Coach Train Learn

One and a Half Ice Creams

It was early lunchtime.

The outdoor trattorias were slowly filling up as we looked around for a good place, nothing too extravagant.

The first place looked fine, yet despite trying to get the attention of the guy who was placing people (making eye contact, that sort of thing), apart from grabbing him by the arm, he wasn’t paying attention.

We moved on.

The next place was better, we got ourselves seated by a charmer of a guy who did grab us by the arm and we chose our lunch.

As the drinks arrived, we noticed that close by was a much better deal, pizza and a beer for 7 Euros - quite a bit less of a drain on our holiday spending money.

Slightly disappointed, we hung in there, had a nice lunch still with the lingering disappointment that we’d missed a trick.

The guy who had coaxed us in then made up for the price by bringing my wife a small ice-cream cone as an unexpected freebie, as I finished my coffee.

He was redeemed with his half an ice-cream.

Later that evening, I was aware that I’d not had my own ice-cream fix for the day, so after an unremarkable dinner, we made our way across the piazza to the brightest lit ice-cream shop in town.

As we were deciding what to have, the helpful assistant pointed out to me that my ‘medium’ cone, allowed me to have a second flavor on my cone.

Sometimes ordinary customer service is enough - then the unexpected , ‘extra mile’ service makes all the difference.

And even paying that little bit more becomes alright when you get more than you might have expected.

Positive - And Not The Way You Think

We’ve all heard about the ‘power of positive thinking’ as a technique that enables us to achieve more, just by the way we talk ourselves into it.

When you manage a team, you know that your people are your asset and how you are with them is vitally important.

In the way you speak; the way you behave in response to them and also - where you’re on the top of your game - the actions and activities you create to really make the difference.

They are the backbone of everything you are trying to achieve and depending on what they do, you will succeed or otherwise.

That said, it’s not a one way equation, because what you personally do makes a huge difference on the value you are able to draw from each and every one of your people, day-in, day-out.

Your behavior influences them in what they do; their commitment and motivation; and ultimately the value they bring to the team outputs.

To realize the potential that sits within your people, you will need to use all your significant skills to interact with them in ways that are both personally tailored, as well as focused on the business goals that drive you all.

In every day; in each project you are all involved in, there are many, many opportunities for what you do and the way you do it to make the difference between engagement and a full contribution and the run-of-the-mill performance that stifles so many teams.

And, at the bottom line, your attitude is a choice you make, each day you pull your socks on as you set out to be the manager and leader you want to be.

For some, it’s an easy step to make a positive decision on the way you see the world; for others, it’s more of a challenge - and one that can be learnt and practiced till it becomes just the way you are.

Prevarication Management Rarely Works

Jack was a new manager of a small team. It wasn’t his first management, but it was inside a larger corporate office, where this team sat.

They were a small intimate team and Jack felt it right that they should do the stuff that he need not do, so he left it to them to do the drudge work.

Not that he told them these were his expectations, he just left the work undone otherwise.

His new team struggled with this, as they had before been managed by a Sam, manager who consulted them well, who treated them fairly and, as far as possible within the organizational framework, had been democratic with them.

Everyone enjoyed working with Sam, so Jack had a big hill to climb already, before he started being all quiet and keeping himself to himself.

Indeed, he never even offered to make them a coffee when he was having one, though they did it for him.

Jack created an enemy out of his team. Although disliked because of the way he chose to do things, he was tolerated by most of them.

But Yvette really didn’t like him.

Yvette was, frankly, rude and awkward with Jack, so much so that everyone in the team noticed.

Jack sought sympathy from the others in the team. They really weren’t on his side, though they also felt Yvette was going too far.

This went on for 6 months. Jack become so frustrated that it depressed him. The rest of the team felt they were tippy-toeing round Jack and Yvette on eggshells.

Jack decided to leave.

Now, once he decided to leave, he also decided that he wasn’t going to take this nonsense from Yvette any more. In a one-off difficult conversation, he explained to Yvette that her behavior was unacceptable and that he wasn’t prepared to tolerate it any more.

Once Jack had this one-to-one to explain the facts of working life to Yvette, she understood. In fact this clearing of the air significantly improved their relationship, because Yvette now understood the relative positions they were in and the Jack had put his foot down.

For Jack, this action came too late. He had already resigned and decided to move on.

For an outside observer, it was patently clear that Jack needed to be firm with Yvette very early on and the issues would have been resolved easier.

But Jack didn’t like even the thought of confrontation. His choice was to absorb the dragging low-level stress that Yvette peddled for six long months.

It’s a tough call.

Grasping the nettle and having it out by firmly stating your position face-to-face early on, or suffering the frustrations and worry and ignominy of belittlement behind your back for six months.

Or is it.