Teams and teamwork

Here’s a Stupid Idea

Mistakes are remarkably underrated, and very few organizations are actually good at making them. When it comes to making mistakes, there are typically two types of organizations:

Those with little or no tolerance for mistakes, so in order to avoid making them, they either don’t make decisions, or they analyze decisions to such a degree that they become paralyzed. I would include most public sector organizations and big utilities in this category.
Those organizations where mistakes get made, and the most important thing is to assign blame. Of course, people in such organizations would not self-identify as being blame-seekers, but it is often cloaked in “holding people accountable”. Accountability is about people delivering on pre-agreed upon requirements. Making mistakes is about taking risks and doing something new

There is a third type of organization that encourages people to take risks in certain areas of the business. Many times those risks do not pan out, but from the ashes of failure a phoenix of innovation and performance rises. This type of organization is exceptionally rare. The best examples are well known: Apple, Virgin. There are others as well, but they are as difficult to find as a trace of dignity in a reality TV star.

I always know I’m in a well run and innovative business when I hear, “Here’s a stupid idea”. A high level of confidence is required is say such a thing, and a high level of trust in your peers to take such risks. So revel in your mistakes, and do so knowing you are in good company.

Strawman Proposals

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Below we discuss:

What a Strawman Proposal is
Why you might want to create a Strawman Proposal
How to create a Strawman Proposal

What is a Strawman Proposal

It is a problem-solving tool used in a group setting.
The point of building a Strawman Proposal is to knock it down and rebuild something better.
The premise behind building a Strawman Proposal is to create a first draft for criticism and testing, and then using the feedback you receive to develop subsequent iterations, and eventually a final outcome that is rock solid.

Why Bother to Build a Strawman Proposal

Sometimes it’s easier to brainstorm possible solutions when you have somewhere to start.
It can help you get started versus getting bogged down seeking perfection.
It involves other stakeholders in the building of the proposal.

How to Build a Strawman Proposal

Create a draft proposal.
Present your draft to the rest of the team. Make sure the team understands that the intent is to use it as a discussion starter, and is not the final product or solution.
Knock the strawman down. Invite feedback and criticism to create the next iteration of the proposal.
Build your proposal back up again.
Test the proposal against your original objectives
Repeat as necessary until you reach your objective.

Three Things to Remember About Building a Strawman Proposal

Make sure everyone knows what you are doing.
Check your final solution against your assumptions.
Eventually you’re going to have to commit to a final proposal. You can’t produce a Strawman Proposal in perpetuity.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Strawman Proposals (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

Weasels in the Workplace

There are lots of colloquialisms and metaphors used in business today that are “reaching” to say the least. Sports analogies are very tired, and if I hear one more person talk to me about “low-hanging fruit”, there will be a Bob-shaped hole in the nearest door.

However the word, “weasel” is perfect for the type of behavior it describes in the workplace. To that end, I’ve put together a list of the similarities between a weasel found in nature, and the weasel found in the workplace:

A weasel is a rodent. As such, they are a nuisance that needs to be weeded out and destroyed.
When a weasel is threatened it becomes extremely aggressive, and potentially dangerous.
They are small (in this case of the workplace weasel small-minded), but active predators.
According to Wikipedia, weasels in nature have a reputation for cleverness and guile… not unlike the workplace weasel.
Weasels are considered vermin because they stock poultry and rabbits used for commercial purposes. The workplace weasel also undermines commerce – usually by more insidious means than stocking poultry.
Weasels exist on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. If there are any Wily Manager followers at the research station at Antarctica, I’d love to know if there are any workplace weasels. I lived in Australia for a while, and while they may not have weasels, they have lots of other rodent vermin, which begs the question, “what do the Aussies call their workplace weasels? Actually, I was once told that the Australian equivalent of the office-weasel was called a Kiwi, but after I visited New Zealand, I had to dismiss that as sour grapes on the part of my Aussie-informant.
A group of weasels can be called a boogle, gang, pack, sneak, or confusion. The workplace weasel, when s/he finds a support group, could also be called “sneak” or “confusion” (but I also like boogle).

All these similarities got me to questioning whether weasel remedies would be similar between the natural and workplace varieties. Here, the parallels are a little more illusive, yet still instructive. For example, you can set traps for weasels. In nature, the bait is usually something to eat. With workplace weasels, it might be a rumored promotion, but sometimes they might respond to good catering.

Suddenly, the song “Pop Goes the Weasel” makes so much more sense to me now.

Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace: Dealing with Weasels

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Below we talk about different types of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, the weasels you find engaging in such behavior, and what you can do to deal with them.

Types of Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace discussed:

The Backstabbing Weasel
The Slacker Weasel
The Credit-taking Weasel
The Lying Weasel
Superstar Weasels
Boss Weasels

What is a weasel? (Or Who engages in Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace?)

In Nature: A rodent or vermin predisposed to aggressive and undesirable behavior, but also known for its cleverness and guile.
In the Workplace: A rodent or vermin predisposed to aggressive and undesirable behavior, but also known for its cleverness and guile.

General rules for dealing with Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace

Anticipate weasel-behavior. You know these people – who can you expect to act like a weasel, and under what circumstances?
Insulate yourself from inappropriate behavior in the workplace. If you know a coworker has a high propensity to act like a weasel, then find ways to avoid that person. Pick a different table to eat your lunch at.
Bring inappropriate behavior in the workplace into the open. Weasels don’t like bright light, so by drawing attention to their bad behavior, you may see a decrease in it.
Park emotions – focus on facts. You do not need to play along with inappropriate behavior in the workplace. The best remedy is to have good information and facts at your disposal, and to avoid becoming emotional in response to inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
Never lower yourself to “weasel-ness”. Your worst possible response is to retaliate with similarly poor behavior. You will be much better served in the longer term by taking the high road.

Specific Remedies to Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace

The Backstabber – Normally, a backstabber will denigrate others to you and everyone else. When they are doing so, tell them you don’t find the behavior constructive, and challenge them to be direct with those concerned. These weasels generally lack the courage to do so, and as such the behavior will be minimized.
The Slacker – Tell the slacker the impact of his/her non-performance has on the team and team members. Do not exaggerate or be emotional, but rather be factual and calmly explain the impact
The Credit-taker – Ask the credit-taker about the contributions others have made to the team or the cause. This will force them to acknowledge they are not the only person in the world.
The Liar – It is important not to back a lying weasel into a corner, otherwise, you might get bit. Don’t accuse the liar of anything, but rather focus on the facts of the situation. Use conditional language such as, “It may not have been your intent, but your comments could be construed as misleading…”
Superstars – Every organization loves its Superstars, but sometimes, such employees are very high maintenance. You need to acknowledge their skill, but remind them of others’ contributions to the team, and subtly reinforce that no one is indispensible.
The Boss Weasel – It is particularly tricky if you have a boss that engages in inappropriate behavior in the workplace. If you choose to confront the behavior, you may want to have a backup plan ready – such as alternative employment.

3 Things to Remember about Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace

Don’t encourage poor behavior. Even if the behavior is not directed at you, tell people you don’t find it appropriate
Don’t be emotional about any inappropriate behavior. Focus on facts of the situation and don’t embellish the details.
You only control your own behavior, so you need to focus on that. Do not get caught responding to inappropriate behavior by acting equally as poorly.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace: Dealing With Workplace Weasels

Join Jed and Bob as they discuss how to deal with six different types of weasels commonly found in the workplace. Learn how to handle The Backstabber, The Slacker, The Credit-Taker, and others.

Watch the ‘Dealing With Workplace Weasels’ Video (14 mins 56 sec):

Download the ”Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace” Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

Managing Former Peers: What Happens After Your Promotion

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Managing former peers is probably your most immediate challenge if you’ve just been promoted. Below we suggest five key steps to managing peers.

“Congratulations… you’ve got that promotion you wanted so badly. Now go fire your best friend.”

5 Steps to Managing Peers

Decide if you actually want the job of managing peers
Reach out to all stakeholders
Establish one on ones with your new direct reports
Strike the balance between over and under managing peers
Be a professional

Decide if You Actually Want the Job of Managing Peers

Just because you are offered a promotion, doesn’t mean you necessarily have to take it. You need to think through whether you want the added burden of managing peers. Some things to keep in mind:

Your peer relationships will change whether you want them to or not. Don’t be naïve enough to think they won’t.
You can’t control others’ attitudes and/ behavior. Even if you are ready to make the new relationship work, that doesn’t mean others will be as willing.
If your personal relationships at work are really important to you, you may want to decline your new role of managing peers.

Reach Out to Stakeholders

For anyone in a new position of leadership, it is crucial to reach out to important stakeholders. It is especially important when managing former peers. You should speak with your new direct reports, your boss, and other people you interface with often. Here are some thoughts as to what to ask them:

What would you focus on if you were me?
What can be done better?
What would you suggest is the top priority?

Be systematic and thorough – even when it becomes onerous and time consuming

Establish One on One Meetings With New Direct Reports

When managing peers, it is important to establish structured and regular one on one meetings with these people. Well-executed one on one meetings will ultimately save you time, and make managing peers easier. These meetings provide an opportunity to:

Set expectations
Reinforce and reward desired behaviors and performance
Communicate and clarify roles and goals
Update status on action plans.

Best of all, regular one on one meetings significantly reduce the number of “drive-bys” or drop-in meetings when managing peers.

Strike the Balance When Managing Peers

Do not come on too strong and micromanage your new situation. BUT… you are no longer “one of the girls”, either. If you experience any significant challenge to your authority, you need to deal with it directly and quickly. Also make sure you delegate appropriate when managing peers. If you hoard all the work yourself, you will ultimately fail.

Be Professional

Professionalism is paramount when managing peers. In order to do so effectively, you need to detach yourself from your personality, and rather view yourself as the new manager of the group or department. Here are some guidelines for maintaining professionalism when managing peers.

Stay focused on facts
Maintain confidences
Tow the company line. You are management’s representative in your work group. You undermine your own credibility, and are not doing your job if you don’t properly represent management views.
You need to refrain from company gossip and going out for cocktails with you direct reports should be done with extreme caution.
Don’t play favorites

3 Things to Remember About Managing Peers:

Figure out if you really do want the opportunity. Most often you do have the opportunity to say “no”.
Your friendships will change. It won’t be the same once you are the boss.
Communicate several times. Everyone in a new leadership role should look to over-communicate by a factor of ten.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Managing Former Peers (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Gen X is a lot Like Jan Brady

This Generation X cohort is a real piece of work, isn’t it? Is it possible to have a whole generation stuck in a massive inferiority complex? It’s kind of like meeting a Canadian backpacking across Europe. Yeah we get it – those 500 Maple Leafs you’re wearing mean you come from Canada. The rest of us don’t really care that much, but you go ahead and dress up like a Mountie.

Gen X is not unlike when Jan Brady got completely bent out of shape because everything was “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.” (You have to be a Gen Xer to get that reference). Grow up Jan, and stop being so annoying.

Actually all this generation talk is getting a bit boring.

In 1994, I suffered through a breakfast seminar where the guest speaker was telling us how this new generation of worker was completely different than anything that had every come before it. These Generation X types were not loyal to any employer, didn’t care too much about their jobs, and were just generally hard to get along with.

Remembering back on this particular breakfast seminar now, it was particularly offensive on at least three levels:

About 2500 years ago, some guy named “Socrates” made the same observation. I’m more familiar with the published works of Socrates than I am with the guest speaker (whose name I’ve forgotten) that morning, so I’m going to assume it wasn’t an original talk. Although the flashy Powerpoint slides were something that Socrates never pulled off.
Those entering the workforce in the early 1990s had just watched their parents be laid-off en masse after a lifetime of loyalty to their companies to take on a new role as an unemployed middle-aged former corporate drone with no real marketable skills. Add to this, the fact that Generation X – to date the most educated generation in history – walked into a job market with very few prospects, and you may begin to understand some of their crankiness.
These Gen Xers did finally manage to find jobs — though not the cool, self-fulfilling ones they were promised. Fast forward in time twenty years and these Gen Xers are now lamenting the fact that the generation that came after them has no loyalty to their organizations, and don’t care too much about their jobs. It really does come fully circle, doesn’t it?

We need to quit trying to rationalize and explain the fact it is each generations’ express mission to drive the generation immediately preceding it crazy. How else can you explain the music of the devil (also known as Jazz) that today’s older retirees used to make their parents foam at the mouth with anger.

Your job as a leader is to get other people to do what you want them to do, because they want to do it (with credit to Dwight Eisenhower). Spending a whole bunch of time trying to label and define different generations won’t help you with that.

Finally, just to prove there’s no hard feelings about the crack about Canadians above, this week’s video is dedicated to those viewing from Canada:

Generation X in the Workplace

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Given how small Generation X is compared to the Boomers or the Millennials, there is much written about Generation X in the Workplace. Below we discuss:

Why managers should care about Generation X in the Workplace.
What has shaped Generation X in the Workplace
The expectations of Generation X in the Workplace
How to lead and motivate Generation X in the Workplace

First, we should define Generation X in the Workplace

Traditionalists: 1925 – 1945

Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1965

Generation X: 1966 – 1980

Millennials: 1980 – 1999

Why Managers Should Care About Generation X in the Workplace

Clashes between generations can directly affect turnover, and unwanted turnover is expensive and time consuming.
If team members do not feel like they “fit in” or that their values are not reflected in the workplace, they are more at risk of leaving.
Generation X in the Workplace has been influenced by different life events and thus has different perspectives that can impact motivation and performance. For Example, Generation X in the Workplace:
- Has unique ways of viewing quality.
- Has distinct and preferred ways of managing and being managed.
- Has different priorities that effect how and when they show up for work.

The Shaping of Generation X in the Workplace

This generation watched their parents get downsized out of their jobs after a lifetime of loyalty.
They graduated from high school and university into a poor job market.
They were the most educated generation in history at the time.
Gen X came from families that had triple the divorce rates than that of the previous generation.
They came of age during the end of the Cold War
They saw the beginning of the digital revolution
They were the first generation to wonder if they’d be able to do as well as their parents.

Expectations of Generation X in the Workplace

They are skeptical of everyone and everything.
After watching their parents struggle with large organizations, they expect to be screwed.
They are as loyal to their organizations, as they expect their organization will be to them (not very loyal!)
They expect to be independent and to do it on their own.
Rather than challenge authority they tend to ignore it.
Job security is about mobility, not stability. They believe job security comes from proactively jumping from job to job.
They are entrepreneurial.
They approach work as a process of acquiring skills or resume building.

How to Lead and Motivate Generation X in the Workplace

Let them take risks. Allow them to take some chances.
Respect their time. Time off or away is often a motivator for this group
Be Creative with Time Worked: Sabbaticals, compressed work-weeks, telecommuting, are all very popular amongst this group.
Reward them with training or other experience building offers. Gen X values the opportunity to build their resumes.
Let them do it their way. Take advantage of their entrepreneurial spirit. Give them a challenge and let them figure it out.

3 Things that frustrate Generation X in the Workplace about the other generations:

Boomers are self-absorbed workaholics, who took all the good jobs, and now won’t give them up.
Traditionalists reject change, and are too rigid.
Generation Y expects everything to be handed to them.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Generation X in the Workplace (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Managing the Balding and Grey

How did this happen? When you were a teenager, you were very clearly smarter than your parents. Then you went on, and got yourself a whole bunch of education, worked hard, and are now leading a team of people. Half of them are old enough to be your parents.

Managing your mom? You didn’t sign up for this.

Oh to be a Baby Boomer — The single most important demographic cohort in the history of the planet. The baby boomers have absolutely dominated the workplace since the 1960s, and are only slowly giving up their grip now. If you were born after about 1965, then it is a good news/bad news story for you.

The bad news is the Boomers racked up your “societal credit card debt”, that will take several generations to pay off. The good news is they’ve already cured erectile dysfunction, and they are bound and determined to stay youthful forever, which bodes well for all those that follow.

In the workplace, this has a number of ramifications. If you’ve got a boomer working for you, you might have to put up with the occasional tardy arrival, if you are to believe the Cialis commercials. It also means when you start talking about ISPs, ASPs and HTML, their eyes will glaze over faster than Paris Hilton’s would on Jeopardy.

Keep in mind that there is something to be learned from this generation. Yes they were financially reckless with your future, and made the planet into an environmental disaster, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know a thing or two about whatever business you are in.

The Boomers have seen several business cycles come and go, and will tell you (with certain credibility) that they’ve seen it all previously. Everything in business comes full circle – just the details are marginally different. If you listen carefully to the Boomers working for you, you just might get a jump on whatever is going to happen next.

They can’t manage email to save their life, and they think microwaves and fax machines are high tech, but if you discount their input and feedback, it is at your peril.