Tag Archives: Career

Management Quick Tip: Focus on the basics.

Management Quick Tip: Treat people like adults.

“Experienced self-starter.” “Highly motivated.” “Results-oriented.”

I find it utterly bewildering that these are the characteristics managers claim to value, yet so many still insist on monitoring their employees’ minute-by-minute productivity.

Limiting internet access. Requiring that everyone arrive at the same time. Tracking every second of paid time-off. These things don’t increase productivity.

You know what does?

Engaged professionals who are not bogged down by arbitrary and insulting administrative policies.

Stop assuming that your team’s default position is to slack off and take advantage.

You’ve hired responsible, educated adults. Treat them that way.

(Photo by Aaron Stidwell via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

The right place at the right time: a lesson from Mad Men

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“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Spoiler Alert! If you missed Sunday’s episode of Mad Men, stop reading now.

If you’re a fan of the show, then you know that Mad Men masterfully conveys the complexity of office life. And that amid all the cocktails and indiscretions, there are real business lessons to be had. One recurring irony of the show that I particularly love is that, despite our best laid plans, our careers rarely play out the way we expect them to.

Take, for example, Don Draper’s former secretary Dawn. She is unfairly dismissed by her new boss, but after a string of seemingly random events – a funeral, a lost purse, a bad phone connection, an unidentified bouquet of roses – she finds herself promoted to Head of Personnel.

Although a somewhat extreme example, I’ve found that this is the way change often happens in the real world. Unexpected situations arise and they’re dealt with on the fly.

So should we take from this that our professional advancement is completely at the whim of politics or chance? Hardly. Dawn may have been in the right place at the right time, but she was promoted because she had proven herself smart, capable and tough.

The takeaway:

Always do more than is expected of you.
Step up to new challenges and responsibilities.
Demonstrate your character and integrity.
Share your personality in a genuine but professional way.

Do these things, and at some point, you’ll likely find yourself in the right place at the right time.

(Photo by terrykimura via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

Finding balance.

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This weekend, my son got his first bike.

It’s the kind without pedals, meant to teach him balance. Riding it is all he wants to do. All the time. And when I look at his little face, so totally focused on his task, I can see myself.

My energies tend toward extremes. If I do something, I want to do it 100%. Otherwise, I feel that I lack commitment. That I’m somehow an imposter.

Whatever I’m tackling, it can’t be anything unless it is everything.

So being a stay-at-home mom was a struggle for me. Although I love being with my son, much of the Mommy lifestyle is outside my comfort zone. I find all the activities, classes, and play dates physically and mentally draining. And for awhile, I beat myself up for that. I felt that if I wasn’t giving it everything, I wasn’t doing it right. Or worse, that I didn’t deserve this awesome opportunity I had been given.

But we can’t shame ourselves into being something we’re not.

At some point, we have to accept that we are who we are and move forward. My kid will be just fine, even if I’m not the most outgoing Mom on the playground. And my career will be fine, too, even if for now, I can only squeeze in a few hours after bedtime.

Like the bike with no pedals, it feels awkward and scary. But eventually we find our balance.

Management Quick Tip: Teach, in order to learn.

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If you’re trying to master something new, consider presenting a team workshop or training session around that topic. Putting together a course outline will highlight gaps in your knowledge, and you’ll discover new resources as you search for examples and supporting documents. Plus, working on a public timeline will ward off procrastination and keep you moving forward.

(Photo by Aaron Stidwell via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

Management Quick Tip: Learn to take a punch.

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Okay, maybe not literally. (Unless you’re into that.) But figuratively, in the sense of seeking out rejection.

My guess is you’re a high performer and you set a high standard for yourself. You work hard to make sure you don’t fail. That you’re not rejected. That you don’t get punched in the face by life.

But don’t let your high standards get in the way of trying new, potentially painful, things.

Because that’s where the learning comes from.

(Photo by Aaron Stidwell via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

Have you found your voice?

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If you are a writer, blogger or creative of just about any sort, you’ve probably thought a lot about your “voice”. You’ve worked hard to develop a unique style that expresses how you see the world. You’ve figured out how to tell your story, as only you can tell it.

If you’re a manager, or aspiring to be one, you may not be as comfortable with this idea. You’re not an “artist”. You’re focused on organizing, planning, measuring performance. Not on finding your “voice”, right?

But here’s why your voice matters: It’s how we share our worldview. How we reach people and connect them to our passion and our mission. Our voice is why people follow us, even as situations change. Because our worldview resonates with them. And that’s a valuable component of leadership, isn’t it?

The connection between voice and worldview clicked for me as I read Jeff Goins on creating value as a writer. Here’s how Goins describes a worldview:

“A paradigm. A perspective. A code of ethics. It’s how we live our lives, whether we recognize it or not. This is what sets a person’s voice apart from the rest of the noise vying for our attention: not what they say, but how they say it.”

Let me share some elements of my worldview that influence my voice as a manager:

Job satisfaction stems from meeting the basic human need for autonomy, purpose and growth.
Our environment matters. The quality and character of our workspaces impact how we do our jobs
Systems need creativity to avoid becoming stagnate and stifling. Creativity needs systems and structure in order to have a meaningful impact.

Now think about your own career. What links all your different positions together? All your assorted tasks? All the decisions you make? Your unique background and experiences have given you a unique worldview. Your voice is how you share it.

(Photo by Don McCullough via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

Management Tip of the Week: March 21, 2014

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This tip comes from Veronika Sonsev, CEO and cofounder of InSparq, via an interview with Anne Libby on the iDoneThis blog:

“First, [Sonsev] finds out the top three goals you want to have on your resume when you leave the company, and then the top two things you want her to say about you in a recommendation. Then every week, she does a planning session to figure out how to get you one step closer to those bullet points.”

What an engaged, thoughtful approach to management! It recognizes that, as an employee, your resume is one of your most valuable assets. Sure, we should all be driven by passion for our work and dedication to the organization. But as managers, we need to realize that people have career aspirations beyond their current position. Helping your team grow as individuals and professionals is one of the coolest things about being a leader.

What do you think? Is this an idea you could implement as a manager?

(Photo by Aaron Stidwell via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

Use that boring meeting to flex your management skills.

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Let’s talk about business meetings. Yes, the bane of our professional lives. Those endless sessions where everyone is talking in circles and no one can seem to get to the point. Time, and your life force, is trickling away before your eyes.

“Why is no one controlling this?” you wonder. “Shouldn’t someone step in and move this forward?”

Yes, someone should. And knowing how to do so can be a huge asset to your career. It’s relatively simple but, like most interpersonal skills, it does take a little gumption and finesse. And here’s the bonus kicker: it’s a skill that will also serve you well as a manager.

Great managers are clear thinkers who are able to sort through tons of information and break it down into meaningful actions. They have a cohesive effect on their teams by helping everyone stay focused on a clear goal. Great managers are awesome facilitators who are able to direct events toward a positive outcome.

Now, don’t you wish you had someone like that in those meandering, time-sucking meetings? Everyone does. That’s why meetings are the perfect place to practice your management skills and demonstrate your ability to lead. Here’s how:

Be aware of the reasons meetings are unproductive:

lack of a clear direction;
getting bogged down in detail, or
drifting off into high level visioning;
dominant and/or withdrawn participants;
personal agendas

Always practice effective listening. I’ve covered this topic in the classroom, so I know you just rolled your eyes. Yes, it’s basic stuff but I stand by its importance. Be attentive and engaged, both mentally and physically. Focus on the speaker, listen to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Look for nonverbal cues and other subtle dynamics. Fight the urge to zone out or work on other projects. And most importantly, get in the habit of taking notes.

Learn to summarize and paraphrase. Here is where your note-taking comes in. Recording key words and phrases helps you focus in on the most important information being covered. Check for understanding by conveying the information back simply and concisely. Put the information into your own words but without questioning or judging. Your goal is to facilitate, not force your own agenda or dominate the meeting.

Be respectful. A warm, friendly and humble demeanor goes a long way. If you’re not officially leading the meeting, be careful of overstepping. Practice a few phrases to help you act as a clarifier, and be seen as leader, without insulting the meeting organizer.

            “I’m having trouble following multiple threads here. Could we focus on ____ ?”
            “Can we take a moment to recap?”
            “Just to make sure I’m clear, we’re saying ____”
           “Let me make sure I’ve captured this, our actions items are ____.”

And, ultimately, it never hurts to be the one who brings the donuts.

(Photo by Dave Crosby via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

My love/hate relationship with travel blogs.

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Let me start by saying that the original title for this post was

“Does the world really need another travel blogger?”

But that just begs the question

“Does the world really need another management blogger?”

And let’s just say that’s a can of worms we can probably leave unopened for now.

But seriously…the reason I changed the title is because I truly enjoy travel blogs. I love to travel and I love reading about other people’s unique and interesting travel experiences.

But here’s the thing: there’s a particular tone to some of these blogs that just rubs me the wrong way. It’s the assumption that we all secretly wish we could quit our boring desk jobs and with just a bit of gumption, we too could live out the universal dream of world travel. And if we’re not willing to pack it all in and hike across Slovenia or some such, then we must be soulless automatons who are dying a slow death at the hands of our corporate overlords.

Okay, perhaps that’s a bit dramatic (and no offense meant to the Slovenian hiking community). I do realize I’m making a sweeping generalization, and I admit that my visceral reaction may stem from the fact that I have felt like a soulless automaton at points in my professional life. But I resent the implication that the only solution to an unsatisfying career is to abandon it.

Work can totally suck. I get that. And the idea of a dramatic career reinvention can be tantalizing, and perhaps for you, an entire life overhaul is the best solution. If that’s what you need to do and you feel compelled to blog about it, please do. I look forward to reading about your adventures.

But if that doesn’t really feel like the solution for you, it doesn’t mean you have to be resigned to career stagnation. There are so many ways we can improve our situations incrementally – by acting purposefully, by building on the assets we already have and by finding ways to intersect with our work in new ways.

Many of the reasons we are drawn to travel – freedom, adventure, meeting new people, challenging our personal limits – reflect basic human needs. And if we think in terms of those needs, we may find the root cause of our dissatisfaction at work.

We need autonomy. We need purpose. We need to grow and be challenged.

I believe just about any job can meet those needs, if we approach it in the right way. And if it can’t, we can use it as a platform for the next job, or the one after that.

I guess that’s the basic belief that informs my work on this blog: There is a whole world of opportunity for a rich and fulfilling career between the extremes of dead-eyed desk jockey and carefree adventurer.

So please forgive the rant and let’s go make it happen.

(Photo by irishwildcat via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons)

The Management Maven

Work smart. Lead well.

Tag Archives: Career

Management Quick Tip: Focus on the basics.

Management Quick Tip: Treat people like adults.

“Experienced self-starter.” “Highly motivated.” “Results-oriented.”

The right place at the right time: a lesson from Mad Men

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Finding balance.

Whatever I’m tackling, it can’t be anything unless it is everything.

But we can’t shame ourselves into being something we’re not.

Management Quick Tip: Teach, in order to learn.

Management Quick Tip: Learn to take a punch.

Have you found your voice?

Management Tip of the Week: March 21, 2014

Use that boring meeting to flex your management skills.

My love/hate relationship with travel blogs.