How to Measure Innovation in Your Business
It may or may not have occurred to you how important it is to measure the innovation of your own business. However, if you do not look into the efficacy and processes within your company, there is no way for you to know how well your organization is truly running, and in which areas improvement is needed. Of course, if you want to measure the innovation of your business, you will need to have a technique to use to gauge the different elements to be considered.
Traditionally, these elements have consisted of counting defects, measuring costs, and tracking cycle times. Today, as we understand businesses processes better, it has become a bit more involved but no less achievable.
With improvement strategies such as Six Sigma – a set of techniques developed by Motorola that focuses on the process of improvement within a business – there are ample measures available to recognize if your business is achieving its potential, or if it is lacking on one or many levels.
There are primarily five areas of measure for innovation, which include:
1. Performance – your company’s ability to provide a total solution in relation to its requirements and its competition
2. Quality – the number of defects and the number and rate of delay
3. Timing – its speed to the market, including its schedule for internal development (also known as cycle time) and its external market timing.
4. Finances – revenue expectations, costs, margins
5. Development costs – for specific projects
Additionally, there are a number of sub-categories for measuring innovation within your business. These include:
Turnover of personnel
Percentage of product and/or service tests passed
Percentage of reuse (the number of tested items that were borrowed)
Number of specification or requirement changes needed
Percentage of new parts (the number of items that are untested)
Percentage of unique parts (potential areas for difficulty in integration)
Percentage of new vendors
Percentage of staffed to plan (including times of over-staffing and under-staffing)
Percentage of designated time lost to undesignated projects
As you can see, there is quite a bit to consider when you wish to measure the innovation of your business. This often explains the inclination for businesspeople to put off such measurements. However, by doing so, you are only holding back from the ideas, changes, and potential that you could be offered from the result of these measurements. The best time for you to measure the innovation your business is today.
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online (http://www.sixsigmaonline.org) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
Discover the Secrets to Managing Your Time
Twenty-four hours. Each one of us has only twenty-four hours each day. Out of that, we need to eat, sleep, take care of our loved ones, have a bit of fun, and earn some money so that we can continue to thrive. Some people manage to glide through their day, accomplishing everything they want to with time to spare. Others spend their time racing from task to task, never quite finishing one thing before being called to start something new.
Each day we make dozens of choices about how to spend our minutes and hours. When we plan how to spend it, we are in control of our time. Without a working plan, we will use up all our time on whatever comes up, regardless of how important it is.
To gain control of your time, you should start by planning your priorities. Set aside a regular time each day for this. Some people prefer the end of their day, others use the first fifteen minutes of their day. Sit down with a pen and paper, and make a list of everything you want to accomplish for the day. Don’t worry about putting them in order; just make the list as complete as possible.
Next, look over your list and assign priorities to each task. A tasks are the most important; B tasks are the second most important, and so on. Now, look at all of you’re a tasks, and rank them in order of importance, with one being the most important. Do the same with your B tasks, C tasks, and so on. Now you have an organized, prioritized plan for your day. You’re A-1 task is the most important thing you want to accomplish, and you have a clear map of how to spend your time.
Often the C tasks will be the easiest, and most enjoyable to complete. The natural tendency is to finish the easy things first, and never quite get around to the important tasks that can really move your life and career forward. Using a priority list keeps you on track by helping you to focus on what is really important for you to spend time on throughout the day. When you finish all of you’re a tasks, and a few of your B tasks, you day will be much more productive than if you complete all of your C tasks and a few B tasks.
Planning your priorities is only the first step in gaining control of your time. Executing your plan can be a challenge.
In order to follow your plan, you will need to develop a few strategies to deal with all of the inevitable interruptions that will steal your time. Having a pre-determined strategy to deal with unimportant phone calls and constant emails will help you regain control of your time.
Make a commitment to yourself that you won’t answer any unimportant calls until after all of the A tasks are finished. Using caller ID and voice mail make this a simple commitment to keep. You can set up your email account to automatically sort your email into folders as it arrives. You’ll easily be able to find important messages without being distracted by the unbelievable claims that seem to get through even the best spam filters.
You can set aside a specific time each day to sort through the non-urgent email folders. This way they do not steal time away from what is really important to you.
Once you have mastered gaining control of twenty-four hours, you can try managing your priorities by weeks, months, and quarterly segments. You will be amazed at how much more productive you will become, and at how simple it really is to become the master of your time.
Gerri Stone publishes time management articles and tips at http://www.tipsfortimemanagement.com.
Giving Effective Feedback
If there is one area that gives both managers and employees difficulty it is the need to give and accept effective feedback. It is one of the most crucial elements in assisting employees to improve their performance. It establishes a connection between what employees are doing and how their actions are perceived by others. Although receiving feedback is often under appreciated, those on the receiving end must occasionally be reminded that no feedback could be much worse.
Most managers consider themselves to be high achievers. Out of this mindset comes the need to want to move right into problem solving by directing staff to fix a problem in a specific way. This quick fix solution shouts loudly of their inexperience. More seasoned managers know the importance of effective communication and begin the feedback process by listening to their people. They encourage input into the situation in order to determine what may be interfering with getting the job done in the most effective way. Only after they have received input can they can gain a broader perspective of the situation and make appropriate recommendations for action.
Giving feedback is not about dishing out criticism; however, this often proves to be the case when managers find themselves under pressure. It is at these times that emotions get in the way of effective management and much is lost in the process.
Let’s put this on a personal level. As a manager, you want to be liked by your employees. You have always resented those who misjudge you and who find fault without knowing the full story. You vowed that when you became a manager that you would not follow this course of action because you know this type of behavior does nothing to improve your performance but rather makes you mistrust people and devalue their capabilities.
“The young carry-out boy was asked, “How long have you been working here?” He replied, “Ever since they threatened to fire me.” –Anonymous
Although numerous books have been written about the essential qualities of good leaders, in my opinion, four qualities stand out: communication, trust, competence, and caring.
Effective leaders communicate clearly and inspire others to want to take action. Good leaders are good listeners. They pause often, and acknowledge the presence of others. Most importantly, they stop talking and listen attentively. They build trust through what is said and done. Their competence is judged on how they make decisions and lead people. And, lastly they are people savvy. They are genuinely interested in others and get the job done through collaboration. Good leaders are not Lone Rangers. They do not expect others to be “just like them.” But rather, they recognize and leverage the talents of others for the benefit of the entire organization.
Remember, even though you, as a manager, may dislike giving feedback, your employees expect and need it from you. The complaints are not usually about the necessity to improve, but how the situation was inappropriately handled.
Feedback should NOT be limited to the times you do Performance Evaluations but should be an ongoing process between a manager and her or his team. The results are good grades in the four qualities of effective leadership mentioned above.
TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK
Rule of 3 x 3
effective feedbackBert Decker is his book, You’ve Got To Be Believed to be Heard, talks about his 3 x 3 Rule when giving feedback. His method forces the manager to give balanced feedback by focusing on three strengths and three areas of development when analyzing performance and behavior. Capping it to three keeps the information succinct and easily remembered. Decker says, “Receiving three bits of feedback at a time allows people to make course corrections, like a guided missile, as they keep moving onward and upward. The goal is not to flatten someone’s ego but rather to give them encouragement and to challenge them to improve.
Focus on Performance, Not Personality
The most effective way to discuss areas requiring improvement is to focus on observable actions, not attitudes. By limiting your criticism to what you see with your own two eyes, it will help you refrain from judgments that can trigger a defensive reaction. An example might be, “I have heard you making a number of personal telephone calls lately, is there something going on that you need our support for?” That is better than saying, “You seem to be making a number of personal calls lately, and this has become very disruptive.”
Certain Words Create Problems
Words that are dangerous when evaluating performance are always, never, and worst. If you let slip any of these words, you are overstating your case and not focusing on actual performance. Far better to say, “I’ve seen you do this three times this week.”
New managers who are not accustomed to providing feedback will often sound accusatory when they are trying to assert their authority. If this is you, you will know you are on shaky ground if you find yourself using the word “you” followed by a negative comment. An example might be, “You didn’t meet the deadline we agreed to.” With this language, tensions will be inflamed and the result will be a resentful employee. Better to say, “We agreed to a Friday deadline. Can you tell me what problems you encountered?” This moves the employee into analyzing the situation rather than becoming defensive.
Use Questions to Give You Leverage
It is often helpful to let employees discover for themselves what could be improved. This tactic works especially well with high-ego performers who automatically resist any input they get as negative. Many new managers make the mistake of talking so much that employees feel like they are being scolded as a preschooler.
It is more beneficial to ask questions to flush out the situation. Prod the employee, in a non-threatening way, into evaluating his or her own performance in an area where you have concern. Stay totally involved in the process by allowing the employee to make recommendations for their own improvement. Learning “questioning skills” is a valuable tool and one that can be taught in the coaching process. Questioning helps you get a broader perspective on a situation and helps you avoid lapsing into the lecture mode.
Be Supportive
There is a fine line between advice and support. Advice involves telling someone how to solve a problem. Support on the other hand, makes the other person feel valued. It is well intentioned and shows a willingness to share observations and seek information to help the employee to succeed. It does not assert superiority or position. Like a friendly but curious detective, you want to investigate behavior rather than take a position that assigns right-wrong labels to a person.
Leaders are Always in Training
Just as professional athletes are in year-round training because they desire continuous improvement, so too should managers be in continuous training. Personal Executive Coaching has proven long-term benefits because executives learn to integrate the skills and apply them on the job. If you expect the best from your people then setting high expectations for yourself is both natural and positive. Set up your Free 30-minute Coaching Session by clicking the appropriate box on the right-hand panel.
Author
Barb McEwen is a well-known Master Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant who works with senior executives from around the world to help identify and assess developmental opportunities for both organizations and individuals.
Reprints
You are welcome to reprint these articles. The following quotation must be printed at the conclusion of each reprinted article.
Copyright Barb McEwen and 20/20 Executive Coaching, Inc. Barb McEwen is a well known, thought-provoking and inspirational speaker. You can reach her at: Barb.McEwen@2020ExecutiveCoaching.com. Learn how to be a more effective manager and leader. Check out her website at http://www.2020executivecoaching.com.
Team Efforts in Time Management
Family and co-workers are a part of the team of people that you should include in your time management plan. When you promote confidence and motivation to your team, you are taking the first step in making your plans work. Time Management is essential in any success strategy planned. If you are not into cramming, rushing, or failing it is wise to get ahead by setting a time management plan that includes each person that works around you.
If you have family time, management is important since you do not want to neglect the people you love the most. This is part of your team, and when they are neglected, you are affected. When you are planning a time management schedule, it is wise to include all details of your life into the plans. For example if you are making a list of tasks, then you will include sleep, waking hours, meals, job, family, entertainment, social, chores, travel, and so on.
Try to avoid planning a task list that works against your schedule. If you set a time in the day to eat a meal, then make sure that is the time you will dine. There comes time in our lives where we may have to modify our schedule but try to avoid this if, at all possible. If you need to check off your list this is great for keeping up with a schedule. Checking off your list only assures you that your time management is working.
Another helpful tip is to determine what tasks take longer than other tasks. For example, if you work and are expected to handle a large project, be sure to take care of the bigger tasks and work down to the smaller tasks. By handling, the bigger tasks first will save you time, since the smaller tasks will be easiest and you can then find more time for your team members. If you work as a team at your employment, then try to include your team in the time management plan as much as possible. When teams work together, there is always more time for other details that are needed to be fulfilled.
You want to include time in for the family also. If you work long hours, you might want to cut back on the hours by getting your work done. Some of us tend to lax when we are working. Do not waste time chitchatting if you have work that needs to be fulfilled. Get the work done first. Teamwork is where it is at, since no one person can stand-alone. However to make team effort work, collaboration is essential.
Teamwork is essential when working out a time management plan. The key to success is taking necessary precautions to prevent communication leakages within a business. Teamwork that instills motivation and confidence is the primary focus of getting the plans in action. When you have confidence, and motivation, you have the primary keys to getting on the road to managing your time. Communication is an important ingredient that makes time management fall into place.
© 2005 www.your-offical-guide.com; All Rights Reserved
Steve Hall is the owner of http://www.your-official-guide.com, your one-stop location for getting the information you are looking for on a wide ranging and ever-growing list of subjects.
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Dealing with Difficult Employees 9 Facts You Must Document And Why
Many managers and supervisors in my leadership training workshops come up to me privately regretting that they did not document a particular incident with an employee. A lot of times they report to me that as time went on, the difficult employee only got worse. Soon, they had to terminate the employee. Often they will say to me, “That lack of documentation came back to haunt me.” Many managers and supervisors today are overloaded, and let’s face it, documentation takes time. Unfortunately, too, for these people, they often feel they’re spending 80% of their time dealing with the difficult employees. I’m amazed at how many people in management positions really don’t know exactly what to document. So, here is a list of things to include if you’re dealing with a difficult employee.
1. Date, time and place of where you are doing the documentation in case you’d ever need to account for your whereabouts.
2. Date and time the incident occurred.
3. The difficult employee’s full name.
4. Location where the incident occurred. Was it in your office building or out in the work trenches?
5. Witnesses present. Include the names of those who saw the incident, and came to you to complain about the difficult employee and the situation. Even if you didn’t personally observe it, often when that many employees are all saying the same thing, there’s usually a grain of truth to it.
6. Your action at the time. Did you say anything to the employee about this? If so, what? Be as specific as possible and stick to the facts. Remain objective not subjective.
7. The employee’s reaction. If you spoke to the employee, how did they react? Again, be as specific as possible. Stick to the facts in terms of how they acted and what they said.
8. Any other unusual things you notice about the difficult employee such as a radical change in their personality.
9. Your signature. (You don’t need the employee’s signature as this is simply to remind you of the facts.)
In dealing with a difficult employee, this documentation is not something you would show them. It is your observation documentation only. This is for your records and for your Human Resources department if you have one. Keep this information in a locked file and do whatever your organization’s policy requires you to do with it. Every organization is different.
When documenting stick to the facts. You want to remain objective as opposed to subjective. This way it’s less likely that the difficult employee can say, “Well, that’s just your perception. You’re just picking on me.” As long as you can remember facts and data it will be harder for them to argue with you.
There’s the chance that anything you write down, whether at work or at home, could be read in front of a jury. Take any “emotion” out of the equation. Focus on the facts and specific behaviors such as missed deadlines, or dates and times the difficult employee showed up late for work. And remember, the documentation is also to illustrate everything you tried to do to save them. For example, write down any training you provided. Because unfortunately when dealing with difficult employees, these people often fire themselves.
“As far as the courts are concerned, if it isn’t written down it’s as if it didn’t happen.” Colleen Kettenhofen
Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen
Colleen Kettenhofen is a speaker, workplace expert and co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on The Today show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. Popular topics: difficult people, leadership, management, public speaking, success. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. For free articles and newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com (800)323-0683. You are free to reprint or repost this article provided Colleen’s name and contact information are included.
Have We Learned Nothing About Managing Change
Patrick, the baby of my extended family, started kindergarten this year. As a
graduate of pre-school, we thought he’d be right at home in his new class. But after
the very first day, he firmly announced that he wouldn’t be going back to school.
When questioned about this decision, he admitted that the teacher was nice enough,
and all his friends were glad to see him, but (and to Patrick, this was the deal
breaker) there was no naptime.
No naptime! In Patrick’s school, 5-year olds are being asked to “pay attention” from
8 am to 3 pm without an opportunity to rest and recharge. Have we learned nothing
about educating young children?
Which started me thinking about my work . . .
I’ve spent the past twenty years helping individuals and organizations thrive on
change. Yet, recently, I’ve seen leaders making some of the same mistakes I noticed
two decades ago. Have we learned nothing about managing change?
I don’t mean to minimize the complexity and chaos that leaders are facing. Rapidly
changing technologies make yesterday’s choices obsolete. The turbulent economy
increases pressure to “do more with less.” Companies rely on a shifting stream of
alliances – competitors one day and partners the next – and sometimes both at the
same time. Corporate reorganizing is becoming an annual affair. Mergers and
acquisitions are on the rise. Customers are demanding “better, faster, cheaper”
everything. Competition is fierce. The pace of change is accelerating. And
employees are increasingly skeptical about committing to business strategies that
are constantly being redefined.
Yet this is our reality – and in this world, leadership success belongs to those who
can keep a work force resilient, positive, and engaged while dealing with the
tsunami of change that is turning our organizations upside down. Here are the most
common mistakes leaders make managing large-scale organizational change and
the lessons we need to reinforce.
Mistake: Not understanding the importance of people. As high as 75 percent of all
major restructuring fails, not because of faulty strategy, but because of problems
with the “human dimension.” After years of research studies and statistics, we know
this for a fact. And yet, as recent as last month, a vice president facing the
transformation of her department asked me if she really had to include her
employees in planning for the change.
Lesson: Organizations don’t change. People do . . . or they don’t. If employees don’t
trust leadership, don’t share the organization’s vision, don’t understand the reason
for change, and aren’t included in the planning, there will be no successful change
regardless of how valid the need or how brilliant the strategy.
Mistake: Neglecting the emotional side of change. Transformation requires a
redefinition of who we are and what we do. It’s often unpredictable (responding to
unforeseen circumstance) and unnerving (requiring employees and businesses to
reinvent themselves while they are at the top of their game). It can twist people’s
past success into their greatest obstacle for the future. It’s highly emotional.
Lesson: To lead an organization (or a department or a team) through
transformation, it is not enough just to appeal to people’s logic, you also have to
touch them emotionally. Change leadership is about creating meaning. Employees
need to be engaged by a vision of the future, and to be inspired to execute that
vision. This takes leaders with a deep understanding of human emotion, who can
see the power of intangibles and can capture the imagination of an entire work force
in the pictures they paint and the stories they tell.
Mistake: Not being candid. Under the rationale of protecting people, leaders present
change with a too positive “spin.” And the more they “sugar-coat” the truth, the
wider the trust gap grows between management and workers. Organizational
communicators, perceived as the purveyors of corporate propaganda, lose
credibility as well.
Lesson: Honest communication goes beyond simply telling the truth when it’s
advantageous. It requires an unprecedented openness and transparency: a
proactive, even aggressive, sharing of everything – financials, strategy, business
opportunities, risks, failures. People need pertinent information about demographic,
global, economic, technological, competitive, and industry trends. They need to
understand the economic reality of the business and how their actions impact that
reality.
Mistake: Defining “change communication” as what employees hear or read from
officially sanctioned sources. Reflecting this belief, leaders focus most of their
attention on traditional communication vehicles — speeches, newsletters, videos,
intranets, email, etc. Yet, from the employees’ perspective, traditional
communication accounts for only ten percent of what convinces them to change.
Lesson: The most powerful change communication, accounting for 90 percent of
what impacts a work force, is divided evenly between organizational structure
(whatever punishes or rewards) and leadership behavior. Rhetoric without congruent
action quickly disintegrates into empty slogans. A communication strategy that is
not aligned with organizational systems and the actions of leaders is useless.
Mistake: Trying to lead change with command and control tactics. In a command
and control culture, only top executives are expected to solve problems, make
decisions, and set the change agenda. Such a limited view not only places an
enormous burden on senior management to come up with all the answers, it also
restricts the contributions of the rest of the organization and widens the division
between them and us.
Lesson: A company’s competitive advantage is a combination of the potential of its
people, the quality of the information that people possess, and the ability to share
that knowledge with others in the organization. During transformation, leadership’s
primary challenge is to link these components as tightly as possible. The most
successful change strategies are highly collaborative. Developed in participative
sessions, these strategies capitalize on the wisdom, experience, and creativity of
employees throughout the organization.
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. coaches executives, facilitates management retreats,
helps change teams develop strategies, and delivers keynote speeches and seminars
to association and business audiences around the world. Carol is the author of nine
books, including “This Isn’t the Company I Joined” – How to Lead in a Business
Turned Upside Down. She can be reached by phone: 510-526-1727, email:
CGoman@CKG.com, or through her website: http://www.CKG.com.
Aikido and Conflict Turning Difficult Moments into Ki Moments
One of the things that interests me most about conflict is the tendency to resist it and the ways in which this resistance causes me to miss a ki moment – a key moment, when I might respond with purpose and intention but do not. Resistance is a reactive habit. When I resist, I’m on automatic, and I fail to spot the opportunity to respond with the conscious engagement of being fully present.
Aikido – the martial art I practice and teach – suggests that resistance escalates conflict. When I push, the conflict pushes back. Aikido replaces resistance with alignment and redirection. I change my view from “this person is attacking me” to “this person is offering energy that I can use.”
Aikido (pronounced eye-key-doe) is Japanese for “the way of blending with energy.” Ki means universal energy or life force. Ki Moments are those in which we are fully aware of our life force and our ability to influence our environment.
In aikido, the attack is inevitable, a part of life. We can influence the outcome of the attack by the way in which we engage and direct it. Will I resist and create a contest, ensuring a win-lose outcome? Or will I practice aikido and transform the attack into a gift of energy? How do I make these choices when I am feeling attacked?
To begin:
- Have a positive and useful purpose. Without a purpose to guide us in the conflict, we end up falling back on habitual patterns of reaction. Refocusing on purpose answers the question “What am I really going for here?” and directs the conflict toward a useful outcome.
- Practice skills and techniques that move us toward our purpose. We have reactive habits that – in the heat of the moment – take us away from the goal. Changing our conflict “habits” requires skill building, practice and persistent application.
My work focuses on bringing aikido principles to life in “off the mat” scenarios – the life “attacks” that we experience in the workplace, in our relationships, and in difficult life events that can occur at any time. How can we turn daily conflicts into life teachers? Just by asking the question, we begin to transform conflict moments into ki moments and attacks into energy we can use to build the kinds of home, work, and community environments we want to live in.
About the Author: Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict http://www.unlikelyteachersbook.com and the award-winning e-zine, Ki Moments, containing stories and practices on turning life’s challenges into life teachers. Judy is a black belt in aikido and nationally known presenter, specializing in unique workshops on conflict, communication, and creating a positive work environment. She is the founder of Power & Presence Training and chief instructor of Portsmouth Aikido, Portsmouth, NH, USA. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit http://www.JudyRinger.com.
Tips For Managing Your Boss
Let’s face it: we all have a boss, maybe more than one.
Whether you are the CEO of a global corporation, an assistant to the assistant or a solopreneur, we all have someone we must answer to and who in some way determines our success. There is the unspoken agreement that the person on the other side of the desk will evaluate your work and make decisions that could impact your career and maybe influence your life decisions.
Many of us think of managing as supervising the people who work directly for us. This is only one aspect of a much more complex dynamic.
Let me share with you a well-kept secret.
Successful people spend as much (if not more) of their time getting into orbit and building solid relationships with those who have influence and power than they do supervising their direct reports.
We call this “Managing Up” – where time and energy is spent getting those above us to do and think with you and about you.
OK, I can hear you now.
“Jane that is all well and good but…”
“I already have too much to do, don’t put another thing on my plate.”
“I work for an egotistical, mercurial maniac: do you really think he cares about me?”
“Manage my boss, I can’t find my boss!”
“Should I speak with this week’s supervisor, last week’s or next week’s?”
“I don’t want to look like some kiss-up. They’ll see right through it.”
“I am a hard working adult. Why should I have to play these games?”
“His personal life is a mess and I don’t want to be his shrink or repairman”. Etc, etc, etc.
I hear you, but I also want you to know:
The average successful executive spends 10%, yes, a full 10% of their work time, creating and nurturing professional relationships – a lot of it with decision makers.
Sound impossible? Too hard? Let’s think of a few incentives.
- More people are fired for lack of chemistry with leaders than for incompetence.
- You will not be in the room when your salary, bonus or promotion is discussed. Your boss will.
- Someone will eventually replace your boss, why shouldn’t it be you?
It is hard to support someone you really don’t know. Does your boss know you and your work well enough to represent you?
- Admit it. Layoffs and transfers rarely are impartial or objective. It is harder to let go of a person you know and like.
– The smart people can recognize an individual’s work. Even if your boss takes all of the credit, your signature will jump off the page. Get on the page.
Let me ask you…
What if I told you you could hire a smart, motivated person who does high quality work with limited supervision? Projects will always be on time and on budget. This person will seem to know what you want before you do and will offer suggestions and innovative ideas on a regular basis. The hire will also demonstrate support for you in public and will disagree with you in private. What if the employee could be trusted in word and action? He/she will also have just the right balance between telling you enough and not overloading you with details. Did I mention that this potential hire is great to be around, actually knows you as a person without getting too personal, can laugh, throws off stress easily and will say “no” to you when you are being unreasonable. You will look forward to seeing this person. As a team you enhance each other’s performance. Your new employee is ambitious and wants to succeed: both of you will. Your boss likes your choice and that will be favorable to both of you. Warning! The employee is an individual and will hold you to your word and will expect you to carry your share of the work.
You have 5 seconds – Do you hire him/her?
Five more seconds – Are YOU this employee?
Let’s translate this into ACTION TIPS that will help you manage your boss with ease and greater success.
Know the person not just the title. I often hear people refer to senior executives by title. “The Sr. VP told me…” or “the head of HR said.” While this establishes rank, it also shows how you view the person. You wouldn’t hire someone without knowing them, how can you work with someone you don’t know? Work at finding out more about the person you work for, their interests and passions. Be aware of what keeps him/her up at night, what is his greatest work fear and what would be a great embarrassment for her? A quick glance around your boss’s office is a good start – photos, objects on walls, even the screen saver can tell you a lot. Start slowly with some questions and gauge the reaction. There is truth to the adage about staying away from religion and politics. Is there a topic that always brings a smile or a comment? Many executives are actually very shy people (even the big mouths). Others are private. Remember the higher up, the more isolation and the less people know about the real person. People think they are wasting time with small talk. It is valuable when done appropriately and with a respect for time. It is how you build a relationship and relationships are how you build a career. Statistics show that top achievers spend 10% of their work time building relationships, many of them upward.
Let your boss know you. There is nothing more awkward than a plane ride, lunch, or even standing on line with someone who knows nothing about you at a time when talking business is out of the question. Offer a glimpse into your life. It doesn’t have to be particularly revealing but sharing the fact you saw a great movie, that the skiing was the best last weekend, or saying how happy you are that your child’s team made it to the finals feeds a conversation. Asking for advice, maybe about a good place to eat in a certain city, is flattering and not invasive. All of this shows another dimension of you, a willingness to be open and throws out some conversation starters. Also, what does your workplace say? If you want it to say “I am professional and have a life” carefully select items that reflect you “the business person”. No one wants to see photos of you in a bathing suit (I promise), your kids maybe, but not you. On the other hand, if you have a wonderful collection of vintage pens display them proudly. Note – people who have nothing in their offices always made me think they were on the verge of quitting or not planning to stay long. Move in; look like you are planning on being part of the team.
No surprises. I was in the habit of saying to my employees, “The only surprises I like are in blue boxes with white ribbon that say Tiffany & Co. on the top.” Everyone likes to deliver good news. Be the one your boss knows will tell him/her before disaster strikes. The worst experience is hearing of a problem from above because no one informed you. Tip: When bringing bad news, have possible solutions in hand so the focus leans forward, not on blame. Whenever possible give bad news in-person. It is easier to measure the impact and shows courage and responsibility. Face-to-face also affords you the opportunity to be part of the rescue squad. Be careful how you phrase bad news. It is what it is so don’t “sandwich it” with small talk or irrelevant information. Attempt to be neutral about the message and keep it factual. If at all possible, do not deliver surprises to anyone just prior to a big presentation or meeting unless it is relevant to the moment.
Know the biorhythms. Your boss’s and yours. If you are an owl and your boss is a lark figure out what is a time that is best for both of you. Try for those times when scheduling meetings and phone conversations. There is nothing worse than a cheery person in the morning when you are not a morning person. Or a person running down the hall to talk with you when you are catching a late night train.
Take what she hates off of her desk. All of us have tasks we hate to do. Figuring out what those are for your boss will make her happy and will give you less grief. When I say “take it off her desk” I don’t necessarily mean you do it, but figure out a way to get it done or make it easier for her to do it. No one knows all the ins and outs of every application. Share your knowledge. The more free time your supervisor has, the more quality time you will get.
Schedule time together. It doesn’t matter whether the person you work for is down the hall or on another continent, having time together to agree upon strategies and tactics as well as keeping each other informed is essential. E-mails are the easy way to avoid conversations and delay buy-in. Regularly scheduled time together is best. Request the slot. Offer to set the agenda and honor the time limit. Never underestimate the quality of time on a plane, in a car or before a meeting.
Self-evaluations are important. If you work in an organization where self-evaluations are part of the performance appraisal process, know how influential they can be. Also know that most executives hate writing performance evaluations and are terrible at doing them. This is why you must invest time and effort in writing yours. I cannot tell you how many times I saw my exact words reflected on the final document. Speak in measurable terms; focus on the highlights not a laundry list of completed tasks. Always show how the team, department, organization and, of course, your boss, benefited from your stellar work. Give your supervisor talking points that will make the compensation committee conversation easier and more financially rewarding. Note: Self-evaluations are much easier to write if you work on them throughout the year. Keep notes in a file and then refer to them when the time comes. Do this at least once a month and included praising e-mails and articles you wrote.
Praise publicly and argue privately. This adage is true for couples, parents, as well as you and your boss. The attribute most desired in employees is trust. Not that you have to agree but that your boss knows you will not shoot down an idea or argue a point at a time he will lose face. Does that mean you lie or deceive, of course not. What it does require is for you to disagree one-on-one or with the knowledge that you do not see things the same way. The weaker the leader, the more you have to watch for this. Holding back is not an option.
Encourage your supervisor to market you. I was happy to have mentors but always better compensated when I had a sponsor(s). A sponsor (not the ones in AA) is someone who pounds the table in your defense when you are not present. She advocates for your promotion and negotiates the best deal for you when the sharks are circling the bonus pool. Don’t assume anyone is spending too much time thinking about your career. They’re focused on their own. But there is a way for you to get someone to sponsor you. First of all, ask for what you deserve and have earned. Acknowledge to your boss that she has the power to influence the decision. Ask how you can help her do the marketing – talking points, images, direction. Let the person know you trust they will be pushing for you and how beneficial it will be for both of you. Never threaten, let them scare themselves.
Develop a solid relationship with your supervisor’s assistant. Never under estimate the power of the executive assistant. She/he is often the eyes and ears of an executive and his/her opinion holds and wields considerable weight. Assistants are gatekeepers, timekeepers, calendar rulers, the image maker and the informant. Many executives, including myself, have no tolerance for anyone who even tries to abuse their assistant. Build a relationship, show respect for the position and acknowledge the influence.
Do you work for:
A micro-manager? Micro-managing is a form of control and people who feel a lack of control need assurance and re-assurance. Keep in mind that changing this behavior is very difficult and that some people have been forced to micromanage because they have been let down by employees in the past. Suggestion: At the beginning of each project agree as to how you will keep your boss informed. Over communicate. Send a daily e-mail, share the file online, or leave a voicemail, whatever will assure the person “I am on top of the project, everything you expected is being taken care of and I will let you know if anything changes”. Stick to the format no matter how boring or wasteful it seems. Start using phrases like “you can trust me to”, “let me assure you”, “you can count on me to…”. Keep in mind that for a person like this to trust takes time and positive experiences. In the meantime try to remember a situation when you attempted to control something — How did it feel? What made it easier to deal with? What kind of project or person makes you want to micromanage?
The Super Critical Boss? There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism; in fact it is often the best teacher. But what about the manager whose message is always “nothing is good enough”? Not to get too psychological with this but we know it is really his/her problem and probably one with a long history. So first and foremost you have to filter the criticism. Repeat to yourself – “This has nothing to do with me as a person”. Stating the obvious can be very beneficial. Try a technique coaches use when a naysayer is in the group- predict the behavior. “Now, I know you will spot the problems but I was wondering if you can share the pluses?” Some companies schedule supervisor reviews or 360 degree instruments. This would be a time to identify the problem. I have never seen a situation where the super critical boss picks on only one person. If you are experiencing the pain, so are others. So again, don’t take it personally. If the criticism is unbearable and it appears nothing is going to be done to rectify the situation I say “get out” – get a transfer or find a new job. This kind of environment is toxic.
The Do-Nothing Boss? First of all make sure you are right. Many executives are responsible for work that they do not share with their employees and are actually working on things divorced from you. Assuming this is not the case, you must first decide if this is such a bad thing. I have had supervisors who created more work for me when they did something than when they didn’t and generally it was useless fluff. Next, understand the politics. Why might this be tolerated by senior management? Some organizations are paternal to a fault; others have more important things to watch (a good indicator that you need to move to a more dynamic place internally or on the outside). If your boss is the dumb, unemployable daughter and you are in a family run business you have your answer. If none of this is true, you need to get your mark on everything you do. Just because someone does not work does not mean they don’t take the credit. Write the memos, start saying “I”, deliver the presentations so that it is clear you are the author. While this is going on strategize getting away from the do nothing-boss. The last thing you want is to be associated with the department. Start shopping for “new and more challenging situations” and do it soon.
Here is your assignment:
Step 1 - Monitor the amount of time you spend building relationships with your supervisor or other people of influence.
Step 2 - Look for opportunities to increase the quality and quantity of time growing work relationships.
Step 3 – Increase your contact by 10%
Step 4 – Figure out which profile best fits your boss and apply some of the tips discussed in the description.
Step 5 - Which profile is the way you manage?
Steps 6 – 15 – Choose one “Action Tip” each week and apply it to your repertoire.
ExecutiveCoachNY: Career strategies for the competitive edge
Having difficulty starting or completing this assignment?
Seeing yourself in many of the descriptions?
Want to get sustainable results in terms of
salary, promotion and less stress?
What to do?
Contact Jane Cranston, at ExecutiveCoachNY.
Schedule a free get-acquainted appointment.
Jane Cranston is an executive coach and management consultant based in New York City with clients nationwide. She coaches individuals and teams to enhance their people management skills and gain the competitive edge at work. Clients who work with Jane report receiving higher compensation, increased recognition with less stress and greater ease.
Jane brings 20 years of senior corporate experience as well as the satisfaction of opening 3 successful businesses. Trained as a coach, clinician and educator she shares with her clients her education, training, job and life experiences, as well as the tools and assessments to make the coaching experience focused, relevant and rewarding.
She can be reached through her web site ExecutiveCoachNY.com.
Getting Promoted Managing Co-Workers Who Are Your Friends
Getting a promotion is obviously a step forward in your career but what happens when you get promoted over some of your co-workers who you now have to manage?
In addition to being promoted over other people who may have wanted the same job, you now face the task of managing people who view you as a peer and possibly as a friend.
There can be a difference between being a peer and being a manager so it’s best to recognize the changes that occur once you get promoted.
You obviously have a job to do but you will also want to remain friendly and cordial with your co-workers while ensuring that things get done properly.
The reality is that you will be managing people who previously were at the same level as you were so it is likely that your relationship with them will change in your new role. You’ll need to learn how to be firm without being bossy and you’ll need to recognize how to give (and accept) constructive feedback when required.
When moving up the corporate ladder, you might find times such as these when the relationship you have with others in the company changes and you have to adjust how you deal with these people.
The first thing you might do once you begin your new job is to sit down with each of your staff members individually and simply set the expectations in a pleasant manner. Let them know what they can expect from you now that you are their manager and what you expect from them.
Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.
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Manage Your Energy, Mine Your Potential
People are attracted to energy like moths to a flame, and when the flame gets turned up too high – or low – they may become repelled.
I had a friend who possessed so much energy she reminded me of a Superball