How to Motivate Your Team

Wily Manager member Matt, wrote to ask the Wily Manager guys how to deal with a team that is unmotivated and without any career aspirations.  This week Jed and Bob tackle Matt’s question with their list of five things any manager can do to motivate her team.  It’s not about expensive team building activities, but rather leading people with a few simple guidelines.

Monday’s Tip: Treat People as Individuals. When it comes to motivating people, one size doesn’t fit all.  Any action you take must be meaningful in the eyes of the recipient.  What you intend really doesn’t matter.

Tuesday’s Tip: Create Crystal Clear Expectations. The more clear you are about what you want people to do, the more likely they are to do it well.  Doing something well is very motivating – make sure you set people up to do so.

Wednesday’s Tip: Consistently Reinforce and Apply Consequences. You need to reinforce the behaviors you want, and apply appropriate consequences to the behaviors you don’t want.  By doing this consistently, people know what to expect, and will react accordingly.

Thursday’s Tip: Promote Healthy Competition. Don’t go overboard on the competition, but by rewarding top performers, it can create some healthy competition that can motivate people.

Friday’s Tip: Remove People as a Last Resort. When you’ve made every effort to help people be successful, and they choose not to be, it is time to remove that person from your team in fairness to all the others on your team.

Multi-Tasking Rush: The Recreational Drug of Choice

I often wonder when I see two people walking down the street side by side, talking on their mobile phones whether they are talking to each other.  It seems quite possible to me that the cell-phone has become such an extension of our bodies, that this somehow feels more natural to talk to each other through technology than it does face to face.

Or maybe people simply feel they can get in some exercise, have a visit with a walking companion and return some telephone calls all at the same time.  Now that’s multi-tasking!

It’s also horribly inefficient, and incredibly rude, but we seem to conveniently overlook these things.  Somewhere along the line we decided that an iPhone can override a few million years of evolution that up until a few years ago had still only minimally developed our ability to do more than one thing at once.

It’s kind of a rush to try, though, isn’t it?  It feels really good to be driving down the road, talking on the phone, listening to the radio, and screaming at the guy in the Audi that just cut you off.

Or the guy I heard in the men’s room returning a telephone call from the toilet.  Just for fun, I went and flushed all the vacant toilets, and did some fake vomiting so the sound effects would be complete for whomever he was conversing with.

The “Multitasking Rush” is, in short, the same euphoria one gets when using drugs.  Far be it from me to lecture people about how they get their kicks, but I would suggest that Multitasking, like all other recreational drugs should be used carefully and sparingly.

 

 

 

The Multitasking Myth

Jed and Bob discuss why multi-tasking is often viewed as a good thing, when it most often quite destructive.  Also, learn what you can do instead of multi-tasking.

Watch ‘The Multitasking Myth’ Video (15 mins 03 sec):


Download the ‘Multitasking Skills’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

Multitasking Skills

Members Click Here for Additional Tools

Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!

What we think Multitasking Skills are:

Many people erroneously think Multitasking Skills are a good thing.  We put it on our resumes portraying it as a good thing.

  • We mistakenly think we can do a whole bunch of things simultaneously and save time.
  • We delude ourselves into thinking that being able to do several things at once is the advantage of living in this age.

What Multitasking Skills Actually Are:

When looked at objectively, it is clear that Multitasking Skills are actually a bad thing:

  • Multitasking divides your attention to ensure nothing is done well.
  • It damages productivity, creativity and innovation because the brain is designed to only do one thing at a time.
  • Multitasking is a highly addictive, self-destructive behavior

Five Things to do Instead of Multitasking:

  1. Delegate
  2. Automate
  3. Manage Expectations
  4. Prioritize
  5. Mindfulness

Delegate

Rather than try to do multiple things at once, see if you can stop doing some of those things:

  • What can you get someone else to do?  Does someone else have the skills to do some of your tasks?
  • What tasks are appropriate for your position?  In many cases people end up executing tasks that are far below their skill level, or below the level expected of their position.

Automate:

Putting in a load of washing while doing other things is an example of the positive potential of multitasking.  The automatic washing machine does not require your attention while it is doing its work – you simply need to set it up, and press “Start”.

  • Are there tasks you are undertaking that can be automated?
  • Are there tools you can use to improve efficiency of certain tasks?
  • Be cautious that you do not get drawn to technology for its own sake.  Any technology must take LESS time and effort to be useful.

Manage Expectations

There may be some things you are doing that are unnecessary or being done to a degree that does not add value.

  • Are you doing some things that you really shouldn’t be doing at all?
  • Are there carry over tasks from a previous position?  Choose a date to stop doing these things.
  • Do some stakeholders have unrealistic expectation of you or your group?  You need to address these expectation before it drives workload out of control.

Prioritize

It is quite likely you will never have enough resources to get everything done.  Those that succeed are those that correctly choose what to get done, and what to ignore.

  • Focus – start every day by reviewing your big objectives for the year, and make sure any tasks you do that day are related.
  • Filter – As emergent tasks present themselves, do not feel you have to do all of them.  Ask how this task fits into your larger priorities

Mindfulness

By focusing on one thing at a time, you will execute that task better and faster than by attempting to multitask.

  • Dedicate 100% of your mental energy to the task at hand.
  • Create methods to minimize distractions
    • An open office – put up a do not disturb sign if you are working on something that requires your full attention.  In the old days, we would have closed the door – find a way to create a “door”.
    • Email – turn off the chime that lets you know when an email comes in, and dedicate specific times to deal with email.  You likely do not need to be on constant call when it comes to email
    • Meetings – be very selective about the meetings you attend, and insist that those meetings start and end on time.

3 Things to Remember about Multitasking Skills:

  1. Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not a good thing
  2. You will get more done by focusing your energy, rather than by diffusing it
  3. Start with email and meetings

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Multitasking Skills (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

Looking for the Full-Length Podcast/Video? …

Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!

Improving Productivity Without Multitasking

Contrary to popular belief, multi-tasking is actually a very destructive force in our work lives.  Join the Wily Manager guys this week as they talk about the Myth of Multi-tasking, and what you can do instead.

Monday’s Tip: Delegate. Are you handing off as many tasks as you can to your people?  Many managers are completely overloaded, while their people have time on their hands.

Tuesday’s Tip: Automate. In some cases there are processes, technology or software that can significantly reduce the labor-intensity of certain tasks.  Have you researched any such options?

Wednesday’s Tip: Manage Expectations. In some cases there may be things you are doing that you shouldn’t be even though some of your stakeholders may have expectations.  Ensure your key stakeholders have a very clear idea of what you will do, and more importantly, what you won’t do.

Thursday’s Tip: Prioritize. Start every day by reviewing your top few goals for the year, and ensure that everything you do that day contributes to those goals.  Also filter any new or emergent issues against these same goals.

Friday’s Tip: Be Mindful. Dedicate all of your mind-share to the task at hand, and then move on to the next task.  Also find ways to minimize distractions such as email.

Fast Track to Alignment: Ignore Head Office

Many moons ago, I was an Operations Manager for a big, global company.  My part of the empire was very small, but I was still subject to much of the silliness that comes with being part of a huge organization.

You could have said that the right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing, but that would have been overly-kind.  There were departments at global headquarters that out and out competed with each other.  The loss-control guys would send out a memo, only to be contradicted by the HR group.  Of course, none of them did this knowingly – they were simply so big, that they had no idea what the other support group was doing.

This is what happens when companies face operational issues, and rather than invest in frontline managers to teach them to deal with the complexities of the business, they suck control of everything short of turning the key in the front door back far away from the core business.

The result:  total and complete misalignment.  Frontline managers and the employees doing the actual work that makes money are being continually pulled in all directions, and end up flying like a moth to the brightest light depending on which support department issued an email directive that day.

I made the decision to leave this organization, about a year before my ultimate departure.  I still loved the business, I just didn’t like working for a large, bureaucratic company that had centralized all control and decision-making.

I can honestly say, I was at my most effective in this last year.  I still wanted the business to be successful, and I cared deeply about the people I worked with.  What made me (and my operation) effective and successful in this last year is that I stopped listening to head office.  I did what I thought was in the best interests of the business, and largely ignored my instructions from head office.

The result?  They didn’t notice I was not complying with the multiple and competing directives.  They did notice our numbers were in the top ten percent in the company.

Remember you heard it here first – the fastest way to aligning your business, and ultimately generating better results is to ignore your head office.  Of course, it could also be the most direct route to getting fired, too.

Let’s be careful out there.

 

 

 

 

Business Alignment Strategies

Join Jed and Bob as they discuss how to align your business, and the link between Alignment and Accountability.

Watch the ‘Alignment & Accountability’ Video (14 mins 44 sec):


Download the ‘Business Alignment Strategies’ Cheat Sheet, Video, Audio, and Slides

Business Alignment Strategies

Members Click Here for Additional Tools

Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!

One of the most common ailments in business today is a lack of alignment.  Below we discuss Business Alignment Strategies to recognize and correct business alignment.

  • Identifying the absence of Business Alignment Strategies
  • The link between Accountability and Business Alignment
  • Ensuring Your Business Alignment Strategies
  • How to Improve Your Business Alignment Strategies
  • Ensuring Accountability as part of your Business Alignment Strategy
  • How Goals and Objectives contribute to your Business Alignment Strategy
  • Three Things to Remember about Business Alignment Strategies

Identifying the Absence of Business Alignment Strategies

If you suspect that Business Alignment Strategies in your organization may be lacking, here are some symptoms:

  • Do you have orphan projects or initiatives?  Are there projects or initiatives that seem to be completely disconnected from the rest of your business, or that just don’t seem to fit in?
  • Do you have zombie problems or projects?  If you are sure that a project has been killed multiple times, but seems to keep coming back from the dead, you may have a lack of alignment.
  • Direct reports that are not clear on their leaders accountabilities or goals.  Ask any employee what is most important to his/her boss.  If there are unclear or conflicting answers, it could be because of a lack of alignment.
  • Continuous lack of improvement.  Is the business treading water, and not improving over time?
  • Managers are reaching down into the organization to do the work that should be done by the people who report to them (or even lower).

The link between Accountability and Business Alignment

Business Alignment cannot be achieved without clear accountability in an organization.  Here are some definitions:

Alignment: Linking of organizational goals with team goals, and ultimately with the employees’ individual goals, actions and activities.

Accountability: The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.

Ensuring Your Business Alignment Strategies

Goals must cascade clearly between all levels in an organization.  All goals of individual contributors must be supported by development plans as well:

How to Improve Your Business Alignment Strategies

There are three core reasons your Business Alignment Strategies may not be working:

  • Execution
  • Quality
  • Quantity

Execution – are you cascading your departmental goals?  Are you transferring them into individual goals/objectives for your team members?  Or, do you not execute this and hope everyone knows what’s truly important?  People will not know their role in achieving results unless goals are properly cascaded.

Quality – Are all goals SMART, clear, and aligned with the larger organizational goals?  Or are they vague, not tied to a specific outcome or measure and without a deadline?

Quantity – is this a once a year exercise to keep the HR people off your back, or do you talk often about what is expected, how people are doing and what they can do to get even better?

Ensuring Accountability as part of your Business Alignment Strategy

If accountability around goals is critical to ensuring alignment, then you need to ensure that accountability is achieved.  The best way to do this is use existing meetings to refine and discuss progress against goals.

How Goals and Objectives contribute to your Business Alignment Strategy

  • Drives focus and alignment through the organization on what’s most important.
  • Closes the gap between Strategy and Execution.
  • Helps define and drive performance.
  • Clarifies priorities.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Business Alignment Strategies (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

Looking for the Full-Length Podcast/Video? …

Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!

 

How to Align Your Business

This week the Wily Manager guys discuss Zombies and Orphans, and how these things can be a leading indicator of a misaligned organization.  Don’t know what Zombie Projects and Orphan Initiatives are?  Read on.

Monday’s Tip: Have SMART Goals at every level of the organization. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely Goals for all levels, departments, and individuals are a prerequisite for an aligned organization.

Tuesday’s Tip: Hold People Accountable. Once people understand what they need to be doing through well articulated goals, they need to be held accountable for those goals.

Wednesday’s Tip: Discuss goals at every meeting. Departmental and one on one meetings should be used to refine and make progress on goals.

Thursday’s Tip: Know what your boss’s goals are. If you don’t understand in detail what your boss’s goals are, and ensure your goals will ultimately help her achieve hers, you stand no chance of being aligned.

Friday’s Tip: Be on the lookout for signs of misalignment: Zombie projects, orphan projects, failure to improve, and people working at the wrong level are all clear indicators of organizational misalignment.  Be aware.

Are You an Imposter? Don’t Flatter Yourself

This week we’re talking about Imposters here at Wily Manager, so I thought I’d do a bit of research on great imposters of note to see if there was anything instructional for the occasional manager that finds herself with a case of Imposter Syndrome.

As I researched famous imposters, there were four names that kept coming up:

  • Charles Ponzi (after which any crooked finance scheme since has been named).
  • Frank Abagnale Jr. (the guy portrayed by Leo Dicaprio in Catch me if You Can)
  • Milli Vanilli (the duo who won a Grammy in the 90s, only to be discovered later as lip-syncers
  • George Bush Jr.  (The 43rd President of the United States)

Most of the managers I’ve talked to who suspect they have a case of Imposter Syndrome are worried because they don’t do stand-up presentations very well.  Or maybe they’re put in charge of a department where they don’t have the technical expertise.

When you compare these managerial challenges to the accomplishments of the list above, you don’t have anything to worry about.  You’re not even in the same league as these guys.  So don’t flatter yourself!

Based on the infamous list above, an imposter is someone who goes out of his way to deceive people; a person who pretends to be someone he is not, and does so with flash.  True imposters have an over-abundance of self-confidence – something most managers with Imposter Syndrome do not.

So… if you’re going to be an imposter, do it with some flair.  Can you take down a whole country’s economy?  Can you start a war?  Can you separate old age pensioners from their life’s savings?  Can you disgrace an entire industry?

If not, you probably don’t have what it takes to be an imposter, so you’ll have to try to find some other way allow your insecurities to manifest themselves.

If it’s any comfort be aware that everyone has some insecurity.  Many years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of the Tonight Show, a heart monitor was put on him to test his anxiety level right before the show started.

As it turns out, even the mighty Carson suffered some anxiety and self-doubt:  his heart rate doubled right before the curtain came up.

If Johnny Carson can be a bit nervous, surely you can too.  And don’t call me Shirley.

 

« Previous Page
Next Page »