Its true, when the job is brand new to you and you are just getting to grips with it you may lean towards it a little more than is balanced but after a (short) while you do need to straighten up again.
Keep the times you take work home to a minimum, keep weekends free of work as much as possible. This is not an idea you merely pay lip service to. It is not an unattainable ideal; it is something you have to consciously monitor.
Runners in training do not work simply on their leg muscles. They do cardio-vascular exercises to strengthen their heart, they watch their diet, they motivate themselves with their brains and so on. In short, they concern themselves with their whole body. You need to concern yourself with your whole life.
Timing is critical too. If the CEO has five minutes before an important meeting that is not the time to pitch a proposal you are ardent about, it might be the time to ask for a day off though! When a member of your staff needs to talk to you and you don't have the time then to REALLY listen effectively say so but agree a different time with the staff member as soon as possible and stick to it. Never let him/her feel brushed aside.
When you are listening, listen, never sort through your mail at the same time or shuffle papers or fiddle with the computer mouse and above all, never ever finish their sentences for them. Also make sure the conversation is over before you employ “dismissing” body language.
Sure you are ambitious, but don't be greedy, pace yourself. Don't ask for more responsibility or promotion until you have delivered and continued to deliver on what you have at present. Like an acrobat, you may not yet be ready for the highest swing and you shouldn't risk a fall from a dizzying height until you are comfortable with the lower swing.
Stilt walking is an art that needs to be learned. Stilt walkers walk like everyone else, one foot in front of the other, but they are head and shoulders above everyone else, you can't help but notice them. If you are ambitious you MUST be a stilt walker. You are a stilt walking manager when:
- You attract attention by your enthusiasm.
- You look for problems to solve or help to solve.
- You prepare thoroughly for meetings/presentations.
- You are not shy or put on a superb performance of not being shy.
- You treat your workers (as well as your boss) with respect.
- You increase your skill base through reading and training.
- Your communication skills are of a high standard.
- You admit mistakes and have a plan to correct them.
- You ask for what you want directly and express your own feelings clearly.
- You have no trouble setting your own goals and motivating yourself and others.
Believe it or not, stilt walking leads to lion taming.
Good lion tamers know their lions, care about their welfare, command and receive respect from their lions and know their lions look to them for food and shelter. They don't expect their lions to perform tricks without adequate training.
Lion tamers know they are nothing without their lions. They also know that if they do not perform as a good lion tamer should they put themselves in danger of being eaten!
As a manager you are a lion tamer, your staff are the lions.
Get to know them, take an interest in their lives. If a superior stopped you in the corridor to enquire whether your mother (who had been ill) was now feeling better, you know you'd appreciate the interest. Pubelius Syrus, a poet in roman times said "we are interested in others when they are interested in us."
In a major way you have an advantage over circus lion tamers. Just imagine how easy it would be to train lions if you could not only tell them what you wanted them to do but why. “ I'd like you, Mr. Lion, to jump through this hoop because your agility is sure to be a crowd pleaser."
If your staff know where you are leading them and why, they take ownership of their contribution, so always keep them informed. A weekly meeting is one way, a meeting where they are not merely told what to do but are expected to contribute suggestions or worries, to feel a part of the drive forward, to feel comfortable enough with you to be able to disagree or point out pitfalls you may not have thought of.
Frank group discussions lead to:
- Ideas being generated.
- Objectives clarified.
- Commitment fostered.
- Understanding of processes and therefore.
- Teamwork strengthened.
Give feedback - don't expect your staff to work in a vacuum, and I don't mean annual performance reviews.
If a report from a staff member arrives on your desk and its well written, if you overhear a member of your staff dealing excellently with a complaint from a member of the public, get up, move out of your office and go and tell them then and there - that is feedback.
Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism. Sure, there will be times when criticism is in order but never bawl anybody out in an open office. Remember when you were a kid and a parent told you off in front of your peers - how did that feel? In fact its better never to do it in anger, even in privacy, wait, if you can, till you have cooled down.
Also listen, perhaps he/she goofed because they didn't have a piece of equipment/knowledge vital to the success of the job. Ask “what do you think would make you better able to do X?” You might be surprised by what you hear. If they need training do your utmost to get it for them.
You Need Lion Taming Skills With Your Peers Too
Think about this - the people who really make the business world go round are the co-operators, not the competitors.
If you are competing constantly against peers in your organization you are focused only on your climb up the ladder - you are interested only in growing yourself. If you are co-operating, focusing on consensus you are growing your organization. A bonus is that inevitably, if you grow your organization you grow your own career more effectively.
Now, I don't mean being a “yes” person of course but:
- Being prepared to co-operate.
- Really listening.
- Finding common ground.
- Build up agreement.
- Work together to solve a problem.
- And if necessary, agree to disagree.
Warning: Offer only what you are willing to give. Never allow yourself to feel used.
So finally, how do you tame the ring master, your superior?
Its all here, you become a juggler, acrobat, stilt walker and lion tamer. Its that simple and the thread running through all of these roles is, of course, empathy.
