Looking Up: The Fine Art Of Managing Your Boss

In today’s fast-paced business environment, it can be quite a challenge to excel in your position. If you’re a manager yourself, you have the added task of managing your team. It’s so easy to get caught up in the maze of bureaucracy and get buried by the mountains of paperwork.

If you do succeed in getting your team of employees to meet or exceed their stats, get all their performance evaluations submitted accurately and on time, and simultaneously meet your own goals while pleasing your boss, you should be golden. Right?

Unfortunately, there are so many managers who believe just that. They are the ones who are missing the greatest opportunity of all — the chance to manage their boss. It isn’t easy, and the thought of it can be intimidating, but with courage and emotional maturity (hopefully on the part of both parties), it can be done. 

According to Thomas J. Zuber, MD, and Erika H. James, Ph.D. in their article, “Managing Your Boss”: “failure to manage your boss can result in misunderstandings about what you expect from one another and cause you to waste time on tasks that are not in line with organizational goals. Furthermore, career progress and satisfaction rarely occur if you don’t manage your boss.” 

What does managing your boss look like? Understand that in this business relationship, you both have needs. You want to do a good job, and you want to be appreciated for it. You need some tangible proof that you are valuable to the company, be it praise, a promotion, a raise or perhaps a simple thank you. You’re keenly aware of all the things you need. Have you ever stopped to think about what your boss needs?

Here is where a little empathy can go a long way. Spend some time thinking about work from your boss’s perspective. What are her organizational goals and what deadlines does she have to meet? Is her annual raise dependent on your team meeting its goals? What problems does she face in getting her job done?

Now that you have a different perspective on the situation, what could you do to make your boss’s job easier? Instead of walking into her office with a problem you want her to solve, what if you entered with a viable solution already in hand? How about consistently demonstrating your trustworthiness? Every time you make her life easier, your worth goes up a notch. This doesn’t mean doing her job for her, but anything you can contribute will be appreciated.

Don’t use your boss as a constant sounding board for your low-level problems. You definitely don’t want to get branded as a whiner or a time waster. If you genuinely need help with a business-related issue that you have tried unsuccessfully to solve yourself and you have used your other resources to no avail, then yes, ask for help from your boss.

If you have honest, direct and relevant feedback to deliver to your boss, don’t put it off. This is where courage comes in. If you are fearful of some type of retribution, you’ll need to work on managing your negative emotions before meeting with her. Make sure you don’t have any hidden agendas or ulterior motives. 

Timing is everything. Don’t expect to have a productive feedback conversation when your boss is hungry, un-caffeinated or on a Friday as she’s trying to walk out the door. Give it some thought. Is it budget time for the department or company? Is she working on the end-of-quarter reports that are due tomorrow? Pick the time when you have the best chance for a positive experience for both of you.

This conversation should be respectful, focused and truthful. Take your own ego out of the equation because it doesn’t belong here. Stick with the facts and be brief.

As Jean Kelley points out in her article, “How to Manage Your Boss”: “In the end, it’s really about understanding your boss. When you teach your boss how to work with you and hone great communication skills with him or her, your work life will be happier and much more productive.”

The important thing to remember when managing your boss is to always seek a positive outcome. You both have the same goals: to solve problems, improve processes, improve the bottom line and ultimately improve the company by bolstering its success.

 

This article has previously been featured on Forbes

 

The Power of a Team

The pioneering researchers of the Hawthorne Studies, which started in 1924 and published in 1939, discovered that employee participation improved job satisfaction more than short-term incentives. As organizations began to understand the benefits of employee satisfaction and teamwork, some fields of work began a shift away from the common assembly-line model to organizational structures that took advantage of the highly productive team environment.

In their paper “A New Vision,” Professors Michel Anteby and Rakesh Khurana point out that “the Hawthorne researchers came closer to outlining an integrated theory of human behavior than any other perspective before them and to describing a humanistic vision for workers inside an organization at precisely the time when industrial capitalism needed to be reconnected to addressing human concerns.”

Marilyn Sawyer Wesner, author of A Journey of Change: The History of Team Building in Organizations, 1900 to 1989, explains, “The frequency of teambuilding training in organizations rose significantly between the beginning of the 1970s through the end of the 1980s.” “Teamwork” became a buzzword, and team workshops became all the rage. Unfortunately, in many corporations, it was treated by upper management as a fad to be weathered. Once the workshops were over and the teams were invigorated and fired up, upper management often reverted to the comfortable top-down management style, which only served to further disenfranchise the employees and left them to return to business as usual.

Despite these initial setbacks, it has become increasingly apparent that the productive harnessing of the power of a team is here to stay. It’s never been more important than in today’s lightning-fast, idea-oriented organizations to emphasize collaboration rather than control.

Achieving effective teamwork is not much easier today than it was back in the days of monolithic, slow-moving corporations. Although one might argue that working in teams is the natural and instinctive state of humanity, our life experiences in this fast-paced, competitive life tend to produce individuals who can be more interested in self-promotion, self-protection and working independently off-site. We become overly concerned with protecting our territory and devolve into self-interest. Our level of success and level of authority become measuring sticks.

In reality, it has been proven that in the long term, teamwork is much more productive than having a few high-level managers dictating direction without any input from the people who actually perform the work.

With all the management advice available today, it can be confusing to decide on a path to follow. The advice of one expert may contradict the advice of another. However, there isn’t anything especially perplexing about successful teamwork. There are a few effective steps to keep in mind when shaping a powerful team.

Teamwork and trust go hand in hand. It’s very difficult to have one without the other. Open communication is consistently pointed to as the main facilitator in building effective teams. Relationships are built on conversations. Individuals telling personal stories weave a connection of empathy among the participants. Discussing both private values and company values is an important way team members can bond.

It is essential that colleagues feel safe and comfortable sharing honest opinions about problems or issues with others, including both team members and management. It is equally important for people to actively listen to others and involve them in team actions and team decisions. If a team feels unthreatened by resolving conflict, they are more likely to confront challenges within the project or the team itself.

The power of a team is exponentially increased by their openness and diversity. When multiple members of an organization come from varying backgrounds, whether the differences are in culture, age, sex, skill sets, talents, education or even their roles in the company, these numerous perspectives allow them to leverage their experiences to solve even the most challenging work issues.

Another key component in a successful team is the ability of the individuals to carry their own weight in a workgroup. If even one member is inconsistent in following through on commitments and promises, there will be problems with the entire group. Trustworthiness is important in the team being able to follow through and coordinate their efforts more efficiently.

One way to encourage individual follow-through is to be clear when setting expectations. What needs to be done by specific individuals, and what are the time frames for completion? Which tasks need to be completed collaboratively by the entire group? Assigning specific milestones is essential for making productive and consistent progress in any project.

An agile team requires an adaptable culture, not only in a specific division but from the entire company. Being inflexible in the face of today’s ever-changing business environment is tantamount to actively encouraging failure at multiple levels. When everyone collaborates, from the leaders of the organization to the individual associates, business solutions can be arrived at in a prompt fashion. Successful teams and successful organizations involve everyone in finding actionable answers to overcome obstacles.

This article has previously been featured on Forbes

 

Expanding On The Understanding Of Mindset

In the 1960s, Dr. Thomas A. Harris wrote a revolutionary book, I’m OK-You’re OK, that explored the concepts of four major “life positions.” Over 50 years later, those amazing major concepts he explained are still being talked about and explored extensively in multiple fields.

There are variations on the original themes, but they all owe their origins to Dr. Harris. I’d like to share with you my take on these interesting and helpful ideas.

You can think of these ideas as being particular points along a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. The horizontal axis ranges from Minus Others to Plus Others, with the vertical axis ranging from Minus Me to Plus Me. The four quadrants consist of +,-; +,+; -,+; -,- if looked at in a clockwise fashion.

Thus, we end with a graph that looks like this:

The sought-after state is the +,+ where both participants or both groups are working together equally without any power deficits or negative emotions. In two of the other states, someone is operating from a fragile, less ideal position. In one state, both parties are working from a place of weakness and/or anger.

In the ideal state, both parties are coming from a place of confidence, cooperation, courage, creativity, and care.

It’s important to understand that the optimal state is challenging to maintain. For human beings, there is the ongoing possibility (and probability) of multiple state changes taking place in very short spans of time. Humans are capable (and likely) to experience multiple life positions just seconds apart.

The life positions change constantly throughout a conversation, a meeting and a day. As the stimuli, input, tones of voice, physical expressions and subject matter change with rapidity, the mindsets change nanoseconds behind. This results in multiple, sometimes conflicting chemical cascades in the brain.

It has been scientifically explained that neurochemical changes in the brain accompany specific life positions being utilized. The correlation between stressful mindsets and the production of cortisol in the amygdala results in brain “lockdown” of executive function and triggers the primitive flight-or-fight reaction. Also, prolonged periods of stressful events can raise cortisol levels.

Conversely, it has been shown that positive mindsets and the production of oxytocin result in high-level brain function and feelings of social inclusion and trust. Oxytocin can decrease anxiety and protect against stress, but laughing can lower cortisol levels.

Knowing that these chemical reactions are occurring and that they can be controlled by one’s mental state, it can be useful to remember the acronym STOP.

S stands for step back. It is important to pause, breathe and reflect.

T is for think. Helpful questions are:

• What is my life position right now?

• Is this position useful or not useful?

• What do I want?

The next letter, O, is for orientating. What is in your power to do to change your mood?

The P is simply to proceed when you have decided your best course of action.

It can be beneficial to contemplate the scenarios in your life and how you interact in them. Do you tend to fall into an “I don’t have value, but you have value” mindset when dealing with an authority figure? Do you often find yourself in an “I have value, but you don’t have value” position when dealing with a difficult co-worker who frustrates you? These situations are more common in the business world than you might think.

The truth is that you have the power to make the changes necessary to choose to operate in the “I have value, and you have value” life position most of the time. It may be challenging at first, but you’ll quickly find with a bit of conscious effort, you can improve relationships with coworkers, friends, and family.

 

 

This article has previously been featured on Forbes

 

The High Cost Of Emotional Inflexibility

You’ve tried writing your affirmations and faithfully repeating them each day. You’ve tried not sweating the small stuff. You’ve made lists of goals and worked on being an effective executive. You’ve searched for excellence. You’ve tried to get a competitive advantage and learned that ego is the enemy. You’ve read so many management books your mind is spinning.

Is there something more basic you could be working on to make yourself more successful in business and in life? Something that’s not external, but something personal and very, very internal?

Many people, especially those who have a natural tendency to view life in an analytical way, may be missing something basic: the core values that make them who they are. It is so easy in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world to lose sight of the things that make each individual person who and what they are.

These values get lost in the noise of the internal monologue that makes up each human’s ongoing soundtrack. There are limitless combinations of the general negative mixtape that we hear inside without even consciously realizing it: shame, self-doubt, anger, fear of failing, fear of the new, fear of repeating old mistakes. You may not even realize how much this “best hits” playlist is holding you back. Every time you encounter a similar situation, your brain is probably queueing up the same song.

How are you supposed to ever achieve success with that noise undermining your energy and enthusiasm?

In her book, Emotional Agility, psychologist Susan David, Ph.D. stresses the importance of detaching oneself from this inner monologue. She says when people buy into those thoughts and treat them as facts, they “sap important cognitive resources that could be put to better use.”

Emotional inflexibility is keeping you trapped with these negative and nonproductive thoughts. The onslaught of change in today’s business environment can exacerbate this problem. If you’re constantly putting out fires, how are you ever going to find time to create a sea of change within yourself?

Workplaces are increasingly complicated. They are multigenerational, and there are so many gender issues and personality types to navigate. What can be done to create an inner environment of inspired thinking, synchronization and effective teamwork?

Until you can match up your work environment with your company’s core beliefs and values, you’ll continue to struggle. It’s also important to understand if your own values correlate with those of your company. It’s difficult to be successful or happy if those two are at odds with one another.

It will require some honest assessment on your part. What is your company’s mission statement? Does it resonate with you? What are your company’s stated core values? Core values are who you are, who you have been and who you will continue to be. They are what make you, you.

Now that you have a fair comparison, how many similarities are there versus differences? Are the differences slight or is there a sizable chasm? Armed with that information, it’s time to explore your options. How are you going to reach your personal and business goals? If the core values are a bad match, you might need a change.

You’ll need to develop a plan to get the intended outcome. Should you stay where you are, move to a different department or division, change companies or strike out on your own? Once you’re on your chosen path, you’ll need to do a regular check-in: Are former objectives still aligned with today’s goals? You might need to work on a course correction.

Staying accountable is tough. If you’re staying true to your core values, the negative inner chatter should be down to a minimum. If you’re actually doing the work and staying on track, those greatest hits shouldn’t be playing in your head all the time.

It’s valuable to have a mentor on your side who can tell you when you’re reverting back to emotional inflexibility and old habits. Find someone you respect with core values similar to yours. A colleague who has done her own work to develop emotional agility would be an ideal choice. This trusted advisor can remind you of your goals if you start to backslide or get distracted. Your mentor will also remind you to celebrate your successes while you’re learning to ban those repetitive, negative thoughts.

 

 

This article has previously been featured on Forbes

Analytical Leaders: Five Key Tips To Increase Your Performance

Analytical leaders are renowned for their natural ability to analyze information using their critical thinking skills. They thrive in careers that others may find challenging, as they operate and even absorb information differently than most people.

Believe it or not, even the smartest, most rational and logical brain faces unexpected challenges in the business world. They can fall into the trap of relying too heavily on their left-brain skills, and it can hinder their success as a leader.

In order to grow as a leader and uncover unnoticed blind spots, it’s important to consider these challenges. Having more responsibility and moving up in leadership roles requires developing new skills to lead effectively and to work through others. Traits that have in past roles been strengths can turn into weaknesses when they’re not balanced in a leadership position. Being aware of these potential blind spots is key when developing optimal performance.

Here are five tips analytical leaders can leverage to increase their performance:

1. Develop intuitive decision making.

Leaders have to make quick decisions; sometimes, they have to make those decisions without all the information available.

For an analytical leader, this can go against their very nature. In order to feel comfortable, they want to go through all the data and establish connections. They may forget to be inclusive of others, relying solely on their own thinking, because that behavior has been successful for them in the past.

In order for analytical leaders to thrive and make the right decisions (even without having all information they think is necessary), they need to develop a sense of intuition by considering data that is not rational and begin to mature their right-brain skills.

2. Let go of structure.

Analytical people tend to be very organized and structured, which does not always support other team members in their work progress. Perfectionism has the potential to slow down processes and stunt others in their creative thinking.

Being able to let go of structure and operate well, even when things are not perfect, is essential when stepping into a leadership role. The “perfect” scenario rarely exists in today’s hectic business atmosphere. Analytical people need to see the value in developing a sense of groundedness and see the bigger picture even when there are chaos and a lack of systems in place.

3. Enhance your communication skills.

Professionals who tend to be more analytical often prefer to communicate using facts and data. They can find it difficult to show enough emotion or appropriate empathy, which can make interpersonal interactions uncomfortable.

In order to create a supportive office environment, leaders benefit from enhancing their communication skills. This is especially true in a leadership role, where the main responsibilities are to manage people, work through them and encourage and inspire them to take action. 

It’s especially beneficial to develop the ability to effectively communicate intentions. This is not solely for the sake of achieving results and hitting goals most efficiently, but to enable others to work with clarity and focus in an inspiring environment. Communication skills are vital to interpersonal relationships, in the office as well as during after-work hours.

4. Embrace teamwork.

Analytical leaders often prefer to work by themselves, thereby impeding team cohesion. However, working in teams is inevitable when your responsibility includes managing them. This emphasizes how important the development of vital skills such as delegating roles and responsibilities is to the success of the unit.

In order to optimize productivity and potential, analytical leaders need to learn to give others the opportunity to contribute to projects as well. The transition from a “me” environment to a “we” environment can be especially challenging for analytical mindsets.

5. Maintain productivity.

Although everyone procrastinates occasionally, an analytical personality may do it more often because they lose time researching information and wanting to wait until the results are perfect. Sometimes, trying to accomplish every task perfectly holds one back from accomplishing anything at all. Paralysis through analysis is very common for people who think a lot and who may even measure their worth through their results.

It’s important to be incredibly productive and to be able to execute rapidly when it comes to leading a team to results.

Being analytical is an amazing trait that enables people to have a great career. But in order to be successful in a leadership role, it’s important to develop right-brain skills such as creating and maintaining high-energy relationships and communicating effectively. There needs to be a focus on nurturing the skills to work through others instead of leaders doing all the work themselves.

When stepping into a leadership role or wanting to optimize potential, becoming more of an all-rounder as a person can be very beneficial for the leader, their team, company culture and, ultimately, their bottom line.

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This Article has previously been featured on FORBES