Kairospl

December 16, 2009

Some managers believe that leadership means putting in lots of time on the job. We see our bosses do it and we want to do a good job so we do it too. We end up putting more and more hours on the job. It becomes our life. But should our lives be only work?

To effectively lead others, we first have to lead ourselves. Which brings me to questions each and every one of us needs to answer: 

• How many hours should we work per week? 50? 60 plus? Why?
• What are we trying to achieve?
• When we put in these kinds of hours, what kinds of things are we missing? Time with our family and friends? Time to be alone with our thoughts? Time for exercise and health check-ups?

In the U.S., workers now average more working hours per year than the Japanese do. Europeans work fewer hours, yet their productivity is rising. Food for thought: If we s-l-o-w-e-d down, would our productivity actually improve? Possibly.

The following is my Top Ten List for (Life) Time Management. It is my wish that it will give you food for thought and action. 

1. What is most important to you? To determine what is most important to you, you must know and honor your personal values. If one of your core values is “Free Time” and people accuse you of being a “Workaholic,” you might start to get the idea that all is not as you would like it to be.

Do you bring a laptop to your child’s soccer game? How many weekends do you work instead of spending time with your family?

You may need to put some think-time into focusing on your values. Ask yourself, “What is truly important to me?” Then ask, “What am I willing to do to make it happen?” Take a good hard look at your work/life balance and develop a plan to keep them aligned. Do not take for granted those things closest to your heart.

Three years ago I rediscovered something very important to me when my husband gave me a figurative whack across the side of the head. It was the gift of a wake up call that made me sit up and take notice and re-evaluate my work, my life and my values.

I had been in business for ten years as a consultant and a trainer. One day Mark caught my attention for a “serious” discussion. He pointed out that I was never available for him. Surprised, I countered that I was often home with him. He agreed, but pointed out that I was always “working.” I couldn’t argue.

I was lucky. I heard his message and saved my marriage. While I was diligently keeping my nose to the grindstone in the belief that I was creating a better future, I almost lost a future that I cherished greatly.

 What are your values? Accomplishment? Family? Commitment? Competence? Health? Integrity? Relationships? Recognition? Respect? Travel? Lifestyle? 

Remember to schedule time for what you want to do, not just what you need to do. Otherwise your week will be consumed with the stuff you “have to do.” The old adage holds true: “No one ever died wishing that they had spent more time at work.” 

2. Think versus do. Take time to plan. Peak performers understand the need for systematic relaxation and reflection. They tend to spend time away from work thinking. Workaholics keep their noses to the grindstone — and get their noses grounded down.

Take the time to stop and reflect. Don’t act just to be doing something. Plan your work and work your plan. Things will rarely go exactly as planned, but you can minimize disruptions. More work gets done by those who plan than by those who do not. Record goals that are explicit and specific. Remember to look at the forest as well as the trees. 

3. Prioritize your life. One executive I had the privilege to work with has a terrific success formula for getting things done. He writes down his top three daily picks and focuses on getting them done every day. His prescription for balance is to choose one work task, one personal task, and one household/family task that become his “must do” list. These get written and reviewed several times throughout the day along with the rest of his action items. Despite all the swirling chaos that can invade his workdays, he knows that at the end of the week he will have a minimum of fifteen meaningful tasks accomplished.

4 Focus on results, not on perfection or process. To illustrate, a young child was asked by his father to dig a ditch four feet deep, two feet wide with square corners. The purpose was to lay a pipe. His father then left. The youngster dug the ditch four feet deep and two feet wide, but wasn’t fussy with corners. After all, the dirt would just be thrown on the pipe, and that the end result would be the same without the perfection of square ditch corners.

5. Reinvent how you think. The rate at which the world is changing is forcing business to reinvent itself and the ways in which business is conducted. This requires establishing a conscious model of how you want to manage your time, your organization, people and the results to be achieved. Like a submarine, occasionally send the periscope up and observe what is going on outside of your specific sphere of existence. Look for new tools to enhance productivity. Look for new opportunities that you can exploit.

6. Connect your actions to existing systems. Think in terms of your systems and how your actions impact them. Start looking at how you are managing your interaction with others. For every action you take, there is a reaction. Keep people involved and informed, and think through the consequences of your actions.

A senior vice-president for a bank gives us a perfect example of not connecting her actions to existing systems. One day the vice-president working on the SVP’s team received a phone call from a customer wanting a new loan rate. The VP firmly stated that the bank was not offering this particular rate. The customer persisted in his attempts to get the low rate, saying that the rate was advertised in that day’s newspaper. Upon investigating, the VP discovered that the SVP had put the ad in the paper for a new loan rate, but had not informed the rest of the team.

7. Be gracious with people and ruthless with time. A technical services representative laser-focused on big projects and treated customer calls as a nuisance. This put his job in jeopardy. He wasn’t answering his phone or returning voice mail and e-mail messages, causing complaints to reach two levels above him. He was being ruthless with time at the expense of being gracious with people.

Find a way to be gracious that is friendly and courteous, yet still protects project time. Remember that interacting with people is often critical to a project’s success. Learn to cut people off in a polite and professional manner. Do not use words or time carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

8.  Use technology for personal productivity. The general manager of a sales division of a large national company still has his secretary print out his e-mails; he hand writes his responses and has her type and e-mail them. What an alarming waste of resources this is!

How computer literate are you? How would you and those in your organization benefit from learning and using more of it? Laptops, e-mail, voice mail, cell phones, and Palm Pilots are but a sample of the tools available to help you manage your time. Learn how they can suit your needs. Also learn when to turn them off.

9  Breathe. Breathe deliberately! Breathing brings oxygen to your brain and helps you think with clarity. To breathe deliberately, sit or stand up straight but relaxed. Put your hands on your belly. Breathe in deeply and let your inflated lungs push your belly out. Now exhale and feel your belly go down. This is full, deep breathing. Slow down and do three or four, breathing in through the nose, out through your mouth. Deliberate breathing helps calm you and helps you refocus on what is truly important to you. Remember to breathe. 

10.  Cherish balance. Life is not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Take breaks and vacations to recharge your batteries and stay rationally sane. What have you been postponing – personally or professionally? When will you do it? Make a note of it and make it happen.

In closing, know what is most important to you. Reinvent how you think about your work and your life. Take time to breathe and smell the goodness of life. Cherish and protect your balance. Be an example to others. Lead the way. Lead through (life)time management. Go out there and seize the day!

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By: Ethel Cook, founder of the Corporate Improvement Group, a management consulting firm, Bedford, MA.

December 14, 2009

What do bad “leaders” have in common? In its June issue, Harvard Business Review spells out some common characteristics.

1. Lack energy and enthusiasm.
2. Accept their own mediocre performance.
3. Lack clear vision and direction.
4. Have poor judgment.
5. Don’t collaborate.
6. Don’t walk the talk.
7. Resist new ideas.
8. Don’t learn from mistakes.
9. Lack interpersonal skills.
10. Fail to develop others.

December 07, 2009

Having difficulty to communicate with a tough boss? Read the following article by Alan Vengel.

Most tough boss problems center on communication. If you take the time to ask yourself nine basic questions about how you and your boss communicate, your boss will learn to value and trust you more. And most important-you’ll learn how to ask for and get what you need to become happier and more productive on the job. Learn more….

Do you have a boss who:

• Changes priorities often (usually without informing or consulting with you)?
• Doesn’t give you regular feedback on your work, so you have no way of knowing whether or not you’re meeting expectations?
• Never shows appreciation for a job well done?
• Micromanages every little thing to the nth degree?
• Is a “big picture” type, giving you a vague idea about what needs to be done, but no real direction?

If any of the above scenarios sound familiar, you’re probably suffering from Tough Boss Syndrome. (This list of symptoms is by no means exhaustive.)  Don’t despair; the power of the cure lies within you. You can empower yourself to improve the situation.

The key is influence, which is not manipulation, but rather the ability to shape another person’s behavior in a positive way. Most tough boss problems center on communication. You can get the results you want and build a better relationship with your boss when you influence him or her to communicate with you more effectively.
 

Ask yourself the following nine questions:

1.  How does my boss like to receive information?

What’s the best way to deliver information to your boss—e-mail, hard copy memo or face to face? The easiest way to find out is simply to ask. Also seek the advice of peers who have already established successful relationships with the same boss.

2. How much should I involve my boss?

Some bosses want to know everything and to be consulted on every decision. These micromanagers have a strong need for control. Other bosses prefer a more hand-off approach. While you can’t change someone’s personality, you can find ways to influence them to tell you exactly what they need to know in order to feel comfortable in the workplace.
 

3. How can I solve my boss’s problems?

Like it or not, your boss’s problems are your problems. If you can figure out what keeps your boss awake at night and then find ways to help solve those problems, you will become more valuable and, so, more influential. You can’t force your boss to disclose problems but you can say, “If there’s something you want to talk to me about, I’m available to listen. I have the skills to help you in areas relating to (X). If you think so, too, let’s discuss how I can be of assistance.”

Responsibility also means not being a victim. Responsible people make changes when they find themselves in a bad situation. When you don’t take responsibility for making a change or getting what you need, you end up blaming your boss, the organization or your co-workers. Always ask yourself, “What can I do to improve this situation?”

6. How can I make my boss’s job easier?

Influence and negotiation are very similar. You can make your boss’s job easier by taking on some tasks that he or she either doesn’t like or isn’t very good at. You’ll create a win-win situation by doing this for a few hours every week while influencing your boss to relieve you of work you don’t want to do.
 

7. How can I make my boss look good?

One of the best ways to improve your relationship with your boss is to find ways to look good in the eyes of his or her boss and customers. If you can accomplish this, your boss will be much more likely to listen to you and grant your requests.

Once you experience the positive changes brought about through the practice of these key skills you’ll want to use your influence to turn all of your relationships from tough to terrific!

December 01, 2009

In the workplace, we may at times disagree with our bosses over some matter that means alot to us. Some may just keep quiet about it and some may be vocal and express their disagreement to the boss. For those who belong to the second category of people who are vocal and expressive, how can they voice their disagreement without committing career suicide? Kevin Daley provides some tips in this article.

A midlevel manager—let’s call her Laura—gets a directive from the boss that she thinks is ill-advised. Laura concludes that the plan won’t achieve the desired results. It will increase costs or demoralize employees or cause customer dissatisfaction. Whatever the problem is, Laura is aware that because it’s the boss’s plan, she has to deal with the situation with a degree of sensitivity.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to disagree with the boss and win an argument. Laura realized it was necessary to cool off before confronting the situation. She waited a day—but the course she took was the wrong one. She walked into the boss’s office and told him the plan won’t work. “Of course it’ll work,” the boss replied.

“I want to redesign the plan,” Laura said.

“No,” answered the boss.

Laura reflected on all this later. She realized that she had caused her boss to become defensive and that she had to change her approach. She asked the boss for a meeting where she could ask some questions to help her understand the plan better. They set a date and time.

Laura went to the meeting with a pen and notepad and asked the boss what he wanted to achieve with his plan. The boss described his objectives. Laura then asked a series of questions to clarify her understanding of the objectives. To be certain she understood correctly, she paraphrased the goals. She then told her boss she could achieve the objectives and asked for permission to come back with a plan later that week. The boss agreed. The story has a happy ending. The boss accepted Laura’s plan and she began implementing it later that day.

Here are some lessons Laura gained from this experience, in the form of do’s and don’ts that can help you disagree with your boss and win.

Don’t:

• Come out and say you disagree with the boss’s plan. Avoid use of the dreaded word “but,” which might make it appear that you’re negating everything the boss had said. Instead, use the word “suggest”—it’s a magic word in this kind of dialogue, because no boss bristles at a suggestion. 
• Let your emotions come into play. Wait a while before presenting an alternate plan. Ask for a meeting to discuss the boss’s objectives.

Do:

• Start that meeting by asking what the boss wants to achieve and the reasons for these goals. Ask open-ended questions to probe further. Paraphrase to make sure you understand. Thank the boss for the information and set a date for presenting your plan. 
• Make sure your plan links to the boss’s critical needs, including the personal ones as you understand them.
• Visualize yourself in the boss’s shoes. Appreciate what’s good about the boss’s roadmap. After all, your goal is to have your plan accepted, not to prove the boss wrong.
• Open the meeting by giving the boss the floor. You won’t get the attention you need until the boss invites you to speak. Present your plan enthusiastically. Make it clear that the intention of your plan is to achieve what the boss wants. Start with the bottom line, not how you’ll implement the plan. Fill in the details only if you’re asked for them. Keep it short; the boss is busy.

Whatever you may think of your boss, you can’t advance your career without him or her on your side. Good communications skills with all the people you work with are essential for building your career. The way you present yourself to your boss—indeed, to everyone you work with—will affect your ability to do your job well and the way you’re viewed as a professional.