Management Craft

My new blog - Chile Pepper!

I thought I would let you all know that I have started a new blog called Chile Pepper. It's a blog about the Southwest lifestyle. I love most things Southwest and so this blog will feed my personal interests and passions.

Also, I intend on doing more writing (in addition to my business writing) about the Southwest, so this blog will help keep me sharp and up with the latest goings ons.

If you are interested in the Southwest, please check it out and pass on the news to your friends.

Chile Pepper blog

Another bit on Behavioral Tendencies

Last week, I shared thoughts about using behavioral assessments to build self-awareness in this post.

Don over at Leadership. Now. also posted on the topic and offered a recommendation for a model called Stages of Personal Power. You can check out his post called, Powerful Idea, here.

Tip of the Day - #17

Change the Context

To crate a different result, try changing your context. Align your environment to support your goals.

Business Pundit offers this post about how being open to new ideas/beliefs might be linked to using our non-dominant hand.

Changing the context is also something I briefly write about in my essay for More Space, as it is a great way to facilitate a breakthrough. Here's the snipet from the essay.

Changing or Realigning the Context

“It is easier to enhance creativity by changing conditions in the environment
than by trying to make people think more creatively.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

One of the most effective ways to bring about a BKE (Breakthrough Experience) is to adjust our context. In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell wrote about how the New York City crime rate plummeted in the 1990’s, enabled in large part, by changes made to the context. Implementing the “Broken Windows ” theory, they first cleaned up the graffiti on subway cars, and then stopped subway riders from jumping the turnstiles. By changing the look and feel of the subway experience, crimes dropped.

A change in context can have a dramatic impact on our perspective and results. Changing the context might mean creating a workspace that is pleasant and relaxed. The ancient practice of Feng Shui seeks to align surrounding elements to the goals of each space. Even those who do not follow Feng Shui will likely acknowledge that a cluttered workspace often accompanies a cluttered mind.

Another example of a context change is exploring unknown surroundings to broaden thinking and perspectives. Asking a new group of people to help brainstorm solutions to a problem is a contextual change.

“Strangers have a heightened capacity for rendering impartial judgments.“ Charles David Axelrod

New or unexpected external circumstances can provide the precipitating event that triggers a BKE. For example, anomalies can represent a contextual change. Those who explore anomalies are often rewarded with new insights, approaches, and BKEs.

Why don't you tweak your context this week and see what happens?

COTC Howling at Coyote Blog

This week's Carnival of the Capitalists is up at the Coyote Blog. He did a great job categorizing the posts and offers a healthy selection. Check it out!

When not blogging....

I have not written about my business much, so I thought I would take a few lines to let you all know what I do when I am not blogging! I try not to do too much self-promotion on the blog, so consider this my periodic commercial message (to support the fine programming :-).

I am a solopreneur. My business is Haneberg Management. You know that I am a business book writer, because I have blogged about my book, High Impact Middle Management and More Space Essay (1/11th of a book). I am also writing a book called Organization Development Basics, which will be available in December. In addition, I do the following types of projects:

Organization development - realigning organizations, strategic planning, change mgt. initiatives, facilitation and the like.

Management and leadership development - from soup to nuts. Individual courses and design work on larger initiatives. Yes, I also doing coaching. I have an executive kick start program that is a quick and concentrated coaching program to achieve particular targets.

Leadership recruiting - I can help companies with the selection of key management and leadership hires. For example, I am helping a company pick the right VP of Sales and Marketing.

Management and leadership speeches and presentations - I can deliver a presentation to 10 or 5000 and for one or many hours.

Train the trainer - And train the manager to be trainer/facilitator.

Team development - I have worked with small to medium sized teams to help them improve performance of their most important goals.

A wide variety of writing projects - I enjoy researching and writing and am interested in a lot of projects including business books, e-books, manuals, training materials, newsletters, articles.

I love writing and am branching out in this area. If you are a regular reader, you have seen some of my business poetry. I know as poets go, I am just a novice, but it’s fun. I am also branching beyond business topics. For example, I have just started pitching a travelogue book called Chile Pepper High: A Travelogue of Enigmatic New Mexico. New Mexico is my favorite place and I plan on taking a one month walk-about/writer’s adventure and will write about it (including interviewing locals and seeking out of the way spots). Here’s a mock up of the book cover - what do you think? I am still working to find a publisher, but this is a project I am very excited about.

HR Consulting - I have a strong background in HR and do some project work in this area. No issue too thorny!

Job Development - I have done some non-profit job development work and get a lot of satisfaction from these assignments.

Contract or temp management and executive gigs - I can fill a management or leadership position on a short-term basis (0-6 months) while helping you find the best person for the job. This is fun work for me because I get to learn a lot of different jobs and industries.

My scope - worldwide. In person, by phone/Skype, by email, by internet.

How I work - greenbacks are great, but I am also open to interesting trade arrangements.

Let me know if you would like to chat about how we might work together! You can check out my website here. It has all my contact information.

Thanks, and now we return to the regularly scheduled blog programming!

The New, More Sensual, Style of Management

Sensual: Relating to or affecting any of your senses; sensory.

When I talk to great managers (I call them High Impact), one of the attribuites that distinguishes them is that they are connected to their work and the people with which they work. Connected in an emotional and physical way. When I am at the top of my game as a leader and manager, it is a very sensual experience. The work is stimulating. Don't you find this to be true?

There’s regular and then there’s high-test.

There’s coffee and then there’s a triple shot.

There’s sports cars and then there’s a Ferrari Enzo.

There’s management, and then there’s Sensual Management.

Some of the tasks are the same, but the energy and passion with which they are executed is supreme.

Here is a diagram of Sensual Management:

What does it take to experience Sensual Management?

1. Get in the game - get excited about your work and the possibility of contributing in a big way.
2. Change the context - the pace and energy of the workplace needs to reflect electricity.
3. Establish compelling and meaningful goals that everyone can get excited about.
4. Start talking - having great dialogue.
5. Be actively engaged - physically and mentally - with people and tasks.

Make TODAY a Sensual Management day!

Tip of the Day - #16

Today's tip comes from Leaders Go First, a blog I just started reading and found through Leadership. Now.

Pay attention to, and manage, your energy!

In her post called, Spiral of Lethargy, Jane offers great thoughts about not letting regrets and disappointments sap our energy.

The post starts off...

"One of the most helpful strategies I've learned for managing my energy is not to waste one speck of it worrying about what I should have done or didn't do or could have done differently, except to see whether there are lessons to take away that will help me be more effective going forward.

The entire post is worthwhile, check it out here.

When should you let someone go?

It’s interesting that with all the radio and print interviews I have been doing to promote my book, the topic people are most fascinated with is how to know when it is time to fire people.

(So that you do not buy my book, High Impact Middle Management, under false pretenses, let me first say that techniques to fire people is not a focus of my book. I offer managers and leaders a few tips, but this is not a central theme.)

Here’s what I have been saying about the topic:

I have coached a lot of managers on the topic of when and how to fire. To me, there are just a couple fundamental questions that need to be asked:

1. Have you really been honest, candid, and CLEAR with the person about which aspects of his or her performance is not adequate? The answer is most often NO, so please challenge yourself on this point. Weak half hearted attempts do not count.

Does not count: “Bob if would be nice if the project were brought in on time.”

Does not count: “Bob, you’re really great at talking to the customers, but your follow through is not so good.”

Does not count: “Bob, I know you were put in a difficult position, I would have had a hard time dealing with the stress.......”

Does not count: “Bob, the boss will be a lot happier if, at the end of the month, we met our numbers. Can you give it your all in this final week?”

I know that we want to be nice, but being unclear and weak is not being nice - it’s setting someone up for a rude awakening. Unless someone does something egregious that warrants immediate termination, he or she deserves to be told what’s really going on.

What’s really going on: Employee A, we will call him Bob, is not performing adequately and is in danger of losing his job. Bob is doing or not doing something that is NOT OK and he may end up unemployed.

We don’t like to think or talk like this, but let’s face it, that is the reality.

It is easier to be clear about missed deadlines, costs, and breakdowns, for sure. If you have someone who no one wants to work with, it is tougher, but it can be articulated in a clear and effective manner. (If you have a particular situation you are battling with, send in an “Ask Lisa” question and I will offer my thoughts.)

2. After being clear about what is not working, have you provided the employee with follow-up, support, and additional clear and candid feedback? Again, the answer is often NO (although this point may be mute because most managers don’t do #1).

If you have done #1 and #2 and the employee is not performing adequately - terminate him or her without delay. If it’s the right thing to do, your team members are waiting for you to have the courage to solve this problem so that the team can move on.

Note/caveat/small print: This advice is predicated on the assumption that the performance problem is really a problem. In other words, what Bob is doing or not doing that is NOT OK is something important and valid. I have had several situations where a manager tells me about something “Bob” is doing that they think is terrible and my response is, “so what?” It’s a big deal when people lose their jobs, make sure you do not fire someone for something that really does not matter in the scheme of things.

The best way to avoid having to fire someone is to hire the right people and be a great manager.

My Trust-O-Meter Just Went Whacko!

Johanna over that Managing Product Development just left this post about a friend who found out his boss is reading his email.

Leaders and managers: One of the most important things we do is build trusting and postiive relationships. For people to follow us willingly (real leadership) we need to be respected. We need to be trustworthy.

Who knows the exact circumstances of Johanna's friend, it doesn't matter. Don't be sneaking around looking at your employee's stuff! Assume your activities will be discovered (they likely will). The only exception I would throw out there is if there is an HR investigation going on regarding a serious and dangerious situation (like workplace violence).

The fear/knowing that you will be caught should stop you from treating your adult employees like children (like you get to control them - YOU DON'T). The even MORE COMPELLING reason not to read emails or snoop around is that it is not mature management behavior. A workplace is where adults come together and create value for the various stakeholders. And for those of you who think you want to catch employees sending emails to their firends, don't bother. There will be emails to friends, but you know what? It doesn't matter. A fully engaged employee is also going to think about work on their personal time, so it all evens out. If you have an employee who is spending an inordinate amount of time on personal calls or emails, you have other problems (structure of the role, work assignments, communication, expectations, etc). Spying is not the solution.

We cannot do our best work - not even close - when we are in an environment that is set up on the assumptions of a lack of trust. Period.

I hope you agree! If you don't, if you think it is OK to read your employee's email as a normal course of business, please leave a comment so that we can talk this through.

What's your style?

I am a fan of using behavioral assessments when they:

ARE used to better understand our natural tendencies and the behavioral tendencies of others.

ARE used to be more self aware - which is what is standing in the way of many professionals.

ARE used to build better relationships with others and communicate more effectively.

ARE NOT used to judge someone’s potential for success of fit in a job.

While each assessment company will tout their differences, almost all of them will meet the goals I have stated above. Several of the more common ones are:

MBTI - Myers Briggs Type Indicator
DISC classic Profile
Social Styles
AVA - Activity Vector Analysis

I have seen others that use animal names and such. Most are based on the same research at their core and will be helpful.

For example, I am an INTP on the MBTI. What does this mean? My tendencies are to be introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceptive. Those of you who know MBTI might be surprised to see a coach, trainer, and speaker with a style that is punctuated by strong introverted and thinking tendencies. Yep, I’m really just a geek inside :-)

The point is, that my tendencies help me be a different kind of coach, trainer, and speaker, than colleagues who have extroverted and feeling tendencies. We all bring something to the party and have to compensate for our tendencies in certain circumstances.

But to compensate and augment our natural tendencies, we must know what they are.

Learning more about behavioral tendencies helps us recognize other people’s preferences more quickly and this helps us communicate more effectively.

So here’s my advice: If you have taken one or more of these assessments, that’s great. Revisit the results every now and then and make sure you are using the knowledge to your benefit and growth. If you have not taken any behavioral assessments, ask your training department to arrange this for you (most trainers are certified in one or more of these assessments). It is also a lot of fun and helpful to do this with your team.

For those of you who do not work for a company, there are several places online you can take an assessment. Some have shortened versions of the assessments which are still pretty accurate and are less expensive. www.personalitypage.com has a shortened assessment for $5 that I have used before and gotten fine results (the folks with the longer forms will discount these, but the results are pretty close and just fine for most of us). This website also has lots of reference information you can use once you know your style. For example, you can read more about my INTP style here.

There are no good or bad styles. There are no styles that lead to success or failure. We can all be successful, but might have to learn different skills to round out our natural tendencies. There will be certain environments that will be more naturally stimulating and a better fit for us given our natural tensendies (one of the reasons I like exploratory writing, for example).

Don’t assume that you know what your natural tendencies are. Before I got involved in working with several of these instruments, I would have told you I was an extrovert because I talk a lot for a living. But I am really a strong introvert. I can see this now and distinguish the difference between being comfortable in front of a group and being an extrovert. Knowing this helps me be more successful and happy.

What’s your style?