You just can't communicate enough

One thing I learnt a while ago is that you can't communicate enough.

To that end, I wanted to let my readers know that I'll be taking a break over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas so don't worry if you don't see many posts from me.

However, I've got an absolutely burning topic I want to share with you as soon as I have it written.  Its about effective delegation using OmniFocus.  I've really started to hone this skill recently and want to share it with you as soon as I can.  Keep an eye out for this soon.

Framework 'v' Flexibility

There is too often the difficulty in deciding between the two options of defining a business framework 'v' the flexibility and freedom to do whatever seems the right thing to do.

Lets look at the pros and cons

Framework
+ Consistency
+ Predictability
+ Efficiency
- Rigid and limiting
- Bureaucracy
- Stifles creative learning and imposes barriers

Flexibility
+ Innovation
+ Growth
+ Motivational (for some)
- Too easy to stray into dangerous territory
- Requires rigour and discipline to keep in focus
- Allows solutions in the short term which may not be long term sustainable solutions

I used to think of these as a balancing act, to be used in opposing equal measure (how many times have you heard "You need to be able to balance both"?) but I'm not so sure.

I do think you need both but not as competing forces, instead as collaborative.  A win win of the best of both rather than one or the other.  You need to take the benefits of the framework to the point of diminishing returns and then build upon it with creativity and flexibility.

This cumulative benefit can give you competitive edge or take you to somewhere that might just surprise you.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Drop it!

I've been thinking about a post I've been trying to write for more than week now.  I just can't seem to get it right.  I finally decided today, if its not going to work, drop it and move on.

So I did.

Its ok to stop the struggle if its just not working.  The minute I made the decision, my mind cleared and I could focus again on other things, including the very learning point I decided to write about here.

Is there something big stopping you from moving forward?

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

When is enough, enough and what does enough look like?

I had a couple of isolated discussions on different topics this week which, in reflection, I've realised are intertwined.

One was on the topic of doing everything with purpose (brought up in my yoga class) and the other was on delivering perfection (with a new member of the team).

I argued at the time that you shouldn't try and deliver perfection because it invoked the law of diminishing returns and that the Pareto 80/20 rule should be our guiding principle in order to deliver the ever increasing workload effectively. This didn't seem to go down too well with the new employee.

However what I realise now was that the real core value they were trying to express was delivering with purpose. To deliver something knowing that they had given their absolute best shot without compromise (not just ticking the box to move the task on).

The trick is:

1: Deliver everything with purpose and give your fullest attention to it so that you can walk away with integrity.  Don't just tick the box.
2: Knowing when to stop and being comfortable with your credibility from the thing you delivered.

I realise this is a fine line and a tough one to judge but don't assume one or the other is acceptable on its own, its not.

Ask yourself if you have met the intent of both of these during the next piece of work you deliver.  Practice makes perfect.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Even the bad weeks can be a blast

I've just had one of those weeks where every mistake that could have occurred, did.  Its tough for you and the team during these times to stay positive.

What you must do however is understand what was driving those mistakes and treat them as a opportunity to improve.  Picture what it would be like in a week, month or years time when that mistake is a thing of the past.  There will be new challenges by then but not that one again.

Its amazing how positive that belief can be for your own motivation (effectively balancing out the negative reactions to the initial problem).  And just remember how much effect your attitude has on the team around you.

So stay positive, even the bad weeks can be a blast.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Get up 30 minutes early?

I picked up on this article a couple of weeks ago on 5 things to do every day for success (here). Its not the only time I've seen the first recommendation of such an article to be "get up 30 minutes early" as a way to get ahead on the day's events.

In principle I agree with this but have you actually tried it?  Very few people are sure will be able to sustain such a change. But that's because they are missing the obvious. They expect to take that extra 30 minutes without giving something in return to restore the balance.

Here's the trick, balance it out by going to bed 30 minutes early. That's the first thing to do.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

The power of an 'equal terms' relationship

This one may well seem off on a tangent but bear with me.

I've been using eBay on and off now for several years both as a buyer and a seller. It's ultimately just a hugely accessible marketplace, one where, in the past buyers and sellers could meet together on equal terms to come to a transactional arrangement. This was largely reinforced by their rating system for both buyer and seller.  It was a win win situation.

A little while ago, eBay changed the rules so that the buyer was the only one who could leave feedback. Rightly or wrongly, it was no longer equal terms. The buyer has the power to 'punish' the buyer through negative feedback scores. In my capacity as a buyer I don't feel it benefits me much to have this potential 'hold' over the seller. As a seller however it brings constant frustration with less than genuine bidders who can hide behind these new rules without detriment. Now this certainly isn't every buyer, but more than expected.

eBay (the Company) is a business seeking shareholder wealth. It wants to protect the buyer to generate more individual sales and therefore revenue.  However it is no longer facilitating a marketplace but a transactional service which largely works one way, the buyer's way.

So does this generate cooperation and value created by two equals? Does it inspire any kind of (tenuous as it might be) teamwork?  Of course not. It breeds suspicion and worry. It promotes individual gain over others.

Equal standing and respect is essential for every healthy relationship (knowing even when a power balance is present, it will never be used). It is something that is fundamental to the way you can work with others.

As for me, I'm quitting eBay for a little while. I might give a few things away to charity, a win win for everyone.

Getting More Focussed - Pick Four

Regular readers will know I try and adopt the GTD system in the way I organise myself and my work.  The hardest part I have always found is prioritising (the part that GTD won't do for you).

I recently picked up on a concept publicised here by Seth Godin and based on Zig Zigler's Performance Planner Methodology called Pick Four.  Its all about accepting that you can't deliver everything and instead to focus on those critical few that give the greatest personal benefit.

By committing entirely to these four goals daily over 12 weeks, it gives a turbo boost to these particular commitments (providing you actually do the work).  But you cannot just forget about your other commitments.  This is how it fits into my workflow/thinking.

Might this method of focusing on the vital few give you some big success over the near future.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Balance and Rest

Seems a simple thing to say (and even write) but for all of your drive and successes, you must also remember to balance this with rest and recuperation.

Ignoring this fact (and it is a fact, everyone needs rest) will ultimately lead to poor performance and likely mistakes.  But you'll need to figure out what your 'rest' looks like.

If you're an introvert, this may be calm activities, possibly in isolation and some quiet.  For an extrovert, it may be out and about amongst it all soaking up the atmosphere.

It doesn't matter what helps you to rest and recuperate, what matters is that you make the time to do whatever is right for you.  Now do it.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by seabamirum via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

The Purpose of an Employee Survey

The Employee Survey seems to be one of the greatest ways to create disharmony with your employees that I have seen.  This is especially the case in generically written corporate surveys where the aim is to gather contextual views and trends at a higher level.

So what is the output of an Employee Survey?
I propose that it delivers two things.
1. Measure a specific set of metrics (and potentially compare against benchmarks) - Point in Time
2. Demonstrate a trend of this data based on previous year's comparable data - Change throughout Time

Now this is all well and good and incredibly valuable but is only data.  It needs then to be turned into information.  This is where the leadership teams consider and possibly seeks feedback generically from the employees (focus groups etc.) in order to decide decide what to do about it.

However, this is where the failure point lies.  It can only ever deliver a gap between the individual employee's expectations and the leadership level initiatives based on the overview trends.  This is often simply due to the gap between the individual level and the hierarchy which builds up to the level at which the organisation operates the survey.

So what is the output of an Employee Survey for the Individual?
Lets go back to the question of what an Employee Survey delivers but this time from the viewpoint of the employee filling it in.  It delviers two things:
1. An opportunity to share their views (positively or negative)
2. Change, but only when the results (data) are interprested and are acted upon.

I beleive the downfall comes from the difference in approach between the top down and bottom up viewpoints.  Both are valid but neither particularly being met or supporting each other (when the data and trends are bad, the focus becomes to drive change broadly which dissapoints individuals.  When individuals are dissapointed, they perceive no change to them and effect the scores/data negativly).  A downward spiral or at best neutral despite everyone's best interests and hard work.

It seems that this top down approach of using the generic/organisation level data to drive the changes can unfortunately miss the mark.  One approach can instead be to look at the survey less as a driver for change but singularly as a measurement of it.  Looking at point 2 of the employee's view of the output, Change, or in the context of an annual cycle activity, Continuous Improvement.

What can I do as a manager?

Stop thinking of the survey as the driver for the change.  You and the team are the driver of the change on a continual basis, week after week, month after month.  How else do you think your team will believe that you take the idea of making improvements based on their feedback seriously.  Make it a part of your regular agenda, add a suggestions section it to your stand-up board, simply make it a routine topic to talk about continuous improvement.

The Employee Survey? It'll take care of itself if you do this right.  Its just the measurement piece.  It might even add some further ideas to bring into the cycle of improvement but is not the only source.

And because its continual improvement, you don't need to wait until after the next survey cycle to start.  Start today, ask the team what they would like to change or improve and ensure the process is there to follow up and make it a regular ongoing activity.

You want engaged employees?  Don't wait for surveys and someone else to tell you what to do.  Start today by making it your responsibility.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

How best to start your day

I'm on holiday this week and can more easily reflect on the activities I do in a normal working week without the pressures of actually having to do them.

I'm a GTD'er and use products such as Omnifocus and techniques such as Pomodoro.  I also work in a global company so inputs come through to me 24hours a day even though I don't work 24 hours a day.  So how does it actually work for me.

My work email inbox is my primary inbox.  I also have a physical inbox on my desk but nowadays less and less come 'in' to me through this.

So what do I actually do when I first get into the office in the morning.  If you've read Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy, Rule 1 is to do the most difficult thing on your list first (before even reading your email).  In a similar vein, Tim Ferris states in his blog; One piece of advice for improving self-discipline: Spend the first two hours of every workday working on outstanding projects, before you check your e-mail.

I have to disagree with both.  Although I agree with the intent, I disagree with the fact that ignoring email is the right thing to do.  Based on the GTD methodology, you process all your inputs to ensure you are focussing on the right thing right now with no distraction.  With emails coming into me overnight, I can't be truly focussed until I have processed those overnight emails.

I have two rules for this method though:
1. You must only process, not jump into tasks based on those overnight emails.
2. Spend no more than 30 minutes on this activity.

This 30 minute rule is actually quite manageable if (and only if) you have processed your email at the end of the previous email to zero (See Merlin Mann's Google Talk on the subject here, essential viewing in my opinion).

I have a daily checklist that I try and adhere to as much as possible.  It goes:

8am: Turn on PC laptop and wait 15 minutes for it to load up and run all security checks, (all the time wishing I had an apple computer at work)
8:05am: Make myself a coffee.  Might as well do myself a favour to help my brain get into gear
8:10am: Process overnight email
8:40am: Write up a paper based todo today list (I use the downloadable Pomodoro one here) based on my Omnifocus lists and anything last minute or from the overnight email that is urgent
8:50am: Turn off email and do the work

I do turn the email back on periodically throughout the day (every hour or so) but having it off helps me to focus on the tasks to be done.  Having the paper based todo today list helps by avoiding the need to reference the computer unless it is required.

I don't look at Twitter or Facebook at all during the day but I do check my personal emails on my iPhone at lunchtime to give me a distraction and mental rest.

I try and stick as best as possible to the todo today list and get the activities completed.  I find that this is only achievable if I have completed the steps above at the start of the day.

Do I do this every day?, No.  Sometimes things just don't go right even at 8:01am but these are the exception rather than the rule and I reap the rewards because of it.  See if this commitment to starting the day the best way you can will help you.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Results Driven? or Something Else

In CV's (or résumé) you often see the phrase results driven.  Sounds impressive doesn't it?

I have to admit that this is better than just doing a task in order to tick a box, irrespective of it's outcome.  To be actively seeking to deliver a result rather than just blindly following the process likely set in place by someone else, unquestionably and without thought.  Not bad.

However, maybe the phrase should be outcome driven or effect driven or purpose driven or even worth driven (See the book, The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World by Lewis Hyde on the idea of worth).

Perhaps this is a better way for you to define your hard work and labours.  Perhaps this might encourage you to consider the reason for, and the value of, the results you work so hard to deliver.

Considered this way, are your results still so impressive?

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Appropriateness of Feedback

This Sunday morning as I was sitting having breakfast and surfing the web on my iPad (I know; I should really put it down) when I started to read a comments trail which followed a researcher's open request on LinkedIn to complete their masters dissertation questionnaire.

I had responded to the request earlier in the week by completing the survey online. I feel it's right to support those that are asking for relatively free things from others (5 minutes of your time) especially if it's for student research (I was a student too looking for support).

I found that people were using the open forum comments section to criticise and denounce aspects of the survey they did not agree with. It staggered me as to how damaging this feedback was.

Feedback is supposed to be a gift

Usually I find that managers find it hard to give valuable and constructive (but often negative) feedback to support and develop their employees. I work hard to support them to have the management courage to ignore the short term uncomfortable situation in order to give this ultimately positively impacting feedback.

Here I found feedback being given but in entirely the wrong way. I could see it being taken in no other way than negatively, with no real support to help the individual improve. One of the biggest problems was that it was given in an open forum, hardly an environment where the individual would be focused on the feedback itself and learning from it, rather than worrying about what everyone else reading it would be thinking.

Would you walk up to one of your employees in the middle of the office and give them feedback in front of everyone else on what they did wrong and what you therefore thought of their work? Of course not.

That's the key message with feedback. 

It has to be given in a way that helps and directs the individual to make the improvement by promoting reflection and learning.  Anything other than that is scoring points against them. You may not mean it, but that's the impact.

Feedback is a gift but as the giver of it (the communicator), you have to responsibility to ensure you do it right.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by striatic via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Give a Due Date for everything

This is one of the simplest techniques I think I have every learned in management.  When assigning a task or discussing it, make sure you assign a due date to it right then and there.

Now it might need reviewing or modifying later but that will be a conscious decision.  Not setting one on the other hand leaves things open to interpretation and inevitably to slipages and missed expectations.

It also has two additional benefits:

1. It reinforces that it is important.  By giving a due date you are implying that it is important enough for you to set a follow up date up front.  Don't underestimate these unspoken messages.

2. It simply makes it very easy for you to plan your follow up and takes it off your mind.  You don't need to put any more thought into how and when to revisit the topic.  Just put a reminder in your diary, and forget about it.  Not doing this will mean that it is always on your mind worrying about when the right time is to follow up.  That's not time well spent in my opinion.

These are such simple (almost insultingly obvious) things yet we fail to do them and make our lives harder time and time again.

Do yourself a favour and try and remember this one thing this week.  I guarantee you'll see some results immediately.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by Claude via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Reactions to Guidelines and Frameworks for Personal Development

There has been a lot of talk over the past week or two in the UK about the government's new five a day parenting guidelines.

A positive article from the BBC can be found here whilst a more scathing one from The Telegraph can be found here.

This has sparked a great debate about whether people should be told or even helped in the 'right' way to raise their child. On one side, the argument is that parents who don't know should be helped through guidelines and education. On the other, parents should be left to do the right thing for their child rather than a one size fits all approach.

Intervention

A lot of the debate is around the word 'intervention' (which I particularly dislike, but seems to have become the word of choice in training and development circles).

The 5 a day proponents say that this is not intervention anyway, merely proportional help and that without it further intervention may be inevitable later in life (schooling/social/criminal etc problems) if the parent fails in the role. The opponents clearly don't agree with intervention at an early stage.

So I guess the question is what does the parent need and how best to identify and then satisfy that development need. This same situation appears in the workplace all the time.

How do you help people to understand something that they might not currently even have awareness of?  Intervention is only intervention (assuming the negative connotation) when it be forced upon a person who already has awareness and have chosen to either develop in a certain and different way, or not at all, but with a rationale behind their choice.

Just a reference point?

I honestly can't see why guidance and a framework aren't a great place to start. Those with awareness can find their place in that framework and develop from there. Those with no awareness might just have their eyes opened to the possibility and pathway to develop. Surely that's a win-win and doesn't sound like a 'one size fits all' at all.

Those ready to fight it seem to want to fight whether it's right or not, whether it's needed or not.  They don't seem open to the idea that everyone can improve and be ready to ask themselves "where am I in this framework and do I need to do something to develop". Perhaps it's a fear thing, to analyse yourself.  Blame the framework, rather than focus on themselves and how best to use the information to their advantage.

I'm sure that you see this type of behaviour in the workplace all the time. People who think their way is the right way without referencing outside influences or new ideas. You must constantly challenge this with new ideas and external reference points. Challenge your team to be unafraid to constantly reassess.  The answer might be that they are in the right place already, but it's good to check.

There is nothing to fear and everything to gain. Try and help them understand that.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Checklists (People still aren't realising their value)

I wrote a post a little while ago in a blog entitled Managing the Standard Work about the power of checklists and I recommended reading of a book called The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

Whilst scanning the news online this week, I saw an interesting question on this very subject by the BBC writer, Michael Blastland entitled Go Figure: Tick box v check-list.

You can read the whole article but to summarise it, you've got to get past the idea of a checklist being a way to have to stop thinking.  You're probably sick of me saying this but Begin with the Outcome in Mind.  Answer this first, what is the purpose of using a checklist; what is its value?

The purpose of a checklist is to compliment and aid the thinking process, not replace it.

Until this is understood and bought into a don't think people will ever get past the idea of 'tick box'.  Tick box suggests doing following the list simply in order to satisfy its own purpose.  A checklist however has a measure of value in it.  It is a check.  That check is the value add.

Be really honest with yourself and ask how many simple mistakes you or for team made this week.  How many? 1, 2, 10?

I used a checklist today and stopped 4 mistakes becoming issues which would have come back to bite in about 2 weeks time.  15 minutes to save about a days potential non value added work to fix the issues (let alone the grief and loss of reputation)?

Do yourself a favour and think seriously about how (with the right focus) checklists can help you and avoid becoming another tick box activity in your life.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by AlanCleaver via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Who's on your reading list?

An original thought is hard to come by nowadays with your thinking becoming a culmination of influences and inputs from a whole host of sources.  This is no bad thing as the output is always greater than the sum of its parts.

So who do I follow?  Whose 'Tribe' am I in?  Who do I listen to?

I thought I would share some of my influences to open up your world to some of mine.

Creative thinkers

• Seth Godin - This blog and books - A great provoker and has never ceased to make me think
• Dan Pink - His books and twitter feed - You must read 'Drive'
• Merlin Mann - I don't much follow him specifically as I really struggle to handle his rambling communication style but he does keep popping up with some great stuff

Presentation

• Garr Reynolds - His blog and books - He really knows what presentation is all about
• Nancy Duarte - Great books and presentation design
• Ted Talks - By various folks, check out as many as you can

Efficiency and Productivity (making your life and work easier)

• David Allen - The master of Getting things Done (GTD), Essential Reading
• David Sparks - His books, blog and webcast (MacPowerUsers) - Just the nicest guy on using a mac and getting on with work and life
• Kourosh Dini - Brilliant GTD, OmniFocus and Pomodoro advice
• Practically Efficient - Tips and tricks, aways worth a read of the blog
• Asian Efficiency - Great web site and guides to using OmniFocus and twitter feed (although repeats their posts a lot)

I hope you try a few of these and get as much from them as I do.  Enjoy.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

What and How in order to Why - 2 Stage Development Planning

I've spent much of the last month working with various managers at all levels in a business to focus on development planning of their employees.

Much of the time, it is seen as a simple box ticking exercise in order to 'fill out the paperwork'.  The reason for development seems to have been forgotten by all but those who are actively focussed on progression and promotion.  Of course, everyone can develop and improve.

Stage 1

Drivers for your Development

Begin with the outcome in mind. The goal is the activity in which you are trying to deliver a result.

What you need in order to deliver that goal is both the technical skills required for that activity and more importantly the behavioural competencies to help you be more effective in delivering that great result.

Your development should focus on satisfying a need for one or the other of these things, either the technical skill or the competency to help you make a success of it.

This is the first stage; identifying why you are doing it.

Stage 2

Stage two is to figure out the mechanism in which you are going to 'develop'.  This is the second stumbling block to people creating a good development plan.  A simple thought process to this however is to follow the model What and How in order to Why.

What?

What is the actual need, the specific thing that is required?  Is it a strength that you want to develop to greater effect (yes, development doesn't need to be focussed on a weakness) or perhaps plug a gap?

Is it a skill required or a competence?

Some examples might be develop presentation skills or learn how to type.


These are not the activities themselves (the How) and they are not the rationalle for doing it (the Why) but they are an essential part.

How?

How really starts to get into the interesting part which requires you to truly get into the specifics of how this can be achieved.  This will likely be more than one action step.

For those followers of GTD, this taps into the idea of a 'Next Action'; what actually needs to happen to turn the 'what' into reality.

Continuing the examples above, it could be read Garr Reynold's book Presentation Zen or complete tutorial from online touch typing class.

Why?

Lastly, the Why.  This actually brings us all the way back to the starting point in Stage 1 of beginning with the outcome in mind.  What goal are you ultimately trying to reach some kind of output on?

When you couple these three things with the transition phrase 'in order to' then you get:



Develop presentation skills by reading Garr Reynold's book Presentation Zen in order to have a more effective communication style when pitching ideas to senior management.
or
Learn how to type by completing the tutorial from the online touch typing class in order to become more efficient in creating monthly technical reports.

Now these are relative simple development plans (if only skills and competencies could be gained so easily) but I hope they give you the idea.

Development planning does not need to be complicated but you do need to step back and get back to basics.  Why don't you try this two stage model with something you want to achieve this month.  Good Luck.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

('What' photo by judepics, 'How' photo by ivanwalsh, 'Why' photo by theeerin via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

You're not really a leader until...

I was recently watching the film "The Core" when I heard this dialogue.


Col. Robert Iverson: Being a leader isn't about ability. It's about responsibility.
Maj. Rebecca Childs: Got it, sir.
Col. Robert Iverson: No you don't, Beck. I mean, you're not just responsible for the good ones. You've got to be responsible for the bad ones. You've got to be ready to make the shitty call.
Maj. Rebecca Childs: What makes you think I'm not?
Col. Robert Iverson: Because you're so damn good. You haven't hit anything you couldn't beat. I mean, hell, you were the one who figured out how to save the space shuttle. You made me, you made the rest of NASA just look like an ass. It's just you're used to winning... and you're not really a leader until you've lost.

Couldn't have put it better myself; so I won't.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Audits - Prepare Yourself

I’m always slightly amused by the fear that comes over everyone when they are told an audit is due.

The issue is that we are all sometimes guilty of only using the frameworks audited against every year (or however often they are audited) in the month the audit is due. You go into the cabinet and dust off the folder of materials from last time and then update; making it up as best as you can to try and score the most points.

Sound familiar?  Don't you want to get the best score?

Begin with the outcome in mind. It is worth remembering an audit’s purpose.

The definition of the word is to conduct a systematic review of and its origin is from late middle english from the Latin auditus ‘hearing’ deriving from audire ‘hear’.

It’s this point that staggers me every time, the fact that (unless your job depends on a certain ‘score’; and how often does that actually happen) the value of the audit is in your listening to the feedback.

Don’t see the one day audit as something in which you have to justify your team’s processes and performance against; see it as your own private consultant who has just spent eight hours looking for ways to help you improve what you and your team does.

Don’t fear an audit, embrace it.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by DaveFayram via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Greater than the sum of its parts

I recently posted on another blog, some thoughts about ‘Diversity and Inclusion’. I had also talked recently about embracing difference in your team to get the best from your team.

The pitfall from any initiative in regards to diversity and inclusion is that diversity is often the primary (or initial) focus rather than Inclusion.

These are not interchangeable words in the same way that thunder and lightning are related and linked but are different things.

If we start with the outcome in mind, we are seeking to generate and support a higher performing team at every level (based on a varied group that challenges and innovates; and most importantly, is truly engaged). Inclusion can be seen as a definition of what this team looks and acts like from a behaviour or action point of view.

Diversity therefore is an extension of the described differences, the constituent elements or labels to define the differing pieces of the team.

A greater focus on the Inclusion piece might provide some desire to sustain this change rather than simply focussing on the diverse elements within.

When you eat a great meal, the ingredients are important but you don’t focus only on them. When you enjoy a great meal, you focus on the experience of it and the way it worked in harmony together to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Always keep the outcome in mind.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.


(Photo by jlastras via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Confident and Humble

If you are going to succeed as a manager then you clearly need be seen to be confident and sure in your thoughts and actions (even if you do not feel super confident inside).

Your strength in tough times gives a crutch to your team when they need to know they are on the right path.

However, take caution in ensuring that your confidence does not become overbearing and turn into perceived arrogance.

One way to do this is by ensuring that you constantly challenge yourself to be humble.  Taking the word's definition from the Oxford Dictionary, "offered with or affected by a modest estimate of one's importance"

What a great way to lead.  The strength that the team looks for will simply come from your character rather than how you try and 'show' yourself to be.

I believe that confidence is demonstrating that you respect yourself and coupling this with a humble nature in which you respect others as equals is a powerful leadership combination.

Those that think they are important and act as such, seldom are.

Those that don't seem to be the more content, relaxed, self assured, interested and ultimately more genuine managers and leaders.

How do you want to portray yourself?

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by Wonderlane via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Inheriting a Team

You'll always be told to recruit well; matching the skills of the person to the job.  But what about the real world where you 'inherit a team' and the people within it. 

Matching the required skills to the people might not cover all the bases required. The backgrounds of the team members might be varied and in some cases a little "out there". You need to embrace the fact that that diversity is in fact healthy rather than something to fix or change. Don't necessarily try and mould the team, why not try and mould the team's output (as much as possible) to match their skills.

Get to know your staff so that when you need to make that hard call to get them doing something they might find hard or uncomfortable, they trust that you have understood them and have taken that into account the best you can.

You've got to earn trust so you need to start now to build it for when you really need it.

What do you really know about your employees?  Why don't you try and find out something new about each one of them today.


Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Do you play the game?

We were awaiting the outcome of a big decision today which wasn't within our control. We couldn't control the outcome, we could just play the game to the best of our abilities; (or not at all).

The outcome today was no, negative, sorry, not this time (insert any rejection wording here). We played and didn't win.

We were afraid this might happen but we played anyway. We feel pretty disappointed about the outcome which wasn't the one we wanted.

Despite the disappointment, I'm glad we gave it our best shot rather than considering what might have been.

How would you feel if you didn't play?

#Trust30

Will you take the Trust Yourself (#Trust30) Writing Challenge?

I started his blog because I wanted to share my learning and ideas; the ones I had gathered and analysed and made decisions upon for myself.

Its fun to be creative in this way and actually not as difficult as you fear it will be.  And I think that is why many people do hide from their creative side - fear.  Usually fear of failure.

I try and follow Seth Godin having read his excellent book, Linchpin.  His most recent project is The Domino Project which in itself has provided me with 3 more thought provoking kindle reads (all for free, check out how this is possible at their Web site).

Today they launched a 30 day initiative entitled Trust Yourself (#Trust30) based on the spirit within their last ebook launch, Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Using their words: "It’s an opportunity to reflect on your now and create direction for your future."

That kind of sounds like why I started doing this a few months ago.  I needed reminding of that and this challenge has given me back that focus.  I've pledged on their Web site.  I might fail, hey, I might succeed but at very least I will have acted and that might well take me somewhere new.

Where will the next 30 days take you?

Checklists and OmniOutliner

A few weeks ago I talked about the use of checklists in the post Managing Standard Work and the use of them came to mind again yesterday with the release of OmniOutliner for iPad.

It occurred to me just how useful this new software is on the iPad.  Ignore its functionality, its integration with the desktop version and its simply great design that makes you want to pick it up and create something (any software that makes you want to work is great in my mind).

What struck me was that I now have the ability to have all my checklists with me at all times now with the 3G iPad.  Simply put all your checklists in an online folder using MobileMe iDisk or WebDAV and they are accessible to you wherever you are.

So next time you find yourself with some unexpected Standard Routine Work, no need to put it off, deal with it then knowing that you have the checklist at your fingertips to get it right first time.

Note: Although I am a huge fan of the Omni group and their products, I am not affiliated to them in any way.  I started using their products with OmniFocus, then the excellent OmniGraffle, OmniGraphSketcher and now OmniOutliner.  With their free trials and educational discounts on offer, its easy to give them a go.

Organising your work & OmniFocus

A few posts ago, I talked about the idea of organising your work in order to have clarity over what you need to do.  One such way is the simple paper and pen.  To be honest, I still revert back to that when I need to be free of distraction and get an idea, sketch, text or mind map out of my head and recorded somewhere.  Give me a yellow legal pad and pen and I'm happy.

On a side note, people always ask my why I use the more expensive yellow pads rather than cheaper white; its so that I can find my written notes amongst printed materials (which are practically always on white paper) when I'm working with hard copies. Call it a simple visual management system.

However when you need to organise this material, things get a little more complex and I really need a system to help me control it all. An online system gives one simple benefit; it's ability to edit the data within it and always show a 'clean' version. This is the downside of pen and paper, when you edit something, you can't clean up with original. A piece of paper fast becomes a clutter of ideas, scored out notes and modified sketches.

This clean data is what you want to see when you are in a position to act and do your work.

I use the excellent software programme OmniFocus (http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnifocus) across my Mac, iPhone and iPad.  It allows you to filter it all down into your next actions organised into categories that are relevant to you, giving you the prompts to act in the right place at the right time.

And the other advantage of it being on the computer, it is transferrable between all of your devices.  If you are like me, the phone never leaves your side so you'll always have the data to hand.

So do yourself a favour, have a system and most importantly, use it.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Its not what you know, its who you know

A new take on the phrase "it's not what you know it's who you know".  It's who you know used to be about social classes, rich and poor, nowadays it is still about who you know rather than what you know.  The difference is that who you know is based on your networking and relationship building. It's about the opportunity you create and develop.

Furthermore, you can't know everything, it's what you know implies power and hold over others. That's not the way to work. You need others; you won't realise your full potential unless you engage with others and utilise them to reach the bigger goal.

And don't think this only works for teams. Think about the lone artist, the individual. Who is their muse, their support network, their encouragement and reminder of their goals?

Everyone needs someone else, figure out who you need to know and get to know them.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Automate your standard routine work with Apple Automator

In a recent post, I talked about the idea of reducing your standard routine work and increasing the time available to focus on projects (non-routine work).

With this in mind, wouldn't it be great to reduce the actual time spent doing the same repetitive tasks.

On your apple you can. Automator is a tool that remembers a set of sets in a process and repeats them with one click. Think of them as a Macro that you find in excel. Their possibility is probably as large as your imagination of application.

Wouldn't it be great to remove all the repetitive tasks you complete each day with one click for each? Check it out and see what it can do for you today.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

When your IT tools do help you

This is my first dive into the huge (and often heated) discussion of what IT tools are there to help you.  This is such a subjective topic and before I start, I want to say one thing; Use what works for you.


I want to share with you what works for me.

Firstly, I use apple products.  I do also use a windows laptop (which I will refer to as my PC) and blackberry at work but my main activities other than the day to day PC based email and Microsoft office documents are done on my apple products.  I use 3: a macbook pro, an iPhone and an iPad.

Why do I use apple products?  Aren't they expensive you say?  Well yes they are, but they work consistently and beautifully.  If you are going to spend most of the day on a computer or mobile device of any description, wouldn't you want that experience to be as enjoyable as possible?

I pay more because I want to end the day as unstressed as possible having been as productive as possible.  I'm sorry, but Windows machines have never done that for me.  Apple products also become out of date less frequently and because they are generally well made, they last longer.  

You'll spend more up front but save money (and your sanity) in the longer term.

More next time on the software that I use.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Managing the Standard Work

I said in an earlier blog that you really need to find ways to minimise the routine Standard Work and focus on the non-routine Project Work as this is where the real value lies for you and your team.

Think of Standard Work as routine work that you know needs to be done regularly (either scheduled such as a weekly task or ad hoc such as a process triggered by an employee action).  You want to spend as little time on this type of work as possible but you must get it right.

Poor quality routine work gives you a poor reputation, decreases motivation of your team and possibly most importantly, creates more work in fixing the issue.  In my experience the size of the work will also have increased by the time you get it right as it will have led to further issues.  In effect, you have created more work for yourself.  Do you really want to spend your week fixing your own problems?

One effective way to manage this is through checklists.  They are often frowned upon by the 'educated' as something too simple and perhaps insulting to their intelligence.  Do pilots lack intelligence, doctors, astronauts?  They all use checklists every day, and frankly, I'm glad they do.  I'd hate for the quality of their work to not be good enough especially if I'm their customer that day.

Checklists have the advantage of ensuring two things:
1. You feel in control as you don't have to rely on your brain to remember all the steps (efficiency)
2. You don't forget a step whilst being distracted by the 20 other things on your mind or in the room (error proofing)

I recommend the book The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande that goes into this subject in convincing detail.

You need to accept that intelligence does not make you infallible, you are human after all.  So why not make things easier for you especially on the routine standard stuff.  Save your mental energy for the really tough challenging non-routine project work.

How to manage workload clarity

I talked last week about the need to get clarity on your work.  I talked about the types of work in order for you to try and group them into meaningful categories.  You can find the post here.

However how are you going to actually get control over this?

One way that has worked for me is the GTD, Getting Things Done methodology.  It follows a 5 step process:

1. Collection - Collect all the inputs into one place
2. Processing - Figure out what is means to you
3. Organising - Collate it into packages of actions with that vital "Next Action"
4. Reviewing - Keep on top of it all regularly with a weekly review
5. Doing - Focus on doing the right things, in the right way at the right time

This is a standard process for controlling your workload.  In being in control you have clarity, and with clarity, you can better choose what you want to spend your time focusing on.

I've been using this process for over a year now.  It took a few days to learn and implement.  However its scope and depth is great enough for me to still be developing and adapting it for my needs even today.

The best place to start is by buying the book, Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity by David Allen.  Alternatively check out his website www.davidco.com

You have to start with yourself and get clarity, get this right and you'll have the basis to better manage others.

The Time is Now

I wanted to share a post that I read by Brett Arends over at SmartMoney.com focusing on the future value of today's money (cleverly wrapped around the current hot topic of the iPad 2).

Its a challenging piece which really will make you think about the disposable income in the future.  However it also made me think about the idea of action (or more importantly inaction) today and its effect on the future.

What will inaction today cost you in the future?
The email you are avoiding (or the bulging email inbox that scares you to get in and deal with)
The coaching you really need to give to challenge a potentially disruptive employee behaviour
The weekly review which will ensure you have the right focus for the upcoming week's activities

In fact, anything that seems difficult today is likely to be more difficult tomorrow.  Deal with it as soon as you can, The Time is Now.

Get clarity on the work you (and the team) have

Get clarity on the work you have.  Most managers are ineffective when they don't manage the overall workload.


You should start thinking about this in terms of the output of the team.  This is because your primary role as a manager is to manage and be responsible for the overall output of the team.  This should cover the activities themselves (the what), the manner in which they are delivered (the how) and the motivation to do so (the why).  More on the how and why later but today I just want to focus on the process on managing the what.


Work can be defined in two ways, standard work and projects.


Standard Work is the repetitive tasks and activities which should be expected and in most cases predictable.  This is the type of work where processes and checklists are invaluable in simplifying the job to be done.


Projects are the pieces of work which tend to be one offs or new initiatives.  Its the area where it's more challenging (less safe) to be and where the potential for motivation of your employees lies.


Guess where you and your team can add value to the organisation?  (Hint, its not doing the same stuff you did yesterday.)  


Get clarity on the work you have in order to consciously work towards reducing the time spent on the standard work where possible and increasing the valuable time spent on the projects.  I guarantee your employees will thank you for it and you'll thank yourself.


More on this topic next time.   


Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

A place to start

Look first to yourself for a place to start.  After all its what you've (theoretically) got the most control over.


Some of these posts will be focused on books that can help with the topics I want to cover.  The first is possibly one of the most famous out there, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey.  You can find it on Amazon here.


The first 3 habits are all about you and, alone, can be some of the best learning out there for you to develop yourself.  The 3 habits are:

1. Be proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first

I won't go into all the specifics as you can find a detailed explanation for the habits at Stephen R Covey's website.


However, really taking this seriously, taking your development seriously will get you started and build a solid foundation to start managing others.


Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

First Look Inwards

Focus on yourself first.  Now I don’t mean that you become the selfish, inwardly focused manager who simply serves (and demands others to also serve) their ego and objectives.  This is about you organising yourself for the benefit of others.  In this case your team.

You must give as much time to organising yourself as to your people.  Most of the management books I have read seem to focus on ways to ‘control’ your team.  Instead look at yourself first and seek improvements there.

In other words, first look inwards and then outwards. 

What benefits might you find there, if you truly do organise yourself better?  I guarantee at the very least, you will look more professional, more calm and definitely more in control (a relatively crucial skill as a manager don’t you think).

Have you ever seen that great manager who seems to have it all under control?  You want to be more like them, right?  They are leading by example and engaging you to do the same simply by the way they present themselves.  You can do the same, but it requires you to first look inwards.

Managing for the First Time - Welcome to this first post

This is the first post on the Managing for the First Time Blog. It is complementary to my website www.managingforthefirsttime.com

Would love to hear your comments, feedback and idea.

Over the years, I've noticed one simple mistake being repeated again and again from business to business. No-one every tells you how to be a manager. I don't mean the theoretical stuff and the management training courses which jump straight to inspirational leadership and strategic thinking. I'm also not talking about the management of tasks and ever bigger projects which accompany this new elevated role.

I'm talking about the simple things, the day to day things; usually involving people, which really do test whether you are management material or not.

Of course, you can avoid all the difficult bits. Just focus on the easier bits to get your head around. These will be the things you were good at which lead to the promotion into the realms of management in the first place. The technical specialisms or worse case, the length of time you've been in the department. Don't get me wrong, I truly value experience and the wisdom it can bring but is that really what makes someone the best next manager from the pool available?

This blog seeks to address these more practical skills which are required especially when dealing with a team of people. Real people, that variable element, at times unpredictable but potentially able to produce incredible results.

However we don't want to get hung up on the terminology, Manager 'v' Leader. These are very closely linked and overlap considerably. Also organisations have a admirable but misplaced focus on Leadership without the Management focus first. You can't run until you can walk. A colleague of mine once used the analogy, managing is knowing how to sail in tough but familiar waters, leadership is pointing the boat into the open sea.

There is no single right answer in dealing with people. That's the bad news. The good news is that there are literarily hundreds of great and simple things you can do to get the best from your people.

Let's take a look at how.