Meeting Management

I recently attended a meeting which was equivalent to a gathering of the "all mouth and no ears" brigade. Everyone was talking over one another, we were off topic and I was becoming impatient because I felt like I was wasting my time.

And then to top it off, the person who called the meeting said, "We didn't get through what we needed to today so I'll set another meeting for next week."

Kill me now.

Good managers know how to maximize everyone's time. They know when to call a meeting vs when to have one-on-ones, they are focused on the meeting's outcome and drive discussion in a direction that achieves outcomes.

Check out the following article on how to keep your meetings on track.

Meeting Management: "Meetings can be very productive. They can also be a waste of time. Here are some ways to improve your meeting management skill.
Meeting Management Key - Stand PAT
I use a 'PAT' approach to meetings. A meeting has to have: a Purpose, an Agenda, and a Timeframe or I don't do it."

Sometimes even the best laid plans can go astray, especially if you're dealing with difficult people. Click on the link to discover how to become a manager and handle the Liam the Liars and Whining Wendy's in the office.

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive

Peter Drucker is the management master. Check out the following article which removes the focus off the individual and onto their contribution.

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive: "In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution.

This focus on the making of a contribution is the key. And the key to effectiveness comes in three areas:

1. in a person's work, its content, its level, its standards, and its impacts;

2. in his relationships with others, his superiors, his associates, and his subordinates; and

3. in his use of the tools of the executive, such as meetings and reports."

Click on the link if you want to become a manager that makes a difference.

I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)

Some new managers who receive an internal promotion find the new relationship dynamics challenging. Co-workers may find it difficult to adjust to your new role and may not give you respect (which has to be earned) or treat you like you're still in your previous position. Check out the following Q&A of a new manager who feels like he's being taken advantage of:

I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)... | JobDig Career Search and Employment Guide - Because everyone should dig their job!: "I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)..."

Click the following link to discover 7 Super Success Secrets to Become a Manager and learn top management characteristics to help you in your new job, strategies to move you forward and how to make your first week a success.

So You’ve Become a Manager – Now What?

Becoming a new manager can be overwhelming, check out the following article on tips for newcomer success.

So You’ve Just Become a Manager – Now What? « DrivenLeaders.com - Anthony Portuesi: "Monitor your work hours.
Set time limits to your work hours and stick to them. When you’re in a new position it’s very easy to get sucked into working longer and longer hours because you feel you have to. Resist the urge to consistently stay late. One of the worst things that can happen is burning out too early, if this happens, it will be hard to jump start your passion for the role, not to mention your employees will take notice."

Now that you've become a manager, discover how you can make your first week as a new manager, and the following months, successful. Click the links to discover the 7 super secrets to becoming a new manager.

What Makes a Good Manager? Not Tacky Timing!

How’s this for timing? On Thursday, five percent of a company are told they are being retrenched. The very next day the CEO sends out an email reminding everybody they are required to attend the company’s strategy day. She signs off by saying, “Please bring your positive attitude and good ideas.”

This is a perfect example of what not to do if you want to become an effective manager.

One of the biggest assets of a good manager is empathy and this CEO has none!

If you're on the end of tacky timing let the person know their timing isn't working for you. “Jonathan, I really appreciate what you’re trying to get across, but I’m in the middle of a tight deadline. Let’s talk tomorrow.” Or in the case of the insensitive CEO, “I understand the strategy meeting was scheduled for today and you want it to go well, but in light of what happened yesterday, I think you’ll understand that we are feeling uncertain about our own positions and sad for our colleagues who are leaving.”

Click here if you want to know what makes an effective manager.

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Become an Effective Manager and Employee

I was recently asked, "Can you give me some good ideas to professionally satisfy my manager? What are the skills I should show in order to have a good performance review?"

My first question was, "Well, have you asked them?"

In theory you shouldn't have to ask them because when you started the job you should have been provided with a position description that clearly outlines what your responsibilities are. Ideally, you would also have been given a list of measurable goals you need to achieve.

Combine these two pieces of information and successfully meet your objectives and you should be on target to great performance review.

Of course there are other factors that will impact your success, but the best way to determine how you're doing is to regularly check in with your boss and ask for constructive feedback - don't wait until the annual review to seek opportunities for improvement.

A message to managers: If you're not happy with the way a team member is performing it could be because you've never clearly communicated their role, nor coached them on attributes you'd like to see improvements in.

Like any good relationship, communication is key.

Do You Really Want To Become a Manager?

I recently came across an article discussing the challenges new managers face following a promotion.

I always warn clients to watch what they wish for in their desire for more pay, responsibility and recognition.

Their success is often marred when they come up against the challenges outlined in this article.

They forget that they've been trained for years in their vocation, but have received little, or no, management, supervisor or team leader training and soon discover it's not as easy at looks!

The worst part is, they often go from being a 'star' within the organization to someone who needs coaching for poor performance as a manager. It's a heavy blow to high achievers and often affects their self-esteem.

If you think about it people tend to chose their career based on something they're interested in, i.e. sales, human potentiality, accounting etc and as we know we tend to excel in things that interest us. Just think back to school, if you didn't give a hoot about geography high scores probably didn't come naturally to you.

It's the same in the work world, unless you've done numerous management courses or an MBA it's unlikely you've been exposed to, or trained in, effective management practices. I liken it to getting my first car when I was 21, up until then we never had a car in our family so despite my driving lessons and passing the test I had little road sense because I didn't have much experience even being a passenger in a car. It took me a while to gain my confidence and that came from consistent exposure and often a bit of terror over close calls.

Don't let your management career be a car wreck, learn up front what's required, hone your skills BEFORE you get the job and excel when you're in it.

Check out the article here: Do You Really Want To Be A Manager?: "Craig looked plaintively across the desk at me. He'd come to me for help adapting to his new role as a manager. He was having a lot of trouble."