Am I Management Material? (Aaron Hurst)

Am I Management Material?

Most managers aren't management material. The real question is, how does your boss define management material and how could promoting you serve their needs and the needs of the organization.

What does your manager consider to be the traits of an effective manager? Sadly you also need to understand any bias they may have about gender or race. That will help you understand what you need to do to get them to see you as management material.

Easier said than done. It is often hard to understand how a manager defines management material, especially since many of them don't have a clear answer or may not have thought about it.

For the majority of folks it takes Sherlock Holmes skills to deduce the answer. You need to look for evidence.

• Who have they promoted in the past and who has been passed over?
• How do they seem to make decisions about promotions relative to other managers in the organization?
• Do they promote, as they should, to balance their skills and capacity? What do theyperceive as their skills and capacity gaps?
• What threatens them and their security in their role? What would threaten them and make them biased in a promotion decision?
• How can your promotion help them get promoted? What do they need to do to get promoted and how could you be part of that solution?
• What parts of their job do they dislike that you could do? How could your promotion increase their their job satisfaction?
• What are you doing now that your boss values and might be afraid they would lose if you moved into management? How could you backfill your work?

Then you need to be honest with yourself. Are you the person they want? You might be amazing "management material" but not the kind your boss values or needs right now. If that is the case, you need to look at how to find a new boss inside the organization or switch employers and find a boss that values your strengths.

Once you are confident you have a manager who is aligned with your strengths you need to find was to show them your stuff and ask them for coaching and mentoring in those areas. They need to feel ownership of your success and like they "discovered" you.

Welcome to management.

A Management Truism to Remember: Your Workers Aren’t You (Crystal Spraggins)

A Management Truism to Remember: Your Workers Aren’t You

by  Crystal Spraggins on Dec 13, 2013, 11:10 AM  |  0 Comments

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One of the first things I learned after starting a freelance writing career is that many people expect writers to work for free.

Writing for free, or for exposure, is a hotly debated topic among writers, and it doesn’t take the imagination of a writer to guess why.

But of all the times I’ve told someone “I’m flattered, but I write for a living,” one conversation in particular made a real impression on me.

Good HR advice from an unlikely source

During that conversation, a small business owner was proposing that I write for him while his business got off the ground, at which time, hopefully, he’d be able to hire me for a fee. During our talk, this owner spent a good amount of time telling me about his plans for his business, and it was evident that he was excited about the road ahead.

And that was all fine and good — for him.

As I told him later, “I wish you well with your business venture, but this is your vision, not mine. My vision is to be a well-paid writer, and unfortunately, I don’t think that writing for you for free is going to get me there.”

Maybe that sounds a little harsh. It wasn’t. Instead, it was damn good HR advice. (No matter where I am or what I do, I just can’t turn it off.)

Employees don’t share your agenda

If you’re in management, and especially if you’re a manager/business owner with employees, don’t make the mistake of believing that your employees have the same agenda as you. They don’t.

Your employees may admire you, they may appreciate you, and they may appreciate the mission of the company, but they have their own concerns. They have their own goals and their own interests. And that’s OK.

Let me make the point another way.

A small history lesson…

The year was 1870. The place was Coatesville, Pennsylvania. And the problem was slow but steady change.

The men of the Lukens Steel Company had to admit they’d been treated pretty well. Employer-provided housing at decent rental rates, pay advances, personal loans — these were but a few of the fringe benefits of working at the mill. At one point, when economic times had gotten tough, the mill would even run at cost to keep the men employed.

But the situation wasn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows. Management took care of its employees and, in return, had expectations beyond mere good performance.

Workers were to be compliant. Anyone caught “causing trouble” by asking too many questions about management decisions or by offering his skills elsewhere ran the risk of being blacklisted, not that shopping around would have yielded much. The local mills “collaborated” on compensation strategies to keep competition down.

And yet, employees were happy and loyal. Until they weren’t.

Yes, even paternalism has its limits

By 1887, some 77 years after the mill had opened, employees had grown weary of thispaternalistic management style and began to want some things for themselves, like better wages. Profits were up, and they wanted a share in the good fortune. They’d heard the news reports about the strike at the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Company in 1882 (workers decided to strike rather than sign so-called yellow dog contracts), and in 1886, two mills in Coatesville had gone on strike as well.

Now, 77 years is admittedly a good run, and I’d be silly to try to claim that this management style was a bad move from the start.

But paternalism has its limits. Eventually, the workers at Lukens went on strike.

The mill owner apparently took the strike as a personal insult, believing himself to be a decent sort besieged by ingrates. So, a couple of months into the strike, when he became convinced that the workers were holding firm, he kicked them out of their rentals and fired them.

Humph.

The workers had decided to place the interests of their real families above the interests of the patriarchal mill owner, and that came as an unwelcome surprise to him.

Your workers aren’t you

You may say, “Well, since the workers went on strike, the owner should have kicked them out of his properties,” and granted, the move wasn’t completely unexpected. But remember, the workers were paying rent. The owner kicked them out to make a point, plain and simple. \

Here’s what he wrote to an agent about the situation:

You cannot realize the situation as we do, nor comprehend how fully we would be surrendering ourselves into the control of our workmen by yielding at present. It is not the question of a slight advance in wages merely, but there is a principle at stake which is of far more importance.”

Three months later, the men were back at work at their old rates. However, the relationship between employer and employees had been irrevocably changed. New lines had been drawn in the sand.

Repeat: If you’re in management, or a manager/business owner, your employees aren’t you and you should manage them understanding and appreciating as much.

(By the way, this is why I favor the servant leadership style of management, which views subordinates as partners, not servants or children.)

Just saying.

How A Culture of Appreciation Develops Engaged and Loyal Employees ( Margy Bresslour)

How A Culture of Appreciation Develops Engaged and Loyal Employees

Do you look forward to going to work? Do you feel valued and appreciated by your employees or employer? If you work by yourself, do you feel seen by others? If you answered, “no” to any of the above, you’re not alone.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 64% of Americans who leave their jobs say they do so because they don’t feel appreciated. Gallup reports that almost 70 percent of people in the United States say they receive no praise or recognition in the workplace.

64% of Americans who leave their jobs say they do so because they don’t feel appreciated

We all want to know that we are valued and appreciated.

When you actively appreciate and take an interest in the qualities, characteristics, and work of the people around you, you develop a culture where people love to work, are fully engaged, and where your customers and clients enjoy doing business with you.

Here’s how:

1. Recognize the benefit of appreciating and acknowledging individuals

Research confirms that individuals who receive regular recognition and praise increase their individual productivity, increase engagement among colleagues, are more likely to stay with the organization, and receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers. Appreciating others can make a difference to your bottom line.

Increase employee productivity by regularly giving recognition and praise

2. Gain an awareness for appreciation

If you’re not in the habit of appreciating people openly, begin by watching for behaviors, attitudes, and work that add value to you or the company.

3. Develop a commitment to appreciate

Make a commitment to express your appreciation. If this is a new habit, it might feel awkward or uncomfortable at first. The reward and benefit, however, of establishing the habit of appreciating others will pay huge dividends in the long-term.

4. Acknowledge specifics

The most meaningful appreciations are specific. What exactly do you appreciate? Details increase the impact and lets the person know clearly what you appreciate. Others may guess correctly how you feel or what you think about them, but they won’t know for sure unless you tell them. You strengthen the message by including specific impacts that the actions or qualities have on you, the team, or the organization.

5. Clarify roles, responsibilities and mission

It’s important for employees to understand their roles and responsibilities. Gaining clarity of organizational and personal goals and expectations help employees know how to meet or exceed expectations. Employees enjoy hearing how their contribution made a difference to the organization’s goals and its success. Employees are more likely to feel included and empowered when they understand the organization’s mission.

6. Follow through on commitments

Following through on commitments builds trust. It also communicates that the other person is important. Reinforce your organization’s values through how you treat each other. Let your employees know that you have their best interest at heart. We tend to support those who treat us well, believe in us, and take an interest in us.

7. Encourage openness

As a manager, recognize that other people have ideas and perspectives that might be useful to hear. When you seek and listen to others’ opinions and feedback, you are communicating that you value their ideas and insights.

8. Take the time to appreciate

We choose where to allocate our attention and energy. Meaningful appreciations don’t take much time to share. Words of appreciation typically can be spoken in less than 30 seconds. However, the value and positive impact of hearing words of appreciation can be huge and long-lasting.

9. Appreciation reinforces positive behavior

What you appreciate gets reinforced. By expressing your appreciation you indirectly communicate what behavior you’d like to continue to see in the future.

What you appreciate gets reinforced

10. Evaluate the effectiveness

Prior to starting your new focus on appreciation in the workplace, you might take stock of your employees’ productivity, your sales and profit, and employee turnover. It would be interesting to re-evaluate them six months later. I’d be curious what the difference will be.

What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Employee Engagement: You Better Recognize!

Posted on July 9, 2013

In its 2013 State of the American Workforce report Gallup states that employee engagement- the degree to which an employee is engaged in and enthusiastic about their work and thus acts in a way that furthers organizational interests- increases when managers focus on employee strengths.  A strengths-based management approach means that front-line managers maximize employees’ chances to use their strengths every day. They have daily interactions with employees to empower them and help them discover and develop their talents.

Employee recognition is a key component of strengths based management. This isn’t a reference to formal recognition programs or automated prizes. Giving employees a plant or a shiny pen on their 5 year anniversary doesn’t communicate worth.  At its core employee recognition has to be about communicating VALUE.

Employee engagement is shaped by employees’ perceptions of their value to an organization, team, and customer base. When it comes time to engage in employee recognition, leaders must put forth recognition efforts that draw attention to these contributions. Employees that report feeling valued at work report higher levels of engagement in their jobs. They also interface with customers more successfully, have fewer time and attendance issues and produce higher quality work product.

This is where front-line managers are critical to success. They are the only person in the work-life of the employee with both the power and opportunity to recognize employees (that is, to celebrate their value) on a regular basis. Think about it:

• —  Who sees employee behavior, performance and contributions most frequently?
• —  Who is the organizational “authority-figure” to the employee?
• —  Who conducts formal evaluation of employee performance?
• —  Who is charged with leading the team?
• —  Who sets the tone of the work environment? The culture?  The atmosphere?
• —  Who connects employees to upper management and executives?

The role of the front-line manager cannot be overstated. Frequent and targeted recognition is a key leadership strategy that must be embraced by managers at all levels to actively engage the workforce. How?  Here are 3 key components of front-line recognition that impact employee engagement:

Recognize Early and Often

You don’t need a spectacular accomplishment or formal occasion to engage in recognition. Celebrating small victories or accomplishments can have a huge impact on the morale of individuals and teams. Point out when something has been done well. Say “Thank You.”  And do it often. Research by Marcia Losada found that success in virtually any relationship requires a certain level of positivity, specifically 3 positive remarks for every negative one. Keep this 3-to-1 ratio in mind when balancing recognition and constructive feedback. Strive to direct positive comments to employees at least 3 times as often as you direct corrective or procedural feedback.

Be specific and personal

Getting a plant or a shiny pen as a gift is nice, but the impact comes from the note attached. Imagine getting that “5 year” gift with a note that said something like this:

“5 years ago this week you joined our team and we’ve truly benefited from your presence. Your commitment to your work makes all our jobs easier and your dedication to our customers in the form of your constant warmth and good cheer is invaluable. I probably don’t say it enough but please know: I am so glad you work here.”  Signed, (boss’s name)

What’s powerful about this for the employee isn’t just what was said…but that the author took the time to say it. The author took a moment to truly stop and appreciate someone’s contribution and note the specific examples that were articulated. That’s how you communicate value.

Celebrate everyone

Imagine you went to a meeting and, prior to its start, you got to pick one of 3 door prizes: A water bottle, a rubber band, or an iPad. Without hesitation most would choose the iPad, right? Clearly it’s the most valuable item of the 3. It’s flashy, slick, and contemporary, the superstar of the group.

This happens in teams as well.  It’s easy to recognize the superstars. They stand out. They bring something obvious to the group and as a leader you probably don’t have to work very hard to recognize them. But not everyone is a superstar.

Had you taken a few moments to examine the water bottle you would have found a sturdy, reliable device. It never leaks, it’s portable, consistent, and is always there when you need it. And the rubber band? Invaluable. It’s quietly strong, flexible, and can handle quite a lot of stress.

And neither will ever be an iPad.

Recognition is about celebrating the unique talents and contributions of every member of a team. It’s easy to lose sight of these gifts if employees work daily in the shadow of a high performer, but every employee brings something to the table. Take time to figure out what that is and celebrate it. Whether it’s administrative responsibilities, interpersonal interactions with clients, or how they relate to their co-workers, celebrate everyone, and help them see how their “routine” contributions produce powerful results.

In addition to impacting employee engagement, recognition reinforces the kind of performance and behaviors you want consistently out of your employees. High job performance is a learned behavior. And rewards, in the form of recognition and validation, provide emotional reinforcement to that ongoing learning.

(Did you find this article valuable? Please share it with others and comment below! Thanks! ~Joe)

Is Your Organization Really Just Perpetuating Mediocrity? (David Jardin)

Is Your Organization Really Just Perpetuating Mediocrity?

Companies can get a boost in performance and results by communicating standards of acceptable performance.

The best companies, the ones that stay on top, get better every day. One way they do this is by deliberately raising and enforcing standard levels of “acceptable performance.” This drives steady gains in individual and organization effectiveness.

Meanwhile, mediocre companies lose ground as they plod along, merely maintaining the same performance levels over time. Winning organizations move ahead while the mediocre, at best, merely run in place.How to get your organization past the “Mendoza Line”

Mario Mendoza played major league baseball from 1974 to 1982. Mr. Mendoza is best known for his woefully low lifetime batting average.

A player whose batting average is under .200 (i.e. just two hits for every 10 at bats) is said to be below the so-called “Mendoza Line.” Of course this standard of minimum acceptable performance isn’t mindlessly enforced – other pertinent factors are considered when making decisions to retain or release. Still, every big league player fears the associated stigma and risk of losing his spot on the team.

Following the practices below helps companies rise above mediocrity:

• Raise expectations – Research has shown that stretch goals drive higher performance so long as they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and trackable (SMART).
• Align capabilities – Make sure the organization design fits the business strategy and talent is segmented based on forecasted productivity and value creation.
• Deploy capabilities -- It is essential to have the right people on board and to take the wrong people off board. And everyone needs to be in the right role because people can’t realize their full potential if they’re in the wrong position. Home run legend Babe Ruth started his baseball career as a pitcher before he was moved to the outfield giving him more at bats.
• Expand capabilities — Non-job-related development activities enhance job-related development. Examples include structured training; informal learning that is planned or spontaneous; coaching; mentoring; and working on cross-functional project teams.
• Let go — Exiting a person from the company is the last resort. This should happen only after candid conversations and reasonable efforts to find the right fit have failed.

How to assess your company’s readiness

Most people will step up if they know that staying in the lineup means they have to get better every day to meet or exceed rising expectations. And they’ll get the message if you explicitly communicate and rigorously enforce your organization’s “Mendoza Line.”

Companies can get a boost in performance and results by communicating standards of acceptable performance (i.e. “Mendoza Line”) and actively (and compassionately) managing folks whose performance is near or below it.

Here are some questions to assess your organization’s position and readiness:

1. Does our culture demand continuous improvement and high expectations?
2. Do people have individual SMART stretch goals aligned with the strategy?
3. Who would contribute more if they were in a different position?
4. Do we provide the right opportunities to let people expand their capabilities?
5. Do underperformers get a fair chance to improve? Are they treated with candor and respect?

So, is your organization driving sustainable high performance? Or is it perpetuating mediocrity?

David Jardin is a consultant with the iTM System GroupiTM System Group where he works with leaders and teams to make talent management simple, practical, and profitable. He began his career as a CPA and has spent more than 20 years in leadership roles in talent management and organization development with global companies including Citigroup, Coopers & Lybrand, Pfizer, and Tyco Electronics. Contact him at davidjardin@mac.com.

The Value of Workplace Conflict: Discomfort Says You’re Doing It Right (Patty Azzarello)

The Value of Workplace Conflict: Discomfort Says You’re Doing It Right

There are several things that stall progress, but one that occurs a lot is the human tendency to avoid conflict.

It’s almost impossible for a team to make progress on something new, without raising, and working through at least some uncomfortable conflict.

If you are avoiding conflict, you are avoiding execution.

Many teams opt for a false sense of agreement and pleasant-ness instead, because it’s more comfortable.

Vague is comfortable

Imagine a team conversation:

“We need to improve quality.” All the heads start nodding. Who would have a problem with that? Comfy.

Now imagine instead:

“We need to improve quality so we are going to cancel these two programs, and use those funds to fix these 3 product problems, and offer these top 5 customers free on site support for 3 months while we make improvements.” Now, that is worthy of some disagreement!

If you stay at the comfortable, vague statement of high level goals, you can’t actually do anything. Everyone leaves the room agreeing it’s important, but there is no clear agreement on specifically what you are going to do differently (and where the resources will come from). So nothing moves forward.

Get comfortable with clarity …  and conflict

Clarity is the secret sauce for execution. You need to be comfortable with the fact that creating real clarity is going to expose disagreements. It’s going to be uncomfortable.

Have the debate. Work through the disagreements. Get specific.

Only when you get really clear, and actively resolve unanswered questions and lingering disagreements, will you be able to execute.

Without this level of clarity, when you don’t meet your goal, you can’t see or point to what is not working — you just know you didn’t get there.

Discomfort means you are doing it right

As I bring teams through this process of getting real clarity, taking the time to hear the opinions and debate, we reach a point where everyone can see what they need to do differently, specifically.

It becomes clear what everyone needs to do personally to achieve the big goal. Everyone leaves aligned, knowing exactly what is expected, and how they will be measured on what they do moving forward.

Here are some ideas for how to do create clarity and work though necessary conflict with your team:

Clarify the desired outcome

First you need to be really clear about the desired outcome. What is expected?

Then:

• You need to break that big goal down clearly into smaller, concrete parts.
• You need to be clear about who is responsible for each piece.
• You need to be clear about how each piece is resourced.
• You need to be clear about what doing something different in each case means to the old way of doing something.
• You need to be clear about how the roles of specific people change.
• You need to be clear about not only what the new tasks and deliverables are, but what are the new behaviors and values that are expected at each level in your organization.
• You need to be clear about what skills are required and how you are going to get them.
• If you have to hire or train people, you need to be clear about where that funding will come from and how long it will take.
• You need to be clear about how the success of each task and role will be measured.
• You need to be clear about what the consequences are for not doing the new thing.
• You need to be clear about what will be communicated.

Go around the room

A final thing I do at this point in the process is to go around the room and ask each person to describe in their own words:

• What we decided to do;
• Why this is important;
• What you will tell your team, specifically;
• What you and your team will do differently as a result of this decision.

This ensures that everyone has internalized the decision and necessary actions, and gives them practice at talking about it in an aligned way amongst their peers. It also makes it clear that you expect them to talk about this with their teams and do something different!

Remove uncertainty

One of the most important things you can do as a leader is to remove uncertainty. It can feel uncomfortable to be so clear that it raises conflict.

Discussing the answer to all these kinds of questions out loud, with your team, although it opens the door to conflict and discomfort it is the only reliable way to move forward.

Otherwise you’ll still be talking about how important this thing is next year.

This was originally published on Patty Azzarello’s Business Leadership Blog. Her latest book is Rise: How to be Really Successful at Work and LIKE Your Life.