No matter what type of workplace you choose to operate in, you undoubtedly have to manage people. They might be direct reports, clients or customers, interns, freelancers, vendors, colleagues, and of course the often most challenging of all, your boss or business partner. Here are a few tips on how to manage behavior and time while reducing everyone’s stress and avoiding conflict:
Article:
No matter what type of workplace you choose to operate in, you undoubtedly have to manage people. They might be direct reports, clients or customers, interns, freelancers, vendors, colleagues, and of course the often most challenging of all, your boss or business partner.
Here are a few tips on how to manage behavior and time while reducing everyone’s stress and avoiding conflict:
Too many leaders emphasize volume. Number of contacts, speed of response, how many pages, etc., are given great value. I’ve known these types of leaders and employees, worked with them and had some work for me. I call them deep powder skiers because they need lots of snow to glide around issues or situations. They easily fool and create massive amounts of work for themselves and others. I had my share of managers who tried to inundate me with so many details, charts, lists, and narratives hoping their sleight of hand would trick me away from the fact they missed the target. Questions like “what was the outcome?,” and suggestions such as “let’s work from the bottom line up” would invariably get the pushback “but I have a list of every…..” My response would always be “I’m sure you have but it’s not really the point, is it?”
We are all more than capable at deceiving ourselves. By keeping busy, we feel we’re getting something accomplished. Have enough evidence and maybe we won’t be guilty. It’s easy to do and harder, but not impossible to stop.
Summary
Prudent use of reply-all, choosing to stand rather than sit, providing immediate and specific feedback, and placing the focus on results, rather than sheer output, are but a few of the activities we can incorporate into our daily routine, with little fuss, no cost, and tremendous benefit. Like any behavior you want to change, you must first admit you do it, start catching yourself in the act; then thinking of options and practice a few. Only then does it form a new desirable behavior.
(c) Jane Cranston.
Jane Cranston is an executive career coach. She works with success-driven executives, managers and leaders to reach their potential, better manage their boss and staff, as well as develop a career strategy to reach goals and aspirations. Jane is the author of Great Job in Tough Times a step-by-step job search system. Click here to subscribe to her twice monthly Competitive Edge Report.