Personal Style or Pain in the Neck?
Each of us has a unique style based on an infinite number of contributing factors. A personal and professional challenge for each of us is to be what seems comfortable and right to us, without creating problems. A manager’s job is to work with the unique styles of all employees as much as possible. What should be the limit to those efforts?
1. When an employee’s quirks, traits, appearance or actions disrupt work or harm the work product or the organization. A manager’s responsibility is to be alert for the very first indicators of problems and to take action immediately to ensure the employee corrects them.
In some work places one or a few employees have been disruptive for weeks, months or years! Of course, the employee should have enough sensitivity and awareness to see what he or she is doing and change it. And, coworkers should have enough confidence and conviction to do something about the things that bother them. But, ultimately whose responsibility is it?
2. When unreasonable adjustments have to be made. If allowing the employee to work within his or her personal style would require adjustments of performance or behavior standards or the work environment, or an unreasonable tolerance by coworkers, the manager must ensure the employee adjusts to fit into the bigger picture, not the other way around.
Each of us wants the freedom to incorporate our personalities, preferences, experiences, knowledge and skills into our work. An effective manager faciliates individuality as much as possible. Nevertheless, all employees should be hired, evaluated and retained based on their performance and behavior—and part of that involves adapting personal styles to the larger work environment.
The bottom line: It is possible for everyone to be comfortable within their personal styles, while not imposing those styles on others unreasonably. However, “That’s just the way he is”, is never a reason for tolerating ineffective performance or behavior.
Do you know someone who creates many problems at work and everyone else makes adjustments to deal with that person? Who is that employee’s supervisor or manager? I hope it isn’t you.
November 27th, 2009
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TLR |
Challenging and Problematic People, Personal and Professional Development, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Supervision and Management |
8 comments
I’m Grateful, Thankful, Appreciative and Oh, So Glad!
A couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a cold–nothing bad, just the usual uncomfortable symptoms. I kept my nasal spray, tissue and ibuprofen handy. Yesterday I had lunch with Pete Palmer, a long-time friend who met me in Lakewood, about a forty five minute drive from here. Last night the house felt chilly and I turned up the thermostat and reprogrammed it to come on a bit earlier this morning. A few minutes ago I checked my email while sipping a Diet Coke.
Every day I experience reasons to be thankful, so I don’t need a special day to remind me. Nevertheless, I’m thankful there is a Thanksgiving Day that focuses my attention even more. I’m grateful for the privilege of living in this country and having so many freedoms I can take them for granted. I’m especially grateful for the everyday conveniences that make life easier and more enjoyable than the hardy settlers in Massachusetts ever experienced.
In centuries to come our lives may not seem so wonderous (or this might be viewed as the last of the good times for our world). But in matters related to comfort there is no question that we are far better off than those who came before us. 
If you ever have the chance to take your family to Plimoth Plantation, do it. I visited there in November some years ago and found it to be a hauntingly interesting experience. I felt the same way about visiting the Yorktown Settlement in Virginia, but Plimoth has more to experience and more of an interactive concept. (It is near Plymouth Center, which was the actual Plymouth Settlement site.)
As I wandered through the village, I thought that it must have been extra miserable to have suffered the various disorders that humans are prone to deal with–even those that are not life threatening most of the time: A stuffy head and nose, cramps, intestinal upsets, rashes, headaches, toothaches, shingles, sunburn, arthritis, corns and callouses, allergies and dozens of other things that make us feel badly, no matter how comfortable our surroundings.
So, during this week of Thanksgiving–originally a harvest festival–I am thankful for the bounty of creature comforts I enjoy every day.
Look around right now. You have a lot to be thankful for, don’t you?
November 24th, 2009
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TLR |
Life and Work |
6 comments
“Nothing succeeds like success.” That thought by Sir Arthur Helps in the 1860s is still true, and can be applied to you as a leader and to your team or work group.
•Look for opportunities to point out successes and accomplishments. Say the words that emphasize what they have accomplished. (“Look at how much you got done in a short amount of time!” “Wow! Not one mistake!” “Very impressive!” “You guys did a great job.”)
•Mention the value of the team as well as the contributions of individuals when you commend formally or informally. (“This shows what we can do.” “This kind of work certainly shows the value of our unit.”)
•Be specific about what made a project or activity successful and give status to those positive actions. (“Tom and Ryan made a promise to themselves about this and look what they accomplished!”)
•Point out obstacles that were overcome or potential problems that were avoided. (“Shannon could have gotten frustrated over the confusion and given up, but she kept working and brought people together. That’s what got the great results.”)
•Help your team see that they had what it took to be effective–and they will have even more the next time. (“These are the things that show what we can do.” “This kind of quality is what sets us apart.” “We can be the best of the best.”)
As your group gains confidence in themselves they will gain confidence in you, if you are an active part of their work-life. That is how all successful teams are developed: Leaders work to simultaneously develop confidence and success. The team sees that the requirements, expectations–and sometimes the adamant insistence–of the leader, helps them achieve good things. It all works together!
More than confidence: On the other hand, Mark Twain once commented, “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.” It isn’t enough to just develop confidence within your work group–they have to have the knowledge and skills to be effective. That also points to the approach you should take about formal or informal training: Give participants a vision of how it will help them be successful–and the confidence they can have as a result.
David Storey, the English playwright, said, “Have confidence that if you can do a little thing well, you can do a bigger thing well, too.” Look for the small triumphs and accomplishments in everyday work and help employees see that by working together and working with you, they can do it again–even better. Help build their faith in you, themselves and the team. It’s a great feeling and gets great results.
November 18th, 2009
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TLR |
Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management |
5 comments
Whether you are a manager, supervisor or member of a work team, make it a habit to connect with others when you arrive and leave–and in between times too. There may be times when you must rush in or rush out (or when you want to slip in the door and slip out without being seen) but limit those times and don’t let them be the norm. Be part of your work group and let your presence and absence have significance.
Be brief: A greeting at the beginning of work and a farewell before leaving only requires a few friendly words. During the work period, when you come into a work areas, say hello or give a friendly smile or nod of the head, according to the work being done. The idea is to be courteous–and it is discourteous or at least uncivil to not acknowledge those with whom you work.
You should not engage each person in lengthy conversation, interrupt their activities or require more response than they wish to offer. I mention that because I know many people who prefer to hunker down with work, so a very brief greeting is all that is welcome. The brightly smiling coworker who wants to spread good cheer every morning is dreaded and resented, not appreciated!
Be friendly: An unsmiling face makes a greeting or farewell seem robotic and insincere. You don’t have to grin or act insincerely friendly, just smile slightly and make eye contact as you say hello or goodbye.
Be personal: It’s possible to say hello and goodbye to an entire office or group-and some work settings make that more logical than stopping at each work space. However, even then, try to make eye contact with everyone and don’t exclude anyone. Don’t play favorites and especially don’t exclude anyone with whom you may have conflicts. Present yourself to that person and others as open and friendly in spite of disagreements.
Be positive: Work is tough enough without greetings and farewells that sound as though you are in a hell-hole of misery and tomorrow will be more of the same! Everything that seems so troubling or stressful will soon fade into distant memory, so keep that perspective for yourself and share it through your positive facial expressions and words. Keep the approach that with everyone’s best efforts, your group can achieve anything. During the day, if you are busy and preoccupied, it takes no more energy to smile and say hello than it does to sigh heavily and sigh “hullo” as though the weight of the world is on you!
Be appreciative: The value of appreciation is two-fold: You have to develop the habit of noticing things for which you should be appreciative, and you reinforce the good actions of others when you thank them or share your appreciation with them.
Thank people for helping you during the day. If you are a manager, thank employees for things they may not have realized you noticed. Thank your supervisor or manager for his or her assistance. If you see someone who helped your work group, thank him or her as you are leaving. No one resents a thank you!
Be purposeful: Not long ago I was present when a manager was leaving work and said to the employees in his area, “Thank you all for your work today! Have a good evening and I’ll see you tomorrow!” The employees all looked up briefly, smiled and said goodnight.
The employee who was helping me said, “He is so nice. He says goodbye every night. One night he left in a hurry and called back so he could say goodnight to us!” The employee was still smiling as she continued her work, which multiplied the positive effects of that brief farewell.
A manager in a police dispatch area told me she often walked through the area and stopped briefly at several consoles to see what was going on, but didn’t say anything for fear of being disruptive. Finally, one of the communications officers told her it was unnerving to have her walk by and look but not say anything at all. She resolved it by telling everyone that she was checking work as part of her job but in the future she would smile and at least nod when she did it! She said she felt a bit obvious at first, but got over that and could see the dispatchers appreciated her efforts.
Say hello and goodbye every work day. You will never regret it and you will find it to be a great way to add to the spirit of camaraderie and your own influence and relationships.
November 7th, 2009
Posted by
TLR |
Personal and Professional Development, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Supervision and Management |
9 comments
A frustrated supervisor told me about his manager who often would state an adamant opinion or preference in a tone that implied any other view was wrong. The supervisor said, “It’s like everything he says is a royal pronouncement that is instantly carved in stone.” The supervisor compared that to another manager who always seemed willing to reconsider his stance on a subject and to change his mind when it seemed logical and appropriate.
It’s easy to see the problems that can be caused by rigid adherence to an opinion, work preference or managerial decision. However, I can also understand how it happens.
*If a manager or supervisor changes his or her mind or backs off a decision, there are likely to be comments about being wishy-washy or lacking in decisiveness. The manager or supervisor may seem to be lacking in confidence and easily swayed.
*The people who complied with a former policy, even though they may not have liked it, often will complain about changing things to make it easier for others. If they agreed with the manager’s opinion, they may feel it is a rejection of their ideas for the manager to moderate his or her views.
*If a manager or supervisor is “talked into” backing off a policy or procedure, some employees may think it is worth a try to argue about everything that doesn’t meet with their approval.
*Many managers and supervisors have gained in-depth knowledge and experiences that most employees may lack. They often have a more accurate perspective of the organization and how each aspect of work fits into overall effectiveness. They may feel that their opinions and work preferences should carry more weight than those of others.
*Most of us want to be thought of as people of conviction who stick to our principles, values and beliefs–and those are often other words for opinions.
Guidelines For Your Royal Pronouncements
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State your preferences and opinions in those terms rather than as organizational requirements or official policy.
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Solicit the opinions of others and work to see their perspectives.
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Ask yourself, “Why is it important for me to stick to this statement?” If it is primarily because you feel you will lose face if you back down, think again and consider if you might gain credibility by being flexible.
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Take your emotions and ego out of it–especially if you catch yourself mentally evaluating employees based on whether or not they accept your pronouncements and opinions wholeheartedly. Employees should not feel you will say, “Off with their heads!” just because they have opinions other than yours.
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Base your thought processes on best practices for work and on ethical and logical rationale. If you sincerely think there is no room for modification, use your influence to help others understand your views. On the other hand, if the opinion or decision is not of cosmic significance, it may not be worth the energy to draw a line in the dirt.
What Dear Abby Said
I recall reading an article by Abigail Van Buren (“Dear Abby”) in which she commented on the times people had written to tell her that her advice to one person contradicted something she had advised another person in the same situation. Ms. Van Buren said something to the effect that she often disagreed with herself. Most of us are that way.
Acknowledge that you feel strongly about important topics or work issues, but also be clear that you want to hear the thoughts of others. You may find that such an open approach will help you gain the influence you need to bring others around to your way of thinking. If you want your philosophies, thoughts and opinions to have long-lasting impact they need to be written on the hearts and minds of the people around you–not just carved in stone.
November 2nd, 2009
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work |
6 comments
