Management Craft

No need (or value in) to be snarky....

I had this rather longish post all cued up but then decided not to publish it. The post was a snarky rant post. I figure that even though my points might be valid and the rant deserved, the world does not need more negative energy.

In fact, it needs the opposite. That old addage could be polished off:

If you can't think of anything positively energizing to say, don't say anything at all.

That is my mantra for managers this week. Be the bright spot. Here's my positive wee bit:

Never underestimate the power of overestimating another person's amazingness. When I see the light in you, you see it clearer. Managers, you are in luck - you are in the best position to light up other people. And doing so is fun.

So before you render your opinion, positive or a rant/concern/criticism, ask a question that shows your interest (BTW: be interested). How about this one: "I would love to hear how you would approach this situation if I told you the only parameter is that we need a game changer."

Five Awesome Things At Work

Inspired by the "Awesome" guy (Neil Pasricha) - great TED Talk, one of my faves - here are a few small things that can make the work day super awesome.

• Getting into the office and seeing that the two-hour meeting you were dreading has been cancelled. Score!
• Being the one to bring in a box of donuts, or scones, or whatever, and seeing the delight on your team members' faces. Extra awesome: catching someone going for his/her second donut and laughing about it.
• Sharing an idea and being told to, "go for it." Extra awesome: when you "go for it" and make something happen.
• The moment after you talk yourself down from worrying about something that you do not need to worry about.
• Cleaning out your in box.

What are your awesome moments? How might you create and/or enjoy a few today? And if you need a booster shot (remedial training on how to experience big enjoyment from small moments) watch Neil's TEd talk here.

As a manager, how might you be the producer of awesome moments? How might your team members asnwer: "It's awesome when my manager __________." Go do that.

The World We Encounter - The Case for Rose Colored Glasses

Photo Credit - Beagle Rescue

I dig this quote from the book, How to Be an Existentialist by Gary Cox:

"We constantly encounter a world characterized and defined by the motives and attitudes we choose to have and the evaluations we choose to make."

I think this is true. And it is an opportunity to see people and situations in their best light. Believe people are amazing and you will see them do amazing things. Remind yourself of the gifts your team members possess and you will see these gifts come forth in their work. Assume the best intentions and experience the compelling reasons people do what they do.

The reverse is true, too. Be can bungle up our situation really fast by believing it is messed up.

This is not about flying blind - or being bamboozled by a cruel world. Our thoughts don't just determine what we see, they determine what happens next. Our beliefs, thoughts, assumptions, and mindsets CHANGE and AFFECT people and what they DO.

Choose the context that will best serve you and your goal.

I was doing a team retreat a couple of weeks ago and this idea came up. The group struggled with sandbox issues and the communication issues that sandbox issues can cause (see my previous post about sandboxes here). But what if we did not see the sandbox? What if we never assume a territory? The way we see these issues changes them.

How can you use this to get your week off to a great start?

Redefining the Essence of #Management

Management is dead. Long live management.

Depending on the guru, you might hear either message. Who is right? Gary Hamel and Dan Pink remind us that management was created during the dawn of the industrial age to solve very different problems than we have today. This is true, for sure.

• We have different problems.
• Different opportunities.
• Different human imperatives (people are magical unique beings not error prone machines).

And yet! I am not ready to stick a tombstone onto the practice of management. Why? Because I think that the essence – the fundamental “why” of management - is the same and still needs to be done.

The essence? I believe that managers exist to help a group of people do their best work. We still need talented professionals doing this. It’s the “THIS” that has changed, not the calling, not the broad goal.

If, as a manager, you organize your day around those activities that will help your teams, peers, and managers do their best work, you will succeed. This is not only honorable and important work, this is compelling and amazing work.

As most of you know, I was diagnosed with cancer last July. Whenever anything like this happens to us – even something like a close call on the highway with an 18 wheeler – we think about life a bit more deeply. I have been thinking about legacy. Books – blah, blah, blah. Speeches – blah, blah, blah. Some awesome cliché management buzzword that everyone would say came from the “esteemed management guru Lisa Haneberg” – blah, blah, blah. I am convinced that legacy is achieved in more subtle ways – by making the world a better place, one person at a time. At home, you do this as parents, mentors, friends, and community members. At work, the best position from which to affect people is management.

Management is more relevant and needed than it ever has been. If we focus on the essence – doing whatever it takes to help people do their best work – we will know when to shed old practices and adopt new ones. We will know when to shift our thinking to tap into what most matters. We will know when we need to change our beliefs about people and contribution. And when we do this, our impact will endure and reverberate.

Creating a Magnificent Future - Luv this Idea @stevefarber

Check out this 5 minute audio from pal and fellow leadership author Steve Farber. I love the idea of creating a magnificent future. Not just a future. Not just a "desired outcome." Not just goals. A future that inspires, fills, compels, and challenges. That's the right idea.

And if you need a bit more of this good stuff, please consider attending Steve's Extreme Leadership Summit. It might just be the best educational/catalytic experience you enjoy this year. Seriously, I have seen Steve at work and he is great. And he has lined up some terrific folks to speak at the conference with him. It is not a typical business conference - it is like a fire hose of energy, ideas, and support.

I am not an affiliate or anything, just sharing because I think it is great. Steve is offering an early bird registration savings of $300.

Why I am thrilled Nadal won the French Open #management

It was a good and tough match, but I am very pleased that Rafael Nadal won the French Open this morning. Why? I think Rafael is great, but that is not why.

I am glad because we all need good rivalries. If Rafael had lost, there would have been some wind die down from his sails (after all, Djokovic has been beating him all year - but the French Open clay courts were Nadal's sweet spot - lose there, and it would be such a blow). We need that energy to keep everyone doing their best.

The same is true for our jobs and where we work. I want to have good “rivals” – people who make me think, challenge me, and motivate me to do my best. We should welcome these benevolent rivalries and seek them out.

Managers sometimes don’t get this and fail to seize the opportunity during hiring opportunities. Select folks who might intimidate you, might question you, might compete for your job one day. You will get better as a result (you need to keep the evil twins "envy" and "ego" in check, but that is always important).

Intellectual rivalries can be exhilarating. And even at the French Open, the challenge was more a mental one than physical. Both Nadal and Djokovic are in top form and have well-rounded skills. It is only a matter of time until Djokovic beats Nadal at the French Open. Maybe next year. Until then, I will enjoy this energy and pizazz and hope that you experience the same fire in your belly where you work. Collectively, we make our "best work" possible.

A #Management Lesson from Rapper Eminem

I caught the last 40 minutes of "8 Mile" - which I have had on my list to watch for years. In case you don't know, this movie starred rapper Eminem and was loosely based on Eminem's early life.

Featured in the movie are rap competitions - where rappers battle each other with words. There are several rounds, each challenge the loser is eliminated until the final two face off for the title of "best." These raps are spontaneous because they don't know who they will battle until it is announced - each tries to one-up the other and show how clever and poetic they are (hurling personal insults and such). Although somewhat crude, it takes a lot of talent to compete. A mastery with words, phrases, rhyme, and rhythm.

The winner earns a lot of street cred.

*****SPOILER ALERT***** I am about to discuss the final scene in the movie, if you still have not seen it and intend to, stop reading!

The dramatic ending of the movie is one of these competitions. This is Eminem's shot to show what he's got. He blasts through the early rounds, destroying his opponents with words.

And then he has to battle the champion. The room is tense and the crowd is clearly with the champion. There is a coin toss to determine who will go first - it is usually preferred to go last. The champion wins the toss. Eminem will go first.

He has 90 seconds to give his best rap. How does he approach it? A bit shaky at first but then he starts into a groove and does something fascinating. He disses himself. He admits his flaws, he acknowledges all the bad names people call him, he fesses up to his no-good mama and all the other trash talking that could be hurled his way. Oh, and he gives it to the champion, too, by revealing that he had attended a private school and came from a finer background than most in the crowd know (embarrassing for the champion). He ends his rap by inviting the champion to "tell the crowd something they don't already know."

Whoa - he took the wind right out of the champion's sail! The champion had nothing to say. And he caved. Eminem was victorious.

While I was listening to Eminem's final rap, I could not help but think that Dale Carnegie would be proud. Crazy? Not at all. In How to Win Friends and Influence People (still the best book on human relations IMHO) he recommends that we be the first to be open about our failings. That we own our flaws. That we beat everyone to the punch.

This is not the same thing as being down on ourselves. I am not suggesting this. We are all highly talented and highly flawed. And when we can be open about those flaws, we are able to use our talents fully because we are less hampered by our mental garbage.

And to be clear, even though Eminem dissed himself, he also knew he was the best rapper and very talented. He had dreams he knew he could fulfill if he was at his best.

As he is walking out of the building after becoming the new champion, the theme song to the movie, a song by Eminem called "Lose Yourself" comes on and takes us through the credits. This is the song made more famous by the Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler last year. The lyrics are quite good and motivating. And the last line of the song says it all.

"You can do anything you put your mind to."

So this is not a post about being down on ourselves. It's a post about being cool with you, warts and all.

Even though I ruined the ending for you, if you have not seen it, you might want to check out the movie. But it has a lot of curse words, as we might expect from a gritty movie about rappers. You've been warned!

Don't wait to live.

I received a card from a friend that had this quote. I think it is great!

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake." Marie Beyon Ray

A great thought to kick off the new week.

 

Survive and Thrive; 10 Life Lessons from Motorcycles

Check out this cool article that links life, success, and one of my favorite things - motorcycles - from Liz Jansen. Liz has put together a super interesting book called Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment  that includes a collection of inspiring pieces from dozens of hip motorcycle chicks.

Survive and Thrive; 10 Life Lessons from Motorcycles

by Liz Jansen

Motorcycles and our relationship with them, have much to teach us, whether we ride or not. As Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment describes, “The partnership of rider and machine when they join together in perfect harmony is like observing a beautiful dance that gives birth to power, strength, balance and positive change.”

Vulnerability makes motorcycles masters at teaching us vivid, universal lessons about life. Misinterpret or ignore signs while riding and the immediacy and potential severity of the outcome are irrefutable. But the rewards from learning to recognize and overcome these challenges are matchless. Just like life.

 Here are 10 areas of vulnerability through which we learn strength.

 Vision.

 Our eyes steer the bike. This fundamental skill pervades all others. We want to look in the direction we want to go because our eyes will certainly take us there. If we allow our eyes to focus on something other than the road ahead, that’s where we’ll go.

Having a vision and keeping it in sight draws us towards it. There are many other demands that divert our time and resources. They may seem like a short-term priority but in reality, they’re not aligned with long-term success.

 Communication.

Headlights, brake lights, turn signals and horn indicate our approach and intended action, especially if the change is sudden. Being visually conspicuous can catch the eye of other drivers and prevent a collision.

How we communicate with each other is fundamental for maintaining healthy personal and professional relationships. This can be a life-long lesson, especially in our multi-cultural, multi-technology and multi-generational settings. Communicating our intentions and confirming our intent is understood goes a long way in collision avoidance.

 Decision Making.

Sometimes we can’t see around the corner and we have to make a decision based on the best information we have. It doesn’t deter us from proceeding, we just need to learn how to manage the risk.

Being prepared for the unexpected, remaining flexible, resourceful and creative all make for smoother transitions when the unexpected happens, as it invariably will.

Weather.

In a car you don’t think twice, but on a motorcycle, you take a keen interest in the weather. Wearing or carrying gear that allows you to adapt, increases the comfort, safety and enjoyment of your ride. Riding in inclement weather requires skill, confidence, physical and emotional stamina.

Storms blow up in life too and our environment changes. Anticipating what’s to come, preparing for it and not taking it personally make it much easier to manage with minimal disruption.

In both cases, we often worry needlessly about something that never happens.

 Energy.

Gas tanks have a finite capacity for fuel. Most bikes have an indicator to alert you that it’s time to fill up. Ignoring this warning sign for long enough will leave you stranded.

We too receive warning signs when it’s time to fuel up. The problem is, they’re often less obvious and easier to ignore. As we become more self-aware and intuitively astute, we recognize the signs earlier and can take proactive measures.

 Balance.

A lopsided load makes the motorcycle harder to handle, affects performance and requires more energy from the rider. Prioritizing what you take, being creative, keeping the weight and center of gravity low and close to midline makes the weight easier to manage.

Taking on additional responsibilities, whether we choose them or the Universe delivers them to us, can create stress, anxiety, fatigue and illness. Learning to recognize the signs, drawing on alternative resources and jettisoning that which isn’t necessary alleviates the pressure.

 Skills.

Like our motorcycles when they’re stored for long periods, skills get rusty after periods of inactivity. Before hopping on the bike for that first ride of the season, it’s important to practice and get the feel of the controls again. Periodic skill refreshers correct bad habits we’ve picked up and prepare us for more challenging situations – and new adventures!

Staying current keeps us vibrant and marketable. Our world changes very quickly and if we intend to be engaged in it, continuous learning is part of the curriculum.

 Interdependence.

A motorcycle relies on its operator for instruction and direction. Without a rider, the bike just sits there. And without a bike…..it’s a long walk.

 Strong business and personal relationships help us and our businesses thrive. We bring unique skills and attributes to any relationship, making us stronger and more effective together. An interdependent relationship is far more fulfilling than one where partners are independent or dependent.

 Awareness.

 While riding, we continuously scan our environment while concurrently receiving signals through our senses on road surface conditions, posted signs, traffic, weather and other potential hazards. We are gifted with additional sounds, smells and sensations we miss when traveling with a metal cage around us. Being open to inputs, allows us to make appropriate and necessary adjustments to prepare for the road ahead.

 Other people act as our mirrors. While we may not always agree, listening to their feedback teaches us about ourselves. We make our own choices but often others see things that we don’t. Ultimately, listening to our intuition after it’s processed the inputs, is our best guide.

 Maintenance.

 Routine inspections and preventative maintenance reduce premature wear, enhance performance and promote safety.

 Body, mind and soul are no different. They need regular care and nourishment to function optimally and allow us to flourish.

 Liz Jansen is an author, speaker, coach, adventurer – and motorcycle aficionado. Her book Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment draws on stories from a diverse group of fifty women to illustrate lessons of self-discovery and adventure. Liz creates events, retreats and workshops, focused on personal growth, leadership and adventure – and motorcycles are often included. She has appeared on TV and radio shows and written for numerous print and online publications, including her own website.  Follow her on Twitter or Linkedin.

 Print or kindle copies of  Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment can be purchased at Amazon here. 

Liz's Links

Website: http://www.lizjansen.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/trilliumliz

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6577297&trk=tab_pro

The Sandbox Theory of Managerial Success and Failure

I am doing a training session tomorrow and one of the topics I am discussing is sandbox issues. Here's the cliff notes version.

Assertion: Sandbox issues are at the core of most managerial setbacks and problems.

Sandbox Defined: A real or imagined territory.

Sandbox Issue Defined: Problems (drama, mostly) that occur when people try to climb into our sandbox or when we try to climb into other people's sandboxes.

Reality: We have no sandbox - we are imagining it all. Like a mirage for a person thirsty for an ego stroke. This is an organization. Work and people are interdependent. We might have accountability but we have no territory. Others have every right to hop into our imagined sandbox and muck about. If they aren't, it is likely because we are scaring them away and this is irresponsible.

Here's the bottom line. To be agile and to be a good member of the organization, we need to get rid of the stories we are telling ourselves about sandboxes. We need to:

1. Invite people into our sandboxes (especially since they don't really exist), even when they do not yet possess the savvy to do that well.

2. Build the skills to climb into other people's imagined sandboxes without causing drama.

And eventually, if we get good at this - especially if our peers do the same - we will no longer see sandboxes. This is what we will see:

Beautiful isn't it? This is a picture I took of White Sands National Monument - all white gypsum for miles and miles. And this is a beautiful sight in organizations. No sandboxes, just one humongous beach.

What would you say to coach yourself into not feeling tense or irritated when others approach your sandbox and to invite more people into your sandbox?