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Become the Manager Every Organization (and Team) Craves to Have!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDKo2ye04oc

#MissionInspire1Million

Have you ever had a brilliant idea strike when you were far away from the office, perhaps during a peaceful weekend or a leisurely evening walk? Research indicates that many of us experience our most creative moments exactly when we’re not immersed in the din and bustle of work.

The Science Behind It: Numerous reputable studies have found that we tend to have more innovative thoughts during periods of relaxation and downtime. This is when our brains have the freedom to connect unrelated ideas, leading to fresh perspectives and creative solutions.

However, here’s the catch: not everyone can tap into this fountain of creativity outside of work. Many employees in stressful and toxic environments often shut out thoughts of work as soon as they leave the office. These thoughts of work can trigger pain, leading them to disassociate from them.

On the other hand, when employees feel loved, valued, and appreciated, they are more likely to welcome work-related thoughts during their downtime. They don’t resist these ideas; instead, they embrace them. They ponder, they experiment, and they contribute their best to make work better. There are studies that show employees who work in engaging environments use more of their discretionary time to think of ways to improve work. When thoughts of the workplace don’t trigger pain and uncomfortable feelings, people allow these thoughts to breach their highly protected private mindspaces.

The Outcome: This nurturing approach leads to improved problem-solving and enhanced productivity. It’s a win-win situation – employees are happier, and the organization thrives.

In other words, managers who foster a culture of trust and respect end up getting more out of their employees. They don’t just enhance the well-being of their team members but also unlock a treasure trove of creative ideas that can drive success.

“The P- Balance” is my naughty version of the 3 pillars proposed by the reputed and super duper effective Strength Deployment Inventory, SDI. It stands for Performance, Process and People. Its a great tool to coach Managers. The framework says that though we generally want to do and get everything right, our behavior will be strongly influenced by our P orientation.

As a Manager, if you are strongly Performance oriented, you will set high standards, move super quickly and get things done. People and processes are importance for you, but you would be ready be sacrifice them at the altar of achievement. You will set challenging goals for your team member, emphasize on deadlines and hold your team members accountable. So far so good.

But you may become overly demanding and push people too hard, leading to burnout and demotivation. You may micromanage to ensure that taks are completed exactly as expected, choking creativity and initiative.

Now lets look at Process Orientation. If you are strong in this P, you will be the boss at creating efficient workflows and ensuring tasks are completed super systematically. You provide structure and clarity to the team. Your attention to detail minimizes errors and celebrates consistency. Awesome right?

But overdo this and you overcomplicate processes, slow everything down. You resist change and flexibility and focus on process excellence at the cost of everything else.

Finally, if your People Orientation is the strongest, you build strong relationships and create a supportive work environment. You treat people with respect and is the king of inclusion.

But when overdone, you spend excessive time addressing personal issues, neglecting work tasks. You avoid necessary tough decisions or performance-related conversations to maintain harmony, which can hinder growth.

The question for you is… Which P are you? What is your strongest orientation- Performance- Process of People. How would your direct reports describe you. Remember that the effectiveness of a manager often lies in their ability to adapt and find the right balance between these orientations. So what is the right balance for you, keeping in mind your organization culture and team members?

If you have to distribute these orientations into a 50%-30%-20% model, how would you distribute them? Would it be People (50%), Performance (30%) and Process (20%) or something totally different ? Would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the comments box.

And enjoy the rest of the weekend 🙂

Ever find yourself, as a manager, transforming into ‘Mr. Perfection’ every time a team member brings forward an idea or proposal? Guilty as charged? It’s fine, most of us have been there! But perhaps, it’s time to take a step back and ponder!”

Marshall Goldsmith, in his lovely book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” highlights the “Managerial Itch” to critique and ‘add value’ to every idea that comes their way. It’s the hierarchical equivalent of the Pavlovian response: see a new proposal, BAM! unleash a flood of ‘constructive criticism.’

Studies, including those published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, have shown that such well-meaning interference can suppress creativity and innovation and decrease job satisfaction. The unsaid message sent is that nothing is ever good enough unless perfected by your’s truely.

But here’s the thing: For corporate heaven’s sake, not everything has to be a masterpiece! By setting impossibly high standards and aggressively grabbing the steering wheel, managers stifle creativity and initiative. Sometimes, allowing the team to create something that isn’t ‘perfect’ can lead to more learning and innovation.

So, how can managers resist the urge to be the ‘Maestro of Modification’?

1. Lower The Bar Sometimes:
   It’s okay to accept that not everything has to meet exceedingly high standards. Encourage progress and learning, rather than perfection. Celebrate the effort and innovation, even if the outcome isn’t flawless.
2. Ask, Don’t Tell:
   Encourage deeper thinking by asking open-ended questions rather than imposing your views or solutions.
3. Cultivate a Sense of Ownership:
   Allow your team members the autonomy to make the final calls on their proposals, promoting responsibility.
4. Cheer for Creativity:
   Appreciate creative efforts and innovative ideas even if they are not embodiments of perfection.

Becoming the manager everyone craves involves not just guiding your team but also knowing when to shut up and step back. Next time, instead of being the ‘Sultan of Suggestions,’ try being the ‘Mentor of Motivation,’ who fosters innovation and growth without overshadowing the team!

Cant get your team members to perform well? Make the Pygmalion effect work in your favour.

Not getting the desired results from your team members? You think, they are slow, inaccurate and not as committed as you want them to be? Before you set out to correct them, check whether the Pygmalion effect is working against you.

But what is the Pygmalion effect?

Also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy, this effect suggests that people’s performance can be influenced hugely by the expectations placed upon them. When someone is expected to succeed,do well, they often rise to meet those expectations. On the other hand when someone is expected to fail or be mediocre, they  perform poorly as a result.

There are several studies which have proven this. When new teachers are told that their students are gifted and committed, they communicate with them, deal with them in a particular way which makes even average students end up over exceeding expectations. How does this work? I will not have the time to explain the science behind this miracle. But please read about it.

This research extends well beyond the classroom. In the workplace, managers’ expectations about their team members can greatly influence their performance. So treat this video as a reminder of the powerful influence you hold and the potential you have to unleash your team’s true capabilities.

When you meet a fresh graduate who has recently joined your team or lets say if you have newly taken over the leadership responsibilities of a team, what is the expectation level that you have from day 1 ? On a scale of 1 to 10, how committed, competent, proactive and professional do you expect them to be? 9, 10 or 2,3. Please note that more than anything else, this level of expectation that you start with will dictate the kind of performance that you will eventually get out of your team members.

So if you are someone who keeps low expectations from people, you have to sort your attitude out first. You could be influenced by past experiences, biases, stereotypes, or a lack of understanding of the individual’s capabilities. Some of us may have worked in environments where we have  witnessed consistent underperformance which may have lead to the development of a default mindset of low expectations.

How do we correct this?

1- Awareness: Start by becoming aware of your own expectations about each of your team members and the potential impact they can have on them. 

2- Self-reflection: Reflect on the reasons behind your low expectations. Examine whether they are based on objective evidence or personal biases.

3- Perspective changing: Deliberately and consistently start looking for strengths and achievements in people. It would help to keep a journal about each of your team members. With time, this will become natural and your mindset will change.

There is a beautiful story behind the word Pygmalion. As the Greek legend goes, Pygmalion was a renowned sculptor. Once he creates a beautiful statue of a woman and then falls head over heels in love with his own creation. For years and years, he just keeps looking at the statue, besotted by her beauty. Finally the gods, impressed by his devotion, gives life to the statue and turns it into a lovely woman.

Dear friends, if we as managers can spot and respect the strengths each of our team members bring to the workplace and also have high expectations from each one of them, these strengths will come alive and we will be rewarded with amazing, record breaking results.

So start making the Pygmalion effect working for you. Trust me. It works.

Welcome back to our journey towards becoming the Manager every organization and team craves to have, deserves to have. Today, I want to talk about the dangers of being overly tactical and super importance of becoming a strategist. I have often heard senior management remark, “He is good, but quite tactical. We need someone more strategic for this goal.” It’s unfortunate when a manager gets too caught up in doing the job well, in the day-to-day grind forgetting to work on making the job more impactful, larger, and more futuristic. Let’s not fall into that trap, my friends. As managers, I believe we should spend 70% of our time being tactical while allocating at least 30% of our time to be strategic. Let me share with you six simple practices I personally adopt to become a strategist.

1. Uncover clues from within: While some organizations clearly communicate their strategic directions, this is quite rare. Therefore, it’s essential to hunt for clues. I carefully scan emails from top management, especially those sent quarterly or annually. Look out for keywords such as customer centricity, risk management, innovation, and sustainability. Filter out these words and ask yourself, “What can I do to align with these themes?”
2. Seek guidance: Whenever I have the opportunity to meet senior management, I make it a point to ask, “What is that one thing you want us to focus on?” This provides valuable insights into our priorities.
3. Listen to the voice of the customer: Make it a habit to ask both internal and external customers about their pain points and how we can exceed their expectations. Valuable suggestions can come from those who are in direct contact with customers.
4. Benchmark and adopt best practices: There are various ways to achieve this. Connect with peers from best-in-class organizations using LinkedIn. Engage with them and learn about their unique approaches. Additionally, read white papers and search for the “latest trends in training and development,” “procurement,” or “customer happiness” on Google. You will be amazed at the valuable insights you discover.
5. Stay connected with vendors: Maintain regular contact with vendors, particularly those providing technology solutions. Take the time to watch demos and inquire about what other organizations are buying and implementing.
6. Analyze and optimize processes: Conduct a thorough analysis of your internal processes. Identify the flow of work, from when it comes in to when it leaves your department. Challenge yourself to find ways to make work faster and simpler.

By incorporating these seven simple and highly effective practices, you can elevate your department to greater heights while rebranding yourself as a futurist. When your organization seeks someone who is ideal for current and future roles, they will think of you.

Wishing you all the very best. If you have any additional suggestions on becoming a strategist, please feel free to share them in the comment section.

Thank you.

Food for thought for the upcoming, brand-new week!

Let me share some valuable tips that have made a significant difference in my journey as a manager. These are not your typical formal strategies; they’re the real deal – personal, powerful, and game-changing! Here we go!

Hope you found them useful. Please feel free to add more in the comment box.

1. Accelerate everything: Eliminate bottlenecks, streamline processes and belittle established SLAs and turn around times.
2. Push continuous Upskilling: Curate personalized learning journeys tailored to individual team members, helping them to reach their full potential.
3. Enhance Stakeholder Relationships: Cultivate close and frequent connections with customers and key stakeholders.
4. Innovate, Innovate, Innovate: Promote a mindset of challenging the status quo, exploration of new ideas, and a culture of continuous improvement.
5. Encourage Constructive Debate: Foster a safe environment where team members can express diverse viewpoints, challenging your ideas and collectively driving better solutions.
6. Inspire with Compelling Goals: Effectively communicate ambitious short-term and long-term goals that captivate and motivate your team, inspiring them to achieve extraordinary results.
7. Amplify Impact: Think big and envision grand outcomes, then stretch your goals even further, continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, inspiring your team to surpass their own limits.
8. Drive Growth through Feedback: Hold team members accountable with constructive feedback, guiding them to course-correct, overcome challenges, and grow.
9. Foster Deep Connections: Cultivate trust-based relationships with your team members enabling a sense of belonging.
10. Recognize and Appreciate: Acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of your team, not just the end results.
11. Ignite Collaboration: Break down silos, encourage cross-functional collaboration, and spark a collaborative spirit that drives collective success, across the organization.
12. Lead by Exemplary Action: Set the standard, walk the talk and inspire your team to follow suit.

#MissionInspire1Million

Click here to watch my video on this article.

Hey there! If you’ve ever been a manager or part of a team, you know that communication can be tricky sometimes. Managers often feel like they’re struggling to get their team to complete tasks the way they want, and team members sometimes think their managers are too controlling or lose their cool. This can lead to a pretty tense work environment and not-so-great results.

But guess what? There’s a way to make things better! By setting up a system that clearly communicates expectations and keeps track of progress, managers can help their team stay accountable and create a more positive work vibe. This system is all about open communication, commitment, and teamwork.

So, how does this system work? It’s built on two key elements:

1. Setting clear short-term and long-term goals related to tasks and results
2. Regular follow-up and adjustments as needed

Now, we’re not talking about situations where team members do the same thing every day (like entering checks into a system or making a certain number of customer calls). Instead, let’s look at a scenario where each team member works on unique projects with different tasks and outcomes.

Step 1: Get your team members to create action plans for their projects, with project completion dates and key milestones. Work together to review and refine these plans using a simple tool, like Excel.

Here’s an example of some milestones:

Finalize business requirements: May 10th
Raise purchase requisitions: May 11th
Complete vendor evaluations: May 25th
Award project: June 5th
Get design approved by business: June 15th
Launch project: June 25th

Step 2: Have weekly one-on-one meetings with each team member to discuss what actions they need to take that week and offer support as needed. Make sure they understand the importance of getting those tasks done.

Step 3: Review the previous week’s action points. If tasks weren’t completed, find out why and remind your team members that it’s crucial to meet their commitments. Encourage them to ask for help when needed and adjust the action plan for any outstanding tasks.

Step 4: Hold a weekly team meeting where everyone shares updates on their key projects. This helps everyone understand each other’s goals, keeps them accountable, and encourages working together to solve problems. Use these meetings to share company news, celebrate achievements, and discuss industry trends and best practices.

By following this approach, you can enjoy some awesome benefits:

Team members have a clear understanding of their objectives
Weekly commitments help everyone stay focused on their goals
Regular check-ins keep team members accountable and motivated
Everyone knows what their teammates are working on, which makes for a more cohesive work environment
The collaborative atmosphere encourages creativity and problem-solving

Trust me, I’ve seen this system work wonders. Give it a shot, and you’ll be amazed by the consistent, fantastic results your team can achieve!

#leadershipdevelopment Excerpts from the highly acclaimed white paper from Mckinsey and Company titled: Leadership in a crisis- Responding to the coronavirus outbreak: 5 behaviors and accompanying mindsets that can help leaders navigate the pandemic.