Back to Basics - Take a Breath and Try It!

Companies increasingly face the challenge of finding enough experienced recruits for departing managers and new executive positions.

It’s a challenge that also presents an opportunity for young managers looking for a big step up in their careers.
Some participants are under 30. We often give them extremely challenging assignments that take them well outside their comfort zones. They may have to manage staff, most of whom are older than they are.

Here are the most valuable lessons I have learned about being a manager:

Establish trust: Your first task is to establish bonds and trust with your team. Get out of your office and “walk the floor” to get to know all the core members of your team. Spend time with each member of management and ask them to identify the main problems they are struggling to solve and the main opportunities they see.

Break down barriers.

I’ve always been a big believer in the power of diversity. As you walk the floor, identify people with the ability to get the job done, regardless of their background or education. Usually the best ideas come from the factory floor. Solicit advice from a broad array of backgrounds. If you do this, your plan will apply to a wider number of people – and you are more likely to succeed.

Be confident, yet humble:

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but your superiors trust you, so trust in yourself. Don’t let self-doubt cloud your thinking. At the same time, never be cocky. Show employees your willingness to learn what you don’t know: Ask lots of questions. Learn all you can about what they do and why. Solicit and listen to feedback – particularly negative feedback. Turn to mentors (previous bosses, colleagues, professors, relatives) when you are stuck on a problem. A “mentor” might be someone you barely know or someone you haven’t talked to in years; you may be pleasantly surprised by the number of people willing to help if you simply ask.

Be demanding of yourself: Others are more willing to follow your direction if you show your willingness to work hard, to dive into a problem, to be open to new ideas. Show you care. Show that your own success is tied to the success of the entire team. Successful management is about creating a model for others. You will not accomplish anything if you do not inspire and motivate your team. Demand more of yourself than of your workers.

Listen and communicate:

Young managers often think they should talk a lot; in fact, they need to listen. Communication is a two-way street. Particularly in your first few weeks and months, take plenty of time to listen. Then develop a comprehensive plan. The plan should be difficult – but not impossible. The plan should establish one or two key priorities, with specific, quantifiable targets. Communicate these priorities and targets relentlessly and in multiple formats (face to face, in formal presentations, in casual meetings, in company videos).

Deliver!
Your ability to exceed expectations is the most important element of all. Even if you perfect all of the above elements, you will still fail if you don’t deliver results. In the end, this is what management is all about: accomplishing your specific mission. Discipline yourself to focus on performance and avoid distractions.

Do You Have What It Takes To Make It?

Last year business in Ireland was up 5%. Was your business up 5%? The following are basic tips on how to get your business moving and improving.


1. Send some handwritten cards to clients.

Thank them, inspire them, give them some free business ideas or tips. Your clients will remember how much they like you and may hire you for something new.

2. Write an actual business plan.
Be honest; you never did one, and that’s okay. Just do it now

3. Take an online class, or attend a small business seminar in your city.

4. Round up some testimonials or post testimonials from your favourite clients.  Send out a nice email asking for reviews.

5. Revamp your website.

6. Check in on past clients
They may want to hire you for a new project, and they’ll definitely be grateful you care enough to check in on them and answer any questions they may have.

7. Create a marketing plan.

8. Plan out your next post; try a style of post you've never written before.

9. Identify three areas of life/business where you can start saving money.
Find a less expensive phone plan? Look for better car insurance rates? Or, perhaps … get ready for this one … live without takeaway lunch for a month and make it at home.

10. Buy yourself or a client an inexpensive small business gift. Great for encouragement and inspiration.

11. Get new business cards.

12. Get yourself a good book on business, social media, etc.

13. Make a financial plan to save for that next item (camera, laptop, software) you need for your business.
It still surprises me what we’re capable of financially if we stop eating out, give up a little entertainment, and find other places to save

14. Host a give-away for your business and promote it.
Maybe it’s a free consultation, or a small product or service you offer.

15. Do something creative (that’s not directly related to your business) to get your creative juices flowing.

Paint, write a short story, cook an awesome meal, etc.

How much of your time and money did the staff waste yesterday?

The easiest thing any manager can do is blame their employees for wasting time at work through poor time management that results in quality slips and missed deadlines. This translates into poor customer service, strained internal relationships and ultimately, loss of business. Where Does the Time Go? 64% (in 2012) to 70% (in 2013) of survey respondents admitted wasting time at work on a daily basis. Time wasted ranged from 30 minutes to several hours each day. Top time-wasting activities were: 43% talking with co-workers, 34% online activities and 4% each on texting and personal calls. The most significant reasons given by workers for why they waste time were: 35% were not challenged enough, 32% felt that there was no incentive to work harder, 30% got no satisfaction from what they do, and 23% were just downright bored. Sometimes Why Employees Waste Time Is Obvious Inefficient co-workers: 17% Other co-workers: 17% Office politics: 13% Busy work: 13% Other: 11% And finally, My Boss: 8% Blaming your employees may be the easiest way to explain the time wasting. But, you need to ask yourself, what are you doing (or not doing) that is allowing or encouraging them to waste time? The answers and solutions may exist right under your nose. Here are 5 possibilities. Minimizing Time Wasting Starts with Leadership If the leader is not effective, the team will not perform well on a consistent basis. If the leader doesn’t set expectations for the team to achieve, then the team will set their own and do what they want – including wasting as much time as they can. Most people will only do what they are asked to do. In the Beginning: Heading Off Time Wasting at Work The solution to the wasting time challenge actually starts at the time of. Leaders must have a clear and specific vision, along with a definitive description of the jobs needed and the type of people to fill those jobs to have a productive team. Team Members Need Clear Expectations Once employees are hired, make sure that each of your team members knows specifically what they are supposed to do and how and when they are supposed to do it. Most importantly, each team member must understand why they do what they do. They need to know how what they do fits into the vision you are creating. Set, Communicate, and Measure Performance Expectations The leader needs to recognize how to set and communicate realistic performance expectations for what needs to be done. Once set and communicated, the leader must follow through and hold the team accountable for meeting those expectations. Expectations allow you to measure results. If you can’t measure the results, then you cannot manage the process to achieve the desired results. In the absence of expectations or any effort to hold people accountable for meeting them, the team will set their own expectations and meet only the ones that they set for themselves. If employees know that their performance is being measured objectively, consistently and in a constructive way, they are less likely to wander off and waste time. It’s Never about Time Management Like I mentioned at the very beginning, the solution to combat employees wasting time at work starts with you, the leader, and both the expectations and accountabilities you establish. Let’s be clear, the solution has nothing to do with time management because you can’t manage time – it just keeps moving on. What you can manage is you, and how you use the available time you have at work Join us