Just-in-Time Management Advice
Think you might be a micro-manager? Listen to this podcast and find out:
Listen to the ‘Help! I’m a Micro-Manager’ podcast (19 min 46 sec):
The whole idea of meeting one on one with their direct reports on a regular basis is scary for many leaders. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which hold much water.
Excuse #1: I don’t have time. This is the most common excuse managers cite for not meeting regularly with their people. Interestingly, they don’t have time to meet with their people individually on any regular basis, yet they seem to have time for an unlimited series of drop-in (or “drive-by”) meetings every day. Here’s an idea: buy yourself an hourglass that has two-minutes worth of sand. Next time one of your direct reports asks you if you’ve got a minute, reply, “For you… I’ve got two minutes.” Then turn over the hourglass.
Excuse #2: It’s too intimate. When we suggest one on one meetings, we’re not suggesting that you light some candles, dim the lighting, and put on some John Tesh at Redrocks bootleg music. Rather, have your direct reports be responsible for planning, scheduling and running of your one on one meetings. If possible, go to their office or station to have the meeting – it’ll do you good to get out of your office.
Excuse #3: I don’t like my direct reports. If you don’t like your directs, it’s probably a condition of the prejudice you’ve developed about them because you don’t interface with them very often. It makes no sense not to like people, just because you don’t know them. If you take the time to really get to know your people, you’ll find all kinds of legitimate reasons not to like them – and this would make sense. Besides… one of the conditions of sitting at the big-kids table is dealing with the fact you have to deal with people you don’t like.
I would never suggest you have to like all your direct reports – but you do need to communicate with them, and there’s no better way to do so than with highly-structured, highly-focused, regularly scheduled one on one meetings.
Short, highly-structured and focused one on one meetings with each of direct reports on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, can save you time, and drive performance in your organization. Join Jed and Bob as they discuss how and why to do effective one on one meetings.
Watch the ‘One-on-One Meetings’ Video (16 mins 11 sec):
“What’s wrong with everyone nowadays? What is it that makes everyone seem to think they are qualified to do things far beyond their technical capabilities?” – Prince Charles, heir to the throne of 16 Commonwealth nations.
Many years ago when I was in grade-school, we used to hate getting our report cards. Mostly because they were perceived as a testament to our inadequacies. More recently, we stopped telling children they needed to improve at anything, so every child is wonderful at everything. It apparently helps their self-esteem. We’ll just ignore the fact for now, that the reality of a big, bad world is going to clip these poor kids in the head like a drunk Edward Scissor-Hands at the beauty parlor.
When I progressed on to post-secondary education, I was introduced to the rather Darwinian concept of the grading curve – the quality of your work didn’t matter as much as how it compared to others. Such methods of evaluation were brutal in their own way. They were also very instructional. I got used to the idea early that I was very average at just about everything I did. It also meant the one or two things (and not many more) I was truly good at, I could leverage to my advantage.
I don’t think kids coming up today will have that same advantage. They expect to be told they great at everything, which they are not.
Of course, this is already wreaking havoc in the workplace.
Performance Appraisals have become a ridiculous exercise to keep the HR folks off our backs, rather than something that will drive the performance of an organization. Every employee survey tells us that people want more feedback. In reality, they want more positive feedback. Corrective feedback is about as welcome as Ike at the Tina Turner fan club meeting.
Yet, one thing that the few truly great organizations do consistently is provide honest and regular feedback both informally, and in the form of Performance Appraisals. The one truly great manager I had when I had a real job, was also the guy who was brutal in his assessment of me. He could have taken the easy way out, and given me a rosy review that would have changed nothing.
It’s a courage that is as rare as steak tartar; but is also the only thing that will drive improved performance.
Performance appraisals don’t have to be a painful, time-wasting exercise done simply to satisfy HR. We show you how exactly how to conduct a performance appraisal so its more than just a report card, and leads to the behavior changes you want to see in your employees. Become a member and get instant access.
Members Click Here for Additional Tools
Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!
Writing Performance Appraisals is a required job of every manager, that few enjoy doing. When done well, Writing Performance Appraisals can drive performance of both individuals and of the organization. Below we talk about:
Why Bother Writing Performance Appraisals
In some organizations, Writing Performance Appraisals is so painful, that the question is asked whether they are worth doing at all. Consider the following:
Key Actions When Writing Performance Appraisals
Form the Foundation
Make Performance Appraisals part of Ongoing Feedback
Managers must offer feedback more than one or twice a year during Performance Appraisals. Feedback must be continuous, and be informal as well as formal.
Make Performance Appraisals Future Oriented
The less a Performance Appraisal feels like a report card, the easier it will be for all parties.
Conduct Your Meeting
The Performance Appraisal meeting should be much easier if the manager has followed the steps above.
Potential Pitfalls When Writing Performance Appraisals
3 Things to Remember About Writing Performance Appraisals
Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Writing Performance Appraisals (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):
Looking for the Full-Length Podcast/Video? …
Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!
Join Jed and Bob as they discuss the four key actions, and potential pitfalls of conducting a great Performance Appraisal.
Watch the ‘Performance Appraisals’ Video (16 mins 06 sec):
Join Jed and Bob as they discuss why, how and what managers should delegate.
Watch the ‘Delegate Effectively’ Video (25 mins 06 sec):
Members Click Here for Additional Tools
Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!
Effective Delegation is core managerial skill that almost all managers can improve upon. Below we talk about:
Why Managers Don’t Delegate
If Effective Delegation is such a good idea, why do some managers not bother to do it? There are several impediments to Effective Delegation:
Why Managers Should Delegate
Regardless of the reasons why managers don’t delegate, there are several compelling reasons to practice Effective Delegation:
What Managers Should Delegate
The first step of Effective Delegation is deciding what tasks should be passed off to someone else:
How to Delegate
Now that you have decided what tasks to delegate and considered to whom to assign them, you must communicate appropriately to those people:
3 Things to Remember About Effective Delegation:
Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!
The ‘Delegate Effectively and Get More Done‘ Video and Cheat Sheet was just added to the website. In it, we lead you through the exact 5-step process you need to follow to delegate effectively. Get Instant Access Today.
Everyone knows an Office Martyr.
These are the people that absolutely refuse to let go of any of their tasks, thinking that no one can do them as well as they can. This refusal to delegate makes about as much sense as taking your summer vacation in Damascus.
Yet this kind of self-destructive behavior is actually encouraged. As a society, we’ve decided that many other behaviors that were acceptable only a few decades ago, are now completely out of the question. A careful viewing of any episode of Mad Men will confirm how much has changed in a relatively short time. Gone are the days of getting completely plastered at lunch, and then driving back to the office to finish up your day. Same goes for smoking, recreational drug use, gambling, gluttony, and virtually all other forms of excessive, self-destructive behavior.
The one glaring exception is workoholism. How many times have you been bombarded on Monday mornings with tales of alleged heroism about how someone successfully avoided their family all weekend, so they could work right through to finish some insignificant office project? The same people will drone on about how they get to the office before 7.00am, and work past 6.00pm on a regular basis.
This refusal to delegate is something to be embarrassed about, not something one brags about. Not many people entertain people at the water cooler boasting about their other vices:
All of these sound as ridiculous to me as, “I work 80 hours per week on a regular basis”. Congratulations – you’re completely dysfunctional, and probably need to see a mental health professional – top speed.
There are only two situations that I could envision someone working an 80-hour week:
There are many forms of self-delusion, and “I don’t have time” is among the most common. The truth about how we manage and rationalize our use of time is uglier than Mick Jagger with a hangover on Halloween. Here are some of those truths:
1) You’re not busier than everyone else. Believe it or not, everyone feels time pressure, and in very few circumstances can you claim to be any busier than those around you. If you’re a farmer, or you’re on the London Olympic Organizing Committee, you get a pass. Everyone else needs to stop using, “I’m too busy” as an excuse.
2) Society has not conspired to give you less leisure time. With the exception of the United States, leisure time has steadily increased since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in developed nations. The fact that leisure time is completely overscheduled is an issue of how it is managed, not an issue of quantity. It’s kind of like confusing a Big Mac with actual food.
3) You do, in fact, do what is important to you. I’m always amazed that people claim not to have time to do something “important” like volunteer at their children’s school, but do have time to watch 8 or 10 hours of crap TV shows a week. Ultimately, you do do what is actually important – and it’s reflected in your schedule.
4) You can’t have it all. This is an insidious myth we all use to rationalize each other’s dysfunctional behavior. If you work 80 hours a week, you are missing out on something else in your life – like having quality time with your family. To think that you can dictate “quality time”, is to imply that all the other potential time is wasted, and that somehow you have a magic switch that can mystically transform time into “quality”. These are the same people that put “baby to take first steps” into their calendar for a weekend, when they’re around. You can’t schedule quality time.
5) The world will not slow down. Regardless of how long you think humans have been on the planet, there is one constant: the rate of change has continually accelerated. If anything, the rate of change will increase, so strap in, and wear a cup – it’s rough out there.
If you want to gain control of your schedule once and for all, we can help….but only if you’re ready to face the ugly facts about how you currently spend your time.
The Time Management Skills & Techniques Video and Cheat Sheet combo were just added to the Wily Manager membership area, and it’s one of over 90 topics available now.
In it, we show you why most time management techniques don’t work, and how to ruthlessly zero in on your critical tasks and responsibilities while fearlessly ditch the rest.
Next week we’ll be talking about Quick Decisions, and you’ll learn how to make decisions without regrets when you’re forced to think on your feet. You won’t want to miss out – become a Wily Manager Member today.
You’ll get 8 free bonus gifts worth $187, plus instant access to all the existing tools and advice already available in the members-only area. It’s jam-packed with Videos, Cheat Sheets, and other tools…and new content is added each and every week.
