little time for it and almost no toleration for risk or error? After all, things seem to be working fine as they are. But the excitement that comes with innovation, discovery and creation are the very things that are missing from our work.

A Skill Set
Think of creativity as a skill set. If you practice, you can get better at it. Creativity requires patience and willingness to work for a creative outcome rather than simply waiting for enlightenment.

So you could -
• Learn about creativity techniques. You can get this information from books, conferences, other people, software and the Internet. Spend time with people that you think are creative and ask them how they do it. There is no one right answer and many paths to creativity.

• Surround yourself with people who respect you and encourage you to take risks.

• Celebrate your progress in reaching your creative goals.

• Begin to think of yourself as a creative person. Learn the skills of creativity, act creatively at every opportunity you get and find those places that support creative behavior.

Want an example of a practical way to improve creativity?
1. Set a measurable goal.
Find at least 40 ideas for improvements to a product OR SERVICE.

2. Set up criteria to indicate whether or not you have reached your goal.
The ideas are novel, useful, and can be implemented within an appropriate timeframe and budget.

You can enhance your creative output by providing yourself a special creative-thinking time and place. Maybe a corner of a room at home where you can indulge yourself listening to soothing music, go running in the morning, take up yoga, mediation, tai-chi or some similar meditative activity. Sometimes simply becoming involved in children's activities such as jig-saw puzzles (for spatial thinking), building blocks, drawing with crayons and role-playing/acting can aid the creative thinking process

I don't think creativity is a gift. It’s a state of being. Learning techniques that enhance your creativity will provide you with some useful tools, but it won't automatically change your point of view. Your creativity myths must change as well. But with a little creativity, you ca change that too!

Keep Your Footing - Even When The Ground Shifts

2010-01-07T16:55:00.000-05:00

So it's a new year and there seems to be plenty of agreement that the world of work has changed significantly. BUT - there are still some things that will never change. These sure things should be embraced, adopted and practiced in order to increase your confidence and maintain a competitive edge.

Broad Technical Knowledge - People who possess broad technical knowledge will be well prepared to adopt innovations in their field. You may have to learn a specialized inventory method, computer language or new technology, but if you have a reasonable technical foundation in your area, you will be able to move easily among many specific techniques if needed.

Core Competencies Endure - They often form the center around which the organization reconfigures itself to meet changing market demands. Employees who connect with those competencies are more likely to remain productive, no matterwhat the future brings.

Manage Work Efficiently - Regardless of what changes, one thing never will change is the need to manage work well. Management skills transcend all professions and are an integral part of every profession and every organization.. The term “management skills” does not only mean managing the workflow of others efficiently and effectively. It also is about the ability to organize and manage one’s own workload.

Open to Learning - Employees who possess a willingness to learn are more likely to adapt and grow as their jobs change. They experience change as a challenge - something to be mastered. People with good learning skills are able to flex and grow to ensure their own success and the success of the company.

There is a lot of talk about the trends and the successful definitely keep up if not ahead of the curve. But the folks who thrive also have a good handle on the basics; the aspects of work that never change and always provide a route to success.

Revamp

2009-12-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could just destroy your existing department, eliminate the old organizational chart and start out with a fresh, clean piece of paper upon which you could simply start over from scratch? What is stopping you?

IF:

Your department or division is not running as efficiently as it could (or should);
Folks are in crisis;
Cuts to people, positions and budgets have left things unrecognizable;
People are doing more than one job (but for only one paycheck for 40-50 hours/week)

Then you should be seriously thinking about a departmental redesign.

OK - you can't do it right overnight or even in a one-day off-site retreat. But there are things you can do and ways to create a fresh approach. You don’t have to limp into the New Year with tired people and an ineffective methodology and structure for accomplishing departmental/divisional goals. You could be the one who tries innovation instead of stagnation.

You will need to pay close attention to:

Creating senior-level support for a departmental reorganization
Designing a departmental structure that can meet organizational strategic goals and objectives
Using departmental policies, procedures, and process to model organizational change
Developing flexible job descriptions that demand needed skill sets now but can evolve over time
Building a collaborative team of individual star performers
Attracting, selecting, hiring, and mentoring key staff
Identifying similar (and complimentary) teams and skill sets in other departments that will complement and extend the impact of your department
Evolving toward your ideal departmental structure even if you cannot start from scratch

Creating a department from scratch is not simple or easy so don’t view it as the remedy for all your problems. It's not easy to truly let go of the past and create something new. You may make mistakes and missteps. In fact -- you can count on it!

Success will lie in a departmental structure that is tied tightly to your company's strategic goals and objectives. You will have to walk the talk, but your ability to execute a departmental redesign will build credibility within your organization. People will be watching to see if you really mean what you say and if things have really changed.

But imagine what tings could be like if you could build something that makes sense today -- for the way things are today.

Cut, Earn and Learn

2009-12-11T15:00:00.003-05:00

Everyone is trying to figure out how to thrive in these tough economic times. OK, maybe not thrive; maybe just tread water until better times arrive. Reacting to the pessimistic economic reports and the hand-wringing commentators might have you discounting prices only to find that the perception is that you’ve discounted quality and service as well

Think before you act and come up with strategies that make sense now and will bode well for the future too:

Timing is Everything – Focus your promotion on discounted prices when your customers have the most to spend. Think about budget cycle, payday, or the beginning of the quarter.

Tailor a Solution – Ask your clients what they need and then create a mix of offerings, products or devices to meet the need they have, focusing on the affordability.

Create Something New – Create a discounted brand or offer coupons for specific products. If things are slow on a Monday or Friday, focus the deals on those days.

Think Like a Customer – What do your customers want to see? A 13 item dozen? Price points such as $99.95, or $4.99? Highlight the percentage saved on products and services. Create a discount for quantity. Throw in shipping.

Negotiate – Flexibility can indicate that you are more interested in the relationship than the specific sale. Offer a menu of options to choose from. As long as you are talking to current and potential clients, there is the possibility of doing business. Keep the conversation going by learning about their constraints and goals.

Our economic situation will improve eventually and when it does, you will have been able to keep your customers and perhaps attract news clients as well

Change Takes 3

2009-12-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

Every organization I've ever worked with comes to a point where the status quo, a place where things stay the same doesn’t feel competitive or energizing. The folks at the top company try to change and improve things. The successful ones may do it right, or they may just be lucky. The problem is that luck is very hard to replicate. So how can we, you, I duplicate successes and improve the odds that the changes implemented are going to not just be successful changes, but create success for the organziation too?

There are three key components to organizational change: strategy, tactics and people. Wemay understand the need for all three, but most of us tend to go to our strengths.

Strategy - Strategy is skill in managing any matter, using a plan, a scheme or a system. In the world of organizational change, it really means the vision -- defining what needs to change and why. Without a plan, there is no direction.

Tactics - Tactics are the methods used to bring about change. There are a wide variety of tools to manage change. But like any experienced carpenter, you need the right tool for the job. The less effective the tools, the more time and energy is wasted. Sometimes a few tools, used in conjunction with one another is the best way to accomplish a successful change. Without the right tools in the right hands, some changes are never achieved.

People - Everyone is unique and reacts differently based on their distinct combination of human nature and their environment. Different personalities, styles, preferences and filters impact how people react and handle change. Without people being on board with the change, the strategy and the tactics you choose won’t matter.

Your preferential styles and talents move us to the areas where we feel most comfortable and probably experience the most success. But going to your strengths can actually leave you weak.

People who think that Strategy is their strongest suit usually ask:
• Where are we going?
• How are we doing?
• What needs to change? Why?

Concerned with the bottom line and the big picture, these folks use words like vision, purpose, competition, performance, goals, critical analysis, brainstorming, and logistics. They are looking ahead to see where the organization will be in the next five years. . They compare themselves to other firms, evaluate the effectiveness of current practices and explore new ways of doing things.

If you think your strengths lie with Strategy, then you are most concerned with how to make needed changes rather than why they are necessary. The focus is on the tools and processes that can bring about successful transition; on the present and not really on the future. You use words such as tools, hardware, sequence, discipline, details, control and plan. Order is created by assigning tasks and organizing, scheduling and performing follow-ups.

Those of you who are drawn to the People side of change are most concerned with involving others, gaining trust and eliminating fear. Eager to reduce conflict and improve teamwork, the words that carry weight for you include communication, values, growth, interaction, participation, training, intervention, development, emotion and interpersonal. Through sharing, listening, expressing and collaborating, you work towards developing team building tools.

• Big picture people like strategy.

• People who like methodology, tools and technology favor tactics.

• People-people are interested in communication, learning, feeling and knowledge.

Managing the transition process successfully requires a working knowledge and comfort level with all three areas. To sustain change you need to communicate with people who approach the process differently and form a strong team that uses the most powerful tools for the tasks at hand.

The most powerful Change ‘masters’ are those who build bridges between the three components. If you are most comfortable in only one specific area, take heart. You can make a concerted effort to learn more about the other two areas. Get to know people who value the other aspects of organizational change. Going to your strengths can mean knowing what areas require support and development. Be resourceful and make sure that all three areas are included in your plans for successful change.

Now is the Time to Raise the Bar for ALL Employees

2009-11-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

The old 80-20 Rule is alive and well in the way that most managers manage their employees. Many think that only 20% of their direct reports are of “go-to” caliber.

Even with the current economic downturn, a model popularized by Jack Welsh many years ago at GE (that 20% of the employees are in the top performance category, 70% are in the middle range, and 10% are at the bottom) is still a management philosophy that is widely accepted and implemented today.

This approach is holding organizations back from leveraging the full potential of their workforce. Times have changed and it only makes good business sense to change your view about talent development. There are things you can do to change with the times and develop your workforce effectively in today’s business climate. What better time than right NOW to rasie the bar?

• Increase performance levels and raise the expectation level of everyone who works for you.

• Make assignments strategically, providing people with opportunities and the managerial support they need to accomplish them.

• Coach all of your employees more frequently.

• Encourage some risk taking.

• Reward those who demonstrate the success, skills and strategies you are looking for.

• Broaden the talent of everyone. Now is the time to invest in your people (and invest in their development).

• Connect development (training) directly to achievement.

When you help employees connect the dots from performance standards to increased expectations, from training to accomplishment, you are making a case that your organization’s leadership understands – ROI.

Admittedly, I’m a little biased. But not investing in training and development simply doesn't make sense.

Boot Camp II Graduation Day

2009-11-05T20:09:00.000-05:00

The last session of the 6 session Supervisory Boot Camp was today. The participants really did great work. So many learned:

- the value of planning and thinking about what motivates their employees
- delegation and really “managing those monkeys
- effective communication, never stop communicating
- asking questions first, learn about how they see things, what they want, what they expect
- focusing on the goals and objectives of the organization
- not focusing on the little interpersonal dramas that distract people from what need to be going
- to stay Adult and expect others to be Adult

A few found that they have a lot more to learn. Some discovered that they are not as good at managing other as they though. Several have really terrible and unprofessional bosses – I heard some really bad stories.

It is heartening to hear that they tried to do things differently back on the job between sessions and many experienced successful results. And were too surprised. Why would I suggest that they try things that wouldn’t work??!! And they were surprised that they had fun during the sessions!

I hope it sticks. Not all of it will. The real world crashes in and other things become more important; no one checks to see if they are still using the things they learned.

But if a few things do, they will be more effective, mores empowered and more successful. That would be so great.

What do YOU mean?

2009-10-30T17:27:00.001-04:00

A frustrated training participant reports that he’s coming to the end of his rope with the ‘higher ups.” They tell him he has a ‘voice’ and he has been using it as much as he can to ask for things and describe situations that require attention. He’s used humor, kidding, teasing, reminding -- all to no avail. His frustration grows when he is repeatedly reminded that ‘he has a voice.’

I suggest that what he has not done and should try is to ask what is meant when they tell him that ‘he has a voice.’

What does he think it means? That when he speaks he will be listened to and some action that aligns with his expectation will result.

What does it look like they mean? That he should speak up.

Pretty different definitions

I sure get his frustration. If we define terms and concepts differently, the outcomes are likely to be different that our hopes and expectations.

So first clear up the miscommunication. Then see if the result can be improved.

American Red Cross of MD: Every Second Counts and Now it's Every Person's Story

2009-10-21T18:07:00.002-04:00

I attended the American Red Cross of Maryland’s Every Second Counts Breakfast at Orioles Park in Camden Yards this morning. A terrific event attended by hundreds, we were listening to the third of three personal stories of people who’s lives had been helped in a major way by the American Red Cross. Each story was a moving account of how the Red Cross provided help and support and made a difference in the outcome of a very challenging situation: a home and life’s possessions lost in a fire, a major accident with a happy ending as a result of the training for emergency medical assistance and CPR, and the need for total body transfusions over the life of a child with sickle cell disease. Each story was compelling, bringing tears to people’s eyes.

Mid-way through the third story, everything stopped, including the speaker. Our attention was drawn to someone in the back of the room who had collapsed. A few people stood to see what was happening. Simultaneously, a doctor came to the back of the room, people cleared space, calls were made to 911, and the room went silent. After several minutes, a pulse was found, the EMT’s arrived and departed, and the program - - - -

Well, there wasn’t going to be time to complete the program as originally planned. The host took the microphone and apologized, letting us all know that it appeared that things would be fine for the individual who had collapsed, although there wasn’t going to be time to finish the last story. But the question was raised – “If the person had collapsed and you were the only one in the room, would you have known what to do?”

As I walked out to the parking lot with other participants, I overheard people talking about taking safety training and having the Red Cross come to their workplace to conduct an emergency training program for employees. Pledge cards and donations were completed and handed in. It was an amazing and powerful morning.

As unsettling as it was, it served the mission of the Red Cross as no story could. It would become the story those of us who were there this morning would tell others. Talk about changing lives.

Suck It Up and Step Up to the Plate, Cupcake!

2009-10-15T17:06:00.000-04:00

Today’s Supervisory Boot Camp training program indicated that people are seeing the results of their efforts and that many of the strategies and skills pay off! Training is all about DOING but it helps to talk about the challenge involved and what stops people.

The topic this morning was giving improvement and reinforcement feedback. For the most part, no one enjoys stirring up difficult emotions. At a deeper level, many supervisors and managers steer cleat of giving improvement feedback because they want to be liked and don’t want to deal with the interpersonal mess of defensiveness, pouting, complaining, and explaining about why work is substandard.

The focus needs to be on closing the gap between what you want from employees and what they are currently delivering. Let them know you think they are capable of improving, and follow up to show them that you are interested in their progress. Eventually they may understand that your job as the manager is to develop them and help them improve their performance, not applaud everything they do, not matter what. Few enjoy conflict and delivering improvement feedback. One of the participants said that while in the army in Iraq, there was a phrase he thought fit the theme of the session: “Suck it up and step up to the plate Cupcake!” Exactly!!

WMAR Good Morning Maryland @9 - Tough Interview Questions

2009-10-07T12:11:00.001-04:00

http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/default.aspx?articleID=19433

If you are prepared, there is no such thing as a 'tough interview question.' Anticipate the challenging inquiries and create answers that will allow you to come across as polished and professional. And those illegal questions that in training I advise managers to avoid?? If you don’t answer it, you might appear rude or stand-offish to the interviewer. Employers shouldn't ask these kinds of questions but some do, either to intentionally discriminate or innocently through ignorance of the law. Smart candidates (like you) are prepared to respond gracefully and concisely. Don't point out that they have just asked you an illegal question! Stay calm. This shows them that you can handle yourself with dignity and professionalism.

Today's visit to WMAR held an added bonus/surprise. As I'm sitting and waiting to go on, I see this man who looks familiar walking up the hall and I hear on the TV monitor that Jamie Costello will be interviewing Earl (The Pearl) Monroe on the show later in the morning! As we walks towards me I stand and grin and clasp his hand, introducing myself and when he say's "I'm Earl Monroe," I try not to gush, ramble, and kvell (could be the name of new law firm!) as I tell him that I know, why is he on the program, I'm a huge fan, the 73-74 NY Knicks were the best team ever, I also lived in Philadelphia, how is he feeling, where does he live now, does he ever see the guys from the old team ----." He was gracious, answered all my questions, asked what I did and why I was on the program and asked for my card (he didn't have any).

I didn't want to take up too much of his time and I wanted to send emails from my Blackberry telling my husband, brothers, son that I had just met him. (I want to stop talking TO you so I can tell people I talked to you!!) When my youngest brother emailed back that he still had the basketball trading cards of the whole 73-74 team in his office - I shared that as we all went into the studio. Earl tells me that he had gone out to dinner just the other night with Willis Reed and Walt Frasier. These guys were basketball gods to my family growing up. We talked a little bit more about staying in touch with long-time friends. And we both agreed that it was so nice to meet and it just goes to show that, in terms of the future and the potential - you never know!!!"

Multi-Generational Manager: Get Up from Your Table and Go Sit Somewhere Else

2009-10-06T14:28:00.000-04:00

Millennials are not like the Baby Boomer's or Gen X-ers who have come before them. Working with managers today in a follow-up clinic to a previous training program, there is still much unhappiness and reluctance to manage differently and creatively to attract, retain and develop these employees. While the current economic environment is definitely changing the "I can get a job any where" to "There are no jobs out there," it will not change Millennials in terms of their values, beliefs, connectedness to parents, confidence, and use of technology.

The conversation was spirited and allowed people to both throw up thier hands in annoyance AND tackle issues and strategies with creativity. While organizational policies and company cultures are slow to change, getting the conversation focused on what people CAN do is very energizing. I wish clients had the budget for me to come back again and again to see how tings were going, what worked, what didn't, why not and what’s next.

If you want to get to know ‘them,’ spend some time with them. Work isn’t all that different from high school! In the cafeteria, the Cheerleaders all sit together, the Jocks all sit together, the Nerds all sit together and the Theater-Rats all sit together. If you want to get to know and understand someone else, you are going to have to get up from your table and go sit with another group. It’s counterintuitive for most people, but managers need to be creative about how to motivate a variety of people.

Leadership and Conflict

2009-09-23T16:19:00.001-04:00

I conducted a program on Conflict Resolution this morning and found myself thinking about the conversations I overheard. Participants assessed their preferred style; the behavior of the employees involved, and explored how to work toward a more successful outcome.

If you buy Covey's assessment, that leadership is value based, what happens when there are competing values? Are the values of the leader 'more right' than the values of others? Is it a conflict when Management does not get agreement, cooperation or compliance?

Crafting solutions requires the exploration of competing goals, active listening, conveying respect and empathy for the other person, and awareness that you can not change someone else. It requires time, the interest, a strategy and skills. Conflict resolution is not "Because I said so."

Leading Diversity - How Do You Look?

2009-09-16T18:09:00.000-04:00

The participants in today's program on Maximizing the Performance of Diverse Teams (sponsored by the MD Chamber of Commerce and co-facilitated with Sheela Murthy) wanted ideas about how to impact their leaders about diversity and inclusion. Many wonder if it truly valued. They don't see observable behaviors at the top that convince them that this is a genuine organizational goal or value.

I wonder how executive leadership would have reacted, had they been a fly on the wall. Just saying that diversity and inclusion are important ring hollow when no one sees diversity at the top, on the teams, or in the halls. Having people who are different than the homogeneous norm is good for the EEO report, but if people don’t feel welcome, respected and needed, then it’s all for show. Word gets out (because people like to talk), and soon everyone knows that the Leaders don’t mean what they say. If you can’t trust your leadership, it makes it hard to be a committed to the organization’s goals. Leadership should be more aware that people watch them very carefully.

Media - Typical Interview Questions for WMAR ABC2 Good Morning Maryland @9

2009-09-09T14:28:00.000-04:00

I wanted to call this segment "Lazy Managers Interview Questions!" These questions are pretty predictable but often stop job applicants in their tracks. Once you understand what they are really trying to find out you can position the answer to address their concerns and position yourself in the best light.

View the Video

This is my third appearance on GGM@9 and I’ve been invited to return once a month for the Back2Work segment. I’m really excited about the opportunity. They like the energy and information I bring to the show and I enjoy being in the hands of professionals who make me look good. Everyone there makes it easy to be on TV which is NOT what I do on a regular basis. My next goal is to stop focusing on my hair being in my eyes and remember that I’m there to give good and interesting information. Hair bands and barrettes are not my best look anyway.

Media - Networking Tips on Good Morning Maryland/WMAR ABC2NEWS

2009-08-28T11:59:00.005-04:00

I was invited back for another segment of Back2Work on Good Morning Maryland (WMAR, ABC 2NEWS) to talk about Effective Networking Tips. Jamie Costello got word that the President was going to break in any minute to talk to the nation about Ted Kennedy having just passed away. Bad timing for me, right?! Not when I'm working with a pro. Jamie asked if I could talk fast, I nodded, and when we went on air, he was off and running! My goal was simply to keep up, be articulate, make sense, and remember to smile! I laughed all the way home, wondering if it looked like the blur it felt like to me. The response I've received has been positive, and viewers liked the common sense and the ideas they hadn't thought about. Best news -- I've been invited back again. It would be great if the famous and infamous people stay healthy and alive when I make a return visit.

Event: BBJ BizSmart - Helping You Gear Up for Greatness

2009-07-20T18:25:00.001-04:00

Joined fellow panel members Ericka Lundell and Art Taguding this morning at the BBJ offices for the first event designed to offer ideas on job search, networking strategies, career information, and suggestions. The event was very well attended (all the chairs were taken!) and there was lots of practical suggestions to try as well as some things to avoid. Monday mornings can be a challenge - even more so when you don't have a job. These folks came ready to get news to use. The BBJ is a great resource and went the extra step by offering a program that serves a genuine community need. I was pleased to support thier efforts.

Media: Good Morning Maryland

2009-07-16T05:14:00.005-04:00

I was interviewed on WMAR-TV/ABC2's Good Morning Maryland for the weekly Back2Work segment on the topic: Staying Energized During Your Job Search. It's a challenge to stay upbeat but so critical. Not only do Job Seekers need energy to get out there and find employment, it's what potential employers and the people who can make referrals for job opportunities need to see. To hear and learn the tips that can make the difference, go to http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/default.aspx?articleID=18119