Author: Dr. Flores Page 30 of 44

Over the past couple of decades, I’ve had plenty of managers, some great and some so-so. A mentor once told me that I should focus mostly on meeting the expectations of my manager. When my direct gives me an assignment, I need to ensure these requirements are done on time, within budget, and at a high-quality level. In other words, exceeding expectations matters.

How do you know that your manager likes you? What are the signs that you are on the right track? Is it okay to ask if you are on the same page? How do you handle the situation in which you feel there is a disconnect with your manager?

1: Your Opinion Matters

One sure-sign that your manager likes and respects you is when she asks for your opinion. For example, you are getting ready to launch a project, and your manager asks you who should be on the team. You might also be asked to become the project manager. You are given extra responsibility, and the manager is confident you will be accountable for the work.

You often find these people sitting in the manager’s office, day-after-day. In some cases, the meetings include lunch and even an after-work drink. In essence, the manager is looking for someone to provide honest feedback, and she respects this person’s opinion.

#2: You Receive High-Value Assignments

One notable advantage of being liked by your manager is that you are first to hear of excellent work assignments. These opportunities are not promotions per se; instead, these projects will usually place you in front of the VIPs of your company. The pressure will be on to ensure you do well, but your manager will make sure you have the right people and resources to excel.

When working in a Fortune 500 company, I was assigned as a key team member for an enterprise-wide project. My manager knew I had the technical skills to do the work, and he asked if I wanted to participate. He knew this project would allow me to interact with many influential people in the organization. It was a terrific opportunity that exposed me to many vital business functions, and eventually led to other career opportunities.

#3: Your Incompetence is ignored

In a previous job, I recall an employee (Martina) who was mediocre at best. In fact, she spent most of her time on Facebook and texting with friends. When Martina wasn’t killing time on the computer, she was on-break or out-to-lunch. In fact, a previous manager threatened to fire her because her performance was far below expectations.
Enter the new manager, Jack. Martina went from nearly getting the pink slip to receiving a promotion. She convinced Jack to transfer her to a low-profile position in which she could operate under the radar. In other words, the metrics to measure her performance were now intangible, which meant she could survive, and even thrive, in this new position.

If you find that your manager is not too high on you, it’s important to determine the problem. You have to take the initiative. The best approach is to ask for more responsibility. You are interested in opportunities in which you are accountable for a critical business function.

Most managers respect someone who is bold and willing to improve the organization. Once you are given the assignment, you must hit a home run. By exceeding expectations, you will become a favorite of your manager.

Like top-notch employees, terrific managers are hard to find. In my last corporate job, I had the privilege ofworking for a smart, committed, and fair manager. While I’ve had other good managers in the past, I felt Tom was the best.

Applying and Interviewing

In the job classifieds section of the San Antonio Express-News, I noticed an IT position for a large insurance and investment company. The position called for several skills that were a good match, and I decided to apply.

Several weeks after submitting my application, I received a call from HR to schedule a series of interviews with managers of the IT department. The last interview was with a Tom, and he asked me one key question: Will you tell me more about Management by Objectives used in previous jobs?

I’m glad that he asked this question because I’m a big fan of MBO. The approach here is to meet with the manager early in the year and outline the objectives that will be completed. In essence, the manager helps me when I run into issues, but I am also accountable for my work.

Tom was pleased with my response, and he later told me that my knowledge and enthusiasm responding to this question made me the top candidate for the position. In fact, more than 1,000 prospects had applied.

Tom’s Managerial Approach

I enjoyed working for Tom because he was a no-nonsense manager. He was clear with the requirements, and he took the time to communicate expectations to those who worked for him.

Here are three reasons that Tom was a competent manager:

#1: He intervened when necessary.

As part of my duties in the IT department, I was assigned the $11.5M budget. This was hard work, especially when I had to collect information from other IT managers. The managers were busy, or they were unwilling to share information with me. Tom was proactive, oftentimes walking with me to speak directly with the managers. In short order, I had the information I needed to complete my work.

#2: He promoted training opportunities.

This particular organization offered many training sessions. Given that I used the MS Office Suite for much of my work, I completed every course in the program. This knowledge opened several key opportunities for me within the organization.

#3: Tom was transparent.

I recall the time when the company was downsizing, and every department was going to lose 10% of the staff. Given we had 10 people on our team, one person was going to be given the pink slip. The week before the announcement, Tom stated: I want to let you know that one of us will be cut from the team. I’m unsure right now who that person is, but it does include me. As it turns out, one employee from our department accepted a severance package, which reduced our staff by the 10% mandate.

Tom was not perfect, but he was talented. We could ask him for assistance, and he would help. If we stayed late working on a project, he stayed with us. He understood the importance of valuing employees. By doing so, we were committed to exceeding expectations.

You can’t escape the overbearing, conceited, and arrogant co-worker. There is at least one in every department. You can spot them from a mile away. They have every right answer, and they have a ridiculous desire to be the center of attention. In some cases, they have a certain skill or knowledge base that provides a level of uniqueness. Of course, they will talk non-stop about that ability because that makes them feel important.

Over the years, I have learned several approaches to working with overbearing fellow employees – and here they are:

#1: Have a concrete agenda for meetings involving these individuals.

People who are pompous and dominating prefer meetings that have open agendas. They want to have the floor, and a non-existent set of discussion points allows them to control the meeting. Therefore, you must have an agenda and assigned experts who are in charge of the particular topics. Of course, make sure you have hard start and end times to meetings. It’s critical that everyone understands the ground rules for meetings.

#2: Focus on the content provided by overbearing co-workers, and not their personality.

It is easy to lose focus on what is important when someone is showing-off. However, as a professional, you must look for the important information contained in the midst of the fluff. In other words, concentrate on what the individual is saying, and not on how he is communicating it.

Example:

“I’ve been working here for 10 years, and I have been able to maintain excellent standards because of the training I’ve taken. I produce excellent results because my skills are perfect for this position. The last guy who had this job was incompetent. It took someone like me to meet the quality standards required by the industry. I have no idea where this company would be without me in this position!”

Translation:

This employee has a clear idea regarding industry expectations, and likely works in a department in which others are contributing equally to meet the quality standards.

Instead of ignoring the conceited employee, think about what can be learned. He is likely following a process that can be replicated in a different department. Keeping an open mind will improve the lessons learned process.

#3: Avoid complaining about the overbearing employee.

If this person has any longevity in the company, it’s highly probable the leadership team has him on the radar. For that reason, it’s best to avoid lodging a complaint. If you do, you are no different from the other countless victims who have gone before you.

The best approach is to show how you are working with Mr. Arrogant. In fact, your ability to lead people, especially those who are difficult to manage, makes you an effective leader. In essence, the overbearing co-worker has provided you with the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others.

The lesson here is that working with overbearing, conceited, and arrogant people is part of doing business. For you to climb the corporate ladder, it’s imperative to develop the leadership skills to ensure everyone is moving to the same target, regardless of their personality types.

Motivating your employees to succeed is much easier than you think. The problem with many managers today is that they spend most of their time micromanaging. I’m sure you know of the manager who is more interested in what you do wrong, and shows little concerns for your wins.

The key to becoming an excellent boss is developing your ability to recognize good work by your employees. Please note that I said good work, and not off-the-charts accomplishments. When someone performs at an extraordinary level, everyone will know, and recognition will come. However, the daily, non-stop effort done by your employees cannot be ignored.

Look for Opportunities to Praise

Employees have key tasks to do everyday. For example, the IT phone support specialist quickly resolves a password issue, and the insurance salesperson provides a prospect with updated information regarding a policy. While these activities appear mundane and routine, they are critical to the success of the organization.

A successful manager is looking for opportunities to pat an employee on the back. Most employees will tell you that receiving recognition for good work is important to them, and often motivates them to improve.

The praise should be provided both privately and in public. Both strategies are effective. Regardless of how you praise employees, it’s important to do it quickly. The compliment has a bigger impact when the activity is fresh on the minds of everyone.

Praise Must be Specific

Compliments resonate when the manager is specific. In other words, you want to have a clear idea what the employee did well, and address it directly. General praise carries little weight, and is often counterproductive.

Here are examples of specific praise:

• “Sophia, your work on the Q1 budget reports was terrific! I received an email from the CFO complimenting Finance for submitting the information in a timely fashion. I know you spent many hours, including last weekend, getting it done. We are excited to have you on our team!”
• “Sal, the presentation to Toyota was awesome! I was more impressed with your ability to field the Six Sigma questions. I could tell they were looking at you as the subject matter expert, and we must have you on the team when we visit their higher-ups at the Tsutsumi plant in Japan. Let’s get together later this week to discuss our moving forward plan.”
• “Hi, Everyone. I would like to thank you for attending this very early morning meeting. I wanted to start by sharing some good news. As you know, our numbers are in from last month, and we beat expectations. Well, we did more than beat expectations! We are in a different stratosphere! I think all of you know that our team worked together to realize these unbelievable results. We focused on the customer, making sure they had the right HR solution for their organization. Our sales team was terrific! Our IT team made the onboarding process easy! Our leadership team provided the guidance and vision and, of course, the funding. Our success is attributable to everyone on this team. I’m excited to be part of this over-achieving team!”

The bottom line for any organization improves when you are committed to praising good work. Look for every opportunity to compliment your employees, and make sure the praise is genuine and specific.

Can’t we just get along? Does it matter that we like our co-workers? What if we ignore the difficult people, and just focus one doing our own jobs? In other words, is taking the high road the best game plan to survive in your current position?

These are all tough questions, and the best answers can vary depending on your situation. However, there are effective approaches to managing difficult people. In some cases, you can ignore the difficult people and do your work. However, you might be required to take action and confront the problem. Your success will largely depend on the approach you take and not so much on what you say or do.

#1: Focus on what the person does well.

I’ve found that many difficult people are generally smart, hard-working, and committed employees. These individuals are even harder to work with when they have many years of experience under their belts. That is, they are not only talented, but they also have successful track records.

Good advice here is not to try and change someone to think and act like you. You shouldn’t take the approach that your line of thinking is right. You are not going to change someone’s beliefs in a matter of months. It is best to praise the person for the work he does, and provide feedback in a non-confrontational manner, such as: “Steve, your work on the Kalamazoo data warehouse project was terrific. Do you mind working on the lessons learned this week? I received an email from the project management office asking for that information immediately.” Keep it simple, and focus on the requirements.

#2: Make sure that respect is not violated.

Disagreement and conflict are part of everyday business. However, you must never allow someone to disrespect another employee. Similarly, you cannot allow an agitated co-worker to insult you, either privately or publicly. You must stand up for yourself.

Andrea was a day late with her portion of the project because a key stakeholder was tardy responding to her requests. Patricia, her project manager, shouted: “You’re late! C’mon! This is ridiculous! In fact, you’re ridiculous, too!” Andrea cannot sit idly and take this abuse. She must defend herself, but she must do it in a calm manner. If Patricia continues her unprofessional tactics, the issue must be escalated to either Andrea’s line manager or to HR.

#3: Take a no-nonsense approach.

A no-nonsense approach is one in which you are programmed on the deliverables that must get done, and you are unconcerned with the noise emanating from the difficult person. This individual might be complaining about the assigned work, expectations, and management team. You, on the other hand, have an assignment to complete, and you’re going to make sure it gets done.

Avoid falling in the trap and believing the difficult person is justified in complaining about the work. You are aware this person will find something wrong regardless of the situation. When you hear the complaints, steer the discussion back to the deliverables. You don’t have time to solve non-work-related issues.

Getting along with difficult people is important to your success. In most cases, they merely want to feel important, and you can praise them for doing good work. However, you should never allow someone to ridicule or embarrass you. By standing up for yourself, you will find that even the difficult co-workers will soon respect you, and will quickly switch their attention to work that is assigned to them.

Working for a micromanager can be difficult for many people, especially those with a creative and innovative spirit. Micromanagement is disliked by many because it’s analogous to rigor and bureaucracy. While a centralized approach has advantages, there are also notable drawbacks.

The micromanager can be spotted from miles away. This person is usually consumed with busy work, and oftentimes with nonproductive activities. In essence, the micromanager is the “king of checklists.” He might get little done during the day, but each box on his list will have a checkmark on it.

Rita has worked at Dakota Manufacturing for the past 10 years. After earning her MBA, she was promoted to Senior Quality Engineer, a position requiring many meetings with specialists from across the organization. Several months ago, Dakota hired Daniel to oversee the Quality Control department, which means that Rita falls under his supervision.

Daniel was hired after an intensive external search. Interestingly, he was given the opportunity with Dakota Manufacturing while unemployed. His previous company, Bama Construction, underwent big layoffs, and Daniel was caught in this wave.

A progress report meeting between Rita and Daniel …

Daniel: Rita, thank you for seeing me today.

Rita: Sure, Daniel. What’s first on the agenda?

Daniel: Rita, you know me already. I love agendas!

Rita: Yes. I’ve learned that about you. [chuckle]

Daniel: Were you able to meet with everyone in your department? Do you have weekly meetings with them?

Rita: I met with 12 of the 15 team members last week to get an update on their work. However, we’re so busy with the quality control efforts regarding the new freight elevator gates. The design is innovative, using cutting-edge technology. So, I was unable to meet with Christie, Mark, and Martin. I did, however, receive a status update report from each via email, and all work is on schedule.

Daniel: Okay, Rita. You know how important it is for you to have the weekly meetings with each team member. This is something I promised to our upper management team.

Rita: Daniel, I’m not so sure we need to physically meet with every person on the team. In some cases, our work is too busy, and many of us are on the shop floor taking care of pressing problems.

Daniel: There are no two ways about it, Rita. I have to know that you meet with each person, even if you chat about routine work.

Rita: Most of the work around here is project-related, and we have a team meeting every Thursday at 2 p.m. In some cases, those meetings go several hours, and I have the chance to get feedback from everyone. In essence, I know what every person on the team is doing.

Daniel: Right, Rita. The issue here is that I promised our management team that you would meet individually with everyone on your team. This is something that I expect of every manager in my department.

Rita: Okay. I will do the best I can.

Daniel: Thank you, Rita. Our meeting is done. I can now update my meeting checklist. Another big accomplishment for the week!

Rita: Right. Way to go.

The issue here is that Daniel is concerned about busy work, which fails to benefit the bottom line. The top management team can be fooled by micromanagers because they give the appearance that work is getting done. Of course, the downside is significant, especially because creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are sacrificed.

Not a day passes that you don’t experience a rude situation with someone. You might encounter the crazy driver who cuts you off, the cashier who looks at you funny because you have several more items than the 10 allowed in the fast lane, or a co-worker who embarrasses you in a meeting because your report is missing pertinent information.

Of course, you can also be rude. You sometimes ignore others when they ask a question, or complain to the waiter because your chicken fried steak is late in arriving. The pressure of the day takes its toll, and you find it easy to take it out on others. In fact, being rude is so common that you are often surprised when someone is nice to you.

I know a little about rude behavior. You see, for more than 20 years I officiated Div. I men’s collegiate basketball games. The coaches are looking for an edge, and they often try intimidation tactics that hardly work. The fans, who are sometimes intoxicated, scream ridiculous stuff at the referees. Interestingly, I think fans are accustomed to acting rudely, and they often use the same approach in their everyday life.

#1: Keep a polite attitude.

The best thing you can do when someone loses his cool is to remain calm. I understand that it’s tough to do because you want to tell him a thing or two. Recently, an intoxicated passenger became upset when my backpack was directly in front of his First Class seat. There was no overhead space in the immediate area, and I was waiting for passengers to find their seats, allowing me walking room to find space for my bags.

He said, “Come on, man. Move that bag!”

In most cases, I would tell this passenger to go “Fly a kite!” In fact, I would probably raise my voice and tell him to go to H*#L! But, for some reason, I was able to keep my cool this time, and I responded: “Sorry, I’m trying to find a place for my bags.”

The drunk mumbled a few incoherent words, sat down, and ordered a cocktail. I grabbed my backpack, found a place for it, and retreated to my seat. The polite approach calmed the situation, and the rest of the flight was uneventful.

#2: Agree with the rant.

Here are a few Dale Carnegie tactics to managing an irate individual:

• “I’m so sorry. Did I offend you?”
• “Please ignore me if I was inconsiderate. That was not my intention.”
• “I apologize for overlooking that information. It won’t happen again.”
• “I didn’t see you in line. Let me find my place.”

In some cases, you are wrong, and in some you’re not. Really, though, it’s not worth making a big deal out of it. Appease the person and get back to living.

#3: Try to understand the rude person.

People are under tremendous stress today. That doesn’t give them the right to be rude to you, but you have to be bigger than the situation. I remember the woman who walked into the dry cleaners where I was dropping off my clothes, and said:

“Who left their car on outside?”

“That’s my car, ma’am,” I responded.

“Well, you know that if that car is stolen,you can be cited for contributory negligence.”

“No, ma’am.” I was unaware of that law.

She was trying to feel important. My guess is that she recently heard it on TV, or possibly read it in the newspaper. Regardless, this was her time to shine, and I could tell the five customers in the store were amused with her newfound “legal knowledge.”

Managing rude people requires that you avoid trying to prove them wrong. Instead, you need to remain calm, and look for ways to resolve differences in a non-confrontational manner. You will feel much better by walking away and knowing you were bigger than the situation.

The pressures of work can take a toll. Some people are unable to handle the pressing deadlines or the increased workload, and soon they channel their frustration and anger to co-workers. Of course, there are some individuals who don’t require an excuse to be rude, but the pressures of day-to-day activities often trigger unprofessional and inconsiderate behavior.

No one has a right to insult you, and you should never put up with it. How you handle the situation is important. In some cases, you can ignore a rude comment, but most cases require that you confront the problem. You are more likely to respond inappropriately when caught off-guard, but there are strategies to handling an acute episode. Good advice is to avoid reacting too quickly to the event. Even taking 10 seconds to consider the intent of the comment will allow you to formulate an effective response.

Let’s discuss three strategies to managing rude co-workers:

#1: Consider the source.

You’re sitting in a product development meeting, and your boss says the following to you: “Christina, the reason you’re having difficulties managing the team is because you’re a poor planner. Didn’t we send you to leadership training? You should be prepared by now?” Obviously, this comment coming from your boss is hurtful, especially when said in front of colleagues.

Given that your boss is the source of this comment, you have to make sure that your response is professional. Try this one: “Jack, the team is having a few problems, and I take full responsibility for their performance. We are making good strides, and I expect all deliverables will be met. Regarding my performance … I will schedule time on your calendar to discuss.” Christina assumed responsibility for any shortcomings, but she also emphasized that the work will get done. She is right to suggest a private meeting to discuss performance issues. In addition, she will make it clear to Jack that she will not tolerate being embarrassed in front of the team.

#2: Be prepared for the unexpected.

There are some people in your organization who constantly make off-the-wall comments. In some cases, these comments are unprofessional and unrelated to your work. For example, “Larry, you’re erratic in your decision-making. I’m sure that’s why you’re having marital problems.” Personal matters are just that – personal.

Here’s a good response to this comment: “Felicia, I’m not sure why you made this comment, and I don’t appreciate it. Please note that all future discussions between us must be business-related.” If Felicia fails to honor your request, you have the option contact your line manager or go directly to HR.

#3: Avoid falling in the trap.

Regardless of the rude comment, make sure that you think it through before responding. Leave the great one-liners to Hollywood. When someone makes a comment that you consider unprofessional, consider the source and the intent. You must process the information before reacting.

It’s often more effective to show confusion and bewilderment regarding the rude comment than reacting with anger. You can ask the following questions: “Do you really mean what you said?” “Why do you think that of me?” “What specifically did I do or say to make you feel that way.” Of course, you should also make it clear that you will not tolerate rude comments, particularly those made in a public setting.

Rude people are here to stay, and you must be prepared to manage unprofessional situations. You can’t go wrong if you stick to the facts and avoidfalling into a trap in which you respond with a negative comment. This approach is counterproductive. A leader understands that it’s much better to identify the root cause of the problem, and do whatever possible to prevent it from occurring in the future.

If you think about it, most managers today are talented. They are hard working and committed to helping you succeed. In fact, I think that most of them actually care more about you than you might believe. They will give employees the benefit of the doubt, even when it’s obvious that they are making up stuff.

However, there are still about 10% of managers who are ridiculous. Some are even flat-out crazy. They talk a big game, and even pretend they know what they are doing. However, their words are hollow, and their actions are elusive. They are good at holding meetings and micromanaging. That’s it!

Here are three sure signs your manager is ridiculous:

#1: He interprets bad results as good.

We are in a political year here in the United States, and we see politicians looking for the good, even though the poll numbers are sinking. They are looking for ways to spin the numbers. In other words, perception is what matters the most.

I remember one manager saying the following: Look, things ain’t good, and we all know that. I looked at the monthly figures this morning, and we are ahead of Tulsa, Kansas City, and Cedar Rapids. I guess 11th place is fine as long as we beat Tulsa. Their regional manager is a dumbass, and I don’t need them to finish ahead of us.

This manager was only concerned about coming ahead of one other market, and was ridiculous because he failed to recognize the problem. Instead of worrying about Tulsa, he needed to focus on his own business.

#2: The use food as a motivator.

I used to work for a manager who approved luncheons for the entire staff several times per week. At first, the food was a good idea because we were able to interact, share ideas, and build camaraderie. However, after more than 20 get-togethers, what else is there to discuss? What else can be shared that we don’t already know about each other?

It was interesting that many of us had gone without a raise for a year or more because the “budget was tight.” Yet, we had funds for the luncheons. Interestingly, the luncheons eventually stopped after nearly 70% of the staff started to opt-out.

#3: He is scared.

I remember one situation in which the head honchoes from corporate were visiting our division in San Antonio. The manager called a meeting with a group of staff members, and said the following: “Whatever you do … make sure to make us look good. I’m going to give you guys a chance to present when the Top Guns are here. I will sit in the back and offer encouragement.”

Instead of offering encouragement, it’s best to let the numbers speak for themselves. This manager was basically hoping that a few presentations would mask our poor performance. The “Top Guns” identified the problem, lambasted the manager for failing to meet performance goals, and recommended sweeping changes. In less than a month, this manager had his pink slip.

As I noted earlier, most managers are top performers. They work hard to meet key performance indicators (KPIs), and will commit the training and development needed for the staff. However, the 10% that have a big hat and no cattle are time-wasters. As soon as they are identified, they should be given the opportunity to start anew somewhere else.

Your role as manager is difficult. You have many meetings to attend, countless reports to complete, and far too many fires to put out. You hit the ground running on Monday, and hope to build momentum by Tuesday. Of course, Murphy’s Law has a way of intervening, and before you know it, you’re in a reactive mode. It never ends.

As a business owner, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much over the past couple of decades. Of course, this means that I’ve made so many mistakes. Most of my problems arose because I didn’t ask the right questions, or was even unaware of the questions to pose my employees. If you fail to raise an issue, it’s likely that no one will bring it to your attention.

In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins discusses the importance of asking the brutal questions. It’s obvious that no one wants to hear bad news, but asking the tough questions is not necessarily negative. As a leader in your organization, you are focused on identifying issues before they arise. When you ask the tough questions, these potential problems are unearthed before they have an adverse impact on your goals and objectives.

Here are three tough questions you should ask your employees:

#1: Why were you unable to complete the work by the deadline?

You must ask this question before you ask this one: How can I help you meet the deadline? By asking why first, you focus on the root cause of the problem, and not the symptoms. The employee might have too much on his plate, and you need to divide the work. In some cases, the individual fails to have the necessary skills to do the assignment. In that case, training might be the best option, or perhaps you can assign a mentor.

#2: Adriana, why are you criticizing Jacqueline’s efforts?

In many organizations today, there is a tendency to find fault in what others are doing. As a manager, you must quickly squelch this practice. Instead of finding wrong in what your teammates are doing, the energy should be spent on helping them succeed. The manager must identify the conflict, and put a stop to it. If you allow the issue to fester, it can spiral out of control, leading to significant corporate culture problems.

#3: Why do you like working here?

This is an important question, and you can learn a ton from an employee by listening to his response.

Here are red flag responses to this question:

• “It’s a good job. I can now do it in my sleep.”
• “It pays the bills, and even the benefits are good.”
• “At least it’s close to my house.”

The problem with the statements above is that the employee is focused on the benefits external to the work. Once he finds something better somewhere else, he is out the door. To keep the employees motivated, the work must be meaningful.

Skirting an issue is a recipe for failure. You must ask the tough questions, and listen carefully to the responses. Make sure to keep asking follow-up questions until you are clear regarding the root cause. In some cases, you will need to contact other employees to get their feedback. Don’t stop until you have enough information to get matters back on track.