Management Craft

The Value of Simplicity - Do You Know What Simple Feels Like?

2009-11-18T04:27:04-08:00

I am just back from Bhutan and Thailand. I will post more about what I learned on the trip in the coming days, but here is just a quick thought. Simplicity is beautiful.

We gunk up our lives and our work and our desks and our wardrobes and our friendships and our teams and our processes with more complexity and complication than is needed, I think. We need to experience simplicity to really feel it's power and pleasantness.

I stayed for three days in a valley that has no electricity except for a few hours of solar power or power from small individual generators. The valley could have electric, but does not because the wires might harm the threatened Black Neck Cranes who winter there. Underground wiring is not practical and the people have adjusted to this way of life. The rhythm of each day is determined by the season, the sun and moon, and faith, family and friends. I spent six hours tending a small wood stove in my hotel room one afternoon - that was my agenda, keep the fire going.

What's on your agenda for the rest of the week and how elemental is it? Is there a way you can make things simpler so that the extraordinary nature of everyday moments and people can shine?

Managers make things simpler - that is a big part of their job. And so it is for this reason that I recommend all managers visit the tiny kingdom of Bhutan in the future. To make things simpler, we must experience simplicity and how often do we do that?

BTW - don't misinterpret my suggestions about Bhutan and simplicity to mean that the country is somehow backwards or unsophisticated. In some ways, their leadership is quite cutting edge. That said, they are taking the process of modernization at a deliberate pace.

BTW #2 One last invitation to participate in my coaching survey. Now that I am back, I need to get cracking on a couple of books I am working on. One is about coaching and I would love it if you participated in my brief coaching survey about your coaching preferences. The link is here and all participants get a copy of the results. Thanks.

Click Here to take survey

Coaches, too, ought to make things simpler. That is the definition of a catalyst, after all, one who makes things easier.

The power of great mentorship - "Direction" from Lisa Edwards

2009-11-13T02:50:00-08:00

Here is another guest post and story from Lisa Edwards called Direction. This one is profound - I love Lisa E's stories. You can also check out her book here. She makes a great point about how a bad experience or misfire can create a whole new opportunity.

How can you use this story to further your goals this week?

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Direction

“Keep looking up.” Dick Damrow

All of us have a mid-life crisis at some point in our lives. Some of us have it later in life, others have it early on. I was lucky. My mid-life crisis happened in my early thirties.

Several years before then, I had returned home after grad school to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, when I discovered that my family’s printing business was in deep trouble. As an only child with a great sense of responsibility, I chose to help my family with the business rather than pursue my own interests. At first, I thought I was helping to save the business and turn it around, but after ten years of trying to turn it around, I recognized I was there to help my dad close the business. As we struggled to keep that business alive, we had created a new business in an attempt to save the family business.

It is quite an experience to have one business that is dying and another that is prospering all in the same moment and I found it easy to lose my way. Both situations have many moments of uncertainty, but one carries a feeling of great sadness and the other carries a sense of hope and optimism.

During this time, my relationship with my dad became strained and I sorely needed a wise friend and mentor who could help me during those moments when I felt uncertain about what to do next. I needed someone removed from the situation who could keep my best interests at heart and give me advice and direction.

I can’t even remember how it all came about as everything during that time period is a blur, but somehow I ended up with just the mentor I needed. Dick was a wise and caring mentor and treated me as a daughter. He gave me advice—some of which I actually took, and gave me the reassurance I so needed during that time of confusion.

Since that time and over the years, Dick remained a dear friend and mentor. We stayed in touch throughout my many moves across the country and I could always count on him to provide me with just one more bit of advice or just a few more reassuring words. Whenever I faced a crossroads or needed to make an important decision, I’d call Dick to ask him what he thought. In the most recent years, he rarely gave me advice, but just having him listen to me talk through my thinking was all the reassurance and affirmation I needed to go forward with a decision.

Just a few months ago, I went home to work with him on some business planning for my business. It was a change in our relationship because for the first time, he wasn’t my mentor, offering free advice or counsel, but my consultant, who allowed me to pay him for the work he normally charged only to his clients. I felt liberated in a funny way. Like an adult. And, I think he looked at me in an new way, too. It was a beginning and an end.

About a month ago, I got a call from a mutual friend of ours from home one evening. She called to tell me that Dick had fallen down the stairs at home the night before. He had hit his head and had undergone surgery to relieve the pressure his skull was causing on his swollen brain. He was in ICU under constant watch, and though everyone was hopeful he’d make a full recovery, he had not yet regained consciousness.

Dick passed away within a week. Those moments during that time were perhaps the saddest moments in my memory.

Before his celebration of life ceremony, one of his friends posted a profile on Facebook for everyone to post their comments about Dick. More than forty pages of comments were posted. The first few posts talked about how Dick was their mentor, but as more people posted, the more we each began to realize that we were not the only protégé! There were hundreds of us! Talk about making a difference in the lives of others.

I think about Dick a lot and miss our conversations. Sometimes I wish I could hear his voice just one more time. Tonight, as I was home alone, contemplating a few decisions I need to make, I felt an ache to call Dick and ask him for his advice. Knowing I should be quiet and still, instead I searched for something to do. I got on the computer, opened my inbox and saw Dick’s name attached to the emails he had sent to me in the last year. Emails I can’t bring myself to delete from my inbox. And in that instant, I remembered how he started to sign his emails to me when he began to stop giving me advice, and I realized that he had left me with the best advice of all “keep looking up.”

Creating Accountability

2009-11-10T03:24:00-08:00

Here's an interesting article about accountability from Bob Prosen on The Street called, Helping Your Company Win: The Innovators. He offers several ways we can assess our role and priorities and practices to improve clarity and accountability. Check it out.

The Four Conversations: Communication That Gets Results

2009-11-04T03:23:00-08:00

Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy.

Sixty percent of all management problems result from faulty communication. ~Peter Drucker

This post is about a unique book called, The Four Conversations: Communication That Gets Results by Jeffrey Ford and Laurie Ford. I first met the Fords about 15 years ago. Jeffrey teaches at Ohio State University in the business school and both he and Laurie help individuals and teams communicate more effectively. There is something about the way they explain things - something about how they talk about conversations that is highly unique, interesting, and helpful.

Management is a social act and occurs in conversations. Therefore, managers ought to be great conversationalists. This means knowing the type of conversation that will best get the desired result. The Four Conversations helps readers determine when and how to use each type of conversation. Here are the four conversation the book covers:

Initiative Conversations: Create a Future
Understanding Conversations: Include and Engage
Performance Conversations: Ask and Promise
Closure Conversations: Create Endings

These are all critical for managers to learn and practice. From the introduction:

When our students and clients began to practice improving their skills with all four conversations in their work situations, they were amazed to discover how very small changes in the way they talked could produce unexpectedly positive outcomes. Practicing managers were impressed with how easy it was to get results, and quickly applied the lessons to get similar benefits outside of work, with spouses, families, and friends.

We have since learned many of the persistent issues people tolerate in organizations can be resolved by using these four conversations. True, some people do not want to change the way they communicate, or do not want to make changes in their work practices. However, we have found most people are willing to make minor adjustments in their speaking and listening to gain major improvements in results and relationships.

Good stuff - pick up your copy today!

The Unforced Error - Why Some Managers Get Promoted While Others Get Eliminated

2009-11-02T03:55:00-08:00

This post is about a very fun and helpful book called The Unforced Error by Jeffrey Krames (you can listen to the podcast I did with Jeffrey about his last book, Inside Drucker's Brain, here). I love this book - it is written with such style and texture - humor, stories, examples and then clear suggestions. Here's the opening paragraph of the book that explains what an unforced error is:

The concept of the unforced error" is a pivotal one in tennis. Created by noted tennis authority Dr. Leo Levin in 1982, its describes as error that is "committed without a cause." It is, according to one standard definition, "a mistake by the player who hits a shot...when the player has time to prepare and position himself to get the ball back in play and (still) makes an error."

This book, then, helps reader recognize and avoid avoidable errors (including fatal flaws, or career killers). Jeffrey looks at various aspects of management and leadership and shows readers what not to do and what to do to be successful. I think you will really enjoy how this book reads and the information. The Unforced Error will be one of those books you share with others, so check it out!

The Market Has Changed, Have You? A Great Book for the Salesperson in Us All

2009-10-28T02:51:00-07:00

This post provides a quick appetizer for the book, The Market Has Changed, Have You? Sales Strategies That Work by Paul D'Souza. If you have any kind of revenue generation responsibility (who doesn't?) this is a great book for you. And it is out at a great time - let's get 2010 off to a GREAT START!

Paul is a pal of mine - and I love talking with him because he is so inspiring, so smart, so driven, and always in action. If you are a regular Management Craft reader, you have heard me use the phrase "focused and in action." Paul is that and he makes things happen - why not have him help you make something happen?

This book is about sales - but it is also about life and how we summons our greatness within to bring our goals to manifestation. Here are a few choice quotes from the book:

When people lack a deep sense of commitment, they can become frustrated and despair easily about the change process. They might even fail to recognize the need to change and the opportunities that lie before them - until it's too late.

And....

Your moods create the space of possibility for your to act or not.

And....(this totally relates to management)

If you want to complete highly valued transactions, then you must make powerful offers to the marketplace.

And....(this also relates to management!)

Every deal - every transaction and every business event - happens between people. You cannot survive without people, you cannot transact without people, you cannot reach your goals without people. The good news is that they need you too.

And... (ditto)

When times become tough, you might be tempted to be a hero and work harder, smarter and go the distance alone. Instead, I invite you to stop for a moment and think about the people around you and try to identify how you can build stronger relationships for the sale of winning more business.

This book talks about leverage, connections, passion, perseverance, and daily practices that make a difference. Check out The Market Has Changed, Have You?

Give an Employee Five Precious Minutes

2009-10-27T03:15:26-07:00

Management is a social act and every minute you spend with your employees is precious. That's why I have always loved the 5-minute management practice from pal and fellow management author and blogger Rosa Say. Here is a quick explanation of the habit from Rosa:

The SIMPLE part

If you are hearing about it for the first time, The Daily 5 Minutes (D5M) is a simple habit. Each day, without fail, managers give five minutes of no-agenda time to at least one of their employees. What they are giving is whole listening time, and their undivided attention to whatever that person has on their mind.

Check out this post from Rosa and get inspired to give your employees a higher quality of attention using tiny pockets of time. These few minutes will make a huge difference to your relationships and will improve employee engagement, retention, and focus. All in five minutes a day!

Living in More than One World - Drucker for Everyday Life

2009-10-25T16:37:58-07:00

Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about several great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy.

This post is about a very cool book called Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life by Bruce Rosenstein. There have been many books written about Drucker's work and impact, but this is the first book that looks at an individual's life and work through the lens of Drucker's work. I love the title of the book and here is a snippet from the book that explains where it came from:

The book will guide you on a personal journey of considering life holistically, based on the teaching and personal example of Drucker, who lived a fulfilling and productive life until his death at ninety-five in 2005. When you live in a holistic manner, you take a broad, inclusive view of everything and everyone that is a part of your life. You literally, "live in more than one world," as Drucker told me during an interview before he died. That way, if you have setback in one area (particularly your work), you can bounce back more easily because you have other areas of strength and support.

Bruce had a unique perspective on Drucker's work because he wrote about him for decades for the USA Today. He interviewed Drucker - a man known for being media shy - many times. And Bruce is a great writer, so the book is a pleasure to read.

I think Living in More than One World is a great book for this time of year. Many of us are reflecting about 2009 and what we want to make of 2010 and beyond. This book will help you get focused and balanced. The book is filled with wonderful stories that make useful points. I recommend this book for managers and individual contributors.

I also think that this book reinforces the important practice of living fully - a message we cannot hear too often.

Managers as Robots of Cliches and Fads - Oh No!

2009-10-20T12:17:53-07:00

My Boss's Day post provoked reader Mike to share the following comment:

I'm afraid I have a somewhat dim view of management. What I see, as a worker, is people who read the management book-of-the-month and then make changes accordingly without passing any of it through the thought process. And woe to the manager who questions.

I do like my manager as a person and I liked the manager before her. They're smart and well-meaning. But they're trapped in the yes-person role, confined to speaking in acronyms and doing their best to act as if what they are doing is rational and truly makes sense for the customers.

I could go on, but there's no need. It's no wonder that so many younger people look at the hollow managers of today and resist falling into the life of endless meetings and of trying to justify arbitrary decisions from above.

I know Mike is right that some managers just don't get it and they jerk their teams around with flavor of the month initiatives. For the managers out there who, admittedly, are too enamored by trends and conference speaker books, check out what Mike is saying here. Management is so important because it affects how people view their jobs.

And I know that we will always have a broad range of managers - just like everything in life, including employees - with some being extraordinary and some having minimal positive impact. Mike, thanks for the comment, and I hope that your observations generate some good discussions AND reflection.

As a book author, I would also like to say that I know it is tough not to get sucked into the latest model, metaphor, or method displayed on the end cap of your local Barnes and Noble. The publishing system is designed for renewal (except the classics, which endure) since books stay on shelves no more than six weeks. The approach I recommend is to create your model and philosophy for management and find learning resources that reinforce and deepen your ONE message and approach. This will be more effective than relying on the book's structure to become your schema for management or success.

Happy Boss's Day! Five Thoughts for the Future

2009-10-16T07:55:26-07:00

Today is Boss's Day. I think that we should consider renaming it Manager's Day, since many of us don't use the term "boss" much any longer. But since I am not in charge of official days (who is?), we shall stick with Boss's Day.

Management is an honorable craft and a tough one to do well. I have great respect for those of you who willingly jump into the messiest parts of your organization and say, "I'll help!" That's what managers do, right? They make things better - or they should.

I am still convinced - five years after writing High Impact Middle Management- that being a manager is exciting, a privilege and an opportunity to make a big difference. Great middle managers do and juggle so much and they impact how we all feel about our work and our lives. Managers matter.

So let's all raise a glass (or Krispy Kreme) to our managers! They have thrown themselves into the the corporate snake pit wearing a smile and bringing determination, passion, and selflessness. Even if the delivery of their words or deeds is not yet fully developed - management is a craft - it is an amazing endeavor they have taken on and a humbling responsibility they have accepted.

Five thoughts for the future:

Management is only going to get harder - we need retention strategies for managers or they will bail.
Management is a social act and how we communicate is changing - we need to help managers stay current so they can connect with employees.
Management is personal and the essence of management is about relationships - the greatest management tool we have is time spent together, working through things, so let's not take away opportunities for people to work together.
Management is less attractive to many young professionals - we need to rethink the role of manager to make it fit the new reality. Nimbleness is key.
Managers might first be attracted to the money and title, but managers who stay managers are almost always doing it because they want to serve others.

Boss's Day Poem and Other Business Poems

2009-10-12T13:54:59-07:00

This is a redux of an earlier post. It is that time of year, again, when my cheesy business poetry is read (and shared) by thousands of folks who are Googling and Binging for "Boss's Day Poem" (I come up first at Bing, Second at Google, hmmm). These poems were written back in 2005. For a while there, I was creating several poems a month. You can see them all here. There is one I like a lot called, "If Only Employees Purred." "Bored" is pretty good, too, if I do say so myself.

Posted in October 2008

October 16th is Boss's Day. I have written a Boss's Day post every year for the last four years. A couple of years back, I offered Boss's Day Poem. I gotta tell ya, that thing gets SO MANY Google hits from people searching for poems for bosses. Over ~~10,000~~ 20,000 hits in the last couple of days alone.

I had no idea that we were all so sensitive. :-) Or is it that we are too cheap to buy a gift?

I thought I would share that poem again today. Do something nice for your boss today, OK? Being a manager is often a thankless job. Sure, many managers are slugs, but most are well meaning slugs who learned from other slugs.

Give him or her something delicious, like a box of truffles or a liter of Bombay Gin.
Give him or her an afternoon off - manage up and tell your boss to play hookie.
Give him or her one drama-free day.

Here's the poem (poems, actually, there are two) - enjoy. Oh, and I know I am no Robert Frost or Billy Collins......

Being Boss

It is not always easy to be the one in charge
In charge of fixing the daily conundrums
That inevitably a come up at 4:30 on Friday
The Friday you have ball game tickets with a pal

Having to make the calls can cause nerves to flair
Flair with fear and raw vulnerability for what’s unknown
And the issues get more gnarly as the day wears on
Wearing patience thin and testing tired brain cells

Why would anyone want to be the boss?
The boss gets all the complaints and aggravation
Constant interruptions render plans obsolete
Obsolete and out of touch before clearing the gate

Being boss comes with these and many more challenges
Challenges roller coaster emotions and energy
These diversions don’t overshadow the reason to lead
Leading is about people, connection, and excellence

Leaders can see and develop our potential
The potential to fully express and utilize our talents
The boss cares about whether people are engaged
Engaged and unencumbered by rolling crud

Hats off to all leaders who get through the muck
The mucky muck of business to help people be great
Jobs would be unbearable without great bosses
Bosses who get what leading is really about

Boss’s Day Haiku

Context and comfort
Filtering through politics
The boss saves the day

Join Lisa in Alexandria to learn more about Informal Learning to Develop Managers

2009-10-12T11:24:48-07:00

I will be doing two workshops for ASTD in Alexandria, VA (American society for Training and Development). The workshop is called Developing Great Managers and it is a two-day exploration and hands-on class focused on how to add more and more effective informal learning into the work environment - for developing stronger managers and leaders.

The next class is coming up, October 26th and 27th, and the class size is small, which allows for lots of personalized attention and application. Check out the details here. I hope you can join me!

P.S. The location is great - the ASTD headquarters are right across the street from the King Street Metro Station.

Lisa Interviewed by Todd of 800CEOREAD

2009-10-10T07:30:43-07:00

Thanks to Todd Sattersten, President of 800CEOREAD (THE biz book experts and retailers) for taking the time to do this podcast interview with me about all my books and underlying philosophies about management.

I hear my voice all the time in podcasts and recordings (and in my head), but this podcast makes me seem a bit older and more contemplative. Like I am preparing for a conversation the Charlie Rose (my favorite TV interviewer). Or, that's the way I prefer to think about it and not that I am getting old.

Todd asked several provocative questions, so check it out.

In/near Cincinnati or Dayton? ASTD day-long Conference Oct 14

2009-10-06T02:55:00-07:00

On October 14th, the Greater Cincinnati ASTD chapter is offering a one-day conference that has a super line-up. I am one of the speakers and my topic is: Finding the Wow! You: Five ways you can knock the socks off your listeners and learners (description here). Dick Alexrod is the headliner. And there are 8 other sessions from which to choose. Should be great!

A wonderful time will be had by all, I am sure, and I hope to see you there. Oh, and did I mention that they will be offerng free chair massages and a resource exchange? Click on the link for all the details.

Middle Management Article in Investor's Business Daily

2009-10-03T09:10:01-07:00

Check out this brief article in IBD about middle management. I am quoted, along with a couple of other folks. Middle managers matter!

Given that Boss's Day is in October, let's call this the month to show appreciation and "love," or some TLC, for middle managers. I believe middle management is one of the toughest jobs and that many management training programs fail to address the complexities of the position. I wrote about this in my first book, High Impact Middle Management.

How can you show appreciation for the middle managers who make things happen in your organization? Boss's Day is October 16th, BTW, so start thinking NOW about something nice you can do for your boss to show him or her that you appreciate his or her efforts. There are so many ways to show appreciation - many that cost nothing but will mean a lot. Here is a poem I wrote for Boss's Day way back in 2005. Create your own poem! Invent a proclamation to honor your boss. Host a tasty potluck in his or her honor. Have an ice-cream social. Make a nice card. Share with him or her the ways he or she makes your work life easier. And for those of you who feel like you work for a bad boss - find something nice to say and do for him or her. Even mediocre bosses deserve appreciation.

10 Ways Managers Operationalize Their Intentions

2009-10-02T13:30:00-07:00

BTW: Thanks to those of you who have completed my coaching survey. Here is the link for those of your who have not yet completed it. Thanks!

I was talking with a client today about her senior management team - what they do well and what they don't do well. The company spends a lot - terms of resources and time in helping leaders be self-aware (using various assessments and instruments, followed by facilitated discussions). But what they don't do very well is CHANGE as a result of the self-awareness. Their awareness never turns into learning and does not change how they manage and lead.

I know a lot of managers who suffer from low self-awareness. And then I know many managers has some self-awareness but who fail to modify their practices and habits to improve their results - how they manifest their intentions.

Here is a quick top 10 list for ways to operationalize - make real - your managerial intentions:

Communicate your managerial goals and intentions to your employees, peers, and manager on at least a quarterly basis. Be specific. these goals and intentions should ties to the organization's strategies and unique challenges.
Ensure your communicate messages are received as intended. I wrote about this here.
Talk about, act on and measure those things that you say are important.
For every goal or intention, write down three ways your management habits should change to better support the goal or intention. Do those things. Hint: Your managerial practices OUGHT TO CHANGE if you want to get a different result.
Articulate your goals and intentions in the "goal setting" section of your performance evaluation - hold yourself accountable!
Seek feedback from your employees and peers during one-on-ones regarding how well you are focusing on and reinforcing your goals and intentions.
Implement structure, when needed, to support implementation of goals (for example, changing the structure of your team meeting to facilitate team collaboration or changing a report to emphasize the most important information or reinventing a process to better support goals).
Block out time on your calendar to focus on the tasks that best support your goals and intentions. Even 30-minute blocks, once per day, will help.
Ask yourself: What can I do today to best move the most important work forward? How can I be a catalyst for excellence? Do those things.
Be cognizant of the difference between self-awareness and personal growth. Awareness is critical, but can be a waste of time and resources if you do not learn how to be a better manager and then change as a result.

Self-awareness should not lead to excuses for why you aren't changing to accomodate the needs of others. The opposite! Self-awareness can and should help us become more nimble and flexible professionals by helping us understand how our tendencies impact others and when alternative approaches would better serve our goals.