Coach Train Learn

Are You Ready?

In ‘The West Wing’ there’s a pivotal moment at the start of Season Two (just working my way through the box set!).

There has been a shooting attempt on the President’s team and through a series of flashbacks to when his presidential campaign began, Jed Bartlet is seen behaving like a bit of an arsehole with his key people.

His wife describes him as ‘not being ready’.

At the end of a hard fought battle on the campaign trail, the father of one of his team dies unexpectedly.

He finds out and spends some time with the young man, understanding him better as a person and with that appreciating that he has not been very good with the relationships with the team up to this point.

After this moment of being human at last, he turns to Leo McGarry, who is the force behind his candidature and tells him ‘I’m ready’.

The being readiness of us when we lead others is not a place that comes easily. It often requires a lot of self-awareness.

This needs to be sufficiently strong for us to acknowledge and then shift our behaviors such that we learn and grow for our people – just as much as ourselves.

Be clear – listening and really hearing what our people say is vital. Paying attention and developing ourselves is the action point we take from that.

Then, we really are ready too.

Ladder and Wall

In today’s modern world, business is all about working hard and maximizing outcomes. Making the results the focus – almost come what may.

When we work hard and the results come, it generally fills us with a sense of satisfaction and even pride as we climb the ladder towards success.

This gets even better when the results; the work; the actions you take are enjoyable, fun, challenging and fulfilling for you.

With these attributes, work isn’t ‘work’ at all. In fact, it’s a pleasure

Indeed, sometimes the tangible rewards we receive are almost secondary to the emotional satisfaction we achieve.

When the work we do really feels like work, then the strain can begin. The efforts you make might drag and the irritations about the workplace; the people and the tangible reward will start to replace that pleasure you seek.

To make the most of the time you have, it’s vital to ensure that the work you do meshes closely with the person you are.

Otherwise, with your ladder leaning up the wrong wall, any effort you put in will be misdirected and frustration will build.

The sooner you spot this and choose to realign yourself, the better it will be for you.

Tom Sawyer on Delegation

In ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, By Mark Twain, the hero uses his delegation skills to get his pals to paint the fence for him – a task assigned by his Aunt Polly for his misbehavior.

His friends are inquisitive enough about his activity, he smartly recognizes the opportunity to ‘sell’ the task as something special. And he is so good at it that they buy their way, through some small offerings, into experiencing the paining job for themselves.

He makes it attractive through it’s uniqueness as well as the clever marketers tactic of its scant availability.

They are happy that they have achieved something special to experience. Tom is happy, because he gains time off the onerous task (as wells as the gifts) and, of course, Aunt Polly gets her fence whitewashed.

Delegation is its most ideal form – where everyone is a winner.

As managers, we can often take most of the typical workplace activities on ourselves. Then, because we are doing all the doing, we know it will all get done perfectly (at least in our eyes).

Yet, if we want to step up to the plate and evolve into true managers, we start to appreciate that the role
we have is about managing others to deliver and not to have to do it all ourselves.

When we have work that others could do perfectly well (and usually less expensively) we have an obligation to ourselves to let it go.

When we have work that might appeal to others for their own benefit too, we indeed have the makings of that win-win.

Now, we cannot expect our people to give us small presents to do our work for us. That maybe is a stretch
too far. What we can do is to encourage them to take on the work that we wish to delegate, by ensuring that it enriches their job, through being the type of work that they love.

And, where possible, where it will enhance their capabilities such that they will be much more attractive as
employees in this employment – and for new career opportunities in their future too.

Though you might not receive the various apple cores, kites and even dead rats that Tom was able to cajole from his friends as they enjoyed whitewashing the fence, you might be surprised how many of your people thank you.

Sometimes they may even appreciate you to others, just because you recognized that win-win opportunity, as you actively delegated work to them where they – and you – will benefit.

(c) 2010 Martin Haworth is the author of Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level. You can get a sample lesson for free at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com.

Ready for Some Positive Feedback?

Two activities – one group and one personal.

1. Here’s a cool activity if you are in a meeting, or running a training session.

At the end of the meeting, give everyone a blank sheet of paper. Ask them to write their name at the top.

Ask them to pass the paper to the left and to write the answer to this at the very bottom of the blank sheet (above the fold):-

“In one line, what value does the person at the top of the sheet of paper bring to this gathering?”

When each person finishes, they fold their comment over.

They then pass the sheet along to the next person on their left, who cannot see the previous comments because they are folded over!

When the page reaches the owner, they have a wonderful gift to take home with them (I still have one given to me over 11 years ago!).

2. My coach got me to do this.

He asked me to find a number (I chose 10) colleagues/friends/family etc., and ask them the following question:-

“What value do you receive when you work/live/spend time with me (just one of these, depending on who they are).”

On both occasions, you will generate some positive and even unexpected responses that show you truly what others think of you – and it’s great, because it’s positive!

Change

“Pro-active change is more effective than reactive change”

How to Make a Difference Every Day

Every day, everyone can make the world a better place. It’s simple; it’s quick and it is free.

All it requires is a recipe containing you (yes, that’s YOU!), awareness and a natural disposition to be brave enough, to change the day of everyone you come into contact with in a positive way.

Appreciating what people do for you, whenever you come into contact with them is the first step.

It may not sound much, but saying a sincere ‘Thank You’ means much to many people – sadly, it is not what they experience normally.

This can be a ‘Thank You’ to someone who holds a door open for you, or maybe to the guy you buy your morning paper from.

It can be to an employee who you manage, for something, for goodness sakes, for anything they did well – in the moment, sincerely.

The next step, when it is comfortable for you, is to explain what it was they did that was great.

So, as an example, it could be to an employee who you manage,

‘Thank you for that piece of work, your effort has made such a difference to it’.

It could be a ‘Well done’ as you stand in front of a display of merchandise

‘What I especially like about it, is how you made such a great impact with the cornflakes’

Outside your place of work, you buy a sandwich,

‘Thank you – can I just say what a great job you did putting that together for me; I truly appreciate it’.

Sharing positive observations that people might not see in themselves, because there is not enough positive feedback in the world creates positivity.

You can make a difference to literally dozens of people every day and makes their lives brighter.

And how do you think they will respond to the next customer; and the next.

Research shows that they will be buzzing for the next 5 interactions with others.

Maybe they will ‘Pay it Forward’ as in the film. (Not seen it? Do!).

This is about small things that you can do every day.

And if you can’t do it consistently? Just do it sometimes – that is much, much better than never at all.

You may never know the positive difference you have made to someone you spend a little time, a little courtesy with – but you will have to live with that delicious ‘not knowing’!