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Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’

Managewhich Tip: Getting in Front of Change Through Leadership

“The enemy to real change is lip service” ~Peter Block

This is never more true than in a low trust organization.  How many times have you been in meetings where heads nod in agreement only to have nothing done?  It’s insidious because we think the group is on board when they aren’t.

We can work with opposition and disagreement.  Honesty lets us know where we stand and know where we may need to negotiate, whereas, we often miss lip service.

Managewhich Tip: Process-Focus Ain’t a Bad Thing

Photo by Nur Hussein  - find the pic on Flickr, the story is hilarious!

Photo by Nur Hussein - find the pic on Flickr, the story is hilarious!

We hear a lot about being results-focused and results-driven.  Results are important, and somewhere along the way, we’ve lost sight of the importance of the journey.

Case and point.  In 1959, Cuba had an illiteracy rate of 23%.  Post Castro revolution, in 1961, it was reduced to 4%.   Let’s just say, this wasn’t the kindest of processes, and yet, if the focus was on the result to wipe out illiteracy, they were astoundingly successful.

So How are Those Resolutions Going?

On the Wagon?  Photo by Craig

On the Wagon? Photo by Craig

So, we’re about halfway through January, and even though I suggested that resolutions are a waste of time, I bet some of you made them anyway.  How’s it going?

For those of you who are on track, congratulations!

For those of you who’ve already broken down, how about trying something different this year.

Managewhich Tip: New Rule for Productivity?

Photo by Delos

Photo by Delos

What if, like gasoline, your brain power and attention were a limited resource?  And that once your attention tank was empty, your thinking ran on fumes?

Turns out, the latest brain studies indicate that this is indeed the case.  Our attention is in limited supply, and we work in ways that squander it.

Managewhich Tips: What is “Too Busy” Saying About You?

We’re all busy. And, being busy in our culture can be a badge of honor. Busy = Important.

“Busy” is also where Managewhiches get tripped up.

Case Study 1:
Jennifer was on the receiving end of some “unpleasant” news. Her company was cutting back on hours for its hourly employees and reorganizing some of its work, and everyone was informed that “changes were coming” via mass email. Jennifer’s hours were cut in half (as she discovered by looking in the system for her schedule) and some of her duties were reassigned (as she discovered in an unfortunate incident when she showed up to work and someone else was doing her job).

Managewhich’s Guide to the Annual Review

For many middle managers, it’s that time of year again.  Fiscal year’s over and review time is upon us.  I’m guessing that this is an unpleasant task for most of you, which is a shame.

Corporate America has taken one of it’s better opportunities for engagement and celebration and turned it into a administrivia-laden stress-inducing B.S.-laden process that’s designed to control compensation as opposed to inspire great performance.  In the end, most people feel demoralized.  (If your experience is different, I’d love to hear about it.)

Putting Some Meat in the Managewhich!

No one wakes up in the morning and asks to themselves, “How can I screw my job up today?”  And yet, sometimes we feel that way in our management roles, yes?

I’ve gotta tell you, when I look back over the course of my corporate career, there were a lot of things I would do differently, mainly around conflict management, negotiation and feedback.  I wish I’d had better examples and mentors.  In the craziness of never having enough time to do what I needed to do, there were many times that it felt like I was blindly feeling my way around the fun house.

What Got You Here May Not Get You There

Photo By Dani

When met with what seems to be a familiar situation, humans behave based on habit.  The brain is designed to operate based on patterns and filters, so it’s very quick to assess “Woah! something’s going on here” vs. “Oh, OK”  and respond accordingly.

By the way, it’s also the same mechanism that makes Bob’s name easier to remember than Atmajyoti’s, if you’re not Indian.

Managewhich Question: Who the “mans” the Role of Policy Police?

“The rules make it fair for everyone,”  a quote from one Managewhich who’s struggling with influencing and managing her peers.

The Managewhich was describing how other groups are rewarded for complaining (as opposed to problem-solving),  how other managers were giving undocumented vacation days in exchange for excessive for overtime, and other “rule-breaking” perks.  Her point of view is that the rules were put in place for a reason.  She follows the rules, and it makes her look like the bad guy when she doesn’t break them and others do.  She wants to influence her peers to follow the rules.

Does Anyone Hire Eeyore?

Photo By Michael

Photo By Michael

For those of you who’ve blocked out or forgotten who Eeyore is, he’s the pessimistic, melancholic, depressed, downtrodden old grey donkey from the Winnie The Pooh books. (Think, “Oh no, we’re doomed!”)

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