Uncertainty, fear, and frustration are some of the typical emotions a person experiences while encountering changes at work. If these feelings are left alone resentment, disengagement, and poor performance start to set in. Many industries are being disrupted due to technological advances, entrepreneurial aspirations, and higher levels of transparency. These changes are placing more demands on the worker and higher levels of complexity throughout the organization. Initial enthusiasm is typical in the first phase of a workplace change but having the endurance to see a successful transition through is rare. Being able to navigate change and measure what matters is a skill that can be developed and give you a competitive advantage. Here is a three-part process for successfully navigating change at work: ACT. Acknowledge every area the change will impact Who will be involved? What additional responsibilities will they now have? Many managers and owners don't want to hear negative feedback regarding a change. Who does? However, by not acknowledging the resistance that your team will ...

It is incredible how many good managers get consumed by firefighting or day-to-day activities that distract them from achieving their primary objectives. The solution for most managers is to work harder and longer at their job, picking up the slack from their team and delaying conversations around employee performance. In a poorly-managed team, an environment of "Abdication of Accountability" develops. Here performing employees are punished with more work and less time and underperforming employees are rewarded with less work and more time. As a result, morale and communication suffer. Managing promises is the process of developing and leading a self-managing team. A self-managing team allows the manager to focus on what's most important like strategic planning, coaching, and growth. Here are three strategies for developing a self-managing team Values vs. skills Focus on values first and then skills to solve foundational problems. Consider the value of responsibility versus time management skills. You can spend money investing in training for your team to teach them a ...

[caption id="attachment_1609" align="alignright" width="225"] In fond memory of Alice Papp 1995-2017. "My little buddy."[/caption] Have you ever seen a cat chase a laser pointer? Hilarious, right? While growing up, our family had two cats and our cheapest entertainment was to take a laser pointer and engage the cats with it. We would see our cats demonstrate sporadic behavior with a high sense of urgency and then quickly burn out. When I go in and work with organizations as a time management speaker, I notice the connection. Sporadic behavior (too many objectives) High sense of urgency (everything is a priority) Quick burn out (disengaged employees) So, what is the answer? There could be many, but here is a proven productivity strategy that I teach in my workshops: Objective and Key Results (OKR) The objective is the "what" and the key results are the "how." OKRs have been around for a while and have been adopted by some of the most successful companies, from Google to Anheuser Busch, and Disney to Samsung. They were recently made famous by venture capitalist, John Doerr ...

Not Enough Time in The Day? Do you feel like you are always running out of time? When you are in the role of manager or owner, it becomes easy to create for yourself a never-ending to-do list. In addition to your responsibilities, you have the responsibility for those around you. And, if your organization suffers from a lack of accountability, communication, or systems, it is probably you who pays the price by working late or coming in early to take up the slack. The harder you work, the less you think. The Harvard Business Review unpicks the correlation between time pressure and creativity in this paper, if you have time to read it. When you lack a clear understanding of your priorities, it is very easy to confuse activity with productivity. Once this happens, we start placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves, and that is the fastest route to burn out. The most common trap a manager can fall into is the fallacy that they have to be Superman or Superwoman, and be everywhere at all times, solving all problems. This type of managerial behavior is an excellent way to enable pe ...

A story/puzzle When Mike first started his career, he came to work early, left late, and never had to be told twice to get something done. Mike feels that the generation entering the workforce today has no clue what hard work is. Instead of managing projects with his people, Mike finds himself playing the role of babysitter and micromanaging; something he never thought he would do. As a result of this inauthenticity, he sometimes feels like a fraud. He finds himself in conversations with his team about reasons and excuses rather than results and performance. "That's not my responsibility." "We didn't know." "It's not my fault." These are common phrases that surface multiple times throughout the week. Instead of thinking creatively and producing results, Mike's internal dialogue revolves around the question, "Is my team doing what they are supposed to be doing?" He is also unknowingly creating an unmotivated culture of "Abdication of Accountability," where the good employees get punished with more work, and the underperforming employees do less work. He finds it easier to giv ...

How do I influence my boss? It is a question that comes up every time I do a one-day training course on managing multiple priorities. In my experience, there is no single correct answer. I have seen many complex and diverse work situations and finding out what works for you is the only thing that matters. Here are two general guidelines: Personality and Strengths 1 - Separate personality from taking it personally. It is a daily process, and for some people, it doesn't come easily. I have seen many bright, young professionals waste too much time and energy worrying, "Does my boss like me?" or worse, become mentally hijacked because they took their boss’s comment personally and allowed their emotions to best them. In any relationship there will be ups and downs. But don't let this shake the foundation you’ve built with your manager. For example — your boss says your idea won't work and maybe even calls it a dumb idea. You get angry, and next time, you go around them. Your boss finds out, and this turns into a more significant issue. Something you both hold onto for a long ...