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May 5, 2008 18:33 - Preparing To Move On
From the very first day you work with your people, there is a reducing number of days you will have ahead of you working with them.
All of us are 'disposable' and have a measurable timespan in any career step.
So, from day one it's vital to be thinking of when you aren't there and developing a strategy for being unneccessary!
Yes, you read that right, you need to be preparing your team to run on autopilot when you aren't there.
In fact it's an essential measure of management capability to ensure that their business runs as well (if not better!) when you aren't there, than when you are.
Most 'delivery' roles that a manager has can be effectively delegated when you focus well on the possibilities and potential of your people.
As a manager, your key role is to manage and develop each and every one of your people for the benefit of the business and team, as well as and at least as importantly, their personal development too.
Leveragaing the people you have to do more, through support, guidance and effective delegation, will build a team that are more than capable.
How to start?
Well, starting from day one (or now, if you have been in place for a while), review every activity that you personally undertake and focus on getting rid of at least half of them over a six month period - three is you want a stretch target
Then half again in the next period.
Then half again.
In less than a year, you will have given almost 90% of the work that you need not have been doing, to people who can, building their confidence and expertise and enabling you to do more of what you do best - focusing on each of your people to progress and develop.
A much more effective and rewarding use of your time.
The length of time before you get promoted may not be as long as you thought!
March 23, 2008 20:02 - Repeating Your Goals
Talane Miedaner is one of the most talented executive coaches from the States.
She has trained with CoachU and holds clients from many of America's Fortune 500 companies.
In her acclaimed book, 'Coach Yourself To Success', Talane lists 101 ideas about how you can be more successful in your life and business.
One of these is amazingly simple - and works!
It's so easy, you might not believe it works. And if you do try it out, you will find that it is one of the most powerful actions you can take, to get yourself moving towards your goals.
Just write your current goal down 15 times, each day!
By doing this, your subconscious takes the goal on board as well as focusing you on that goal.
It works best if you write it as if you have achieved it - if that's too big a hurdle for you, into the future will work as well, though perhaps a little more slowly.
'I have written 2000 words of my book today', works a bit better as your goal than, ' I will write 2000 words of my book today'.
Just remember the 15 times, all in one go, in your own handwriting - now, how long could that take then?
March 9, 2008 22:04 - Ask Me Another
One of the best ways to get the very best performance from your people, is when they trust you and understand you.
It comes down to the smallest things that you do, in your everyday interactions with them.
These are the things that cumulatively, when you apply them consistently, make all the difference to how well you build rapport.
And good rapport with your people means success.
So here's a little tip for you.
When someone you are in conversation with tells you something, always ask them something else about what they have just been telling you.
This alone is one of the most valuable steps you can take, when you want to build lasting, trusting relationships with those important to you.
If you aren't sure about this, just check out this week when someone does this with you. How valued you feel; how much you feel able to trust them.
Just consider your feelings towards that person and maybe contrast that with an occasion when someone doesn't do this when in conversation with you.
It's simple and yet one of the most valuable actions you can take in everyday life.
March 4, 2008 15:10 - Manager or Team - Who Is Accountable?
The last couple of weeks have been busy week for football managers in the UK (or soccer - this newsletter goes out all over the world!).
For some managers, they have had quite a shock when their highly fancied team has gone out of the competition to one of the 'minnows' - a smaller team from a lower division.
So, when this happens, where does the 'fault' lie in a below par performance?
Is it the manager - or the players in the team?
As a manager, we can do our utmost to prepare our players for their time at the sharp end.
When they do their job in the workplace. We cannot 'play the game' out for them.
We do our best, yet, if they underperform, is it down to us, or is it all about them?
Truth is, there is no simple answer to this in business, nor on the sports field.
In the harsh reality of the business world, when the bounce of the ball is much more consistent and luck is less of an event, a manager has much better control of the outcomes.
In an embarassing football defeat, a manager's job may be lost - such is the quirky nature of the game.
In business, there is more stability; it is a more predictable outcome.
The success or failure of a team is much more down to the manager than the players.
In your business, you can manage much more effectively than if you are in the unpredictable world of teams against you playing out of their skin on a bobbly pitch.
No excuses then, it's down to you, whether you have a Ronaldo in your side or not.
March 3, 2008 09:21 - Managing Expectations
This piece could have gone either of two ways.
It could have helped you recognize that you need to manage the expectations of the terms and conditions of your employees.
Before they start to think that things will be different; or better than they expect.
I'm not going to tell you about that, important though it is!
What I want to help you acknowledge is that you need to be clear with your people, in exactly what you are expecting from them.
You see, when you give instructions; make requests; set standards etc., you really need to be very clear about what outcome you are expecting.
One way you can start to ensure that you have a successful result, when asking your people to deliver for you, is to get them to summarize back what it is you want from them.
By very carefully ensuring that they've 'got it' - first time, you will really reduce your disappointment and also make sure that you and your business achieve success.
And you know what - your people will grow in confidence and do much more.
February 17, 2008 23:05 - Manager or Team - Who Is Accountable?
It's been a busy week for Cup football in the UK (or soccer - this newsletter goes out all over the world!).
For some managers, they have had quite a shock when their highly fancied team has gone out of the competition to one of the 'minnows' - a smaller team from a lower division.
So, when this happens, where does the 'fault' lie in a below par performance?
Is it the manager - or the players in the team?
As a manager, we can do our utmost to prepare our players for their time at the sharp end.
When they do their job in the workplace. We cannot 'play the game' out for them.
We do our best, yet, if they underperform, is it down to us, or is it all about them?
Truth is, there is no simple answer to this in business, nor on the sports field.
In the harsh reality of the business world, when the bounce of the ball is much more consistent and luck is less of an event, a manager has much better control of the outcomes.
In an embarassing football defeat, a manager's job may be lost - such is the quirky nature of the game.
In business, there is more stability; it is a more predictable outcome.
The success or failure of a team is much more down to the manager than the players.
In your business, you can manage much more effectively than if you are in the unpredictable world of teams against you playing out of their skin on a bobbly pitch.
No excuses then, it's down to you, whether you have a Ronaldo in your side or not.
February 16, 2008 12:18 - Management Snippets - Beliefs About People
We live our lives on the best picture we can make of the world.
Without assumptions, we couldn't exist - it's a matter, literally, of life and avoiding death.
Yet it's a healthy step to challenge the absolute truth of what we believe - and frequently.
In our businesses, for whatever reason, we may have the wrong impression of someone on our team and that may not be the cleverest thing to do.
However often we make our simple day-to-day decisions, there are times when it's worth considering where those assumptions came from and why.
You see, a small experience, that we jump on as evidence, leads to outcomes we use to build on any first impressions.
Letting go of these assumptions and testing factual results, that we can properly measure, may well be the best change to our own attitudes we can make.
Try loooking at your people very objectively this week and test out what you think is true and where that came from.
You never know, you might actually find a hidden gem in one of your people, which will be a great solution for you, your business and that individual too.
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