The Instant Impact Correction
I acknowledge the wisdom and effectiveness of Ken Blanchard’s One Minute Manager concept. However, making an Instant Impact seems a bit more applicable in many work settings.
For example, the Instant Impact Correction can help a supervisor accomplish the goal of stopping wrong behavior or performance immediately, even when others are around, without “reprimanding” the employee in public. Or, if the conversation will be in private, it can keep it from being a major drama, or an ominous closed-door interview.
An Instant Impact Correction can be an emergency brake that immediately stops things from getting worse, or a tweak, nudge or bump that results in a course correction for potentially problematic performance or behavior. The biggest accomplishment of an Instant Impact Correction is that it can keep a work relationship positive when there is a potential for it to be negative.
When a Tweak or a Nudge is Needed
This is appropriate when you believe a quick reminder will be sufficient. If the response of the employee indicates more in-depth conversation is needed, you can escalate your communication. However, you might as well start easy if it is appropriate. For example, you mention a problem in a conversational way and ask for a change. Or, you stop something and give clear directions or guidelines for behavior or performance. Or, you bring a small violation to an employee’s attention and conversationally tell them what you want them to do differently next time.
Build on your good working relationships. I use the word conversational, to convey the idea that these are not big, dramatic counseling sessions. You are simply communcating with someone with whom you hopefully have a decent working relationship.
“Hey Mark, I noticed you were about fifteen minutes late. Was everything OK this morning?” (Mark says the traffic was horrible.) “Yeah, I know it can be a mess. But, we need you here at eight though, OK?” He says OK, and says again that it was the traffic. You close it with, “I figured it was something like that.” Then, you can talk about work or start walking toward another work area, or in some other way, close the conversation.
For most employees, that is enough. If it isn’t, you can say more or ask him to step into your office so you can talk about it. But if it is enough, you have made your point in a way that is respectful and open. Don’t over-talk an Instant Impact Communication, otherwise you will have an Interminable and Naggy Communication!
When an Emergency Brake Must be Applied
This is appropriate when you have observed something that must be stopped immediately and with a clear message that it is undesirable behavior or performance. This might even be done in front of others if the violation presents a serious liability or if it is important for the others to know the actions were wrong. (You will feel like a parent sometimes, but your point will be made.)
If the matter was serious enough to correct in front of others you will probably need to follow-up with a brief private conversation. This also gives you a chance to explain why it was important enough that you had to say something immediately. I have talked to dozens of supervisors who said when they did this the employee started the conversation by apologizing. If we handle our communications effectively we can correct immediately, even in front of others, without creating bad feelings.
Show support for the employee when the incident is over: Whether you nudged the employee in the right direction or had to be more stern than that, show appropriate support as soon as possible. That does not mean you should have a “kiss and make up” approach or act as though the bad behavior or performance was not really important. However, you should converse in a civil and courteous way and get the focus back on effective work. Most employees are as anxious as you are for things to be back to normal.
Your goal as a supervisor or manager is to work with and through others to achieve the goals of the organization. If correcting is done effectively it can help you achieve goals and make your worklife and the worklife of others more pleasant and rewarding. It doesn’t even take a minute–you can accomplish it in an Instant!
September 10th, 2008
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TLR |
Supervision and Management |
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When your past catches up with you, or you catch up with your past. Last month a woman was photographed after paying $53,000 to have puppies cloned from her former beloved pet. When her photo circulated around the world, several people came forward to accuse her of crimes dating back thirty years! She is facing a number of charges right now, although some of them have been dropped because of the statute of limitations.
You may also recall several cases in which people on 12 Step Recovery programs have contacted people to seek forgiveness and make amends (Step Nine) and been charged and tried for the crimes they committed. In one case the man admitted to a lesser crime but his victim claimed something more serious and he was found guilty of that crime.
In the first situation, the woman’s past caught up with her and she is desperately trying to claim that it was not her. In the other situation, the people brought their pasts into the open in an effort to make things better–not always successfully. What they have in common with many of us is that they would like to erase the parts of their past that are now so humiliating or troubling, or that are creating trouble for them. One man who sought forgiveness for stealing money from his workplace thirty years ago said, “That was another me. The me I am now is ashamed, disgusted and repulsed by what I did.”
Have you ever felt that way? Not about something criminal I hope, but about something you wish you had not done, or swear you would never do now? Have you ever remembered something you said, did or thought years ago–or only months, weeks or days ago–and wished you could erase it? You cannot, and neither can those who are aware of what you did. So, is there any way to make it better?
1. If you can apologize without causing emotional pain or embarassment, do so. If you had a bad relationship or did unkind or ill-judged things, or if someone else “knew you when”, and you wish they had a better memory of you, perhaps you can discuss it with them and feel some forgiveness or at least understanding. That is not always a kind thing, however–and you may find it makes the other person feel bad while you are trying to feel good.
If you do not feel you can apologize or if you think it will create more hard feelings, consider re-contacting that person and focus on establishing a better relationship this time. They may think there are things they need to apologize about as well! Or, if it seems you can talk about it, mention your poor judgment and talk briefly about the old you and how you regret what you did. Sometimes one sincere sentence like that can bring resolution to both of you, without creating even more discomfort.
2. Commit to your new, better and more mature life. Perhaps you were wrong or used poor judgment back then. LIve your life now in the best way possible. Think of what you want to say about your life in another year. Will you be proud of your work and life this year or will you be wishing you could erase it?
3. Do not make excuses for yourself. It is true that you are probably no worse than many others. It is also true that no good comes from beating up on yourself mentally about relatively minor things from the past. However, do not fall into the trap of convincing yourself you really have no reason to feel remorse or regret. One way you know you have matured and improved is that you see what you did wrong and what was unwise, and you feel badly about it.
4. Be your own parent or counselor. If a friend or your child came to you with the situation you are thinking about, what would you suggest they do? You would probably tell them to try to make it right, and if that is not possible, to simply promise to do better in the future and live up to the promise. That is what you can do as well.
Whatever you did decades, years or months ago, you do not have to do it again. You can be a better person, and a person for whom you have more respect. If you do that steadily, consistently and whole-heartedly, you will be able to see yourself as different than that old version of you was, and others will see you differently as well. Now and then you may find someone who remembers the old you. Let them hear and see the new you, and stick with it. The new you–the best you–can be the real you!
September 7th, 2008
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TLR |
Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development |
7 comments
“Physician, heal thyself.”
This post certainly comes under the heading of “do as I suggest, not necessarily as I do.” But, how can we justify not trying to help others avoid the mistakes we have made? In this case, I feel like Jacob Marley telling Scrooge, “It’s too late for me, but you can save yourself!”
(Incidentally, in the New Testament of the Bible, in the book of Luke, Jesus said he expected to be told the proverb, “Physician, heal thyself.” That says to me that people have probably always given advice they do not apply to themselves. Since Luke was a physician, I suppose he picked up on that before anyone else would!)
So, I’m not being hypocritical when I advise you, ask you, plead with you, and, if it will help, command you, to start leaving work on time.
Why do you stay at work after quitting time? If you stay more than a very few minutes after quitting time, give careful consideration about why you do it.
*If you do it because you have so many things left to do, challenge yourself–order yourself–to delegate some of it, stop doing some of it, or discuss it with your manager and see what might be eliminated or reduced to allow you to leave on time. Do not even let yourself think that it is impossible. Make the assumption that it is possible–especially since the person before you and the one following you will probably manage to go home on time!
*If you do it because you are a poor time manager during your work day, learn better skills, and discipline yourself to stick with them. As long as you let yourself think you can tack a couple of hours onto the end of your work day, you will dally when you should be doing.
*If you do it to impress people, you can stop now. If employees or others respect and like you, they will continue to do so if you go home on time. If they do not respect and like you, they will think you are a dope for having to work so late. (As someone once said about me, “I don’t see what’s so great about her taking ten hours to do a four hour job.”) (Ouch!)
*If you do it because you feel fearful or guilty about leaving on time, ask someone you trust if they would think less of you. Ask an employee if it makes his or her work easier when you stay late. Or, ask your boss if he or she will be angry if you are as punctual about going home as you are about coming to work. You know what the answers will be.
*If you stay late to socialize with others, that might be semi-acceptable. But, really, you all need to go home. If you decide it is fun to stay later to chat, at least turn off the computer and be ready to walk out the door the minute you have finished your after-work social time.
How to break the staying late habit: (I have had to glean this information from others, since I was never very good at it myself!)
1. Make a commitment to do it. You say you are good at self-management–prove it.
2. Get ready for tomorrow an hour earlier. Most people who stay late do not even start thinking about leaving until leaving time. Be ready to go by getting things ready for the next day–when you probably will be there two hours early.
3. Make the thought of going home enjoyable. Have something in a crockpot; have a ritual of sitting on the patio with a glass of iced tea; go home to a fairly clean house; ask your family to help you by not confronting you with chaos every evening; look forward to hugging your spouse and children…or your dog or cat. (Actually, if you get a dog, you will have to get home on time to let it out, but that seems to be a high price to pay!)
4. Like any other habit you must break or make, stick with your plan for at least a month, until it becomes a firm habit. Remember your commitment. If you told an employee to be at work on time, you would expect him or her to find a way to make it happen. In this case, you are telling yourself to go home on time. Find a way to make it happen!
If you enjoy working, you have received a great blessing. Thomas Carlylse said, “Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.” It is an equally great blessing to be competent enough and confldent enough, to go home when it is time to go home.
OK. I’m outta here!
August 31st, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management |
6 comments
Stormy weather: The tragedy and disruption created by Hurricane Fay, as well as by tornadoes, flooding, blizzards and all the other weather that hits our globe, reminds us that there are natural forces over which we have very little control. (Although we are finding out more every day about ways we can have some control as we protect our Earth!)
Usually our best options are to prevent the problems that we can prevent, be as prepared as possible for anything that might happen, then work quickly to repair damage and regain stability.
Work is like that. You can control many aspects of it, but not all of it–and some of it is completely out of your control. The only things you can control are your preparedness for the things that are likely to happen and your responses to them, so they do not have the power to ruin your happiness and inner peace.
Your workplace mental and emotional preparedness kit:
1. A strong foundation of competence. If you are highly competent at your work, you will have evidence of your value and so will others. That alone can be a tremendous source of protection when things are going bad at work. It also helps you feel better about yourself–with something to base those feelings on.
2. A strong awareness of continuity. One of the things that can help us move past problems is being aware that “this too, shall pass.” The situation you are confronting right now may be making you miserable, but there is more to your job than that. There is more to your life than that. Consider the stable parts of your life right now, and keep those strong. They provide the continuity that will help you overcome obstacles and allow you to feel inward calm.
3. A strong feeling of confidence. Confidence is not just about positive self-image, it is about self-reliance, self-management and self-motivation. Confidence comes from within you and transcends temporary set-backs. Remember though, there has to be a foundation for confidence, otherwise you just have ego!
4. A strong sense of courage. There are times when courage can lead us to step forward and assert ourselves when it is needed, or to stand up for others. Perhaps your best display of courage will come when you can get showered and dressed, drive to work with a feeling of energy, walk into the office or workplace with a pleasant smile and greeting for everyone you see, and begin your work as though everything is perfect in your world. If you encounter arrows, knives or barricades, you just keep moving and focus on the future–there is one!
One of the best feelings you will ever have at work is when you are talking, walking, and working with competence, confidence and courage, building a continuum of effectiveness. While you are at it, give your support to someone else who may not be as prepared for the storms of worklife as you are!
Staying prepared and developing strength: I used the photo and story about snow for a specific reason–the same reason I used the word strong to describe the elements of a mental and emotional workplace preparedness kit: 1.) It is still officially summer, but I know winter will be here, and now is the time to prepare for it. 2.) We cannot have strength in any capacity without consistent efforts to gain and maintain it.
The Big Blizzard: In March of 2008, parts of Ohio were shut down with recurring blizzards–20 inches in a 24 hour period on top of other snow. (Denver had 23.8 inches on Christmas Eve, 1982, Buffalo, New York had 38 inches of snowfall in one day in 1995–so there is always some other record holder!)
The snow and high winds created damage and disruption that had a severe impact on millions of residents, and the economic toll on businesses and governments was also terrible. Governor Ted Strickland surveyed the damage and made a statement that not only was a hit with reporters, but stuck in my consciousness to the point that I wrote it on a card and put it near my desk. He said:
We will get through this. The snow will stop, the wind will cease, and the sun will shine.
But until that happens we need to be smart, take care of ourselves and attempt to be helpful to others.
That seems to me to be a great bit of advice for all the storms of our lives!
August 23rd, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development |
7 comments
I have been a bit perplexed over the last few months, about how some people have found my website. (I can check to see whether they were directed by a search engine, typed my URL, or were linked here from someplace else. Big Sister is watching you!)
Some of the search requests have used phrases such as, “Rowe helps employees” and “Questions about Rowe.” That made sense–sort of. However, last month I was shocked to have three people come to my site after searching for, “Rowe doesn’t work”, “Dislike Rowe”, and “Rowe bad for employers.” What the heck was that all about? So, I researched it.
Here is what ROWE is all about–Results Oriented Work Environment. It was a concept started by Best Buy in their headquarters offices, and is now being considered for retail stores. It is essentially flextime, in that the focus is on results not on time in the office. If your workplace has implemented ROWE or something similar, I’d like to know your thoughts.
Some employees complain that this is very unfair for those who must be there to open and close the office, if others come and go as they wish. A few say their productivity standards were increased, making it necessary for them to work more hours anyway. Many jobs simply could not use the concept because of customer or client expecations. However, for many, it is a good way to let employees live their lives without such stark boundaries between work time and home time. All I know is that I have it on good authority that ROWE makes many people happy!
I think I will contact Best Buy and see if they can do a better job of selling this concept around the world. I want 100% acceptance! I’m tired of having my website found by people who are looking for information about “ROWE is failure” “Reasons Rowe won’t work” or the ultimate, “Rowe bad.”
One of my favorite ways of having my website found and read by a total stranger, was when someone from the UK searched, found me, and contacted me by email to ask about one of the posts, unrelated to his original topic. How did he find me? Rather obvious: He looked for “Best Buy ROWE is successful.” (My friends just call me, “The Best.”)
August 19th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work |
7 comments
I took this picture at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and only later found it fascinating! As the tram went past it (and do not get me started on how awful that tram ride was. I will never, ever do it again if there are obnoxious children and parents waiting to get on it, which means I will probably never, ever do it again.) the guide said, “This is our habitat for mountain goats. They’re hard to see, but they are up there!”
I saw six immediately, and pointed them out to the people next to me who couldn’t see any of them. I snapped a photo to remind myself of the neat camouflage job. Later, when I looked at the photo on zoom, I realized there were a few more than four.
If you want to give it a try, right click on the photo and save it to your computer, then look at it in your photo manager and enlarge it to about 200%. Enlarging it too much pixelates the image and makes it more difficult to see. Then, use a magnifying glass if you need to, to really see the detail. Go over each zone of the photo and you’ll see them. It’s sort of like an Easter Egg Hunt!
I wonder what would happen if a few of those mountain goats, surveying their bland and rather bleak surroundings, would decide to jazz things up a bit. How would they redecorate? How would they change their own appearances? What would they do to stand out in the crowd? I suppose the answer is that they would do none of those things, because they know hungry mountain lions would spot them easier. Individualism can be a good thing but attracting unwanted attention is not! Many of us would have benefited from attending Mountain Goat Survival School early in our lives.
Let me know how many you find!
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OK gang, time to get the answer. I only am counting those that I can see for sure, either on my own or with a magnifying glass. (Although, even without a magnifying glass I can see most of them fairly well when enlarged slightly.) I have three question marks, and 41 sightings! Yes, 41! I had entered it here as 39, when I found two more, right out in the open!
Pastor Jeff Adams found several that I had not found, but I don’t think that should count, because he is supposed to sort of be like a shepherd, finding the sheep. Right? And, doesn’t the Bible say something about separating the sheep from the goats, or vice versa? Anyway, when it comes to seek and ye shall find, he found them!
Evans, Colorado Police Department Chief of Police Rick Brandt did a good job too. But again, how impressive is that, when he has had a whole career involved with finding people who don’t want to be found?
A friend who wants to remain anonymous was very close to the correct answer. But since she did most of her looking while at work, she felt it would be better to not have her name announced. I tried to convince her that my readership on this site could hardly be considered equivalent to putting it in the Rocky Mountain News, but she demurred.
How many did you find? Thanks for playing!
August 15th, 2008
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work |
16 comments
