May 1st, 2008
How’s Work? by David Zinger
Click on the buttom below to complete a one question work survey, it will take 7 seconds.
Let me know how you are doing from total infatuation to total irritation. If you are really keen or really ticked off you can let me know why you chose your answer. Next week I will publish the results and offer some suggestions based on the most common response.
Now, get back to work.
Postscript: I thought a few dozen of you would participate. It is just 2 in the afternoon and we are at 188 people. I can’t wait to look at all the results. Thank you so very much.
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By David Zinger -- 0 comments
April 30th, 2008
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” - Epictetus
Questions to think about:
- How can you use this quote to improve your management effectiveness?
- How can your team use this quote to improve customer relationships?
- Is this quote even good for anything, or is it just another silly quote that doesn’t mean a thing?
Flickr photo credit to Avantard
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 3 comments
April 29th, 2008
Are you in the management sin bin? by David Zinger
Do you work with win/win or the 7 deadly sins?
- Pride - thinking you know it all, can do it all, as you raise your chin and ride with pride up the office elevator to your job as the assistant to the assistant manager of office copy supplies.
- Envy - coveting your co-workers corner office, laptop, or project team.
- Gluttony - reading more and more management books and blog posts without digesting even one idea.
- Lust - craving the best looking administrative assistant even though that person has absolutely no skills relevant to the work that must be done.
- Anger -going into a math wrath about the numbers not being what they should be or could be as you sting others like a bee.
- Greed - wanting another and another and another promotion as you don’t really work at anything except promoting yourself.
- Sloth - Avoiding all work, confrontations, and discussion of results and stating that you work best at home because there are less distractions (meaning you can nap and nobody will notice).
Use the comment section to write about any manager sins you have spotted.
Photo Credit: Number 7 by http://flickr.com/photos/easternblot/286449099/
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By David Zinger -- 5 comments
April 28th, 2008
This week’s Monday Morning Management Tip is a simple, but not easy, one: solicit feedback. I’ll talk about the who, and the how, of feedback below. The first few times I did this, I didn’t like what I got back from folks, but I carried on and did it anyway. You should too.
From whom should you solicit feedback?
- Your boss
- Your direct reports
- Your customers/clients/users
- Your peers
How do you solicit feedback?
First, realize that feedback is a gift, so forcing people to give feedback will not work, at least not if you want honest feedback. Some won’t trust you enough, feel like they don’t know you enough, don’t have enough experience working with you, whatever. Don’t take it personally, ask them anyway. Even though it may be because of something you said or did, it doesn’t matter.
that’s not why you’re asking for feedback.
Second, explain why you’re asking for feedback…and that may be different for each group of people you asking for feedback from.
- For your team: Ask what you can do to better manage them.
- For your boss: Ask how you can do a better job of meeting her/his expectations.
- For your customers: Ask what service/service offering you could do better for them.
- For your peers: Ask how you could be a better teammate
Then send the e-mail, after you include one caveat:
Say that no matter what they say about you, you are only using the information they share to improve yourself…and MEAN IT!
What do you do with the feedback?
Stay tuned! I’ll tell you in next week’s Monday Morning Management tip.
What would you add to this feedback list? Please share it in the comments below.
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 5 comments
April 27th, 2008
So what’s your story?
by David Zinger
Click here to read Tim Wright’s method to find your management stories. Tim Wright writes right on Culture to Engage.
Here are 3 reasons according to Tim why collecting stories are important at work:
- Organizational culture contributes to success.
- Leaders (managers included) build cultures by their actions and communications.
- Stories are pivotal elements of that culture-building communication.
If you are intrigued, Tim is offering a 90 minute audio conference in May to help you make magic with stories.
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By David Zinger -- 0 comments
April 26th, 2008
Do you see the art in leadership?
by David Zinger
Click here to read Don Fredericksen wrote about the art of balance, the art of leadership. Don states, in leadership, balance is critical, but balance is hard. Balance is an art, perhaps art aids balance.
Don provides a good summary of Nancy Adler’s work on art and leadership: As the business environment more frequently calls upon managers to respond to unpredicted and unpredictable threats and opportunities, the ability to improvise increasingly determines organizations’ effectiveness. “Managers and management students don’t understand how to create on cue, how to innovate reliably on a deadline. . . . artists are much better at this.
Click here to read the entire article.
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By David Zinger -- 0 comments
April 25th, 2008
Our random winner of Don’t Ask Stupid Questions: There Are No Stupid Questions by Tim Brownson is Julie Poland who shared the following brilliant question:
I ask myself, “How can I apply this information?” I admit to being an information junkie, but I also know that it’s not particularly beneficial to stash a whole bunch of good stuff in my brain and never use it. Applied knowledge, not knowledge itself, is power.
There were a ton of other great questions asked in the comments section of our contest post. Thank you to EVERYONE who participated. Here’s a little link love as a consolation thank you for sharing YOUR insights!
Stay tuned for more fun contests here at Slacker Manager, your home for management insights and productivity tips, sprinkled liberally with a dose of humor and good cheer, and an occasional book contest (which we’ll be having more of in the coming weeks).
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 1 comment
April 24th, 2008
We are in this together by David Zinger
We are now focusing much more on getting the generations together and seeing their similarities rather than the shallow categorization of people by age.
Cheryl Cran on the Bold Leader Blog wrote about 3 things all generations want at work. Click here to find out what those things are. Here is Cheryl’s conclusion:
We really are more alike than we are different. There are boomers who are lazy, and there are Gen Y’s who are up at 5:00 am to work at Starbucks and there are Gen X who are having their families and adjusting to being working parents. We really aren’t so different after all.
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By David Zinger -- 0 comments
April 24th, 2008
Books and Other Things by David Zinger
Here is a very simple management exercise. I have done this with groups for over 20 years and have been both inspired and amazed by participant answers.
This post will work if you work. What I need from you is the willingness to briefly write about a book, poem, or thing that was significicant to you as a manager and why it was significant.
You can write about it in the comments or if you blog why not write a blog post and let us know where it is by referring to it in the comments.
Workshop participant responses have included such things as: a rock, a children’s book, a book by Peter Drucker, a poem by Emerson, a haiku, a pen, etc.
The book, poem, or thing has always been significant because it was both personal and meaningful. And often the most personal is the most universal so other people learn much by us writing about what was significant.
Please comment on a book, poem, or thing that was significant to you as a manager and why it was significant.
Photo Credit: Got Books by http://flickr.com/photos/doopokko/106091054/
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By David Zinger -- 6 comments
April 23rd, 2008
I have a problem, and I need the smart folks who read Slacker Manager to help me.
This year I have already lost 3 people on my team, 1 to a promotion within the company and 2 externally to a different (more technical) position in other firms. Another is leaving at the end of summer, and 2 others that have made it clear they want to get promoted or they will probably leave by year end. If this happens, I’ll have 1 person left that I started the year with.
Why are they leaving? Because we are a flat organization, and we don’t promote from within as much as folks would like. The business unit pressures require us to have senior people in the organization, making it VERY difficult to promote to a different role for junior people. It’s not a question of culture or of fit, but rather of business need.
My 1 senior person, the one who will probably still be around when all is said and done, is concerned organizationally that this is a problem, and wants to know what I, as her manager, can do to force the organization’s hand and find ways to create positions that don’t currently exist, so we can stop the exodus of people.
The past few years have given us amazing growth and amazing profits, and we have been nationally (and locally) recognized as a great place to work for the past 5 years. This (coincidentally) happened right about the time we stopped promoting from within in our department.
My question is this: As a front line manager, how can I help my organization understand it’s in its best interests to spend a little more money to create junior positions even if it makes the business temporarily less efficient?
I’d love any suggestions on how to approach this so I can have a great conversation with my direct report.
Photo credit to alexanderdrachmann
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 12 comments
April 22nd, 2008
by David Zinger
Who are you listening to as a manager?
How many words have you consumed today?
How many words have you consumed this year?
What have these words done for you?
Stop reading and start listening to yourself.
Think about your biggest challenge and don’t go in search of answers. Rather sit with the problem for the next 10 minutes in silence and see what comes up.
Don’t use the silence to do your budget or rehearse a speech. Try not to fall asleep either, rather wake up to your challenge. Think about your challenge and when your mind wonders from the challenge to some mundane thought just gently bring it back to the challenge. Embrace your challenge with time, attention, and acceptance.
You just might find out that you know more than you know!
Photo Credit: White Mandala by http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterkaminski/6676841/
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By David Zinger -- 2 comments
April 21st, 2008
Thanks for tuning in for another Monday Morning Management Tip. Quick tips to help you impact your team on a Monday morning.
This week’s tip is managing by walking around. Invest 15 minutes this 
Monday morning in your team to getting up, walking around and seeing how team is REALLY doing.
I’m not saying you should micro-manage your team’s tasks; I’m saying to take a genuine interest in your team.
Ask about your direct reports family, about projects they are working on, about what they’re eating for lunch, or whatever else might matter to them, on their turf. Get out from behind your desk and make them feel comfortable sharing in an environment they are comfortable in.
And that’s the key: It’s all about THEM!
Don’t worry about gathering a ton of critical information. Invest the 15 minutes to build a bond with a few folks each week. Then meet with a few more, and a few more, and eventually, you’ll get through your whole team and then you can start over and do it again.
If you’re willing to invest 15 minutes each Monday, with 1 or 2 people each week, you can have a significant impact on your employees morale and overall well-being…IF you’re willing to take a genuine interest in them and find out how they are really doing.
Photo credit to lumaxart
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 1 comment
April 19th, 2008
Passion and Purpose by David Zinger
Take a pause this weekend to read the following article by Peter Vajda and connect with your purpose and passion.
Click here to read this guest post at Slow Leadership. The author connects passion and purpose. Do you also connect passion with purpose in your work?
Passion is energy. Is your passion positive, supportive of your self, others, and humanity? Or is it negative, self-destructive, or harmful? Being passionate does not automatically make you humble, emotionally intelligent, good at relationships, able to act with integrity, honest, skilled, or talented. Passion is just energy. Without purpose as an anchor, passion has no guidance system. Without a purpose, people often feel disoriented and unhappy.
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By David Zinger -- 1 comment
April 19th, 2008
by David Zinger
In the year 2008, every manager can stand to be more distinct.
Rajeesh Setty has been writing regular posts on how to distinguish yourself. He is getting close to 200 posts on this topic. Here are 5 recent links to Rajeesh Setty’s beyond distinction series:
#181 - Remember your friends when you don’t NEED them
If you don’t want to be treated by your friends like an ATM machine, you should not expect your friends to be treated like one too.
#182 - Structure yourself to get high-quality help requests
If you are constantly getting requests that are of “high value” to the stake holders, you are automatically getting a premium.
#183 - Increase your capacity to increase the capacity of others
Watch your “current capacity” in the marketplace to add capacity to other people. You can assess that based on the kind of requests for help that you are getting. Once you determine your current state, think about what you can do to take it to a whole new level in the next few years. If you stick to that plan with discipline, you can start seeing magic soon!
#184 - Invest your time to understand filters
In this fast moving world, people don’t have a lot of time to listen to things that are not relevant to them. So they put up filters to avoid more input. What may be gold for you may be junk for them. This may mean that they may not get to hear some “really good” ideas but that’s a price they are willing to pay for the convenience
#185 - Pay Attention to Your Zeroth Impression
Zeroth Impression is an assessment people can make of you without even talking to you.
Take the weekend to read the last 5 methods of distinguishing yourself and then break the code by not just reading about it but actually doing 1 small and significant thing from Rajeesh’s ideas.
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By David Zinger -- 0 comments
April 18th, 2008
Guest article from Bridget Wright of Leadership News and Changes
As a small business manager, owner or entrepreneur, networking and finding new clients can be a real challenge. Every business has a period where it seems that nothing is happening: no new clients, no new projects, nothing. This can be especially hard for the solo-preneur who relies exclusively on their freelance income to make a living. Notwithstanding marketing tips and strategies, social networking both online and offline and advertising your product or services, increasing sales and your customer base can be fairly easy to do.
How?
By over-delivering your services.
Become totally consumed with the idea of customer service and stop focusing on the bottom line and desired profits. Trust me, this will take care of itself, I promise. To customers, being genuine and real in your approach is the ideal way to get their business and create a loyal customer base. Customers want professionalism, but they also want to do business with people who are genuine in their business approach. Let me give you an example…
In my quest to become healthier, I hired a personal trainer to teach me the ropes and help me on my journey to get fit. Now anyone that has hired a personal trainer knows what’s basically involved. They show you how to exercise effectively, how to have proper form with your free weights and offer instruction in basic nutrition. The information they share with you is well worth the steep fees they charge because you are armed with knowledge that, if properly followed, guarantees results. But what is so impressive about the personal trainer that I’m working with is his impressive approach to customer service. Rodney feels that the customer is the most important factor and that delivering outstanding service is not optional, but is required and demanded from his staff in order to ensure that the business thrives.
Rodney offers his customers outstanding service by giving them, in addition to the basic services, email follow-up, a pre-consultation, mid-contract consultation and a post-contract consultation. These are all designed to assess the customer’s level of satisfaction and to ensure that he and his client are both striving for the same goals. Rodney also offers small prizes as you reach each goal and also offers additional services at discounts for existing clients. Not to mention that he makes a noticeable effort to be extremely pleasant to his clients, genuinely concerned and ready to answer any questions that the client has about nutrition, exercise or health in general. Not only have I shared this gem of a businessman with all of my friends, but with his exceptional approach to customer service, I am definitely going to extend my contract and buy additional training hours so that I can reach my goal quicker. Rodney has the right idea: give more to get more.
Whatever business you’re in, whatever your role in the company is, whether it’s a service or product industry, guarantee your success by over-delivering your services. Give your customers (and your employees) more than what they expect! Wow them with your customer service and be genuinely interested in getting results for them. I guarantee, you’ll get more back than what you put in.
Besides, no one has ever complained about having too many profits, have they?
Bridget Wright is a church and non-profit marketing specialist who takes great joy in helping those organizations in developing a strong message. She has been an entrepreneur and a small business owner for over ten years. Her approach to effective communications makes her “in demand” in her industry and shows that by giving multiple motivational keynote speeches, workshops and seminars that are high energy and full of relevant information for the non-profit sector. As a professional speaker, she effectively equips non-profit organizations on how to stay abreast of economic changes in the business world and how these changes can affect the industry. To receive a free copy of her booklet, “Seven Things Every Minister Should Do Before Speaking”, email her at bvwright@gmail.com. Or, you can check out her websites at:
Church Marketing
Professional Speaking
Women in Business
Leadership News and Changes
Image credit to Amazon.com
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By Phil Gerbyshak -- 6 comments
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