Category: People Management

Managing your people (your team and yourself!)

  • The Cost of Not Being Nice

    Twice this month I observed small business owners chewing out their staff inappropriately. One wrote a rude note to an employee and the other basically belittled a staff member in front of me. The owners felt justified because of their load running the business. They were frustrated that no one could get it like they could. What they didn’t get was the damage they had caused.

    Assistant professor Christine Porath at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business has researched the subject of incivility in the workplace for nearly a decade.

    Her findings include: one in eight workers who feel disrespected will ultimately leave an unpleasant workplace. Half of the employees who experience incivility will lose time fretting about future interactions, and one-fourth will deliberately reduce their work efforts. A few will retaliate by stealing or sabotaging equipment. (USC Marshall Magazine, Fall 2005) I would say this is an impact on productivity!

    Finding and keeping good staff is one of the biggest issues faced by every small business. Porath and Pearson (a co-researcher) make these suggestions:

    • Set zero-tolerance expectations.
    • Take an honest look in the mirror.
    • Weed out trouble before it enters your organization.
    • When incivility occurs, hammer it.
    • Don’t make excuses for powerful instigators.
    • Invest in post-departure interviews.

    Think about your own behavior at times. How do you treat your staff? I know I can easily get frustrated and have to be careful about the tone I use. The cost of not being nice (or at least professional) could be costing your company more than you think.

    (This was originally posted in 2007.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Lara604
  • Lessons for Bosses from The Devil Wears Prada

    Watch the movie or read the book The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger and you’ll get a good laugh. At first, the hard driving boss, Miranda Priestly, seems like a joke. How could anyone be so mean to their staff? (She’s even worse in the book!) Then you will inevitably begin to muse if your management style resembles Miranda’s. (I know I did.)

    There’s got to be a little part in all of us that would love to bark out orders without having to think about our tone or proper word choice so as not to offend or to effectively motivate our staff. I know I would! It is especially prevalent in a small business where the owner/manager hasn’t had a lot of training in staff development or who may have relatives as staff. In addition, we always seem to be juggling a million balls and the effort to communicate starts feeling like a “game”. Why can’t our people just do what we say with a smile on their face and do it right the first time? Why can’t our assistant think ahead and take care of routine things without us having to remind her?

    Well – even though Miranda’s ways may make you laugh, here are some lessons I think we can all take away.

    Some of the techniques that didn’t work:

    • Face it – she was down right abusive to her staff. No one should be this bad.
    • She wasted staff time by not being clear and providing as many details as she could. Emily, Miranda’s assistant, was always off on goose chases trying to fill in the missing information. Wasted time equals wasted money, so the business could have been more profitable.
    • Fear only works for a short time in most people. Eventually your smart staff will decide to move onto another job because it isn’t worth working for you.

    Some of the techniques that did work (you don’t have to like them, but things got done):

    • Miranda had consistent habits and ways of wanting things done. She didn’t waver much from these. Since assistants never lasted very long, it was relatively easy to train the new person to meet her needs (at least the habitual ones).
    • Use of a daily shared file between all her assistants that they called The Bulletin was an excellent tool. This file was used to log all Miranda’s messages and requests. You only had to go to one place to look for the information, plus a nice history was saved.
    • When Miranda traveled, a detailed itinerary was created. Everyone knew, including Miranda, what was going on. All the necessary phone numbers and such were noted in one place.
    • The staff used tools to get their jobs done, especially new computers and phones with up-to-date address books.
    • Miranda did not try to do it all herself, she delegated to her staff. She made many of the final decisions, but they did much of the initial analysis and production work. Heck, she even had someone take in her dry cleaning while she focused on larger picture tasks. (I see nothing wrong with that!)
    • Employees had to dress in high fashion. This policy upheld the image of the firm.
      She was honest and upfront to applicants about what the job entailed. They may not have known everything, but they were warned about what to expect.
    • Working for a prestigious company with a perceived opportunity for growth, is enough to keep some employees. Even though staff complained, they stayed on.

    You may not like, or even agree with Miranda’s style. But, things did get done. Yes, some of her approaches (ok – lots) were clearly unproductive and no one really wants to be thought of as an ogre. Yet…there is some satisfaction in things “just getting done”.

    (This was orginally posted in 2006.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: THOR
  • How to Work & Live Simply

    Achieving balance can seem as elusive as finding the Holy Grail. We work at it and work at it but the scale of balance keeps tipping. I have a suggestion for a first step. Make things simpler. But what does it mean?

    I’m a firm believer that we make things hard for ourselves. We complicate our own lives by taking on too much, not honoring our boundaries, allowing too much clutter to be around us – both visual and non-visual — and not utilizing tools effectively.

    The American Heritage dictionary defines simply as “clear, absolute, altogether and frank”. But it also is defined as “not wise and foolish”. The last definition is what most people think of when they hear “simply”. We think that means we will become a simpleton, a person without judgment or intelligence.

    In this day and age, I totally disagree. I think we have a tendency to over-complicate our processes and procedures. Many times it is because we don’t even know what they are. We move along in our work and life doing things the “same old way” without assessing if they can be done more easily. Easier does not mean less effective; it’s exactly the opposite. It means doing something for the right reason. Sometimes that means not doing something at all or accepting an alternative approach. For “Type A” people who have a perfectionism streak, this is really hard. Trust me, I speak from experience.

    I define “simply” as an end state. It is a state of being that you reach. When I hear the word “simple”, it is usually followed by a sigh of peace. “Simply” is relaxed, with minimal stress, where things just flow – they just work or click. This is much easier said than done. You get there by minimizing complexity, by reducing the constraints in your life and by eliminating the clutter around you. This only happens when you make decisions and choose to let go.

    The life of a working professional is especially complicated. We wear many hats so it is assumed that we have many skills by which to wear those hats. (Wrong!) We also have two families; one at the office and one at home. We are passionate about making a difference for both and juggling their different demands. Our schedule must encompass both families’ needs or we don’t move forward in life.

    Here are some real-life conversations with my clients who want to live a simple life:

    • “I volunteer in many areas. I find it difficult to say “no” because I’m passionate about those areas I help out in. I know I make a difference. I also know deep down there is a cost when I’m spread too thin. I’m not happy or as fulfilled as I want to be. My family doesn’t get the guidance or oversight they need. Key projects get delayed at work due to a lack of time. I work way too many hours.”
    • “My weight is higher than it should be. I have the best intentions to go to the gym and exercise but project deadlines become the priority. Lots of time I get working at my desk and completely forget to eat.”
    • “It takes forever to make a decision. People are not empowered, trusted, trained or held accountable for making decisions. They wait for the “team” or me as the manager to decide. We have yet another meeting or wait until the analysis is perfected (which it never will be). Many decisions are hastily made at the last minute causing extra hours and stress to get the task done behind the scenes.”
    • “We know our existing technology tools can shorten the steps but we don’t have the time or inclination to learn how. We don’t want to spend the money to get help or even admit we don’t know something. So, we keep doing things the same old way, knowing it is inefficient.”
    • “I don’t feel financially secure. I really don’t have a solid financial plan or budget. We have a plan but we don’t live within it. We are so busy working and making good money, yet we aren’t putting our money to work for us. We’re losing opportunities to make even more money or contribute to others.”
    • “Some of the people in my life cause me stress. Our sense of “team” at work is being compromised by some poor attitudes, control issues or lack of responsibility. My children are going through a phase that I know needs more of my parental guidance. I feel distant from my spouse.”
    • “I’m just plain tired and have lost some of the joy in life. It’s easier to just keep plodding along than to stop and fix it. I don’t ask for help for anything. Either I don’t know how or I just won’t do it.”

    So how can you stop the cycle and start down the path to simplicity?

    It starts by knowing what you want. What are your goals or intentions? What is most important to you? Just because you make good money doesn’t mean you are satisfied. Create a list and prioritize the items. If this is hard for you, answer these questions: I want to be…, I want to do…, I want to have…

    Then plan what you need to change. Look at your daily schedule and decide how you need to operate differently so you can be working on your intentions. Establish a few routines. Let go of some responsibilities or groups you belong to. Use your resources. Look around, who can you delegate or outsource to? Can some training get you going faster? Establish some milestones or tasks with intentional dates.

    Assess your progress. Document your status and revise the plan as needed. Now is also the time to seek counsel. We all need accountability. This can be a spouse, good friend, colleague at work, trusted advisor, coach, mastermind group or even your small group at church. If you must do it alone, try journaling in a dialogue format. I use a planning calendar with my staff at work, use a form to measure my personal goals each week, occasionally journal, and have a monthly mastermind group. These all fit different needs and helps to keep me on track. It’s a risk to admit I’m not on track but it feels so good when I can share with someone that I am.

    The office supply store, Staples, has it all figured out. All you have to do is push a red button that says “easy.” The button is clearly marked, visible and accessible. You have confidence that when you use it, something good will happen for you. It’s simple. Find your button. The hard part is pushing it. Have confidence in yourself to make some changes that will move you forward. Heck, add some funny noise to your button. Change is more likely to happen when you’re smiling!

    (This was originally posted in 2005.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Frédéric DUPONT
  • How to Move Forward with Intention

    Do you find it hard to reach your goals? You’re not alone. According to the American Society of Training and Development, the probability of completing a goal is tied to these activities:

    10% = If you hear an idea

    25% = If you consciously decide to adopt it

    40% = If you decide when you will do it

    50% = If you plan how you will do it

    65% = If you commit to someone else you will do it

    95% = If you have a specific accountability appointment with the person committed to

    As a productivity expert, I know all of this full well. And I can fall in the trap too. I do have a business coach, and I can honestly say that her accountability helps to keep me focused. She also helps me to see why I am stalling on something.

    Want to get more done accomplished? Then try my three step process to help you move forward with intention.

    Step 1: Look where you’ve been.

    Be clear what you have accomplished thus far. Not only is this good for your confidence, but it gives you a better baseline to start planning for the future. Too often, we small business people keep moving at such a quick pace we forget what we actually achieved. Big companies publish annual reports that list all of their accomplishments for the year, we can too. Take the time now to jot down your list. Publish it to your team. (This doesn’t have to be a year-end activity but should easily move to the end of your fiscal year.)

    Tip: Save your accomplishments in a word processing file that you can continuously add to on a periodic basis. This will save you time.

    Step 2: Choose where you want to go.

    You need to have a clear vision of where you want to be before you can decide on the specific path to get there. Go to your “thinking place” with a pad of paper and start musing about where you’d like to be at a certain point in time. I go to the beach when I need to think in peace. Pick a reasonable time frame. I’m all in favor of having a long term vision of what you’d like to do, but don’t let this hinder your process. Choose one year or even three months out. Just do it and write it down. From your list, pick your top three intentions or goals. The more specific, the better, but don’t let this stop you. Deciding you want to “increase profit by 10%” is easier to assess progress than just “increase profit.” You can make this more specific later if needed.

    Tip: Your intended goals should correspond with the purpose for your life and business. A purpose helps to establish boundaries and direction. What, you don’t have a clear purpose? Make some choices anyway and decide to deal with this in Step 3.

    Step 3: Identify several specific tasks to help you reach your intentions.

    Looking at your top three intentions from Step 2, brainstorm ways to achieve them and pick your desired path. Break down the path into specific tasks that include the what, when and who is involved. From your task list, pick your top three to focus on in the near term. The mistake I see from most people is that their list is too long. Long lists are not easily remembered, so we end up fighting fires instead and not working on what is important. Keep your short list visible and stay focused. When you are done or if your chosen frame has passed, go back to Step 1.

    Tip: If you can’t easily track and measure an intention, consider developing a metric as one of your tasks.

    Now get started! If you need some encouragement or feedback, contact us. We’d love to hear your thoughts and challenges, plus give you a little shove forward.

    (This was orginally posted in 2007.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Bruce Berrien
  • Gratitude Pays Off in Big Ways

    Thanksgiving is typically one of our primary times for reflection. We think about the people we know, the things we have and how blessed we are with the richness life brings – even in these trying times. This holiday is synonymous with gratitude. It is good to know that most people report being grateful (with an average rating of nearly 6 on a 7 point scale).

    We know that gratitude has long been viewed as a key element to happiness, well-being and wholeness by the religious and philosophical community. But what does science say about gratitude? Only recently has the scientific community started to take a closer look at gratitude. Research conducted by Robert A. Emmons of UC Davis and Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami have uncovered interesting facts about gratitude and its effects on human fulfillment.

    Here are some highlights from one project:

    • Those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.
    • Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to other subjects in the experiment.
    • Participants in a daily self-guided exercise focusing on gratitude, compared to those who focused on hassles or on ways they were better off than others, were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another.
    • In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.
    • Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families.

    This is great news! Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress.  The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions.  Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life, but they focus on the positive.

    So how can you reap the benefits of gratitude? Start simply by keeping a daily, or at a minimum, weekly list of the things you are grateful for. You can do this in a pretty journal book or a simple spiral notebook. I created a form with an inspiring picture to help me track my own list. Some of my consulting clients are now using this too. (If you are a member of our Effective Results Club – you get this for free.)

    This process isn’t easy. “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings”, says Eric Hoffer. Don’t let that stop you.  As you start incorporating this activity in your life, believe me, you will see the positive effects. My greatest wish for you is that you achieve the productive and balanced life that you dream of. Start with saying what you’re grateful for. Know that I am grateful for you visiting this page!

    Source (and gratitude) go to:

    Highlights from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness: Dimensions and Perspectives of Gratitude; Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough

    (This was orginally posted in 2008.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Jesslee Cuizon
  • Get Yourself Ready For The New Year

    We often focus on the year end tasks surrounding our small business. (Read our business related article.) Getting yourself ready is just as important and probably even more beneficial in the long run. In a small business, our personal lives are so tied to the business that the overlapping areas are often gray. Here are 10 tasks you can do to get prepared.

    1. Write a family holiday letter, summarizing the major events for the year. People really do like to know what you’re up to. Keep it light and fun and only about a page or two long. This also provides a history for your family files of what happened this year. Put a copy in your family scrap book.

    2. Start or update a blessings log (or whatever means something to you, like accomplishments or thanks). Just seeing a positive list of what you’ve managed to do will help reduce a total focus on the negatives.

    3. Get your family budget in order. Decide what major home improvement or decorating projects you want to do. Decide what vacations you will go on. Having a money plan is so important!

    4. Choose your intentions or goals for the upcoming year. What do you personally want to accomplish? Type them up and assign dates you’d like to aim for. I go one step further and choose a theme for the year. It is my “Year of <whatever>”. This helps to keeps me focused and is easy to remember. Some previous years have been titled “Year of MY choices” and “Year I Become a Writer”.

    5. Create or reassess your personal mission or purpose statement.

    6. Get your files in order or have a file cleanout day. Paper can be so overwhelming if we don’t have a good system established.

    7. Clean out your closets or garage and donate to your favorite charity by December 31st. You get the write-off and they get use of your items. A win-win for all!

    8. Decide if you need to lose weight right now, not after the holidays. It may help your willpower to say “no” to a few cookies or that eggnog. If you want to join a health club, look now. There will be less crowds and pushy salespeople, plus you may get a better deal.

    9. Get a gift wish list together. Look at what you need more than what you want. If you don’t “need” anything, consider choosing your favorite charity people can give to in your name. Or, like my family is doing this year, go on a day trip to spend time together. You’ll remember the experience far longer than the stuff.

    10. If you’re having a hard time focusing and you know you need to regroup, consider going on a personal retreat. I do mine in October and have a favorite hotel right on the beach in Laguna Beach, CA. I can really hear myself think when alone and at the beach!

    So, what did you do to get ready for this new year?

    (This was orginally posted in 2005.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Maurice
  • Complacency in the Office

    Several clients have recently asked me this question and someone stated in our online productivity survey that this was an issue for them personally. It has been phrased several ways – as a lack of motivation, diminished drive, or even laziness.

    Complacency can happen if a task or job becomes too repetitive and it can happen without you even realizing it. You produce the same reports over and over again. Or, you call on the same type of clients. If we begin to take shortcuts on the way we perform a task, and there are no negative consequences, that can also lead to complacency. If you stop reconciling the checkbook because no one ever notices and then someday you realize your balance is off, it will take more time in the long run to fix the account. Of course, that is when you need the information quickly!

    Seven Techniques to Cure Complacency

    1. Be a proper model to your employees. Just like a child looks to a parent for direction, staff looks to their leader or manager. Are you setting the tone for complacency?
    2. Provide proper training. If you need your staff to help grow the business by bringing in more clients, teach them how to network and market themselves. This is not something everyone just knows how to do or is comfortable with.
    3. Change where you work. Sometimes being cooped up in the same office breeds familiarity or distractions. Take your laptop or stack of papers to another room, the local library or a coffee shop. Observe if your focus level or motivation changes.
    4. Offer incentives. People get motivated different ways. Trips, cash, recognition with an award and even the potential for a promotion or time off. Ask your team what will work for them. They need to have a stake in the outcome.
    5. Spruce up the office. Take a serious look your environment. Is it dull and boring? Or outdated? Better artwork or livelier paint on the walls can get people more excited. Maybe a good cleanup session to make the space look less messy is really needed.
    6. Switch jobs with someone. It’s always good to have staff cross-trained in case something happens or the workload gets too much. Create a program to foster and reward learning and assisting others. Trying on someone else’s shoes can also make you appreciate your own job more!
    7. Ask! Tell your group you sense there is some complacency in the office and you want to see if they agree. Engage them in conversation and then listen for suggestions on what to change.

    Share your thoughts.  Is complacency an issue in your company? (Even if it’s just you in the company!) Let me know if any of these ideas, or others you have, work for you.

    (This was originally posted in 2005.)

    Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Sarah