January 12, 2012

Three Questions to Ask Before Taking on a Mentee

Its rewarding to become a mentor. But you cant take every young upstart under your wing. Ask yourself these three questions to choose the right protg:
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How motivated is the mentee? Assess the junior persons drive to advance. Your mentee has to be motivated if youre going to have a successful relationship. How far is there to go? Where is the mentee in terms of experience versus where she wants to be? You should take someone on with developmental gaps that you can help fill. Do I have the relevant experience and time? You never want to shortchange a mentoring relationship. Be sure you can effectively support the mentee in terms of knowledge and effort.

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January 11, 2012

Two Things to Do After Your Project Meeting

Ongoing team projects frequently require regular meetings. While you can accomplish a lot in the meeting room, the real work often happens when people go back to their desks. To make sure your team makes the most of the meeting, do these two things:
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Send a follow-up. Distribute a note summarizing the meeting s outcome and next steps. People will appreciate your thoroughness and feel encouraged by the progress you all made. Offer help. Support anyone who may be overwhelmed or struggling with their assigned tasks. It stalls progress when team members hesitate to ask for assistance.

January 10, 2012

Think Before You Reorganize

Managers love to reorganize, but few employees like being reorganized. Structural changes provoke anxiety and confusion. Before you decide to redraw the org chart, consider these two things:
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What problem are you trying to solve? Are you trying to focus more on customers? Do you want to reduce costs? Has structure become overly complex? There might be good reasons, but before you leap into a reorganization, be clear on the goal. Is reorganization the only solution? Reorganization might solve many problems but it's rarely the only solution. Consider alternatives first, especially ones that entail less cost and risk.

January 09, 2012

Giving Tough Feedback? Sleep on It

Many people advise that you should give difficult feedback immediately, preferably within 24 hours of an incident. But next time you have to provide constructive criticism, consider sleeping on it first. Your input will be far more effective, and better received, if you arent feeling agitated. Put some distance between the offending action and the feedback to gain perspective. You may need to calm down over several days. This will give you time to prepare, consider the other's point of view, and deliver the message in a calm and helpful way.

January 06, 2012

Use Buddy Checks to Keep Projects on Track

As a project leader your job is to monitor progress against the project plan. But you dont have to do this alone. Use buddy checks to verify that tasks are done properly. When someone completes an activity, have another team member looks at the results. This shouldnt be an in-depth analysis, just a quick check to confirm that the person didnt overlook or misunderstand anything. The ideal reviewer is someone who will use the results of the task. Just make clear that this is not a performance appraisal. Its one team member looking out for another.

January 05, 2012

Three Tips for Managing a Perfectionist

A perfectionist on your team is both a blessing and a curse. He may have high standards, but will likely fixate on every detail of a project. Here are three ways to harness the positive qualities while mitigating the bad:
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Give the right job. Dont put a perfectionist in a role that is overly complex or requires managing people. Find positions that have a relatively narrow scope. Increase self-awareness. Help your direct report recognize when his standards have negative outcomes. Explain the impact on those around him. Dont shy away from feedback. Perfectionists may have a hard time hearing criticism of their work. This doesnt mean you shouldnt try. Ask for the perfectionist's advice on how to best give him feedback.

January 04, 2012

Admit You Dont Know All the Answers

Leaders who insist on making all the decisions often find themselves with disengaged employees. If people arent taking charge in your organization, your leadership style might be the problem. If you have an overly directive approach, take a step back. Acknowledge your failings with your team. Share your personal and organizational goals. Then, admit that you dont have all the answers and you need your teams help in reaching those goals. This will give your people room to actively participate in the organizations success. This act of humility is often seen as courageous and inspires others to follow suit.

January 03, 2012

To Teach, Show and Tell

How many times have you trained a colleague in a task, only to have that person come knocking on your door every five minutes with a question? People learn by watching others, so instead of telling people how to solve a problem, show them. Take them through each step, explaining the reasons behind each. Then allow them to ask as many questions as needed. This will not only give them the foundation they need to do the task, but will prompt you to master the task more deeply as you provide a justification for each step.

January 02, 2012

Want to Change? Identify One Thing

New Years resolutions can be overwhelming. Instead of tackling all of them at once, list all the things you would change if you had the time. Take a good look at the list and think about the one thing that would impact several things on the list. Make it short and simple. Perhaps you need to be more aggressive, or maybe you need to slow down, or speak up for yourself more often. If youre not sure, try something for a few weeks and see if its working. Then, each morning, remind yourself of your one thing. Soon it will become second nature as the results reinforce your commitment to change.

December 30, 2011

Listen Without Reacting

Listening is harder than speaking. Even the best listeners sometimes have to bite their tongues to stop from reacting, interrupting, or trying to console the person talking. Here are three ways you can truly listen:
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Avoid distractions. This doesnt just mean putting down the Blackberry or closing your web browser. Try not to think about what you're going to say next. Simply focus on what the other person says. Repeat back. This sometimes feels silly, but repeating back what you heard shows the other person that youre listening. Ask thoughtful questions. Ask open-ended questions that help you see the issue more clearly and allow your conversation partner to go deeper into what he cares about.

December 29, 2011

4 Steps to Delivering Helpful Feedback

Feedback is problematic. Managers often dislike giving it and direct reports rarely get enough to change their behaviors. But feedback, both positive and negative, is an important tool for learning and career growth. Next time you have to talk with someone about their performance, follow these four steps:
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Be specific. Feedback needs to be actionable. Use concrete examples to back up your conclusions. Avoid generalized character attacks. Instead, describe the behavior.

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State the impact. Tell the person how his behavior is affecting you, the team, or the organization. Prescribe. Be specific about what needs to change. Often employees wont know what to change unless you tell them. Do it often. Get in the habit of praising good performance and identifying troublesome behavior.

December 28, 2011

Dont Worry About Your First Job

Recent graduates, take note: Few people start their work life in the right place. So dont stress about your first job out of college. Chances are its not going to predict your future field, income, or career path. Instead of looking for the perfect job, look for these three things:
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Opportunities to learn. Whatever job you take, you should acquire new skills and experience. Enough money. You dont have to be a banker. Waiting tables is perfectly respectable if it affords you the time and flexibility to do what you care about. Chances to contribute. Everyone wants to feel a sense of purpose. Find a position that allows you to be a force for good. If you cant find a job that fits the bill, volunteer on the side.

December 27, 2011

Set the Stage for Your Next Meeting

From the moment you send a meeting invite, as the meeting organizer you are responsible for setting the right tone and making the meeting a success. Here are three things you should do before people get in the room:
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Clarify the objective. Make sure people know why theyre invited. If its to make a decision, give participants the time and materials they need to prepare. Prep important people. Talk with key participants about agenda items ahead of time. You may hear insights that could change how you run the meeting. Expect full participation. Ask attendees to do their homework, come with relevant materials, and show up ready to contribute.

December 26, 2011

Skip the Mr. and Mrs.

Forget what your parents taught you, its not always prudent to use a formal salutation, especially in todays more informal business world. Addressing people by their first name is now the norm in corporate America. Use first names to address colleagues, clients, and bosses. If you are a junior employee, this will level the playing field so that you are perceived as more of an equal. Confidently addressing people by their first names establishes you as mature and selfassured. If you are a seasoned manager, it will convey accessibility. Todays workers see hierarchies as stiff and outdated. Demanding that subordinates use a formal title comes off as pompous. Note that this informality is not the global norm learn the local customs before you travel.

December 23, 2011

Dont Stay Late. Go Home.

Do you control your work hours or do they control you? More people are staying late at work and suffering because of it. Before you have dinner at your desk (again), do these three things:
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Know your priorities. When deciding whether to stay and finish a task or put it aside until the next day, remember what your priorities are. If the task furthers your professional and personal goals, then it may be worth putting in the extra time. Agree on expectations at home. Discuss your work hours with the people closest to you your partner, spouse, or friends to be sure your expectations are aligned. Talk about it at work. Make it clear that you are willing to stay late if there is a legitimate reason, such as a client deadline. But emphasize that this should be the exception, not the rule.

December 22, 2011

Reconnect After Giving Tough Feedback

Hearing that your performance is lacking can be harsh, even alienating. Thats why as a manager, you need be thoughtful when delivering difficult feedback to your employees. You probably know to do two things: first, articulate what your employee is doing well, and second, provide input on problematic behaviors. But dont forget an important third step: reconnect. After hearing difficult input, an employee may avoid you or feel she cant come to you for advice. Reestablish your relationship and reiterate what you value most. Point out her writing

skills or thank her for asking tough questions during meetings. You can also check in on a personal matter: Ask, How was your daughters play? or, Did your wife hear back about that job? Do this at the end of the feedback session or wait until the next day. Just be sure to connect so she is comfortable continuing the relationship with you.

December 21, 2011

Drop Your Mask and Be Authentic

Are you hiding from your employees? Too many leaders try to conceal their flaws and present a polished faade. Or they try to behave like they think great leaders do. When you try to be someone else, it erodes trust and effectiveness and causes people to question your true identity. So drop the mask and be who you really are. This can enhance your relationships, foster trust, and create better business outcomes. Be honest about your imperfections and ask others to help you determine how to bring more of your authentic self to work.

December 20, 2011

Put an End to Procrastination

To procrastinate may be human but its not very rewarding. If putting off tasks is hindering your performance or making you unhappy, try these three things:
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Identify what you put off. When you find yourself ignoring or delaying a task, ask yourself why. Knowing what you tend to delay can help break the cycle and prevent future procrastination. Set deadlines. Break up tasks into smaller chunks and then create a schedule with clear due dates for each part. Increase the rewards. Tasks with rewards far in the future are easy to put off. To make a task feel more immediate, focus on the short-term rewards. If there aren't any, insert your own. Treat yourself to a coffee break or a quick chat with a co-worker once you've finished a task.

December 19, 2011

Network Beyond Your Bubble

Its no surprise that we instinctively seek out those who share our interests. But by doing so we limit the range of situations and people were exposed to. Try these three things to diversify your network and experiences:
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Revise your conference calendar. Attend at least one conference a year in a field that you may have interest in, but little experience. Talk to the loners. At social events, dont just spend time with your friends and colleagues. Seek out the people who dont fit in (hint: they look alone and uncomfortable) and strike up a conversation. Find diversity within. Reconnect with passions that you may have ignored because they didnt fit into your life. In doing so youll encounter people far removed from your daily experiences who may provide you with new self insight.

December 16, 2011

Engage Employees Like Customers

The same techniques for earning customer loyalty also work when engaging employees. After all, both efforts depend on treating people with respect. Here are two ways to use customer service tactics to improve relationships with employees.
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Get real-time feedback. Dont wait for the annual employee survey to ask people what they think. Conduct regular surveys that respect employees' time and only ask the few questions that yield the most important insights. This will generate a steady stream of ideas for improvement. Make engagement a priority for frontline managers. If customer service is a top priority for frontline managers, employee loyalty should be as well. Dont delegate the

effort to HR. Instead, ask those who closely interact with employees to make sure theyre engaged.