Monday, September 26, 2011

Kill Your Voice of Doubt

Admit it.  Sometimes, there is a voice of doubt you hear at the start of a new project.  The project specifics don’t matter.  Your confidence level doesn’t matter.  The level of risk doesn’t matter.

This voice of doubt always sneaks in just as you are about to launch something innovative, something fresh, something never attempted before.  What does the voice say?  Try: 
• “Who are you to take this on?”
• “Who are you to think you can accomplish something so big?”
• “Do you think you are really talented enough to pull it off?”
• “If this is such a great idea, why hasn’t someone else tried it before?”

The aim of this voice of doubt is to get you ensnared with it enough that you eventually respond, “I am nobody. I shouldn’t even try. I give up.”
Yet, something prompted you in the first place to entertain this new idea and attempt the risk of a novel project.  What can you do when the voice of doubt rears its ugly head trying to squash your creativity and innovation?

How to Stop the Voice of Doubt

1. Recognize the source of doubt.
• Identify the root cause of what could stall you.
• Keep asking yourself, “What am I really afraid of?”
• Are you listening to negative talk that is telling you the idea will fail before you’ve even started?
• Have you checked in with your mentor?  What ideas does he or she have to alter your thinking?

2. Realize you are in good company.
• There are dozens of people who have gone before you who doubted their ability and still went on to invent useful things we use today.
• List 2-3 of these inventors and you will see there are contributions, big and small, that help organizations move forward.
• Eliminate excuses that could prevent you from continuing.  Stop thinking you’re too young, too old, not educated enough, or just starting out.
• Do not isolate yourself when the voice of doubt creeps back in.  It wants to make you feel like you are alone, but you are not.

3. Ask the right question.
• The question is not, “Who are you to take this on?” Ask instead, “Why not me?”
• Acknowledge that you have certain skills and abilities unique to you.  By sharing your knowledge and experience, you contribute to the greater good of your team.
• It’s not a matter of are you good enough or strong enough to take on a new project.  It’s a matter of can you use your strengths to bring out the best in your team to accomplish the goal.

It’s time to stop listening to the voice of doubt and get on with your big idea.

Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie

Posted on 09/26/11 at 04:17 PM
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Can Your Employees Be Friends?

I’m usually asked this question by a manager who was promoted from within the ranks and now has to supervise those who, until recently, were peers.  When you are responsible for establishing great employee engagement and workplace team building strategies, how do you not cross the “friend line” with your employees that don’t hurt the business?

Everyone wants – you included – to be liked.  When co-workers like you it certainly makes it easier to go to work every day.  And, it’s only natural to want to cultivate friendships with your team because of the hours you spend together.

Here’s the tough part:  The rules change when you are the boss.

There is nothing wrong with being friendly with your team, but you must know where to draw the line between being their manager and being their friend.  Following are my 3 “Don’ts” in managing your new job.

Tips to Balancing Boss vs. Friend

1. Don’t get too personal. Set new boundaries.

• This is not an official sit-down talk.  (That’s just too weird.)
• Avoid detailed What-You-Did-This-Weekend conversations.
• Halt taboo talk early.
• When employees do need to reveal personal information (IE-time off to have surgery, a divorce), listen empathetically without offering personal advice or editorializing.
• Keep personal details you hear to yourself.  Your team needs to have faith that you are there to manage and help them; not gossip about their life.

2. Don’t play favorites even if you like some employees more than others.

• Sometimes, you just “click” with an employee and you wouldn’t mind having them as a friend.  Keep a little distance because of your boss status.
• You can’t hang out with any one person more than the others.  If you think you’re being subtle about it, you’re wrong.  Other employees will notice, and it will cause problems.
• Avoid rivalry because everyone needs to work together.
• Show appreciation toward everyone – it will help increase morale.
• Treat all your employees justly.  That means if one of them isn’t performing, you must take the necessary action – even if that one is your favorite.

3. Don’t get drunk in front of team members. (This one should go without saying, but it happens more often than you might think.)

• A drink or two with your employees from time-to-time is okay.  Usually at a holiday party, a company event, or landing a huge contract.
• Remember, it is embarrassing for employees to see you slurring your words, losing control in public, or being poured into a taxi to get you home.
• It will be very difficult to regain their respect once you are back in the office.  It will be hard for them to look up to you.
• Never put your employees in a position where they have to monitor you.  It is stressful and puts them in an awkward position.

Bottom Line:
Yes, you can be friends with your employees, just not the same kind of friends you are with your non-work friends.

Your Strategy:
Be friendly, be fair, be work-focused, and show a high level of character and integrity.  You’ll get much more out of your team than you would if you tried to make them like you all the time.

Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie

Posted on 09/20/11 at 01:33 PM
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Thursday, September 15, 2011

How To Be a Better Coach

Coaching your team is an integral component of getting their best performance.  Coaching is both exciting and challenging.  It takes time to incorporate coaching into your daily activities.  But, it is time well spent when you witness the results of watching someone reach their potential.

1. Know what gets in the way of your coaching.
• Take away the ‘no time’ excuse by scheduling coaching in your calendar.
• Eliminate thinking of employees only in terms of bottom-line productivity results.
• You are not fixing employee problems; you are nurturing employee growth.

2. Check in with everyone daily.
• Compliment as well as correct team members while coaching.
• When correcting, use constructive criticism statements.  NOTE: A good balance is 5 positive statements to every 1 constructive statement.
• Tell team members at least two things you appreciate about them.
• Speaking with your team can boost their morale.

3. It’s all about listening.
• Do not interrupt.
• Do not think of your response while someone is talking.
• Keep eye contact but don’t stare them down.
• Face the person who is speaking.
• Do not take phone calls while someone is talking with you.  Silence your cell phone.

4. It’s more about asking the right questions.
• For everything a team member says, ask two or more questions before you share your own thoughts.
• Ask open-ended questions to get your team talking.  These are questions that begin with ‘What,’ ‘How,’ ‘When,’ ‘Who,’ and ‘Where.’
• Other statements to get more input:  ‘I’m not sure I understand what you mean.  Please give me an example.’ Or, ‘Say more about that.’

5. Develop a trust relationship with each team member.
• Get to know their interests, opinions, and concerns.
• Clarify your expectations for the team and each individual.
• Pay attention to what excites each person.  What are they passionate about?
• Show each person you care.  Go beyond mere words.

One of the most important things to keep in mind:  Coaching is not about you!  You are here to bring out the excellence of your team members.

Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie

Posted on 09/15/11 at 01:31 PM
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Bad Habits

There is a sign on my desk that says, “Let go of those things that no longer serve you.” It caught my attention today because I started doing a task - and resenting it - out of sheer habit.  The key here is the brain interrupt of “resentment.” Resenting the task irritated me enough to question its validity.

Do any of these sound familiar?  You:

1.  Have trouble returning phone calls on time.
2.  Are late for meetings and appointments.
3.  Lack clarity about expected outcomes, monthly targets, goals, etc.
4.  Avoid paperwork.
5.  Take work home with you.

These are just a few of the bad habits that can creep into your daily work life. 

A habit is something you do so often it becomes easy; a behavior you keep repeating.  Up to 90% of your normal behavior is based on habits.  The good news is bad habits can be broken. 

This morning I suckered myself into thinking the task on my To Do List - “write the daily recap report” - was important.  Actually, it is not.  The report was created 2 years ago to help another employee do their job.  That employee no longer works here so the report is worthless.  What a waste of my time.

3 Steps to Change Bad Habits into Good Habits

Step 1:  Be conscious of the habits not working for you.
Step 2:  Identify the New Habit you want in your life.
Step 3:  Create and implement an Action Plan for the new habit.

For more tips on changing bad habits check out the book, ‘The 78 Biggest Mistakes New Managers Make - What You Need to Know to Avoid Career Suicide’ at:  http://78ManagerMistakes.com

Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie

Posted on 09/13/11 at 07:03 AM
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Wednesday, September 07, 2011

5 Steps to Handling a Crisis

Crisis: an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending; especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

It is difficult to develop the ability to handle crises because so much about them is unknowable until they occur. That does not give you permission to bury your head in the sand.  Rather, thinking about how to handle a crisis before it happens helps leaders build experience and capability.

To assist you and your team in handling “the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome” implement these strategies:

1. Tell what you know when you know it. During a crisis, time is not on your side.  Open communication is crucial to avoid speculation by others who are not aware of the total picture.

2. Decide what you are going to say and who is going to say it. Depending on how extensive your team, you may need to designate a spokesperson to deliver the message.  Are they conveying the same message as you?

3. Tell the truth. Your team absolutely must be able to count on you to tell the truth, no matter how unpleasant it is.  If you are not at liberty to tell all (or you don’t know all the facts), make sure what you do say is reliable and trustworthy.

4. Acknowledge the bad. People know when you are “blowing smoke.” If people on your team are angry or frustrated with a situation, acknowledge their feelings.  Allow them to voice objections and complaints.  Your team needs to now they are being heard and that you are listening.

5. Keep your team informed. Everyone has a preferred method of learning and communicating.  Some are visual learners, others are more auditory, and many are kinesthetic and more hands-on.  Whatever the crisis, it is important to communicate the message in multiple formats.  Consider: your company intranet and newsletter (if they exist), voicemail broadcast, team email, and in-person meetings.

Remember, how you react to the crisis affects your entire team.  There will be factors beyond your control.  Don’t promise solutions you may not be able to deliver on.

Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie

Posted on 09/07/11 at 01:26 PM
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