Help! I’m a Micro-Manager

Think you might be a micro-manager?  Listen to this podcast and find out:

  • What’s wrong with being a micromanager
  • How people get to be micromanagers
  • What you can do to address your problem

Listen to the ‘Help! I’m a Micro-Manager’ podcast (19 min 46 sec):


Download the ‘Help! I’m a Micro-Manager’ Cheat Sheet, Audio, and Slides

Improve Your Public Speaking and Presentation Skills

Learn 4 easy ways to improve your presentations… and why friends don’t let friends use Powerpoint.

Listen to the ‘Improve Your Public Speaking and Presentation Skills’ podcast (24 min 46 sec):


Download the ‘Improve Your Public Speaking and Presentation Skills’ Cheat Sheet, Audio, and Slides

High Impact Development

What are high impact development activities? Find out the most effective ways to develop employees…or yourself.

Listen to ‘High Impact Development’ podcast (18 mins 42 sec):


Download the ‘High Impact Development’ Cheat Sheet, Audio, and Slides

Strengths Based Development

Join Jed and Bob as they review the strengths based approach to employee (and self) development – and show you a much better approach.

Watch the ‘Strengths Based Development’ Video (16 mins 19 sec):


Download the ‘Strengths Based Development’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

Communication Media Etiquette Guide

Join Jed and Bob as they discuss the different media options to communicate a message – and how to use each one appropriately.

Watch the ‘Communication Media Etiquette Guide’ Video (16 mins 56 sec):


Download the ‘Communication Media Etiquette Guide’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

The Counter Offer

Learn how to smoothly handle an employee who says s/he’s been offered more to work elsewhere.

Watch ‘The Counter Offer’ Video (16 mins 56 sec):


Download ‘The Counter Offer’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

Introducing Yourself as a New Leader

Join Jed and Bob as they discuss how you can go about introducing yourself to a new organization or department when you are taking on a new leadership role.

Watch ‘Introducing Yourself as a New Leader’ Video (15 mins 05 sec):


Download ‘Introducing Yourself as a New Leader’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

To Build a Strength or Fix a Weakness?

One of the hot topics in Leadership Development is something called Strengths Only Leadership … or some variation thereof.

Personally, “Strengths Only” development planning makes me cringe.  Too often I’ve seen it used as an excuse for not working on a weakness that if improved, even just to the point of being “good enough”, would accelerate performance.

In choosing development focus areas, the mistake is made when leaders start the process by analyzing their own strengths and weaknesses.  This is the wrong place to begin!  Rather you should start by analyzing the key competencies required of your current job or desired future role.

Some of your weaknesses (or strengths) may be immaterial to the current role you have or the future role you want.  Spending valuable development efforts on strengths (or weaknesses) could be a waste of time if they don’t directly apply to the job you have or the job you want.

I’m aligned with developing strengths; it should definitely be part of your development planning.  But start with key competencies required first … then don’t be a fool and ignore weaknesses that might derail your performance.

Understand what’s important first … then answer the question  …

“To build a strength or fix a weakness?”

Strengths Based Development

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What is Strengths Based Development?

The position can be summarized as:

  • our talents are pretty much hard-wired so don’t expect too much change
  • attempting to fix our weaknesses is hard work with limited returns
  • it is our strengths that have the leverage to move us to exceptional levels of performance

Why is Strengths Based Development Flawed?

The position is problematic because:

  • Why bother trying to get better?  If it’s hard the best thing to do is … give up?
  • It may be easier and more fun to work on strengths but it’s not always what’s best for you.
  • More of a good thing isn’t always better.  Even a strength can be problematic in some situations.
  • This approach doesn’t reflect the reality of leadership.

It starts from the wrong place!

  • The mistake is made when leaders start the process by analyzing their own strengths and weaknesses.  This is the wrong place to begin!
  • Rather we should start by analyzing the key competencies required of their current job or desired future role.
  • Some of your weaknesses (or strengths) may be immaterial to the current role you have or the future role you want.
  • Spending valuable development efforts on strengths (or weaknesses) could be a waste of time if they don’t directly apply to the job you have or the job you want.

What You Should Do Instead of Strengths Based Development

Analyze the Job

  1. What Knowledge, Skills and Abilities that are the keys to success in the job you have or better yet … the job you want.
  2. Rank them in terms of their relative impact on being successful in that role.  (High, Medium Low or 5 point scale for example)

Analyze Yourself

  1. Rank your competence levels.  Which are Strength areas and which are Stretch, on which would you say you are Competent.
  2. Rank the competencies in terms of the effort required or difficulty you would have in moving it up one level.
KSA’s Impact Strength or Stretch Effort Action
1. High Stretch High
2. High Strength Low
3. High Competent Low
4. High Stretch Medium
5. Medium Strength Low
6. Medium Competent Low
7. Low Stretch High

 

Elements of a Development Plan 

Three Things to Remember about Strengths Based Development

  1. Position yourself for roles where your strengths will shine.
  2. Start with the Job, not your strengths and weaknesses.
  3. 70 – 20- 10

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Strengths Based Development (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Communication Media Etiquette Guide

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As a manager, you have a wide range of media options to communication your messages.  Be sure you’re selecting the right media and using it appropriately by following the tips in this guide.

Email

  • Use “reply to all” sparingly, if ever.
  • Avoid one-word responses.
  • Don’t use the urgent flag – unless it’s urgent
  • Don’t use all caps.
  • Never email in anger.
  • Always use neutral language.
  • Spelling and grammar count.

Telephone

  • Use voice communication for any lengthy or sensitive topic.
  • Always ask if the other party has time to speak.
  • Schedule phone calls if necessary.
  • Avoid the speakerphone unless it is in a conference setting.
  • Give the other your undivided attention 

Voice Mail

  • Be brief – whether setting your message, or leaving a voice mail.
  • Tell people when you’re out of the office.
  • Direct them to another person or media, if appropriate

Social Media

  • Manage your brand.
  • Google yourself regularly.
  • Sarcasm and irony don’t work.
  • You don’t have to accept every friend request.

Face-to-Face

  • Still the most effective media – believe it or not.
  • Can also be the most efficient.
  • Put your smartphone away.
  • Give your undivided attention.
  • Be cautious with meetings.

3 Things to Remember About Communication Media Etiquette

  1. Communication still requires effort, regardless of how media changes.
  2. What you intend is irrelevant.  What is received is what counts.
  3. The medium is the message – so choose appropriately.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Communication Media Etiquette (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!

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