Manage to be amazing: Pt 1

Don't think for one second this post only applies to business. Life is full of managing those around you (and it's an art form), but as an easy example, let's start with business just for simplicity's sake.

Everyone thinks that managing is about writing schedules and making sure that sick days are covered. It's not. Let me clarify; most days you have to do those things but you have a higher purpose than the mundane tasks that anyone who passed the 8th grade could do. You, as a manager, are called to provide more than a schedule. You're called to create a lifestyle to those in your charge. You must manage in a way that inspires people - even if you don't think you're particularly inspiring. Sound like babysitting? Well...

It's more than that too.

People go to work nearly one third of their lives and you'll notice a pretty simple pattern during that time. Show up, mark time until lunch (accomplishing whatever is necessary to avoid getting fired), go to lunch, repeat the moves from before lunch while trying to avoid getting caught playing tetris, taking a nap or (gasp!) reading blogs, then go home. They pray for snow days or power outages or some days they hope they can get sick to avoid reporting for duty - minus the guilt of lying. A third of your life is an awfully lot of time to repeat that, ad nauseum, Monday through Friday. It's also awfully long to stay in a caustic environment.

The workplace has been turned into its own eco system. It is a sterile environment where no one expects things to go wrong, or people to misspeak. It's believed that nothing bad will happen if you just follow the corporate manual; after all, they've thought of everything. They've determined the most effective ways to do every possible task to possibly include cleanup after a bathroom break (if you know what I mean). They think that all will be perfect if everyone "just does their job".

...but it won't.

To err is human but, more importantly, people have unique desires. They want different interactions, different versions of praise, different methods of remuneration, even different comfort levels while "putting in their time". As a manager, opening your eyes to those desires when unprepared can be a scary proposition. You will not only see the utter ineffectiveness of your current setup, but it will also reveal a horrible mirror that will make you feel ugly. You will quickly see that you are looking at those people, who rely on you to be able to feed their family and live in their house, through the filter of your own needs and desires... and who wouldn't? It's easy to do, but that filter is not reality, and it will not lend itself to the success of your organization.

You've obviously worked very hard to attain the position you're in. You studied and stayed late or you came in early and worked through lunch. Maybe you read the user manuals that no one else could, or would, for that matter. There were even some months where, I'm sure, you couldn't remember what a day off looked like. You were the best at what you did and your reward is your current position.

Some may be grumbling now, "...not much of a reward...", but this is what you worked for. You wanted to change the world or the industry or at least your office, but under the weight of policies and trying to keep everyone's personality in check, you're back to autopilot. You write the schedules and make sure everyone's playing not to lose. Oh you tell them everyone's playing to win, but at this point you're worried about your own tail end. So, you just want to make it to the next day. You want to make sure that one particular employee doesn't shoot his mouth off at the wrong time and no one breaks the computer trying to do something they shouldn't be.

I'm here to tell you the management world is different than just putting out fires like that.

If you aren't recognizing that your work environment has degraded into a hum drum, repititious, stagnant place then you are failing. Regardless of what the bottom line says, I can guarantee you are seeing significantly diminished results at best, and it will only get worse.

Sounds hopeless, doesn't it? Well it isn't.

People in your organization are not only truly unique, but also have inherent talents that can be exploited to everyone's advantage (especially their own) and your job is to, first, discover those talents: then, figure out how those talents will reshape and possibly recreate your environment.

You are going to need to ask a lot of questions and most of them will be uncomfortable. You will evaluate talent in a way that determines whether someone is truly where they want to be, but, more importantly, whether where they want to be is good for them and in the same stroke good for your business as well.

Let's take my mom for example.

I said in a previous post that she advised one of her employees on a different career. She has actually helped him develop a completely different career path. It won't involve her company at all but it was still the right move because she is developing the employee and not the position. That part needs to sink in on people because that is the important part to realize in this entire post. DEVELOP THE EMPLOYEE NOT THE POSITION.

What if they move on? Well what if they move on? Good for them. Look, if someone's going to leave, whose terms do you want them leaving on? Do you want them to leave angry or singing your praises? If a person is a poor fit in your organization, but they are a good employee worth the time you'll spend on them, then spend the time and help them get where they want to go. Most times you'll have enough time to train their replacement, and they'll even help because the process is positive all around. They'll get what they want and you'll get what you want - someone who's a better fit in your environment. Hire better. Spend a lot of time in the interview and fill the position correctly.

If this is your policy, you will attract better employees for less money because they'll search you out. This policy will make you remarkable and you will develop an amazing reputation for your hiring and training systems.

I'm going to close here for now. I'll continue, in the next couple blogs, but there is one very important, emotionally charged blog that needs to be written first. It'll be up soon.

Take care and be better.

-Bill