Two-Fisted Feedback

A colleague shared an anecdote about a leader in his firm who gives appreciative feedback to his staff, then turns around and tells peers that these employees aren’t doing their jobs. One of these employees found out about this two-fisted approach and was furious.

We spend considerable time espousing the importance of expressing appreciation (among other things), but it’s intolerable if someone says something nice – only because it’s the right thing to do – then says the opposite to another leader.

“Not My Job!”

Several of my clients lament that their employees don’t understand or know what is expected from them. Strangely, this isn’t unusual. The job description that guides new employees often does not clarify what is expected or how they will be evaluated. Indeed, over time job descriptions become obsolete as jobs change and evolve.

You should have two documents for each position. One captures roles and responsibilities. It details the various components of a job and identifies specific things that the employee is responsible for. Basically, it breaks down the job and the accountabilities that belong to it.

When Superior Performers Slip

Are you fortunate to have superior performers reporting to you? These are employees at the top of their game who always get the job done, who you can rely on for anything, and who your clients love because they’re just that good.

Until they slip.

This happens periodically and when it does, it’s especially painful because you’re not expecting it. The first episode might be when you discover a major error. The next time could be when a deadline flies by and he missed it. And another time might be when you receive a call from a client complaining about his attitude.

The Critic vs. the Coach

One of the worst things managers do is disparage their employees – especially their top performers – by nitpicking at every last little thing they do. You may be a perfectionist (and, of course, we want to be the models for quality control and excellence), but it can go too far.

Some employees have the fortitude to ignore a constant, slow drip of reproaches, but over time it burns out even the most stoic.

Written Communication: An Essential Skill Set for Today’s Leader

I teamed up with The Complete Leader program as a faculty member to talk about leadership competencies. In this short video I discuss the importance of written communication for today’s leader and tips for mastering this skill set.

Winding Down to Wind Up

Summer unofficially winds down in the U.S. marked by the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Late summer vacations are ending, children are going back to school, and your summer rituals will be diminishing.

Although it’s only a long weekend, this one is a milestone in the year. Whether it’s because we still have strong associations with September as “back to school” or the end of summer hours at work, things will probably be a little different next week.

Are You an Entrepreneurial Leader?

I recently was a guest on The Complete Leader Podcast, talking about Entrepreneurial Leaders. More info and podcast below.

Our guest is Dr. Lisa Aldisert, who is president of Pharos Alliance. Dr. Aldisert is an executive coach who specializes in strategic planning, workplace trends and leadership development. She talks about her research of entrepreneurial leadership, and lists the skills that these leaders need to master. She defines the “adore and abhor syndrome,” and talks about some of the most common challenges of leaders who are subject-matter experts. She also offers a gift to our listeners!

Patience is a Virtue….Until You Have No Time

People are short on patience these days. They claim that they’re too overwhelmed, have too many commitments, and don’t have nearly enough time. If you ask them to be patient, they may lash out at you with an impatient burst of anger.

Leaders are as challenged as their employees in this regard. When they emote a burst of frustration when something isn’t finished within minutes after it was assigned, they’re adding to workplace stress.

Speak Up!

Many of the workplace challenges that I observe arise from expectations that one or more people involved in a discussion are clairvoyant. No one consciously admits this, of course. When Joan says she wants xyz and her direct report, Frank, says that she never mentioned xyz, this begins the unraveling of communication.

Actually, it’s not an unraveling, because there is nothing to undo. When Joan gets upset with Frank because he didn’t complete xyz, he looks like a deer in the headlights. He doesn’t have any idea what Joan is talking about.

Perception vs. Reality

Isn’t it challenging when you need to sift through and determine what is real versus what is perception? I remember a print ad for a bank many years ago whose message asserted that perceptions were far more important than reality. Employees of this bank were baffled by what it meant and how it affected their work.

As seen by this example, a problem can arise when people don’t understand the distinctions. Logical, fact-oriented people may tend to view reality as more important, while more creative people might be drawn to the nuances of perceptions.