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.
Friday, 28 October 2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Balance and Rest
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)
Saturday, 24 September 2011
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.
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?
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.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
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.
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.
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