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.

11 Things the Military Teaches You About Leadership (Alison Griswald)

11 Things the Military Teaches You About Leadership

Does military experience translate to leadership and business savvy?

A glance at today's most successful corporations would suggest that it does. Many of the biggest names in the business world - Verizon's Lowell McAdam, FedEx CEO Frederick Smith, former General Motors CEO Daniel Akerson - have military backgrounds.

In 2005, a comprehensive study of S&P 500 CEOs by Korn/Ferry International found that more than 8% of top execs were ex-military officers, which is nearly triple the 3% of U.S. men who serve as officers. 

What does the military teach that helps these ex-officers climb to the top of major corporations? We combed through interviews with many of them to find out the biggest lessons about life, business, and leadership they learned from the service:

Always look sharp. 

Years out of service, FedEx CEO Frederick Smith still keeps up the tidy appearance he learned in the Marines. "Even in a blue pin-striped suit, I still make sure that the right-hand edge of my belt buckle lines up with my shirt front and trouser fly," he's said. "I shine my own shoes, and I feel uncomfortable if they aren't polished."

Take good care of your people. 

Former General Motors chairman and CEO Daniel Akerson says military service taught him to lead by example and "to take good care of your people."

Assemble diverse teams to get a range of perspectives.

Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky, a former captain in the U.S. Army, says military training taught him the value of working with diverse teams. "I quickly discovered no one had a lock on the right answers," he told DiversityInc.

Invest in relationships for the long term. 

The relationships formed in the military are "lifelong" and "serve you well in a business career," says Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, who served in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps.

Be willing to listen to everyone.

Michael Morris, the former CEO of American Electric Power, has said that the military developed his "willingness to listen and formulate an opinion that incorporates as many people's ideas as possible."

Stay calm under pressure.

Morris also likes to compare a CEO to a pilot in bad weather -; it's up to him to keep his cool through a storm so his passengers (or shareholders and employees) stay calm. "The last thing you want is to appear to be rattled," he says.

Act decisively even with limited information.

David Morken, CEO of Internet and phone services company Bandwidth, learned to "operate in the fog and to execute and decisively engage when you don't have access to a complete data set" from his time in the Marine Corps.

Carefully plan out the logistics.

Robert Myers, CEO of Casey's General Store, says his time in the Army made him a perfect choice later to run the company. The company's founder figured no one was more qualified to head up a distribution chain than a former military logistics officer, CSPnet.com reports.

Lead with integrity.

"Veterans have special abilities and common traits, including discipline, maturity, adaptability, and dedication," John Luke Jr., CEO of MeadWestvaco and a former Air Force pilot, has said. "They operate with integrity and high ethical standards in all that they do."

Be, know, and do everything you ask of those below you.

"When I was attending the Drill Sergeant Academy, I was taught to always 'Be, Know, Do,' when dealing with subordinates," former U.S. Army Drill Sergeant and Argo Marketing Group CEO Jason Levesque tells Business Insider. "Be the expert; know the job; do the difficult [tasks]. Your subordinates will follow you and, best of all, try to emulate you."

Give 100% of your effort. 

Robert McDonald, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, explains that his time in the infantry convinced him to always commit to something 100%. "If you're going to be in the Army, go into the infantry," he says. "If you're going to be in marketing, work for P&G. You don't do things halfway."

This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

Why Leaders Must Say What They Mean (Karin Hurst)

Why Leaders Must Say What They Mean

Positioning, spin, strategic ambiguity – why do so many leaders fail to say what they mean?

Leaders worry that if they say what they really mean…

• Someone might panic
• The truth will leak
• Employees will make bad choices
• They’ll become disengaged

Spinning the truth has all of those same side effects, only worse.  When humans aren’t told the truth, the stories they concoct to fill in the blanks are far more dramatic than the actual scene.

I’m always surprised by how surprised employees are when they’re told the honest truth.

• “I’ve never heard that feedback before.”
• “Thanks for respecting us enough to include us in the solution.”
• “It’s refreshing to hear what’s really happening”
• “Thanks for giving us advanced notice.”

When we are clear about our values, thought processes, and rationale, our teams get a behind-the-scenes view of our choices.

Why We Must Say What We Mean

Meaning It Creates Alignment

When we are clear about our values, thought processes, and rationale, our teams get a behind-the-scenes view of our choices. It is far easier for team members to align with a vision they fully understand.

Meaning It Builds Trust

Trust begets trust. When we trust enough to share a bit about ourselves, the relationship deepens. When we show we trust in the team, they are more likely to reciprocate. When there is less information available, people do what they can to fill in the blanks.  Usually the imagined future and actions are far more distasteful than the reality.

Meaning It Accelerates Change

In times of change and crises, people crave meaningful conversation.  Truth-telling reduces anxiety, speculation, and chatter.  When people are focused on the work, the change moves more quickly and smoothly.

In times of change and crises, people crave meaningful conversation.

Broader Development

People will learn more when they are on the inside.  They learn more from understanding the nuances and underlying struggles behind a decision.  Leaders learn from watching leaders.  By having more meaningful conversations, you will get more honest feedback and support that you can use in your own leadership journey.

Meaning Begets Meaning: When we treat people with trust, they trust us. When we mean what we say, others will say what they mean.

How to Say What You Mean

Speak from your Heart

Speak with confident humility.  Be honest with your thoughts and feelings.

Speak your Truth

Share your perspective and how you got there.

Speak with Compassion

Consider the impact of your words, and choose them well.

Speak what Should be Said

Speak about the difficult truths others avoid.

Speak with Confidence

Articulate your truth with energy and poise.

Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid (Cheryl Conner)

Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid

Editors’ Note: Following the huge popularity of this post, article source Amy Morin has authored a Dec. 3 guest post on exercises to increase mental strength here. Cheryl Conner has also interviewed Amy Morin in a Forbes video chat that expands on this article here.

For all the time executives spend concerned about physical strength and health, when it comes down to it, mental strength can mean even more. Particularly for entrepreneurs, numerous articles talk about critical characteristics of mental strength—tenacity, “grit,” optimism, and an unfailing ability asForbes contributor David Williams says, to “fail up.”

However, we can also define mental strength by identifying the things mentally strong individuals don’t do. Over the weekend, I was impressed by this list compiled by Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker,  that she shared in LifeHack. It impressed me enough I’d also like to share her list here along with my thoughts on how each of these items is particularly applicable to entrepreneurs.

1.    Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves. You don’t see mentally strong people feeling sorry for their circumstances or dwelling on the way they’ve been mistreated. They have learned to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes, and they have an inherent understanding of the fact that frequently life is not fair. They are able to emerge from trying circumstances with self-awareness and gratitude for the lessons learned. When a situation turns out badly, they respond with phrases such as “Oh, well.” Or perhaps simply, “Next!”

2. Give Away Their Power. Mentally strong people avoid giving others the power to make them feel inferior or bad. They understand they are in control of their actions and emotions. They know their strength is in their ability to manage the way they respond.

3.    Shy Away from Change. Mentally strong people embrace change and they welcome challenge. Their biggest “fear,” if they have one, is not of the unknown, but of becoming complacent and stagnant. An environment of change and even uncertainty can energize a mentally strong person and bring out their best.

4. Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control. Mentally strong people don’t complain (much) about bad traffic, lost luggage, or especially about other people, as they recognize that all of these factors are generally beyond their control. In a bad situation, they recognize that the one thing they can always control is their own response and attitude, and they use these attributes well.

5. Worry About Pleasing Others. Know any people pleasers? Or, conversely, people who go out of their way to dis-please others as a way of reinforcing an image of strength? Neither position is a good one. A mentally strong person strives to be kind and fair and to please others where appropriate, but is unafraid to speak up. They are able to withstand the possibility that someone will get upset and will navigate the situation, wherever possible, with grace.

It takes much practice to hone mental strength

6. Fear Taking Calculated Risks. A mentally strong person is willing to take calculated risks. This is a different thing entirely than jumping headlong into foolish risks. But with mental strength, an individual can weigh the risks and benefits thoroughly, and will fully assess the potential downsides and even the worst-case scenarios before they take action.

7. Dwell on the Past. There is strength in acknowledging the past and especially in acknowledging the things learned from past experiences—but a mentally strong person is able to avoid miring their mental energy in past disappointments or in fantasies of the “glory days” gone by. They invest the majority of their energy in creating an optimal present and future.

8. Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over. We all know the definition of insanity, right? It’s when we take the same actions again and again while hoping for a different and better outcome than we’ve gotten before. A mentally strong person accepts full responsibility for past behavior and is willing to learn from mistakes. Research shows that the ability to be self-reflective in an accurate and productive way is one of the greatest strengths of spectacularly successful executives and entrepreneurs.

9. Resent Other People’s Success. It takes strength of character to feel genuine joy and excitement for other people’s success. Mentally strong people have this ability. They don’t become jealous or resentful when others succeed (although they may take close notes on what the individual did well). They are willing to work hard for their own chances at success, without relying on shortcuts.

10. Give Up After Failure. Every failure is a chance to improve. Even the greatest entrepreneurs are willing to admit that their early efforts invariably brought many failures. Mentally strong people are willing to fail again and again, if necessary, as long as the learning experience from every “failure” can bring them closer to their ultimate goals.

11. Fear Alone Time. Mentally strong people enjoy and even treasure the time they spend alone. They use their downtime to reflect, to plan, and to be productive. Most importantly, they don’t depend on others to shore up their happiness and moods. They can be happy with others, and they can also be happy alone.

12. Feel the World Owes Them Anything. Particularly in the current economy, executives and employees at every level are gaining the realization that the world does not owe them a salary, a benefits package and a comfortable life, regardless of their preparation and schooling. Mentally strong people enter the world prepared to work and succeed on their merits, at every stage of the game.

13. Expect Immediate Results. Whether it’s a workout plan, a nutritional regimen, or starting a business, mentally strong people are “in it for the long haul”. They know better than to expect immediate results. They apply their energy and time in measured doses and they celebrate each milestone and increment of success on the way. They have “staying power.” And they understand that genuine changes take time. 

Do you have mental strength? Are there elements on this list you need more of? With thanks to Amy Morin, I would like to reinforce my own abilities further in each of these areas today. How about you?

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.

Lonely At The Top (Lolly Daskal)

Lonely At The Top

When people think of CEOs, the general perception is that they have it made.

But what happens when the reality is different then the perception?

The concerns of those who have made it to the top are easy to dismiss. But many CEOs are plagued by feelings of isolation once they take on the top job. 

Half report experiencing feelings of loneliness in their role, and 61 percent of those who experience loneliness believe it hinders their performance.

Those just moving into the top ranks are particularly susceptible—nearly 70 percent of first-time CEOs who experience loneliness report that the feelings negatively affect their performance.

These feelings are not limited to CEOs. Isolation and loneliness can occur in anyone with newfound authority. Leaders owe it to themselves — and to their organizations — to make sure this isolation does not interfere with their effectiveness. 


Those who feel isolated can come across as aloof and distant, leading to a reputation as a leader who is uninterested and cold—which, in turn, makes it harder to lead.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are things you can do to counter any feelings of isolation and loneliness that result from your level of responsibility:

Loneliness is a human condition, as leaders we must learn to cultivate it.

 

Face Reality: Simply acknowledging your feelings of loneliness or isolation can be a relief in itself. Constantly denying these emotions in exchange for a (false) sense of self-assurance is exhausting. Take a moment each day to process and accept how complex, and even frightening, your responsibilities can be. Accepting your reality and feelings is the first step in dealing with them.

Open Yourself To Trust. It takes a lot of trust to break the cycle of isolation and become more open, especially when you are the leader. The trust to open up requires a level of vulnerability that can be difficult to allow, but it’s essential to your happiness and effectiveness. Start small if you need to, but start somewhere.

Find A Support Group: Cultivate a group of trusted advisors from among your peers and create a support group that will help you and others in the same position. Other sources of support may include a great coach, friends, people in other industries. Make a list of those you can reach out to.

Speak Your Thoughts:. If you have ever been to therapy, or even shared an intimate conversation with a close friend, you know that as soon as you tell someone what has been weighing on your chest you start to feel better.

Feel Your Feelings: Your heart expresses the language of feelings, our feelings allow our senses to summarize what our mind interprets, arranges, and directs us to feel.

Our heart has its feelings, not to feel is not to be alive.

 

Isolation causes the loneliness, and it takes trust, bravery, and vulnerability to overcome.

CEOs and other top leaders go to great lengths to maintain a facade of unflappable confidence, concealing any insecurities or anxiety. But this cycle creates dangerous problems for both the leader and the organization.

Leaders simply cannot afford to ignore doubts and anxieties that put their organization’s success at risk—not to mention their own happiness.

Now is the time for leaders to acknowledge these feelings and work to triumph over them.

Our reality cannot be comprehended without taking into account our feelings.

 

Lead From Within: Wherever you are, stay connected to what you’re feeling and hold yourself open to finding ways to work through it.

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.