Keep Calm and Let Them Work

DOUBT PRODUCES LESS RESULTS...

Micromanagement is more of a sign of insecurity than the need to usurp control.  It's a sickness for anyone to feel the need to watch the minutia of what people are doing to complete their assigned task.  Qualified individuals or experts in their crafts do not require such tight supervision.  In fact, it is an insult.  Scratch that.  It is even an insult to someone who is learning on the job or in a junior position.  

However the pressure of looking over someone's shoulder or the demands of requesting a status every waking minute will eventually cause stellar performers to leave and good workers to resent the workplace and become complacent with doing the bare minimum. 

But here's how to delegate, keep calm, and let others give their best for your benefit:

1.  Once the work has been assigned, ask for a timely status on the progress.  Do not constantly send emails and request an update.  It is annoying and shows your lack of trust in either the competence or ability to meet communicated deadlines.  Agree to a time of the day (only if absolutely necessary) or week the update should be sent and send a friendly reminder only after it is not received.

2.  Build your employees up with others.  Talk about their strengths and expertise in specific areas to other managers and even their peers.  Let them know the confidence you have in them to produce great work in front of others at meetings - some of which they are attending.  This sends a subliminal message that they're on the hook because high standards have been set.

3.  Find other projects to keep yourself busy.  If you don't have enough work, emails to sift through, or calls to return, create a side project to show your worth that does not require delegating tasks to others.  This serves three purposes: a) provides a new focus area to keep your mind off the "workerbees", b) empowers you to prove value and increase self-esteem in the work world, and c) creates a safe distance for those who report to you to actually begin to like you and want to provide consistent status.

Cure the illness.  Just keep calm and let them work.

For more advice on managing in the ranks of entrepreneurship and corporate life, pick up my book Get A Clue - 10 Steps to an Executive IQ or watch the videos on my YouTube channel.

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Posted in: 10 Steps to an Executive IQ,corporate communication,corporate etiquette,Get A Clue,leadership,Leadership Skills,manager,program management,project management,Temeko Richardson

Not Everyone Will be Invited and That's Okay

INVITE-ONLY...

There are celebrity bashes, red carpet galas, Super Bowl parties, and special conferences and all have invitation lists which determine who gets in and who will be turned away before they get to the door.  The same should hold true for any meeting that an organizer has convened with a purpose.  There will be some people who will be invited and others who will not.  But it is not okay for someone who was invited to ask someone else to join without request to the organizer.  (Yes explain why that person should be invited and let the organizer decide the importance of that person's presence during the meeting.)

Experience has taught me that meetings are only effective if there are less than 7 people present.  Any more than that and the discussions go off-topic with increased likelihood of time-consuming recaps to get people up to speed. Eliminate the problem upfront by ensuring the right people are together at the right time to accomplish a goal.

And if what you need is an audience, pull yourself together.  Meetings should only be held to inform of a decision or action, coordinate a plan and assign tasks, or resolve an issue.  The more meetings you spare people from, the more they will like you and be a captive audience for you in the future. 

 If anyone's feelings are hurt because they were not invited, it's them not you.  After all, purpose goes a longer way than feeling important.

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Posted in: biting your tongue,corporate communication,corporate etiquette,Exec Get a Clue,Get A Clue,meeting invitations,meetings,Temeko Richardson

Email Distribution Gone Bad

EMAIL DISTRO...

There's always that one person who can't get enough of copying (cc'ing) the universe on what he/she feels is important.  The email is sent and anyone who knows the answer feels obligated to respond and cc the universe again.  But it never stops there because someone else on the email distribution list is asked a question or instructed to perform some task.  That person must respond or look lazy or incompetent. Just how do you end the cycle of an email distribution gone bad?

1)  Remove individuals from the email who will have little to no impact.  Erase people from the distribution list who can not take action, make a decision, or will not be affected by the looming action or decision.  This eliminates cluttered inboxes and decreases the likelihood of the email being overlooked or outright ignored because it is from the normal sender.  This also makes you look like the hero because you are perceived as valuing others' time.

2)  Invite relevant parties to a meeting to discuss the topic.  Alert everyone on the distribution list that there will be a formal discussion and an invite will be sent to a streamlined group of participants.

3)  Call the sender and ask politely for him to put an end to the email thread.  Yes, old fashion communication, pick up the phone and talk to the person who might be starting confusion with all the emails. 

And if all else fails, set a filter for the email topic and have it go to a folder called RIDICULOUS and read it at your leisure when you want a good laugh.

For more clues on how to deal with tough individuals in both corporate America and while owning a business, be sure to pick up a copy of my book, Get A Clue -10 Steps to an Executive IQ or check out the videos on my YouTube Channel.

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Posted in: communication,corporate communication,corporate etiquette,email distribution list,email etiquette,Get A Clue,Temeko Richardson

Executives Need Downtime Too

STRESS EATS AWAY EXECS...

Executives have it hard because of their frantic schedules, constant travel, crucial deadlines, and extensive scrutiny on the rise and fall of the company of which they are responsible.  But they have even more stress because they find themselves alone with no one to talk to about their family woes, work issues or potential company problems like massive layoffs, looming sales, and the idea of failing a group of employees if the company does not survive.  Work-life balance and confidantes are key to their longevity.

Zurich Insurance Group's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Wauthier was found dead at his home from an apparent suicide.  Two weeks prior the Chief Executive of Swisscom, Carsten Schloter, committed suicide after facing pressure from leading a 1.3 billion EURO writedown after a poor acquisition choice.  While the company was under investigation, Schloter in prior interviews confessed in previous interviews that it was "difficult to unwind" and that he had failed relationships with his three children in Germany after his marriage dissolved.

Stress is real and kills, if not over a time period or self-induced.  Executives need a work-life balance that involves downtime of which they do not have to discuss the woes of leading a company.  This includes exercise or recreational activities with friends and family, where there are no expectations except for them to be themselves. There needs to be a set time in the schedule that includes some form of movement and pressure for cardio burn and body agility.  Even better a fun day at the beach or golf course can ease the stress as well.

Genuine friends and people interested in their well-being are hard to come by.  There will be people around because they are at the top and will leave the minute they seem close to hitting rock bottom.  A simple conversation in the hallway to just ask about non work-related matters can relieve a minute of pressure from pretending that everything is okay. Of course, executives must remain guarded but there must be discernment regarding the true camaraderie they need to just simply vent.

Workplace stress, long hours, and unfriendly work environments combined with tumultuous business partners, picky customers, and unmanageable deliverables can cause a perception there is no need for downtime.  However the suicides of late tell something entirely different - relax a little now so the stress doesn't hit hard later.

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Posted in: corporate etiquette,corporate travel,employment stress,Exec Get a Clue,executive,executive suicide,stress,stress management,Temeko Richardson,work-life balance

Preseason is a Professional Sports Temp Agency

THE PATH TO THE ROSTER...

The preseason in professional sports is the time in which the unnecessary roster additions come to light and athletes are waived because of poor conditioning, unpreparedness, lack of performance, increased competition, reevaluation of worth based on the remaining roster, or inability to fit in with the work ethic and style of others on the team.  Not unlike what goes on in work environments that don't involve cheering fans, a stadium or arena, and intense schedules, this is exactly what temporary workers and employees who contract for hire experience.  But here's how to prepare for the end of the evaluation probation period?

1. Work harder and longer than the rest. Be present before others arrive and after they leave.  Put in more time and effort to be better and deliver stronger.  The results will be evident during the regular workday (on the field or watching film for athletes) while others are competing.  It is a competition and the more you prepare, the better the chances are to compete and win the roster spot.
2. Talk less and prove more.  Solidifying the spot on the team is the only focus.  Making friends by going to happy hour and nights out on the town are not appointments that need to be scheduled until after a contract is signed and the probationary period is over.  Still be friendly but keep personal and professional business private.
3. Keep the image intact.  The character shown outside of work or off the field is just as important as the one on the field or in the workplace.  There are no boundaries for upstanding behavior regardless of the environment.  No one wants a risk to the team because there is work to be done, games to be won, and/or deliverables to be completed.  Be sure to think before reacting to any situation and remove or at least eliminate interactions with people that bring drama and conflict.  Be the person that keeps great references.
4. Move on from the good and the bad performances.  Celebrate the good work and mourn the bad results only for a minute.  Do not get lost in celebration or sulking because it moves the focus away from the next opportunity to shine.  Learn from the poor performance and make the appropriate adjustments.  Remember the good outcome and practice to repeat whatever it took for the positive outcome.

A once in a lifetime opportunity can not be underestimated.  It is a process that the million dollar athlete and the hourly worker go through to solidify a job.  While one might be more glamorous than the other, it's always business and nothing personal.  And what is exhibited working with one company or team that did not work can easily translate to success in another company or for another team. 

For more business and professional career information, follow on Twitter (@temekoruns) or purchase the book, Get A  Clue 10 Steps to an Executive IQ.

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Posted in: corporate etiquette,employment,nba,NFL,preseason,professional athletes,professionalism,sports business,Temeko Richardson

Video Series - Learning To Remain Calm

THINK BEFORE YOU TOUCH...

Accusing co-workers? Misguided management? Poor planning causing unnecessary emergencies? Risky business ventures? Deliverables missed because of weak links on the team?  

These are all reasons to be upset and send a tweet rant or a pointed email.  However, how you handle these situations may determine how your character is perceived.  It can cost you financially if the response is too abrasive or harsh.

It is best to remain tactful, become politically correct, and in some instances keep silent.  In other words, keep calm.  

Check out this video of tips on how to be calm to quiet the storm.  http://youtu.be/-6X4yGTMMDA

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Posted in: consulting,corporate etiquette,Entrepreneurship,management consulting,professional athletes,professionalism,program management