LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS: MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOURS

Management lessons are everywhere. We can read them in books, listen to them on podcasts, and hear them live during conference talks. Here are some of the lessons from conversations with leaders:

Lesson 01: What are common hazards and errors to avoid when doing manager handoffs and transitions?

People come and go in the workplace for various reasons. Maybe we have been promoted and are transitioning into a different role. Perhaps we are taking leave for one reason or another. Regardless of the reason, we will want to make sure we are structuring transitions to be as smooth as possible for ourselves, the new person, and the team that they’ll be taking over. Going too fast is the biggest pitfall. Additionally, here are some suggestions:

1. Writing out all the things that we currently do in our role, monitor it for a few weeks to make sure we do not miss anything and create good documentation for the role.
2. Give a quick win with a process improvement or an initiative that the team has wanted for a while but has not had the bandwidth to do.
3. Give people milestones to strive for. Example-When XYZ is achieved, when we are competent in ABC, or when we feel comfortable with DEF, we will increase our accountability.
4. Be clear on delegation, accountability, responsibility, and monitoring. Typically, the most difficult things are delegation, accountability, and monitoring because they’re less commonly defined when compared to responsibility. Here’s one way how we can think about these: 
   • Delegation – Be clear on what is being delegated and to what level.
   • Accountability – This happens in both directions (up and down the hierarchy) and can typically be tied to concrete outcomes. Being clear on what this role has accountability for delivering allows a person to come out swinging and plan appropriately.
   • Monitoring – It’s worth being clear about how the role will be monitored long-term (e.g. performance reviews), but it’s crucially important to define how it will be monitored in the early days (e.g. weekly check-ins, continuous feedback, and agree upon next steps, etc.)
5. As for handling the transition publicly: What gets announced in the company is significant as well. 
   1. What is the symbolic date of handover where this person has full ownership and authority on all decision-making? 
   1. Timing: Does the announcement get made initially on Day 1 that there’s a new role, and that a phased transition is in place with the expectation that by the end – Day 30, 60, or 90 – there is clarification of what this new role now has full accountability for?

Lesson #2: What are some suitable ways of demonstrating you value your people?

Showing we truly, genuinely value our employees in thoughtful ways can make all the difference to a person’s happiness and contentment in the workplace.

1. Give them back their time. Maybe a Monday or a Friday is right on the cusp of a holiday, but it isn’t technically a holiday. Perhaps some people are even taking off on purpose to get a head start for family preparations, travel, etc. Consider turning it into a free paid “bonus holiday” to show appreciation.
2. Give shoutouts. Encourage folks to give whenever and as often as they see fit. You could even take those shoutouts and include them in an internal newsletter to provide people additional recognition.
3. Simply express gratitude. Thanking people is probably the easiest, lowest cost, and yet hardest thing to do authentically. The challenge is you want to do it in the moment and not to make it systematic (otherwise you lose authenticity).
4. Write hand-written notes. Pen a quick note with some kind thoughts, words of encouragement or gratitude, or anything else that might be appropriate and mail it or hand-deliver it. People appreciate the personal nature, thoughtfulness, and the little extra time it takes as opposed to a quick-worded email or a twitter message.

Lesson #3: Should you be doing pulse surveys?

1. Almost all companies suffer from survey overload. The bigger the company, the more surveys. It’s impossible to respond to them all. Some tips:
   1. Is the survey sufficiently short? 
   1. Can it be anonymous? 
   1. Are there any additional barriers to entry? (namely: sign-in page, reading instructions, etc.) 
   1. The less friction, the more likely we will get completion.
2. Do people have faith in the surveys? Perhaps people are not completing them because they do not have faith that anything will change. Perhaps they are content with the status quo and, therefore, do not see the point in the surveys. 

Some tips on increasing participation if we want to continue down the survey route:

1. Having leaders model the behaviour: i.e., writing a quick email to their teams saying “I’ve just completed X, it took me Y mins and I think you should do it too…it’ll really help with Z.”
2. Having a reward for participation: i.e., giving away random gift cards or something else to encourage others.
3. Show we are listening: Do something with the feedback received. If someone takes the time to fill in a survey, they’ll want to understand it’s been listened to (even if the action isn’t the course they would have wanted)

Lesson #4: What are some frameworks for healthier communication?

1. The Best Way to Confront People is by Saying These 3 Things
   • Share the specific action that made you feel that way. ‘When you walked out on Friday night…’
   • Say exactly how they made you feel. Happy/sad/angry isn’t enough. Be specific.
   • Explain the impact of their actions. ‘I feel this threatens a stable future…’
2. Acknowledge how we feel and work out how we would like to feel. Then do the same for the other person or people in the conversation. Ask ourselves, “how might they feel, and how would I like them to feel?”
3. The moment we have the urgency to talk and get our voice heard is the moment when we need to be listening to the other person the most.
4. Sometimes, we talk over each other because we fear that “our turn” might not come. That is not true. The more patient we are, the better the conversation will flow.
5. Disagree without being disrespectful.
6. Difficult conversations are very challenging by nature. It’s ok to accept and remind ourselves of that.

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa

ORGANIZED PEOPLE: SIMPLE BEHAVIOURS

Organized people are not born; they’re built. The people who emerge as ‘organized’ use a variety of tools and methods to accomplish their goals and priorities in life. Their systems become habits.

They Seek Out Tools

From kitchen timers to smartphone technology, organized people find tools that can help them make the most of their day, week, and year. They use mobile phone apps with pop-up reminders, for example. They also use timers to help visualize the passage of time. And they break down tasks into smaller chunks and take short non-work-related breaks in between, which increases their overall productivity.

They Set Priorities

Following a to-do list is like their primary source of organization. Instead of having an overwhelming number of commitments and little idea where to start, organized people have a clear sense of what is important. They know what their goals are, what needs to be done when, and what can be put off. They start the day with a clear plan of their ‘most important things,’ and they review their plan throughout the day and adjust as necessary.

They Have Less Stuff

The golden rule of organization is to have as little as possible to organize. They figure out what the core of their professional and personal missions are and eliminate all else. They will still have stuff to organize, but they have made the job doable. They know how to filter relevant information.

They Choose Simple Solutions

When organizing systems are complex, they often go unused. Organized people use simple tools that make an easy job of putting things away. For example, baskets hold receipts that need to be filed, bills that need to be paid, and books that are waiting to be read. A hook by the door makes it convenient to hang up a coat. And bowls and trays near an entryway will keep keys and wallets in one place.

“Your solution is far too simple for a real expert…”

They Practice Maintenance

Organization requires continual upkeep. Organized people will take a few moments each day to put things back in their proper places. They might archive an email, for example, or put away papers. The tiny amount of time it takes to do this is vastly less than the time it takes to look for something that was not put away properly.

They Regularly Purge

Situations change and formerly useful things become unnecessary. Instead of letting clutter sneak up on them, organized people periodically purge. They clear out their files when the drawer starts to get full, for example, and they toss the notes for the project that was cancelled.

They Project Themselves into The Future

Using a two-person mind-set–present self and future self–can help us stay organized. That motivates us to do those favors for our future self. Organized people also think into the future when they add activities to their calendars. They ask: ‘What could I do before, during, or after this appointment to improve it?’. If they need to prepare for it, bring something to it, or follow up after it, they schedule it now and put it on their task list.

They read/address mails/emails daily

Here is the deal: it does not matter at what time of the day we check our inbox. What matters is that we have a dedicated timeslot each day, let us say, half an hour, for reading and answering all our emails. Organised people know that the cluttered-up inbox will not go anywhere unless it is handled appropriately. There should absolutely be no space at all for clutter on our desk.

They have specific routines and rituals set for the start and end of every day

Staying organized is not all about being uptight. We should always spare some time out for things that make us who we are. Organised people are not prisoners of their routine. Read a book, watch a movie, hit the gym. Again, it is not about being a prisoner of our routine when we can always cut some time out for ourselves. Once we are done with our day, then would be a good time to plan for the coming day. Every day needs its own unique to-do list.

They leave room for last minute changes

Suppose, we are doing just fine with our daily routine and are almost half-way through, when it out of nowhere, a friend calls up for an urgent meeting. Did we leave enough room for this sudden readjustment in our to-do list? Organised people know that staying organized is mainly all about preparing yourself to face turmoil, whenever it shows up. Do not be afraid of tackling mishaps head on, deal with the elephant in the room first.

They never leave anything undone

This is the holy grail of staying organized. They do not leave any task half done. Leaving unfinished business is the hallmark of a disorganized person.

They are not perfectionists

Not everything can be just the way we want it. Sometimes, “good enough” really is enough to get by. So know where the most feasible option would suffice, and forget about making things perfect.

Being organized is not just something we adapt to. Slowly as we dwell in our organized lifestyle, we tend to start taking it more as a mindset rather than a way of living. For instance, we begin living our life in an organized manner, with each and everything in our routine well thought out. And then comes a time where our systems and our rituals are actually morphed into our routine, and our mind adapts to them as habits. If we actually happen to get to this stage, we have officially become an organized person.

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa