The Good, the Bad, and the Not Yet

As you know, I’m a big fan of immediate, specific, positive feedback.  And I’m not alone.  There is plenty of research that toots the powerful impact these moments have on performance.

I’m also a fan of immediate, specific, feedback for improvement.

Except when:

• You are too upset to deliver the information constructively;     
• You don’t know the whole story;
• You can see that the other person is reacting emotionally to the situation;
• You don’t have time to make it a conversation which may result in you telling vs. talking;
  and perhaps the toughest,      
• You notice the little voice in your head is saying "I knew it” which means you are feeling judgmental, rather than curious.

Feedback is one of the best ways to motivate or de-motivate a team member.  For best results, choose your timing and your words carefully. 

Actions and Reactions

Visual of the week: You!

Your team is listening to what you say, but doing what you do.  Knowing that, effective Managers choose their actions and their reactions.

Action:  When the phones get busy, great Managers jump in and help.
Reaction: When there is a new email outlining some new information or procedural change, great Managers are mindful of their reaction.  They know that if they read that email and get visibly upset, the team will notice and will have a similar reaction.

This week, think about the power you have to influence others and use it for good.

Wait a minute...

You want to lead the team and you do THAT in the office?

What's your THAT?

1. Overreacting?
2. Interrupting?
3. Rambling?
4. Toe tapping or drumming your fingers?

Chances are, you have a thing that shows your impatience with people or processes and that thing erodes your credibility and employee engagement.   Your team may feel disrespected.

Here's how to stop:

1. Become aware of your THAT.  If you don't know what it is, then ask.  If no-one will tell you, it doesn't mean you don't have one, it means you need to ask someone who isn't intimidated enough to share what it is.
2. Reflect on the moments when you behave that way.  What's the trigger?
3. Avoid the trigger or come up with a new response to the trigger.
4. Ask a coach, a colleague or friend to catch you responding the wrong way and redirect you to the new response.

Be kind to yourself as you work on this.  You've likely had this habit for a while and it may take some time to change.  The outcome is a more engaged team, producing at higher levels - so it's worth it!

If you've identified your THAT but struggle with how to stop, email me.  I'm here to help.  

Checklists

In today's fast-paced work world, it's easy for tasks, steps, and ideas to slip through the cracks.

Idea of the month:  Checklists.

When you create a new process, aim to create a checklist to go with the process.  Having the visual aid will help you, and anyone else responsible for the task, complete it accurately every time.  Plus it feels really good to cross things off the list!

Sharing and then running through a checklist ensures mutual understanding, saves you both time, and reduces the chance of mistakes.

Checklists work well for:

• New greetings or closings
• New processes for up-solving 
• Transitioning tasks from one person to another
• Packing for a trip to Nicaragua!
• Items to be completed for Team Ward Certified prior to leaving for Nicaragua!

Baking a Team

I've been working with a lot of teams lately and one of the take-aways people like the most is having a set of guidelines that the team agrees to.   You might call it the recipe for success.

Step 1: Decide what you want to bake.  What's the goal, what are the deliverables and how will you measure success?  Will you trust the timer, intuition, or will you stick a knife in the loaf, and if it comes out dry, it's done? 

Step 2: Gather your ingredients.  Some people don't even know they are on a team.  So be clear about who's on the team and what their roles are.  Do you want someone to challenge your ideas during meetings and if so, will you support them or rebel against them when they do?

Step 3: Follow the instructions.  There is a science to baking which leads to great eats.  Not following these leads to disappointment and blame. 

Some team instructions include things like:
 

• Meetings:  If a meeting starts at 8am, when does it really start?  Seems obvious, but not having clear expectations can lead to individual interpretation and resentment.
• Meeting purpose and agenda:  What is the objective of the meeting?  How do we play?  Are we allowed / expected to speak up?
• Emails:  Should you write in bullet point or add some personalization and, if so, how much?
• Communication:  When do we pick up the phone vs email vs IM?  And if you want to talk by phone, do you IM first to ensure the timing works?

Step 4:  Enjoy your banana nut bread.  Take a moment to notice when things are working well and celebrate how you worked through the tough stuff like beating eggs, mashing bananas and mixing nuts to create something yummy.

What rules of engagement has your team set and how has it helped?

Marco - Polo - Marco....

If you manage employees remotely, you know it’s a game a trust. 

Does this sound familiar?

You are working diligently on an important task, you email your team member a simple question, they reply quickly and you keep on going.  They were at the right place at the right time. You think, awesome, rock star team member! 

But, now you’re on the next task.  You email a different team member a question and then you wait. 

No reply...

….

Still no reply...

What’s your impression of that team member?

Before you assume the worst, ask yourself if you or the team have clear rules of engagement.

Here are some examples:

• If you will be away from your email, text, office, etc. for more than X amount of time, you’ll IM before you head out and state when you’ll be available again.
• If I don’t get a response from you via IM within X amount of time, we will pick up the phone.
• If there are critical projects or timelines, you will notify the members impacted that morning and request they keep themselves available.

What rules of engagement have you created with your team?

Time to Manage your Time

What?  You say you take on too much every day?  It's common and often the reason for that is not wanting to say "no".

See if this helps.

1. If you find yourself blurting out "yes" under pressure, then practice not answering the question.  Give yourself the chance to make a decision with less pressure - give yourself some space.

Dwight asks you to sit in on a meeting next Monday. 
You reply: "Let me get back to you."

Use that time to think about it and check whether it fits your priorities, then get back to them.  Sometimes, taking a breath allows you the strength to defer or explain why your schedule doesn’t allow time to do that thing well.

2. If you feel you can make good choices on the spot but need a reply that doesn’t mess with your schedule, instead, focus on timing.

Micheal asks: "Can you prepare a … ?"
You reply: "When is the latest I can get this back to you?"

Now, you have room to schedule the request in a way that fits your plan.  Having control over when you do it may make the task more feasible.

3. If your schedule is packed, but the person asking signs your paycheck, use "if/then."

Jan asks you to work on a new task that is needed right away.
You reply:  "If I do this, I'm not going to be able to get to X, Y, and Z. Is that okay with you?"

This reminds them of the other projects you are working on and gets them involved in prioritizing.

You can't change how much time there is in a day, but you can change how you use it.