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How I Learned To Not Be “That Guy”

"No drama" sign with the dramatic ma...

Don’t be the dramatic one in the office. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the downsides to working in a large corporation is that you encounter a large number of people each day. If you have a large enough group then there are bound to be a few folks that might pluck your nerves.  I would like to believe that I am tolerant of all of the folks that I work with.  I try to learn from each of them, even the ones that may annoy me.  Everyone is capable of teaching us something.  At the very least these folks have taught me a few character traits that I know I need to be mindful of if I don’t want to become “that guy” that people simply don’t want to be around.  It does not matter where you work.  If you are in a large enough organization, then I am sure that you have some of the following people in your office:

  1. Mr. Negativity – Everyplace I have ever worked has had at least one person that can find the negative side of just about anything.  If the company announced that they were going to give a thousand dollar bonus to each employee, then this guy would complain that they are going to take more taxes out of his check.  If you buy lunch for the office, then he will not like the food.  He disagrees with any promotions or changes in company policies.  Do you have this guy in your office?  It is especially tough if this guy is in a leadership position because his negativity will rub off on his entire team.  I can’t stand to be around negative people.  I find them emotionally draining.  They have taught me very valuable lessons though.  Just as you can find a negative side to just about anything, you can also find a positive side.  Look for the positive and embrace it.  If something is truly that bad, then find a way to fix it.  Just sitting around and complaining will not generally solve anything and may just make you the guy (or gal) that people do not want to be around.
  2. Mrs. Drama – Sorry ladies, I picked on the guys for the first one so I am just trying to even it out.  Have you ever worked with someone who shared just about every aspect of their personal lives with the whole office?  You get to hear each personal call they have because they speak loud enough for the whole office to hear when they are yelling at their kids or their spouse on the phone.  In case you miss any part of the call they then recap the whole thing for everyone after they get off of the phone.  You get to hear it all, calls with their doctor, bill collectors, teachers, or maybe a probation officer if you are really lucky.  Just for the record, I have seen men and women that fall into this category, but these folks have taught me that it is best to keep personal matters personal.  Some of the conversations that I have overheard have made me and everyone in earshot uncomfortable.  I don’t want to be this type of person, and fortunately it is not difficult to avoid this scenario.  If you work in a small office where people can easily overhear your calls, then step outside at lunch time and make your personal calls on your cell phone.
  3. Mr. Validation – I have worked with a number of people who seem to need constant validation and praise.  Don’t get me wrong, I like to give praise often to those that deserve it, but some folks can’t seem to get enough of it.  They are constantly updating you with their latest achievements and then patiently waiting for you to rain down praise upon them.  It is not feedback that they want, it is praise.  If you happen to have occasion to give them a little constructive feedback then they are distraught for days.  Those of you that work in small offices may think I am exaggerating this point.  I assure you that I am not.  I could tell you stories related to this point that would make you laugh and cry at the same time.  I appreciate when my boss acknowledges the work that I do, but I have learned to not go looking for that acknowledgement.  Just be pleasantly surprised when it happens.  Don’t get to the point that you are expecting it or waiting for it. 

Those were the top three that occurred to me, but I know there are more that I have missed.  Who do you try to avoid in the office?

A Good Boss Acts As A Shield (Sometimes)

I work in a very technical field.  It is very easy for one of my employees to make a very innocent mistake that has catastrophic consequences.  Then everyone in the company wants to know who made the made mistake.  They want to know how I as a manager am going to deal with it.  They want to know that justice will be served.  It will, but I am going to serve it in my own unique way.

Most of my staff has been with me for a very long time.  They take their jobs very seriously and they are diligent about not making mistakes.  They are not perfect and a mistake can sometimes still happen.  When it does, there is usually no one that feels worse about it then the person that made it.  In this scenario there is really no need for me to do a lot of coaching.  They are aware that they made the mistake.  They already feel more remorse than I would be capable of imparting upon them, and they are extremely clear on the point that they cannot make a habit of making these types of errors.  They have already corrected the behavior and they are completely mortified that everyone in the company knows that they made the mistake.  From a coaching perspective, there is not really much left for me to coach on.  What I can do is offer them a little support.

If they are already punishing themselves for making the mistake, then there is no need for me (or anyone else) to pile on as well.  Instead, I am going to let them know that I have their back and that this too shall pass.  Then I am going to be the buffer between them and anyone else in the organization that wants to see their head on a stick.  It is the manager’s job to take the heat.  When those above me ask what I am doing about the situation, I can look them in the eye and respond with:

“I personally met with the employee and I can assure you that they are abundantly clear that this type of error will not be tolerated.  They fully understand the situation this puts us in, and I am quite confident that it will not happen again.”

In reality, I may have met with the employee and reassured them that they are still a valuable part of the organization and I don’t want them to overreact to this.  They already knew this type of error would not be tolerated, so there was no need for me to actually say it.

I am not suggesting that you never coach your employees when they make an error.  I am a big advocate of coaching.  What I am saying is that in those times that everyone else in your organization is condemning one of your employees, that is probably the time to show them a little support.  They will remember that and be forever loyal in most cases.

I know that I have done some pretty stupid things over the course of my career and I can remember vividly each of the bosses that shielded me from the angry mobs and I can also remember the bosses that just joined in with the mob.

What about you?  Have you ever had a boss that had your back when you made a mistake?  How did it make you feel?

Busy Does Not Mean Effective

An hourglass

We all have the same amount of time, but some of us use it more effectively. Why? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of you may take offense or disagree with what I am about to say.  It is not my intention to cause controversy, but rather I think this group has proven that we are capable of having an adult conversation so I feel comfortable throwing out topics that may cause a little disagreement. 

In my twenty years of leadership I have learned a simple truth that has proven to have very few exceptions.  People that talk about how busy they are on a consistent basis, are generally not the most effective people in your organization.  The people who talk the most about being busy are generally the ones that are the most insecure about how little they are actually getting done.

A lot of times they are not necessarily unproductive because they are lazy (although I have seen a few cases that did involve laziness) but rather they are just unproductive.   There is motion and action, but very little actually gets accomplished.  I think there are a number of reasons for this:

  1.  They take on too much:  I know people who will not say no to any meeting request.  They will attend any meeting that they are invited to whether it is relevant to them or not.  I am not that guy.  I have no problem turning down meeting requests.  You may think that you are not high enough in the organization to engage in this sort of behavior, but I have made a career of turning down meeting requests.  If I am not sure if that I can add anything to a meeting or if a meeting is actually going to accomplish anything, then I tend to decline it.  If you spend all day in meetings, then you cannot be shocked when you are not accomplishing anything. 
  2. Failure to prioritize:  I have talked about this before, and will likely talk about it in the future.  If you just use a to-do list to determine what you are going to do, then you are never going to maximize your efficiency.  A to-do list is a great start, but it will not get the job the done.  You will gravitate to the easiest things to do on your list.  Very rarely are they the things that have the biggest payback.  They are not the task that will make you successful.  I keep a to-do list every day, but I prioritize that list.  I work first on the things that will make the biggest difference in my life.  Do the things that have the biggest payback first.  In many cases you will find that they are the ones that you least want to do. 
  3. Unrealistic self-expectations:   I am a pretty good estimator of how long it will take me to do certain things.  If anything I tend to error on the side of caution and estimate that a task may take a little longer than it actually does.  Not everyone has this gift.  I know people who regularly fail to estimate their time correctly and as a result they over promise things and take on way more work than they should.  As a result, they always feel stressed about the things that they have to do.  I don’t know if this is an issue for you or not, but I bet that you do. 
  4. They mistake action for effectiveness:  I know several people who I work with that I believe define themselves by how busy they are.  If they are busy, then they must be important and valuable to the organization.  None of my clients know how busy I am.  None of my clients know how busy anyone on my team is.  All of my clients know that we get results.  I am pretty sure that is what creates job security.  If I make my clients happy, and take care of my employees then I will consider myself a smashing success even if I am not running around like crazy each day. 

Without sounding too arrogant (I will let you be the judge of that), I can say that I am one of the most effective people I know.  I see a lot of people each and every day that are far busier than I, but not nearly as effective.  If you feel like you are extremely busy, but not actually accomplishing anything then I would try to focus on the four points I list above.  I am confident that you may be guilty of at least one of them.

What other reasons might busy people not necessarily be effective people?

Tips On How To Hold A Conversation

The Talking Heads live events use the art of c...

Good conversation is an art form. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was talking with a friend the other day about how important the ability to make “small talk” is in your professional career.  There is always a brief bit of chatting before a job interview.  This seemingly innocent conversation may kill your chances of getting hired before the interview ever starts.  I have been sitting one on one with many a CEO and had to make pleasant conversation for a few minutes while waiting for a meeting to start.  Some of those conversations have gone extremely well and helped me personally as well as my employer, and other conversations were a complete train wreck.  I would like to help you to avoid those conversations that are awkward for everyone involved.  Here are a few things I have learned about making small talk:

  1.  Try to do the right amount of talking:  When we are nervous, we tend to talk way too much or not at all.  Both can be a recipe for disaster.  If you find it difficult to catch your breath, then you are probably talking too much.  If there are long awkward pauses, then you may not be talking enough.  Take a deep breath, and relax.  The conversation is likely awkward for them as well.  Make sure you take a pause every now and then to give the other person a chance to talk.  Also try to avoid giving one word answers to questions.  Even if it is a yes/no question, try to elaborate a little on your answer.
  2. Prepare:  One of the things that I think tends to make me a little more nervous is if I feel like I am walking into a meeting unprepared (which happens more often than I care to admit).  If you take a few minutes a do a little research on the person/company you are meeting with then it can really boost your confidence levels.  Do you know anyone else that has met with them?  What were their impressions?  Can they tell you anything about the people you will be meeting with?  Try to take some of the mystery out of the meeting by doing a little preparation.
  3. Listen:  Perhaps the most important step in any conversation.  Actually pay attention to what is being said.  If you’re focused on what you are going to say next and just waiting for your turn to talk, then the conversation is likely doomed unless the other person is very tolerant.  I am what you would classify as a man of few words.  If I have having a conversation and I think you are not paying attention, then I just stop talking.  Even if it is mid-sentence.  The awkward silence tends to get people’s attention.    I tend to engage in active listening where I will make good eye contact and periodically let the other person know I am engaged by making the appropriate comment, “Yes, I see,” “That’s interesting,” or “Oh my.”
  4. Stick to mainstream topics:  If you are having a conversation with someone who you just met or do not know well, then don’t start pouring your heart out to them.  You may be in a bad relationship or have a crappy job, but this is not the time to share that information.  Unless you’re talking to your doctor, try to avoid sharing any health problems that you may be having.  I am a runner and it is amazing how many other people are as well.  If I can work that topic into a conversation then it usually yields ten or fifteen minutes of painless and free-flowing conversation.  If you know of any common bonds that you have with the other person then try to work that into the conversation.

So what are your tips on how to make “small talk” with someone that you do not know well?

Yes, Pecha Kucha Can Make You A Better Presenter

Mythbuster Adam Savage presents at The Last Ho...

Pecha Kucha is much harder than it looks, trust me. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A while back (January 13th to be exact) I wrote a post on whether Pecha Kucha can make you a better presenter.  I explained that I would be using the concept of Pecha Kucha to develop a training program for many of the managers that I work with to see if it could indeed make them better presenters.  I followed through on that, and I now have several conclusions that I would like to share, but before I do I want to recap my previous post.

What is Pecha Kucha?

I was first introduced to the concept of Pecha Kucha when I read the book Presentation Zen (great book if you have not read it).  Pecha Kucha is a simple presentation format where you get exactly 20 slides to deliver your message.  Each slide is automatically set up to advance after 20 seconds.  This means that every Pecha Kucha presentation takes exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The Assignment

When I was developing the program, I had just finished reading Greg Blencoe’s book The Supermanager.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it easy to read so I knew most of my managers would enjoy it as well.  Greg does an excellent job of laying out seven core principles in the book that leaders need to master in order to be effective.  My plan was to have each attendee pick one of the principles and design a Pecha Kucha presentation around it.  They had to explain how the principle was covered in the book, offer some analytical support as to why the principle is indeed important, and then finally offer a few practical suggestions on how we could implement the principle into our daily lives. 

The goal of the assignment was to help them to develop the key skills necessary to be a great presenter.  Pecha Kucha forces you to be brief, use imagery and practice your presentation a lot.  These are all good skills to develop. 

Once I developed the program I ask for “volunteers” to participate.  I had twelve managers step up to the challenge.  I developed my very own Pecha Kucha presentation that explained what Pecha Kucha was and what we were going to be doing.  I then assigned each person a principle (we had to double up on a few of them) and then gave them a copy of the book and the deadlines that they had to hit.

The Results

First, I received a ton of positive feedback on the book.  They really enjoyed it.  Secondly, everyone across the board said that it was much harder than they anticipated it being.  They had to practice repeatedly to get the timing correct.  There was no question that each participant felt like they learned something in the process that they felt would make them a better presenter.  They also greatly appreciated learning about the Pecha Kucha concept.  None of my managers had heard of it and I think some of them may even try to find a local Pecha Kucha group to join. 

I have done a lot of training with my managers, but I have never seen them work as hard or as enthusiastically as they did on this program.  Honestly, I think it was something a little different and perhaps a little scary that took us all out of our comfort zones. 

If you have never done a Pecha Kucha presentation, then I highly recommend giving it a try.  I think it will help you to be a better presenter.  I don’t know that I am going to conduct my future presentations in the Pecha Kucha format, but it was nice to break from my routine to put this whole program together.

I am a big fan of Pecha Kucha as a training tool.  Has anyone else ever delivered a Pecha Kucha presentation?   If so, did you think it was a valuable experience?  Did it take you out of your comfort zone?

How I Spot True Leaders

A rose-cut synthetic diamond created by Apollo...

Do you have a leadership diamond in the rough? How can you tell? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am constantly critiquing the leadership talents of those above and below me in the organization.  I believe in a lot of cases that I can spot a good leader relatively quickly.  For a long time I thought maybe I could instinctively spot a good leader, but I don’t think that it is instinctive at all.  I think that there are a few tell-tale signs that can quickly give you an indication of whether you are dealing with a true leader (keep in mind that true leaders may not have a fancy title, but that does not mean they are not leading).  So what are the indicators that let me know I am dealing with a leader?

  1.  Action Oriented:  When they see a problem, the start developing solutions.  They get input and then they start moving towards a resolution.  They don’t put together committees and set up meetings.  They have a bias towards action and they have the results to prove it.  These are the people who meet their goals and make their numbers.   
  2. Relationship Builders:  It is tough to be a leader if no one is willing to follow you.  True leaders inspire confidence.  They jump in and help others when they need it.  They are able to build effective networks throughout the organization.  When they speak, you can see people focused on them.  When everything is going badly, employees will run to them. 
  3. They Smile In The Face Of Adversity:  When things are going well, it is easy to be the leader.  You just walk around handing out praise.  When things are not going so well, being a leader gets exponentially harder.  Difficult decisions have to be made.  Difficult conversations need to be had.  Some people will crumble under the pressure and others live for it.    If you are going to lead me, you need to stay cool when the pressure is on.
  4. They Develop Those Around Them:  A true leader is giving.  They should make an effort to develop the talents of those around them, even if they do not have any responsibility for managing those around them.  They will jump in and help other employees when they fall behind.  They will help people to be more efficient in their jobs.  They will communicate any new things that they learn to others. 

What am I missing on this list?  How do you spot a true leader? 

How do you rank on these four questions?  What can you do to improve your leadership potential?

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When Times Get Tough, Micromanagement Flourishes

A Swingline-brand Stapler

Need a new stapler? Ask the CEO.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are a mid or senior level manager, then you will eventually get to a point that you have to make a very critical decision.  Times will get tough and you will be faced with delegating responsibility or taking it on yourself.  I have seen managers face this dilemma hundreds of times, and the tendency is always that managers take on more and more responsibility as times get tougher. 

In my world I see this often when it comes to hiring decisions and overtime approval.  When sales are down, one of the first things I see happen is that basic decision-making starts gets pushed to higher and higher levels.  When the money is flowing in, managers are given guidance on hiring and then left to make their own hiring decisions.  When the revenues are down, suddenly a manager that has made impeccable hiring decisions now has to go to their manager to get approval on their hiring decisions.  As revenues go down even further, that approval get pushed higher and higher in the organization until eventually the CEO is making all of the hiring decisions.  I have seen this exact scenario play out dozens of times, and I have seen it cover much more than just hiring decisions.  I have seen this logic used to make decisions on the use of overtime, selecting vendors, or even buying basic office supplies. 

Have you seen this scenario play out in your organization?  I understand the logic behind it, but I certainly don’t agree with it.  The logic is that as the decision-making gets pushed up, people will get intimidated or frustrated by the bureaucracy and will make fewer requests.  Fewer requests for new employees, fewer requests for overtime and fewer requests for office supplies all can help to reduce your operating expenses.  That is exactly what you want to do when revenues down, right?  Maybe, but probably not in my opinion.  What if that hour of overtime would help to retain a large client, but the manager is too frustrated by the bureaucracy to even ask?  Yes, you reduced expenses, but at what cost?

If revenues are down, then I think that the CEO and other senior managers have a responsibility to reduce expenses accordingly.  They have a responsibility to create a vision (a vision of lower expenses in this case), and then they need to ensure that the vision is clearly communicated to each of their managers.  Their managers in turn need to communicate the vision to their departments and formulate plans to achieve the vision.  If the CEO’s vision is to reduce expenses by 20% by the end of the quarter then they need to communicate that vision and reward those that hit the goal, and coach and/or replace those that do not (depending on how many times they have previously failed to hit goals).   Am I over simplify this?  It does not seem that difficult to me and it really only requires a little communication. 

Here is the best part, if the senior managers are not spending all of their time deciding whether or not employees should get new stapler then they are free to focus on building new revenue.  Wasn’t that the probably in the first place?  If we go out there and generate enough new revenue, then everybody can get a new stapler.

Does this make sense to anyone but me?  Am I the crazy one?  Please tell me if I am.

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A Supermanager’s Guide To Spring Cleaning

A very special treat today, a guest post by Greg Blencoe.  Greg is a frequent commenter on this site and the author of The Supermanager.  If you are not familiar with the book, I highly recommend that you check it out.

A common saying these days is that employees need to “do more with less.”  The reality is that employees need to be more productive in order for their companies to continue to be competitive.  The result is that a large percentage of employees have a greater workload and more responsibility than they did in the past.  The same or more output is expected with fewer employees than before.

 

Up until now, it seems like a lot of the focus has been on getting employees to work harder than before.  However, many employees seem to be getting pretty close to the limit of the amount of work they can realistically do.  Therefore, perhaps it is time to focus more attention on how departments and companies can work smarter.  Perhaps it is time for a little “spring cleaning.”

 

The assumption often seems to be that every single activity that has been done in the past has to continue to be done.  With more typically being expected from each employee than before, this can lead to employees being very stressed out.  The employees who are high-achievers and have an expectation of excellence no matter what the circumstances are the most likely to get burned out, because they are probably the ones who are working the hardest and taking on the most responsibility.  And these are the employees that companies can least afford to lose.

 

Therefore, I think managers would be very wise to get together with employees and step back and look at all of the activities that employees are doing.  And then all activities should be questioned.  Here are some questions that could be asked.

 

Why is the employee doing this?  How does the activity contribute to the goals of the department and the goals of the company?  Is it an essential activity?  Can it be eliminated?  Or if it can’t be eliminated, is there a more efficient way of doing the activity?

 

This “spring cleaning” can be a great way for managers and employees to work together to make the company more efficient.  And employee morale has a good chance to rise if employees are not as stressed out.

 

What do you think?  And are there some activities in your department or company that employees are doing that can be eliminated or done more efficiently?

 

Greg Blencoe is the author of “The Supermanager: A Short Story About the Secrets of an Extremely Successful Manager” which is available on Amazon.com.

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A Few Tips On Writing Your Twitter Bio

Twitter

Your bio may be the most important thing that you write on Twitter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I have a solid four months of experience on Twitter now, and I will fully admit that barely have any idea of what I am doing.  I have however noticed that the Twitter bio is perhaps the most important piece of writing that you will do on Twitter.  Every time I get a new follower, I click on the bio to see of their interests are aligned with mine.  If you pass the bio test, then I move on and check out your most recent tweets.  If I see something there that captures my interest, then with a quick click I become a new follower.  If you fail either one of those tests, then I skip over you and rarely give it a second thought.  The whole process takes a matter of seconds, but it all starts with the bio.  I did not put a lot of effort into my bio, in fact, I am not even 100% sure of what it says.   Obviously I will spend a little time rewriting mine today, but before I do I started clicking around Twitter to see what parts of other people’s bio’s that I liked, and what parts I did not.  Here are the results of that extensive study:

  1. Location:  I like to see real locations in Twitter bios.  I want to know where you are from.  It helps me to form a connection with you.  A lot of times I will reference your location if I am sending you a tweet.  Personally, I am not a big fan of people putting in fictional locations (the blogosphere, state of euphoria, etc…).   Make sure you have a location in your bio, it makes you seem less virtual and more real.
  2. Keywords:  Keywords in your bio are a must, but there are a lot of keywords that will instantly cast doubt on you in my mind.  Obviously you want to get keywords into your bio that will help your target audience feel a connection with you.  For me, words like leadership, personnel management, training and public speaking should probably find their way into my bio (if they are not already there).  I do not like to see any references to personal finance.  Maybe it s just me, but when I see people who say they are going to help me grow my personal finances, I am instantly convinced that they are only interested in getting to my personal finances.  I also shy away from people who make any reference to helping me grow my number of followers.  If you have advice on how to be more interactive with your followers then I am all ears, but if you are just going to help me put up big numbers of followers then you and I could not be more misaligned.  Experiment with your keywords, see what works and what does not (then let us know).
  3. Titles:  Personally I do not care what your title is.  I tend to shy away from experts and gurus, but maybe that’s just me.  I like real titles as they help me to form a personal connection to you.  It has the same effect as the location; it makes virtual people seem more real.
  4.  Site Information:  If you can, put your full website in your bio, not a short URL.  I am far more likely to click on it, if I can see the name of the actual site.  Very rarely will I click on a short URL in a bio as I do not know where it will lead me.

There are my tips on writing a good twitter, but I am far more curious to hear yours.  Before I rewrite my bio, I want to get your input.  So let’s hear it.   What things do you like to see in a Twitter bio?  What things do you not like to see in a Twitter bio?

Do You Ignore The Middle Employees?

Histogram of sepal widths for Iris versicolor ...

Are you ignoring the employees that fall into the middle of the performance bell curve? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I manage just under a hundred employees on my team.  I have some fantastic performers in that group.  I also have a few employees that struggle to meet the basic standards that we have established, but the majority of my team falls somewhere in the middle. 

I am a huge proponent of giving employees praise regularly, but I find that the majority of that praise goes to the high and low performers.  The middle group, which is by far the majority of the employees, gets largely ignored.  Why is that?

The high performers get a lot of praise because they are high performers.  They are exhibiting the behaviors that we want others exhibit.  That’s straight out of a management 101 course.  Praise the behavior that you want to see more of.  There is nothing wrong with praising the high performers, right?

Why would we praise the low performers?  In my case I can say that we will actively coach our low performers to see if we can raise their productivity.  If their productivity starts to go up after they have been coached, then we certainly want to praise them for that.  Again they are starting to exhibit the behavior that I want to see, so it is completely appropriate to praise them right?

So that leaves us me with my largest group of employees.  All of the people who are quietly meeting the standards.  They may not be my highest performers, but they consistently meet the standards and they show up for work each day without fail.  They don’t bring any drama into the workplace and they are not creating any HR nightmares for me.  These are the people who go largely unnoticed in most organizations.  I think to some extent, I am guilty of letting them go unnoticed in my organization.

Time to fix this.  I want to implement two ideas this month.  One is to recognize those that have perfect attendance.  I have a number of employees that I think would fall into this category.  Why not recognize them?  Is this not one of the greatest behaviors I would want to see?  I am not sure how I will recognize them yet, but I am curious to know if any of you have a system for recognizing perfect attendance?  If so, please share the details.  If not, why don’t you? 

The second thing I want to implement is a way to recognize our employees that hit their performance objectives consistently.  Again, I will need to figure the details out, but it will not have to be an expensive program to implement.  I feel very strongly that we must start doing more to recognize all of the employees that are neither high nor low performers. 

Do you recognize all of those “middle” employees?  Do you think that this group is largely ignored? What should we as managers do it about it?