Posts Tagged ‘prioritize’

Expectation or suggestion? Clear communication with direct reports

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Arnold is meeting with Bev, one of his direct reports. She is going over her current projects. Arnold comments that she appears to be overloaded with work that isn’t a top priority. Bev is astounded. But this is what you told me to do, she explains.

I did want you to work on projects A and D, says Arnold, but the other things on this list were just ideas I was tossing around at the staff meeting. I didn’t mean for you to act on those.

How could Arnold, as the supervisor, have aligned more effectively with Bev on what was truly important?

Define strategic priorities. You may be giving unclear direction to your direct reports because you aren’t certain about the most critical priorities. Gain clarity by discussing desired results and impact with your boss and others. Then align your direct reports’ actions with those urgent priorities.

Remember that when the boss speaks, people listen. This may seem obvious, but it’s something that is often forgotten in the excitement of the moment. The boss thinks she’s just generating some potential new ideas. Direct reports can assume that if an idea comes from her, they must make it happen.

Use clear language. Make it plain that if you are brainstorming or giving direction. You may need to say this more than once – at the beginning of the conversation and at the end – to make sure that people get the message.

Gauge people’s understanding by closing the loop. Ask people to re-state what you’ve said in their own words. If you’re not on the same page, try communicating again and have them restate their understanding once more.

Encourage people to ask questions. Some bosses are like seagulls; they “swoop and poop,”  blurting out directions and moving on to the next activity. Make time to answer any questions that your direct reports may have. Don’t just assume they’ll ask for clarification if they need it. Some people hesitate to pose questions, thinking that making an inquiry may appear less self-reliant. Set the expectation that questions are not just acceptable, but an expected part of getting on the same page.

Hold regular check-ins. Schedule time for your direct reports to meet with you to discuss progress, roadblocks or any pressing issue that impacts results. Talk with your direct reports to figure out if weekly, monthly or quarterly check-ins would be best to keep projects moving.

Clear communication is required to define the results that are to be achieved and make performance expectations clear. Achieve mutual understanding with your direct reports by regular, concise and two-way communication that keeps them focused on the right stuff and growing as individuals. Don’t assume that people interpret your communication the way you intended. Remember the wisdom of George Bernard Shaw, The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

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Posted in Communication, Mutual Understanding, Supervision | No Comments »

More, better, faster: Over-accelerating the pace of work

Monday, May 17th, 2010

The Harvard Business Review recently produced two articles related to the frantic pace of work that appears to be the “new normal.” The Acceleration Trap by Heike Bruch and Jochen I. Menges and The Productivity Myth by Tony Schwartz illustrate a growing problem. The ever-accelerating push for higher productivity, 24-hour accessibility, rapid-fire systems change and increasing complexity combine to produce employees who may appear to be unmotivated and listless. In reality, they’re sleep-deprived, strangers at home and less productive with every passing hour.

What can leaders do if they suspect their organization is over-accelerated? Break the cycle by facing these realities:

Acceleration is a problem with dire consequences. Over-taxed employees can’t maintain quality and safety indefinitely. A constantly frantic pace means that employees are continually shifting from one urgent priority to another, so they lack time to recharge. It may seem like your people are getting more done, when in reality they’re just putting in more hours.

You can break free. The Acceleration Trap gives many examples of companies that stopped the madness. Tough decisions and vigilance are required. It can be easy to fall back into old habits of saying yes when you should be saying no, so put measures in place to monitor decision-making, priorities and work load.

It’s not just about making your people happy. It’s about their brains operating properly. Tony Schwarz talks about how working at full throttle all the time your “prefrontal cortex shuts down in fight or flight, your perspective narrows, and your primitive instincts take over.” Think about the quality of decision-making that happens on an adrenalin high!

Your organization can still thrive. You might feel that you’re sacrificing productivity if you slow things down. Wrong. More work isn’t better. The right work is better, and everything else is just a distraction.

Working insane hours seems to be equated with commitment and drive – and the more crazy the hours, the more motivated (and promotable) you think you are. As The Productivity Myth blog post points out, it’s time for people to be measured not by how many hours they work, but by the results they deliver.

In the immortal words of Dilbert, “In Japan, employees occasionally work themselves to death. It’s called Karoshi. I don’t want that to happen to anybody in my department. The trick is to take a break as soon as you see a bright light or hear dead relatives beckon.”

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Posted in Supervision, Work/Life Balance, performance | 2 Comments »

Performance is improving, but not fast enough

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

You’re piloting an airplane. You take off from the airport and head west towards the mountains. Your altitude is gradually increasing, but not at a fast enough rate. Without the right maneuvers now, the plane will crash into the side of the mountain.

A nightmare, right? Yes, but it’s also a great analogy for a problem we’re seeing in many organizations. Teams and individuals are working hard and seeing improvements in their performance. However, the business realities require them to get better at their jobs faster. Without a steeper trajectory, individuals and the organization will crash.

As an individual performer, how can you maneuver quickly to amp up the rate of your performance improvement?

Prioritize. What are the highest value things you can  do to improve results and make a big impact? Not the good uses of your time – only the critical few. Make those your priorities. Keep them uppermost in your mind, on your calendar and in your daily activity. When you know where you’re going and what it will take to get there, communicate this widely so that others in the organization also redirect their efforts.

Focus. This can be hard, but something’s got to go. It takes courage to dump projects and readjust activity to align with just a few priorities. The key is to focus relentlessly on the drivers of success. Don’t do the other stuff.  If there is not a direct relationship between the project or initiative and your highest value priorities, stop!

Be consistent. One of the most maddening dynamics in organizations is when the boss says A, B and C are our only priorities. Then something cool – unrelated to A, B and C – comes along. When opportunity knocks, don’t waffle; figure out if it aligns with your top 1, 2 or 3. If not, just say no. A compelling distraction is still a distraction.

Many of the strategies above work for teams too. Also consider the following:

Assign sufficient resources. As James W. Frick said, “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you  spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” Clearly articulate a business case for what you’re doing. Then negotiate with your superiors to assign more time or employ new technologies to get the job done.

Feed your people. You’re leading a team that’s failing. Your first impulse might be to point out all the things that are going wrong. Instead, identify what’s working (Feed) and reinforce those behaviors. Then decide what you must achieve (Need) and fill in the gaps with new actions (SEED) that need to happen. Only after Feed, Need and Seed do you eliminate practices that aren’t working (Weed).

Quit bickering. When the going gets rough, back-biting and blame find fertile ground. Model and enforce a climate of open communication and respect. Help people to say what they need to say in a factual manner. After the crisis has passed, there will be plenty of time to dissect what happened and how it might be prevented in the future.

A Chinese proverb states, “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” Face the reality of your impending collision, so that you can maneuver to make the most of the opportunity.

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Posted in Change, Courage, Customers, Judgment, Leadership, Strategic, crisis | 1 Comment »

Leadership lessons from Mom

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

That MBA degree is dandy, but the lessons learned can’t hold a candle to Mom’s (or Dad’s or Gram’s) wisdom. A recent poll of Humanergists resulted in these leadership lessons from our very first role models.

I don’t care if “everyone” is doing it. Mom taught us to have courage and make decisions for ourselves. Don’t get caught up in passing trends or we’ve-always-done-that thinking.

If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything. Sometimes harsh truths must be spoken, but keep balance by sharing positives as well. Don’t speak in anger, when it may be harder for you to communicate the good along with the bad.

Accept a compliment graciously. Maybe it’s embarrassment or false humility, but we often stumble or say, “oh, it wasn’t that great,” when a simple “thank you” is all that is needed.

Get outside. While this phrase was most often used when Mom was sick of us underfoot, we recognize now the power of nature to boost our mood and change our perspective. Get up, walk around, go outside or do whatever it takes to change your environment. You’ll find inspiration -  or at least some respite from the usual routine.

What am I, chopped liver? Especially in adolescence, we kids acted as if our parent were alien life forms and unworthy of kindness or consideration. Remember that even the most quirky of our fellow humans deserves respect and compassion.

Do you want your face to freeze like that? Nonverbals not only matter, they communicate volumes, even when we’re not aware of them. Get some feedback about how your posture, facial expressions and mannerisms help or hurt your leadership.

Every cloud has a silver lining. No matter how distressing, every situation has potential advantages and disadvantages. Don’t ignore the cloud, but do recognize and capitalize upon the silver lining.

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. Dream big, but don’t just passively yearn for things to be different. If you want something, take a step today to make it a reality. Action is necessary to achieve.

Be home in time for dinner. There’s nothing like unstructured time with loved ones to recharge your batteries. Share a story, a joke or something that happened in your day. Listen as others to do the same. Even if it’s just take-out pizza, it will be a feast.

Mom’s most enduring lessons were not the ones she talked about.  They came by the way she lived her life – with grace in spite of our many imperfections and bravery in the face of life’s challenges. The least we can do is try to do the same. Thanks, Mom.

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Are you a consistent leader?

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Is your leadership consistent, regardless of the setting you are in, the people you’re with or the circumstances you’re facing? Consistency in leadership may sound like a recipe for boring sameness or rigid thinking. On the contrary, being a consistent leader means:

  • What is important today is also important tomorrow
  • You don’t chase the latest fad, project or trend
  • Your bad mood doesn’t cause you to act radically different
  • People know what to expect from you

Being consistent in your leadership means that even under duress, you make the right choices. You steer the ship, make mid-course corrections and align your “crew” around important best practices that will help you reach your destination.

Even the most reliable and unswerving of leaders must be able to adjust to change. Yet, the consistent leader will be grounded, so that unfamiliar and challenging conditions won’t change the quality of interactions, thinking and decision-making.

How do you stay on course and make consistently positive leadership choices? Start by answering these four questions.

1. What is success? Success is defined first by the impact you want to make – and secondarily by the results you need to achieve to have that impact. Think about who and what will be changed by your efforts. That’s your impact.

2. What is sacred? What are your non-negotiables? Make a list of the things you will not compromise, no matter what. For example, you might list ethical standards that are vital and unchanging.

3. What is important? List a few guiding principles for your life and your leadership. Examples might include:

  • Act with integrity
  • Be a good steward of resources
  • Be humble
  • Have fun

4. What works? Know – and grow – best practices that lead to success, help you hold fast to what is sacred and allow you to focus on what is important. Identify the thinking and actions that are requirements for questions 1, 2 and 3.

Consistent, dependable leadership choices provide a solid foundation for your people – enabling them to weather storms and operate at their peak. You shouldn’t be completely predictable. You don’t have to be perfect, and you’re allowed to have bad days. What you cannot do is permit outside conditions to change you fundamentally – causing you to shift whichever way the wind blows. Be the anchor that your organizational ship requires.

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Posted in Decision-making, Judgment, Leadership, Strategic | 1 Comment »

Think achieve, then do

Monday, April 5th, 2010

If you don’t know where you’re going, you can never get lost. Herb Cohen

When vacationing, the lack of a defined destination can set the stage for a grand adventure. In our work lives, however, not knowing where you’re going usually spells disaster. How can you best meet your goals and avoid the aimless wandering that wastes everyone’s time and money?

Think achieve, then do. Before you get down to action, focus on what it is you want to achieve. Don’t think about what you want to do, define what you want to accomplish. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Why are we doing this? What is our purpose for doing this work?
  • What result are we trying to achieve? What will change, and how? What will be created or eliminated?
  • When this is done, what will success look like? What impact will it have? On whom and on what?

Think achieve, then do may not come naturally. There are some common barriers to focusing first on what we want to accomplish, including:

Task orientation. You arrive at work and immediately get busy. You check things off your to-do list. It is all too easy to get through an entire work day without thinking about what you are trying to achieve. Don’t take for granted that you know what results and impact you’re striving for. Take some time each day, preferably first thing, to zero in on “think achieve.”

Fuzzy goals. You may think you know what you’re trying to accomplish and why. But do others share the same picture? Talk about it to ensure that you and your teammates have a common vision around what will be achieved -  a shared definition of success. Pretend you’re traveling to the future and that you’ve accomplished your mission. What does the world look like? Who or what has changed? What spin-off effects can you imagine?

I “should.” Think achieve, then do requires focus and a direct connection between what you want to accomplish and what you think and do each day. When you say, “I really should…(exercise daily, call my customers more frequently, take my son to dinner…), do you really have any intention of doing it? If so, do it. If not, “I should” is a distraction from a laser-like focus on what you really want to get done.

Lack of realism. If your picture of success is complex, break it into discrete, manageable chunks that you can accomplish over time.

Lost focus. Use reminders that help you keep your eye on the ball.  Post a list of what you want to achieve in a spot where you’ll see it regularly. Find a meaningful picture that represents what you want to accomplish. Create a theme song. Set up automated reminders on your phone or computer. The key is to put your desired results front and center to keep you on track.

Not doing. It’s one thing to get pumped up about what you want to achieve. It’s another to hunker down and get it done. Resist the urge to do it all yourself. Assemble others with a vested interest and divide duties. Decide how you’ll move forward, monitor progress and hold one another accountable.

Charting a course to a future reality can be exhilarating. It also requires a tolerance for risk, since the journey to your ultimate destination will include some surprises. Mark Twain said to succeed in life you need two things – ignorance and confidence. You may not know exactly what lies ahead, but start your trip today by figuring out what is you really want to achieve. Then get packing and enjoy the ride.

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Flour power: Capacity is capacity

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

flourIt seemed simple. Get all the things done on my to-do list. No problem.

My list seemed doable, because I was only saying “yes” to doable things. Meet with a co-worker to put together a report. Take dinner to a sick friend. Create a ten-slide presentation. Pick up my mother-in-law’s mail. Write a blog post. Do laundry (or at least the underwear).

There was one problem. On Sunday night it seemed so easy, but by Tuesday night I was stressed. Every single Tuesday night I wondered how I could get everything done. It seemed impossible.

Then came my “ah-ha” moment. A colleague said, “Capacity is capacity. We’ve got a finite amount of time and energy to get work done each day, week or month.” What I realized is that every task I do fills my capacity cup – whether it seems easy (laundry) or requires me to think on multiple levels (slide presentation).

Thinking about capacity took me back to Food Science 101. Our assignment: Fill a one-cup measuring cup with all-purpose flour.

  • Sift flour directly into cup = 90 grams.
  • Sift flour and spoon into cup= 114 grams.
  • Pour unsifted flour into cup = 132 grams.
  • Sift flour and tap cup while filling = 146 grams.
  • Sift flour and pack with a spoon = 150 grams.

Even if you are not a food scientist or even a cook, you probably know that most cooking (and definitely baking) requires some level of precision to get the right result. Too little flour results in a sunken, soggy cake. Too much flour makes for a tough cake.

There is a “sweet spot” of measurement that will yield the right result – a cake with great texture, flavor and appearance. (As it turns out, it’s 114 grams of flour per cup, in case you are dying to know.)

So what does this have to do with my over-stocked to-do list? When I try to cram 150 grams of flour (tasks) into my cup (life), I’m stressed and cranky and things don’t turn out right.

It doesn’t matter if I’m cramming in low-capacity, easy stuff or high-capacity, challenging stuff. Capacity is capacity, and too much is too much.

Take a look at your to-do list. Are you wasting capacity trying to knock out lots of mundane tasks, and finding that you don’t have energy left for the truly vital stuff? What’s your sweet spot of capacity, and how can you plan so that you bring energy, productivity, creativity and satisfaction to all aspects of your life?

I’m happy to report that Tuesday nights are much more fun now. My family says that with a cup that’s optimally full, I’m no longer (so) grouchy. Plus, they have clean underwear. And I might even have some excess capacity this week and put that flour to use in a cake!

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Act strategically. Eat the frog first.

Monday, May 4th, 2009

frogMac Anderson’s book, You Can’t Send a Duck to Eagle School, quotes Brian Tracy’s book, Eat the Frog. They restate an old saying, If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!

They say that your “frog” is the most difficult thing on your to-do list, and you should “eat” that first. Many leaders find it difficult to look beyond their massive to-do lists to act strategically. So for them, strategic action is their “frog” that they should eat first.

The notion of first munching our long-term, strategic frogs flies in the face of common advice that says it’s a good idea to warm up with some easy-to-do stuff. That way you experience some quick success. Is jump-starting with quick results a good idea? Perhaps, with these cautions:

We can sap our energy. While plucking some of the “low-hanging fruit” is easier than tackling a more complicated task, it does take energy that may be better invested elsewhere.

We can become satisfied. It’s just too easy to feel like we’ve accomplished a couple of things and made progress,  and then just kick back.

We still have the frog. Vital strategic tasks don’t go away. All we have done is delay the pain, and possibly even increased the amount and duration of the pain as well.

Watch the balance between momentum and drain. Some activities build toward strategic action and provide momentum. Others just take time and drain energy. Make conscious decisions about how you spend your time.

Strategic action takes deliberate, intentional discipline. Figure out the next step needed to make progress on your strategic “frog” and schedule it on your calendar. Strategic action will make a major impact on your ability to achieve your long-term goals and fulfill your mission.

So eat your frog now, before it hops away.

Note: No frogs were harmed in the writing of this blog post.

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Think and act strategically

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

focusAre you finding it hard to get out of the details of your to-do list to focus on thinking and acting strategically? If you spend your time just trying to fight fires, you’re not spending time on what matters most, the stuff that will really drive success.

What does it look like when you’re strategically focused?

You align your work with the organization’s identity and goals. Is your organization a leading edge innovator, a quick adaptor or one that excels at solid, time-tested best practices? If you are thinking and acting strategically, you know the answer and coordinate your actions accordingly.

You are nimble. Although your organization’s identity doesn’t vary, specific goals and/or strategies may need to change quickly and often. You constantly reassess threats and opportunities to achieve success.

You learn continuously. You look inside and outside your industry, listen to customers and pay attention to your competitors to keep abreast of change.

You refuse to do things that don’t drive success. There are lots of activities that eat time but don’t translate into achieving the organization’s goals. You just say NO!

You involve others. Strategic thinking and action isn’t just for top leadership. You communicate regularly about strategic issues to peers, direct reports and your boss to ensure that everyone knows the direction and how they can support it.

Now is the time to lift yourself out of the minutia of the day and focus clearly on the ever-changing, dynamic future. Scary? Maybe. Exciting? Definitely!

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Never waste a good crisis

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

crisis“Never waste a good crisis” is one of the tips given by Bill George in a recent article titled, Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis.*

This thoughtful piece stimulated thinking about some of the potential benefits (that’s right, there can be payoffs) of a crisis for organizations and their leaders.

Refocus on what’s important. Crisis spurs organizations to concentrate on what gets the biggest return on investment. Some of this laser-like focus needs to carry over to “normal” times.

Really get to know your people. Hard times bring out the best (and worst) in your team members. You’ll figure out who is resilient, courageous and innovative. And who isn’t.

Build a habit of open communication. During perilous times, leaders put a premium on communication throughout the organization. They help people “frame” what’s going on appropriately. Sharing information widely keeps employees on the same page during good times as well.

Be prepared. While you’re feeling all warm and fuzzy about crisis, don’t forget the ultimate benefit. You’ll be more prepared for the next calamity that comes your way.

*You can find Bill George’s article at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123551729786163925.html

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