How People Operate 101

Focus: Employee motivation, performance management, managing individuals

Audio Lesson –  Duration: 3 mins. 20 secs.

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How People Operate 101

Transcript - print now 
WC: 408
Read time: 1-2 mins.
I remember when I got a new car several years ago and it had many new gadgets and functions I was not familiar with. For the first time in my adult life, I actually pulled out an owner’s manual for a car. I needed to learn how to operate every aspect of this vehicle to experience its full potential.

You know that really is the same when it comes to managers and their teams. I wish that when someone was promoted to management, they received a book entitled – How People Operate 101. Because in reality, that’s what managers are doing - operating people in the context of a process to obtain an outcome that results in profit for a company.

Yet, the majority of newly promoted managers receive little to no training and are thrown out to fin for themselves…(kinda like those parents who want to teach their kids how to swim and just throw them in the water and say, “Now…swim!”)

Knowing how people operate: what makes them tick, how they are wired, what motivates them, what skills they possess and how to engage them is essential to the effectiveness of a manager. That effectiveness directly impacts the bottom line of a company and this is where there seems to be what I call – THE BIG DISCONNECT….the very thing that impacts the profits of a company is the very thing companies spend very little time and money investing in.

So for those of you managers, who already feeling the pain of resulting from a lack of knowledge in this area, here’s what I recommend. Step 1 in how people operate 101 is to use a temperament or personality profile. There are great tools on the market that are easy to use.   Theses profiles provide a very useful framework to understanding people in the ways I listed above.

Here are some recommended resources:

Dr. Keirsey – book: Please Understand Me

The DISC Profile

Tony Alessandra - book: People Smart

Both books can be obtained at Barnes & Noble, Amazon…etc.

I believe having a working intimated knowledge of a personality profile is essential to a manager’s knowledge base.

You know many people talk about diversity training in our work cultures. I believe that in that context the single most important diversity issue today is not necessarily race or ethnicity…it is personality differences, of which employees get the least amount of training. Managers, let’s start with you!


If you are accessing this lesson from the app - remember there is a free personality assessment tool under the Personality Tab.

Behind Every Great Team is a Great Coach

Focus: Coaching is essential to management success

Audio Lesson - Duration: 3 mins. 21 secs.  

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Behind Every Great Team is a Great Coach -The You Factor 

Word count: 397

Read time: appx. 1-2 min.
Transcript - print now 

Ever heard that phrase? Well, in the world of being a supervisor or manager (or even a corporate trainer for that matter) the same principle applies. You will go a long way in being the kind of manager or supervisor you want to be, if you understand this - YOU make the team!

What do I mean by that? The kind of person you are directly impacts the kind of team you will have. Have you ever observed or been a part of team or department in which the leader was dysfunctional?...not giving clear direction, ignoring employees not getting along, not doing what they say they’ll do, disrespecting team members.

These behaviors and many others impact the outcomes and performance of a team. The team’s lack of performance can be traced back to the kind of person/leader the manager was. The personality, the style in which they related to people, their ability to take charge and give clear direction all eventually impacted the team. Those qualities either help the team get results or impaired getting results.

The sad part?....in many cases the manager ends up blaming the team or specific members of the team for the lack of performance and it seems to be beyond them why things aren’t happening the way they think they should.

Applying C.P.R. - Not the Medical Kind

Focus: Employee Motivation, Performance Management, Management Success

Audio Lesson  - Duration: 3 mins. 21 secs.

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Applying C.P.R
Read time: appx. 2 mins.
Wc: 487 
Transcript - print now 

In this bite-audio lesson we’re going to be introducing a coaching and communication philosophy called C.P.R. That’s right C. P. R. Now I know you’ve heard of it in a different context – that is in the medical field, but it’s also a great technique and philosophy for managing a team and building great rapport with your employees.

So, what does CPR mean? CPR stands for – Compliments, Praise, and Recognition. Again - Compliments, Praise, and Recognition. Now there are three elements to applying, or administering CPR in the most effective way.

Those three elements include the following:

First,  you’d like for your CPR to be timely. That is to administer it at a time when it’s going to be the most meaningful. I don’t think it’s nearly as meaningful, or perhaps even motivating, to give someone a compliment six months, maybe a year out from when something was actually accomplished. So timely is very important.

Secondly, you want it to be specific. It’s very important to remember that when you give specific feedback, you’re actually reinforcing the desired behavior – both on a conscious level and also on a subconscious level. So you want it to be as specific as possible.

And then finally you want to be able to share some benefits of the behavior, the action or the outcome. So consider the benefits to you, the team, or even the company as you determine what benefits you want to share.

Here’s an example of how CPR might be applied. Sue’s an employee who is asked to compile quarterly sales figures for a client meeting. Sue took on that responsibility with a great attitude, and in fact the report was handed in on time, looked visually appealing, the numbers were laid out in such an effective way that it was very to read, and in fact made the client meeting go much smoother than expected.

As a side not, there are many cases throughout our workday when those kinds of things happen and the opportunity to apply a little CPR is missed. Sometimes it’s in the little things that actually have the biggest and most significant impact.

So here’s how a CPR conversation might go – “Sue, I really appreciate the work you did on that report. It was handed in on time, it looked great visually, and the numbers were laid out so well that the client meeting went much smoother than expected. Thanks again for a job well done. We all appreciate it – there was a lot less stress because of your work, and it helped to reinforce a good rapport with the client. Thanks again!

It’s amazing how just a little CPR can go such a long way. So I want to encourage you to begin to look for opportunities to apply a little CPR to your team.

Supporting lesson(s): Are you making deposits?, Managing is Conditioning

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Enable vs. Empower - Which Do You Do?

Focus: Management style

Audio Lesson - Duration: 2 mins. 20 secs.

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Enable vs. Empower – Which Management Style Do You Have?

Transcript - print now 
Wc: 285

Read time: 1-2 mins.

Today, in our bite-size audio lesson we’re going to talk about two different management styles So, I’ll begin by asking, in your management style are you more of an “empowerer” or an enabler.

Ok, what are those two, and then, how are they manifested? First of all, an empowerer is someone who relates as a manager in a way that helps their employee or their team members actually become competent in doing what they need to do. So they might provide the proper resources, provide the proper coaching; help them work towards the decision versus telling them what to do.

An enabling manager is one that keeps an employee from developing their potential. A great example of that is a manager who does not delegate to an employee. Delegation helps an employee to develop, perhaps, a new skill set, a new sense of responsibility around a particular area.

                                                              

Enabling means that we help someone continue in the behavior that actually we really don’t want! So let me ask you, in your management style, are you more of an enabler or more of an empowerer?

                                                              

Now, I know, sometimes, that’s in context. We may be one in one context and one in another. But what I’ve found is most managers have a tendency more towards one than the other, and sometimes, that’s based on personality type as well. 

                                                              

However, for our bite-size tip for today, I’d like for you to consider which one you have a more natural propensity towards, being an enabler or being an empowerer and then consider how you need to adjust your relating style to get the outcomes you really want.

What the Heck is Management? - Are You Doing it?

Focus: Defining management

Audio duration: 2 mins. 02 secs.

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What the Heck is Management -  Are You Doing it?

Transcript - print now

WC: 233

Read time: 1-2 mins. 

In order to find out the answer to this pressing question, I went directly to Webster’s – my ultimate source in definitions. Here’s what I found:
Manage is defined as follows: to handle or direct with some degree of skill…

Ok to handle or direct what – specifically?

Which brought me to wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the word skill … here goes: skill – the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance - learned power of doing something competently: developed aptitude or ability.

Alright, there you have it. Managing is using knowledge effectively, readily, competently, from a developed aptitude to handle or direct…AND THERE IN lies the rub.

How many managers actually have knowledge, competencies and a developed aptitude? And ….how many managers really know what they are handling and directing.

Hey if you’re a manager reading this, I’m on your side! This is yet another case for management training. Here’s my tip as it relates to this information:  I recommend you develop very precise answers to those questions.

I know that in many industries these days, those answers are moving targets – even more the reason to stay on top of them. Those answers are the keys to you being effective in your role. By the way, those answers may not even be in your job description…hum…

New Roles for Managers

Focus: These roles probably aren't in your job description!

Audio: 4 mins. 14 secs.

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5. Remember, the audios are loosely scripted to sound more natural.

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New Roles for Managers

Wc: 495 
Transcript - print now

As the challenges of the 21^st century workplace are changing, so is the role that a manager plays. In order for a manager to be competent and effective in today’s workplace a greater knowledge and understanding of an enhanced definition of manager is required.

Here are three functions that a few years ago, a traditional manager would not have had to be concerned with.

Function 1: A Coach and Developer

For all intense and purposes the traditional type of leadership has changed. (Though in my travels I am surprised discovered that in many companies this style exists; but to their detriment.) In the 40’s & 50’s the most common form of leadership was command and control. I define it as, “I think, I tell you, you do.”

Due to the dramatic change in workplace make up – more women in management, newer generations, and the arrival of the dot com era, that leadership style proved to be ineffective in meeting those specific needs.

What has proven more successful if a style of leadership – management role of coach? The coaching style of management comprises as element not found in command and control and that is development.   When a manager is developing an employee they are helping that person grow in their capabilities to enlarge their capacity to contribute to the organization. This is quite beneficial in the long run, as the company’s return on investment for every salary dollar spent increases.

Function 2: Career Advisor

These days, with job descriptions and performance needs ever evolving managers with hiring authority have got to be able to hire the team members that are the best fit. And the definition of best fit goes way beyond can they just barely do the job. But additionally, how well will they work with the team, can they be flexible and adapt as new demands surface or does the job type match their personality. It takes an informed manager to be able to make those decisions in collaboration with their Human Resource department.

Function 3: Teacher

This is perhaps the most unique of the three. Here’s a shocking statistic – the average American reads at about a six grade level.  No matter what strata, however, when we hire we make assumptions about capabilities. In reality, every person who walks through our corporate doors on some level needs to continue to learn, as does the manager. So continually educating our team members on a variety of professional needs serves them, you, and the company. In the long run, this could eliminate or at least greatly reduce many headaches. The mantra – “keep educating”. 

One manager I met in my travels has a book of the month club for his team. They collectively choose topics that will improve the performance of the entire group. What a great idea!

I suspect that these three functions may not appear on many job descriptions, yet they are critical to the success of managers in the 21^st century.

Effective Management - Choices in Time Usage

Focus: Management Success, Time Management

Audio: 1 min. 49 secs.

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Being Effective in Management
wc: 599
Transcript - print now

This lesson is in compliment to others on the topic of  time and priority management. In other audios in the library, we talk about the principle of being efficient. And we talk about the differences between being efficient and being effective. 

In this audio, we’re going to talk about being effective in the context of being a manager. You know, it’s amazing how you can get a lot of things done, and then, have essential elements of our job performance either fall through the cracks or not get the attention that it actually needs. And not giving attention to those things actually takes up more time in the long run and that speaks to being effective. 

Here’s an example. Let’s say that a manager has a couple of members of their team that are not performing up to par. And instead of that manager taking the time to coach them, to give them attention, to help them in their performance, they, in fact, are sort of left dangling themselves. Yet that manager’s still very busy and getting a lot of things done. 

In the long run, however, that’s going to cost the manager time because, let’s say, the manager does take the time to coach those employees, to help them improve their performance, or even find out that they’re not going to improve their performance. That is really being more effective; taking the time to do that though it might not be an immediate pressing issue. 

So really the challenge of being effective is that sometimes the things that feel very urgent are keeping us from doing the things that we need to do to help us be more effective. 

Effective is then defined as doing the best things at the best times. Or the right things at the right time so that you can, in an overall strategy, save time, improve your performance, and be able to get the outcomes that you want as well. So that’s a distinction between being efficient and being effective.

Managing is Conditioning

Focus: Management Success, Performance Management, Management Insight

Audio Lesson - Duration 1 min. 22 sec.

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MANAGING IS CONDITIONING

Wc:141

Read time: 30 sec.

Transcript - print now

Say what?...yep it is! This is an important management insight. Every time you interact with your employees, you are giving them information about yourself…what you like, what you don’t like, how you’ll respond to their behaviors, what you will tolerate and what you won’t tolerate...or and I hate to say it, what they can get away with.

This is critical to recognize. Why? There may be times when an employee is not performing the way you’d like.   One of the reasons?....you’ve allowed it and the employee knows it, because in the past you’ve responded to that performance in a way that communicated that they could get by with it – whether you intended to communicate that or not. The result?...they’ve been conditioned into poor performance.

Yikes! I know that’s not pleasant to hear, but that’s the reality of human behavior.

Remember, we are consciously and unconsciously communicating to and thereby conditioning our team members each time we interact with them.

Decide Your Guiding Principles - Create Your P.O.P.

Focus: Management Success, Management Tips

 Audio Lesson - Duration: 3 mins. 23 secs. 

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Remember:

-Read along with the transcript below or print and read for later.

-Right click the MP3 FILE link -  MP3 File  to download and "save as" to your hard drive to access off-line for continuous listening or to transfer to your mobile device for portable learning.

-For additional lessons use the Search Box (top left).

-Remember, the audios are loosely scripted to sound more natural.

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Decide What Kind of Manager You Want to Be – Create Your P.O.P.

WC: 391

Transcript - print now

What kind of manager do you want to be?This is a really important question to ask yourself. It’s clear that if a team is to be successful the YOU in that team is essential.

In order to assist you in this it would be helpful for you to purposely decide…what kind of manager you want to be with the use of a P.O.P. 

What’s a P.O.P you say?....P.O.P is an acrohnym for Personal Operating Philosophy.

Taking the time to determine your P.O.P. is what I call  acting on purpose, being fully conscious of what you are doing, how you are acting and why. Most of us are probably on autopilot. There 2 great benefits from acting more consciously or on purpose:

First, when you are more conscious you feel more in control of your life. That’s important in exercising and fueling your personal power and not resorting to feeling “victimized” by your circumstances.

Secondly, believe it when I say, life just feels and becomes more meaningful! Consciously acting engages more of us because we have to use energy and effort vs. acting on autopilot. It creates the power of now!

ACTION ITEM:

1.  Take a QUIET moment to think about and WRITE out what kind of manager you want to be….just start free writing - here’s some phrases to consider:

I want to be ….”

I value most…

I want to be known for…

I want to reflect…

When writing …there should be no judgment…just let it flow as your first draft. You even might want to sleep on it, review what you’ve written and finalize it for the first quarter.

2. Then make sure you place it where you and your staff can see it everyday. Placing it where others can see it is a way of leading by example, which adds to your credibility.

EXTRA TIP:  Ask each team member to write a POP...what kind of individual contributor (as you can tell I like these words better than “employee”…these two words imply those who take personal responsibility for what they do at work…and that means hopefully CONTRIBUTING constructively!...you may want to start using this language..

Additionally when you have a new employee join your team, ask them to do this as well.

Amatuer vs. Professional - Which One Are You?

Focus: Professional Success, Management Success

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Amateur vs. Professional
Transcript - print now

Wc: 501

What do you think the difference is between a professional and an amateur? I remember when Tiger Woods started to gain National attention as a junior amateur player. His talent and skill was evident, but at that time what had not yet come to light was his back story.

What’s a back story? The back story is the story behind the story. It’s the story of what makes the obvious story what it is.

So what was Tiger’s back story? The story of what he did to develop his talent (because we know that you can have plenty of talent, but that does not mean it automatically translates into success).

Here are a few things I read over the years that make up his back story. Tiger got up early, at 6:00 and in that developed amazing discipline around getting to the practice range early. Apparently, over the years, starting at a young age, he watched hours and hours of film of the masters who’d gone before him studying all the nuances of their individual mastery. He also, due to his mother’s influence, included meditation in his training regime; a not so conventional element in typical western golf training.

What’s true about Tiger is that before he became an official professional, he was an extraordinary amateur. That, I believe is due to the critical elements of his back story.

I think in order to be a highly competent manager; you have to see it as a profession. So the question is, are you an amateur or a professional? Here are the definitions of both, taken from Webster’s:

Profession: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation: a principal calling, vocation, or employment: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

Amateur: one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession : one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science

So, where do you fit?...where do you want to fit? One thing for sure, those definitions set apart one from the other and I bet in your work environment, you can tell who has taken on the role of professional and who has decided to remain an amateur. 

I don’t believe many managers set out consciously to be amateurs, but exhibit that by not consciously taking responsibility for their own learning and development. I call that “purposed incompetency.”

Final question: if you were to poll members of your team or even your direct report in terms of how they see you in this regard, what do you think they would say?

But more importantly….what do you say, how do you feel and see yourself in the position in which you’ve chosen to work? And if you happen to be in the amateur status, what will you do to change that?

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