It takes time to build a great team. Managers sweat on this a lot, recognizing that the qualities of the people who they work closely with, will dictate their success - or otherwise.
When we get great people, we need to put the effort in to keep hold of them. So often, the hard work we put in to develop someone; the time and energy (not to mention focused attention to detail) we expend whilst recruiting; can be reduced to rubble when we don’t look after them, once we have them.
So, sometimes they go.
When they go for the right reasons - like they find a new job that lifts their career path beyond what’s available with us - we can applaud their reasons and know, just know, that we could not have done anything to prevent the loss of this valuable asset.
It was time and that time was right for them to move on. It’s a sign that we did a great job and we were able to utilize their tremendous value for the time they were with us.
This is actually a time for positive celebration, as they move on to greater things.
There’s another side to this. They sometimes leave for other reasons - and this need never happen at all.
Where managers don’t keep a close eye (and ear) that their people are being served well by the organization and feel good about the place, the gap this leaves will precipitate losses of valuable employees for the wrong reasons.
The first one to depart - without that unique opportunity in front of them - is the clue. They will provide all the information necessary to learn fast when people leave, what it is that needs to be changed by you - the manager - so that this never need happen again.
The efforts that managers and HR make to get the right people in the team can fall apart, when these valued recruits feel unloved. This ‘unloved’ can come from the most basic issues that are not dealt with for them.
Any capable manager will make sure that these basics are always covered and, by forming a close relationship and asking, they will quickly get to know when their people are feeling unhappy.
It’s way too easy to blame the individual leaving for taking that step without provocation.
The best managers use this seemingly treacherous act to learn. They recognize that losing good people, apart from when they really cannot offer what the employee needs next as they evolve their career, is always attributable to them as the manager and make no excuses.
Losing your good people for negative reasons can always be avoided, as long as managers do enough. Too often the excuse will always be that it’s the employee; the organization; the clients.
And usually it’s manageable - by a capable manager.
Making Procrastination Positive
Excellent little video from Fast Company! Procrastination can be the most productive thing you do today!
When we slow down, we go faster - Japanese Saying
By trying to do so much and so quickly, we fail to take the care to think, to consider and to plan carefully, the very best outcomes that will come, when we give ourselves a bit of space.
Designing Team Working Standards - Who Is Best Involved?
Agreeing the standards by which your team will work is an invaluable piece of work to do. Your people need to know what’s in and what’s not, so clarifying this early is remarkably important.
But who decides these important standards best?
Many managers fail to recognize the opportunity to agree a set way of working with their people. individuals coming together in teams often have different ways of working and some sort of understanding needs to be in place for everyone to get on.
The challenge is to appreciate just who will add best value when the decisions are being made.
The thing is, decisions about who to include when designing team standards can be quite simple. Usually, the more members of the team who are involved the better, here’s why…
• Involving a wide range of individuals will bring synergy to the decision making processes. Creating a safe place for team members to contribute is a role that any manager needs to focus on if they want to ensure that the most valuable ideas are shared and then developed.
• You may well have people on your team who are more reluctant to get involved in group discussions and if you facilitate any such meeting appropriately, you will both benefit from their input, as well as encouraging them to be more prepared to get involved in the future.
• By using a good number of your people, it will be possible to build credibility in this democratic process that you have decided upon, to create team ownership and harmony. This will mean that your management style becomes much more appreciated by those who might otherwise have been critical.
• The more employees that get involved, will mean that you will have perspectives not only of individuals, but also of levels. Sometimes it’s useful to have experienced individuals help you out and create solutions.
Where you can, by using all levels of experience, you will get questions that are much more varied and naive even. This is more likely to give you a rounded solution, which will be much more valuable.
Depending perhaps on the size of your team, amongst other things, you may not be able to include everybody.
It’s valuable to encourage a cross-section to be involved and then to ensure where you have repeat activities that involve team contributions, others get their chance later on.
When you work remotely, you have the opportunity to capture input by e-mail or conference call. Distance and remoteness need not be a reason for lack of inclusiveness.
It will just be different and yet a positive approach to an issue that cannot be easily resolved in the usual way.
(c) 2010 Martin Haworth. This is a short excerpt from one of 52 lessons in management development at Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level. Find out more at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com.
Sharing Responsibilities in Building Workplace Relationships
Over time, relationships between managers and employees have not always been at their best.
The way forward for both sides to be satisfied in their work experience and results, is to park this history and move on.
It’s all about shared responsibility.
To get the best from employees, managers need to make sure that they create an environment where their people can be of their best at all times (OK, maybe with the occasional hiccup!). This involves both sides in trusting each other to look out for each other, where they can.
Building successful workplace relationships in of value to everyone in any of the regular interactions they have together. ‘Not getting on’ is simply ‘Not good enough’ any more.
To have an effective relationship, there has to be value created for both sides, so they have a return on the time and effort they invest together.
Managers (supervisors; team leaders; CEOs; whatever) of this world want results that will improve their standing and support the development of the organization - however small or large it is. Then they are safer in their role and even have the opportunity to progress.
Employees, who up to now have been sitting firmly on the other side of the desk, want survival for their job in this uncertain world in which we live and also want fulfilment, development, excitement, challenge and success (and more!) themselves too!
Both sides need each other to understand how they can help each other achieve their goals, so the shared responsibility to get on with each other well is part of the deal.
Of course, where existing ‘rivalries’ are currently in place, bringing together extreme positions is always going to be the most challenging, of course - and it can be done. There is no magic formula here and only by gently building trust through good communication skills together, will relationships start to get better.
Of course employees might expect the driver of better relationships to be their line manager. After all, they probably feel most ‘done to’ by the organization, the most accessible lead of which is their immediate boss. Of course any capable manager would already understand their obligations in this area and be taking action themselves.
There’s more to it than that.
Employees who are prepared to hold out that flag of truce are themselves taking up the responsibility, which ultimately (and hopefully) will lead to better work experiences for themselves and their colleagues as well.
Managers, who are worth their salt here, will do well to observe the significant effort being made by one or more of their team, reflect upon it and acknowledge their ‘head above the parapet’ attitude, by meeting them at least half way in their own response to the initiative.
It’s unacceptable these days, to cast blame for poor relationships on ‘the other side’. What can, and must happen, for the benefit of all, is that everyone who wants the best environment to work in, makes the effort and shares responsibility for the relationships they have with each other, whatever past experiences might imply.
All parties must share the responsibility for creating worthwhile workplace relationships and once this opportunity is recognized, there is the potential for rapidly accessing benefits for everyone, in the goals and experiences they each seek.
Management Development Secrets - Ideas From Outside The Box
As most managers will tell you, learning our trade is a life-long experience that never stops.
The learning will come from many different sources, when you care to look.
From the first day we take on the responsibility of management, to the day we finally step back, there are always improvements we can add in.
We will develop our skills in the workplace through the experiences we will have.
We will enjoy learning through training programs we are fortunate enough to undertake - where we take the learnings back to implement in our own way, back in the workplace.
Yet there are many opportunities that can be very creative indeed, often outside the workplace, which are all around us, if only we look.
Here are three examples, which might sound a little wacky, yet are stimulating and intriguing possibilities that can excite a manager’s development, when prepared to take a risk or two in thinking outside that box.
Time to give it a go!
Nature
Sometimes just a walk in the park is enough to trigger some thinking that will develop the way you manage.
Have you seen the flight path of a green woodpecker? It’s flap-flap-flap/rest. Effort made till the right speed is achieved and then take a break. Efficient management is more effective with breaks in the energy devoted.
Why do some tree shoots make it when others don’t? What’s the link to your management?
Metaphors
Metaphors from nature, are perfect for giving a totally different perspective to issues that you face and as such are huge assets for the future.
Metaphors are where a descriptor can be applied in a number of situations where they find some sort of relevance.
If you look for them, they are around.
How can the release of 1,000 white balloons be related to what you do? What is the relevance of traffic light sequencing? Why are snowflakes so symmetrical?
Sound weird? Maybe. But then again, if you create one more tool in the box from watching hang-gliders on a thermal-rich afternoon on the scarp side of a hill or how dolphins school together their prey on National Geographic, it’s worth it.
What stories can you apply to the management you offer?
Off The Wall
Whilst there are ideas that are a bit whacky like those mentioned about, there can be much to gain from speculating yourself as you go.
In these cases, it would be easy to deny relevance and move on past. Slow down though - wait. The inkling you felt came for a reason. Where you feel there is a draw for you to linger and be curious, try going with your flow for a while and see just where you are led.
Developing your skills as you progress as a manager is valuable for you. How you go about it will be different for everyone.
We all learn differently, so it’s often good to see things in as many different ways as you can and be brave; take risks, see from the world around you what might work in the team you lead.
Big - and small - ideas may come from well, anything really!
(c) 2010 Martin Haworth. This is a short excerpt from one of 52 lessons in management development at Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level. Find out more at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com.
