Manager Musings

We oftentimes become so comfortable with the people we have in place, that the thought of them leaving to seek another position does not factor in to our narrow view of the day to day happenings in the workplace. When they do accept another position, the challenge that comes with back filling their position is more costly than if we had properly invested in training associates to prepare them for such an opportunity!

A lack of leadership is the reason for this vacuum that occurs when talent leaves a department. If Directors and Managers do not have developmental training in place to maintain a pool of applicants for this reason, they show how short sighted and possibly threatened they, themselves may be by sharing information and training. This author has always been of a mind set that if I “work myself out of a job”, that will make me more promotable for additional responsibility and opportunity.

Weak managers are those that feel they must withhold training, development and sharing of the vision they want the department take. This is because they fear they may not be able to find the same level of talent to back fill the position.What this really exposes is the reality the managers have a lack of confidence in their ability or their trainer’s ability to develop the talent pool. If this is the case, the trainer or the manager should be replaced, or both! A company’s lack of commitment and leadership with regard to ongoing training and development will eventually catch up with them. It may not be exposed until tough times come, and people start to jump ship and leave key positions open.

So, you find yourself or your department in this position, what do you do? The answer is quite simple. Train, train, train. Utilize the key talent already in place to mentor those team members who show an interest in upward mobility. Continually inspect the ongoing training in departments and not just in the new hire training classes. Do not put yourself in the position of not being able to release your associates to other positions they have accepted in. The bitter taste in their mouth will not be soon forgotten. Overcoming their poor perception of your management style and lack of leadership is not a problem you can afford to have.

One company I worked with for a few years had an annual meeting where all the sales and unit managers from around the country were flown in for the event. These events are generally to announce things such as the state of the business, the goals and direction for the New Year, and to give out awards for exceptional performance.

As with many of these types of events, there are social events planned as well. Many of these have included open bars. Yes, an invitation for normally professional people to get really stupid and make poor judgments. This particular event was no different.

An open bar in the hotel lobby was the “after dinner cocktail party.” As the drinks flowed freely and the evening wore on, the behavior became more rambunctious. One gentleman, and I use the term loosely, disappeared to his room and later re-appeared in the lobby in his boxer shorts and a t-shirt. He proceeded to entertain the “troops” by dancing around and showing his, ahem, “assets” to various onlookers. At one point he felt the need to show his “member” to some of the women nearby. Some had a good laugh, perhaps for his shortcomings. Others were not so amused.

Eventually, the situation resulted in an HR investigation resulting from a complaint from one of the ladies in attendance. The flasher was terminated for his action. However, that was not the end of it. He counter filed for wrongful termination. His reasoning? It was not his penis he revealed to the ladies. So, you might ask, “If it was not his penis, whose was it?” According to him, it was not a penis at all, but he had simply reached his hand down the front of his shorts and extended his thumb through the opening.
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Mr. Happypants Gets Fired!

Have you ever had a day in the life as a manager when you wondered “Why did they feel they had to share that with me?” What I am talking about is employees who feel they must give you the intimate details of what physical reason they have for needing to leave work early, or call off from work that day. Trust me, I really didn’t need to know all they felt they needed to share!

For example, I stepped outside my office one morning, only to be greeted by one of my supervisors. She had a very distressed look on her face as she made a beeline toward me. Granted, I already knew I was in for a treat as this particular supervisor had always been a piece of work. Few managers could tolerate her, so I was her last chance. Anyway, I digress. In her typical gruff, booming voice, she announces to me that she needs to go home. I replied, “Okay.” She then proceeded to tell me why, as if I really needed to know the details. “I popped a
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TMI- Too Much Information!

For those of you who have been checking in from time to time to see the latest post, you are about to see a lot of changes. For our new readers, welcome! I hope you enjoy the archives, and come along for the ride as we evolve from the Strategic Middle Manager format to a more inclusive, broad-based format we hope appeals to a broader scope of managers. Ultimately, we will point this site to our ‘under-construction’ site called Manager Musings. There will be more information about this exciting change to come. But for the moment, I want to simply explain the reason for the change as best I can.
One thing that is constant in our world is change. In this instance, the change will be good. The reason for the change is quite simple. I woke up one day and had an “Aha!” moment! Yes, I have heard of others having these moments, and I so longed to have one of my own! Simply enough, this “Aha!”‘ was the fact that I had
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Changing Direction

Saying “No” is Not a Crime

Another top time stealer is the inability to say “No”. Over the years I have seen efficient employees become overwhelmed with additional duties, simply because of their inability to say no. Sometimes we, as managers, are guilty of putting more on our overachievers than we should, as well as taking on more ourselves. We need to learn that in order to remain efficient and keep an efficient team, we must allow an atmosphere that permits polite use of the word “No.” I would not suggest saying no regularly. Abusing the “say no” practice could give one the reputation of being obstructive. That could be counter-productive.
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Time Stealers Part II

Procrastination is an area many of us have to battle. Oftentimes it is the easiest path to take when needing relief from the pressure of certain tasks. Simply telling ourselves that we will catch up tomorrow may relieve the immediate pressure, but we may end up feeling guilty for under-achieving. If we are never feeling remorse in this way then we have an even more serious problem!

Making “To Do” lists is one of the most basic ways to attack the issue of procrastination. This way your day has a plan, and it is easier to remain focused on a path to achieve each task. This does not mean you will complete each task every day, but with practice, it becomes easier to win the battle of procrastination.

Keep practicing in order to advance. I suggest filing your completed “To Do” lists. You can go back in a month and measure your own performance to see how you are progressing.

For further reading on “To Do” lists, Brian Benzinger wrote a very informative piece on Solutionwatch.com titled “25 To Do Lists to Stay Productive.”

After a long hiatus, I am back on track. While away from the blog, I have still been busy. However, it has been more about managing my personal life instead of the business and blog site. Looking forward to writing again and hearing your comments. My next post will be the beginning of a short series on time “stealers” and how to manage them…..

General Douglas MacArthur led American forces in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. His 17 questions with regard to leadership have been cited in numerous articles and books on Leadership. So, I believe I am in good company to cite these questions once again:

1. Do I heckle my subordinates or strengthen and encourage them?
2. Do I use moral courage in getting rid of subordinates who have proved themselves beyond doubt to be unfit?
3. Have I done all in my power by encouragement, incentive and spur to salvage the weak and erring?
4. Do I know by NAME and CHARACTER a maximum number of subordinates for whom I am responsible? Do I know them intimately?
5. Am I thoroughly familiar with the technique, necessities, objectives and administration of the job?
6. Do I lose my temper at individuals?
7. Do I act in such a way as to make my individuals want to follow me?
8. Do I delegate tasks that should be mine?
9. Do I arrogate everything to myself and delegate nothing?
10. Do I develop my subordinates by placing on each one as much responsibility as he can stand?
11. Am I interested in the personal welfare of each of my subordinates, as if he were a member of my own family?
12. Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or am I inclined to irascibility and excitability?
13. Am I inclined to be nice to my superiors and mean to my subordinates?
14. Am I a constant example to my subordinates in character, dress, deportment and courtesy?
15. Is my door open to my subordinates?
16. Do I think more of POSITION (STATUS) than JOB?
17. Do I correct a subordinate in front of others?

(Source: “The West Point Way Of Leadership” by Colonel Larry R Donnithorne)

“Given the economy right now, it’s easy for rumors to get started,” said Dennis Hoppe, owner of New York-based Change Management Implementation, Inc., a consulting firm. “People assume the worst, and in many cases their fears are validated.”

I found this quote from 2003 and it still rings true today. Many experts say that it is a lack of communication that sparks rumors, particularly about the direction a company may be going. I recently went on a cruise to the Bahamas. When I returned, I learned that the General Manager at my company was recently said to have moved on to other opportunities. However, the acting GM that replaced him is well known as the man who transitions companies in a totally new direction or prepares them for a sell-off or shutdown. So, needless to say the rumor mill is in full swing.

Very swiftly, the rumors reached executive levels of management, and senior leaders and their direct reports were given their ‘talking points’. However accurate these talking points may be, the absence of more specific information invites people to make up their own versions of reality. So what do us in middle management do?
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Rumor at Work?

Sitting here discussing different aspects of faith with a friend, then thinking of this business blog, provokes me to ask, “Is the religion of secular humanism the only safe religion to have in the workplace?” If so, how do people of faith assimilate without compromising their faith? When “celebrating diversity” and “political correctness” seems to rule the day, just how does one square these things and maintain their faith?

First, you may ask, “What the heck do you mean-the religion of secular humanism?” In my view, secular humanism is cynical about God and the supernatural and believes that these are not of use for addressing problems. Generally, secularist beliefs emphasize limits on the role of religious or supernatural considerations in the affairs of society or government. Secular humanism may add to these views a broad perspective on life, which includes human dignity and the value of ethics. While these perspectives may have merit, does the suppression
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Is the Religion of Secular Humanism the Only Safe Religion to Have in the Workplace?