Do You Make These Career Stalling Management Mistakes?

If you're interested in being the best possible manager you can be, check out this article, based on a smart manager who was alienating his new team--and was totally oblivious of what he was doing:

clipped from pressherald.mainetoday.com 'Jurgen," a very bright engineer, descended upon a manufacturing company after his parent company acquired it. While he had great intentions and high aspirations for dramatically increasing the operational efficiency, he was met with fierce resistance. I was asked to come in and find out why. Meeting with Jurgen, I found him to be very bright, personable and an interesting conversationalist. I liked him. However, his team didn't. They despised him. As I interviewed both his direct reports and others who worked with him, I was regaled with stories of arrogance, disrespect and intimidation. While he had big hopes of inspiring greater productivity and turning the plant around, his behavior laid the foundation for his failure.

Gen Y: Why Do They Think That Way?

Have you noticed that your Gen Y employees seem to have a slightly different perspective toward work, authority, and feedback than some of your older employees?

I thought so.

When asking manager training seminar participants what their biggest challenges are, "What's up with those younger workers?" is usually on the list.

To answer that question, I spent the last year synthesizing the current research on Gen Y and interviewed Gen Y employees and their supervisors for clues about how to what motivates them, what drives them crazy, and how to balance meeting their needs with having them meet yours.

Just like with dealing with people who have personality styles different from yours, when dealing with people from a generation that's different from yours, it's really helpful to understand where they're "coming from" -- i.e. how they see the world and why they think the way they do.

Here's how this will help you:

1. It will help you understand more about how to connect with them and be more influential

2. It will reduce your stress level, because the more we understand why someone is doing something that goes against our way of being in the world, the less anger and judgment we have toward them.

3. The less anger and judgment we have, the more we can think and act strategically, rather than have a knee jerk Neanderthal response that makes us look ridiculous and makes the situation worse.

Big Caveat Ahead

I want to be crystal clear here... I am NOT saying that understanding where someone else is coming from means excusing unacceptable behavior.

I'm saying that from a purely practical point of view, we are FAR more effective if we have control over our emotional state when we respond. If we're foaming at the mouth with self-righteous indignation -- no matter how justified - we're simply not going to be as effective as we will if we remain cool and in control of our emotions.

To say nothing of how much more effective at eliciting productive responses in others we are when we maintain our composure.

So, with that in mind, here are 23 cultural factors that have played a major role in shaping the world view of your Gen Y employees. As you scan the list, think about their implications for what your Gen Y employees look for in an employer and what brings out the best in them.

Cultural Factors That Influence Gen Y Employees

1. The Self-Esteem Movement
2. Raised During Child-Centered Era
3. Highly Scheduled and Coached Childhoods
4. Adults as Peers
5. Parent as Coach and Friend
6. It’s Not Important What Others Think of You; It’s What You Think That Matters.
7. You Can Become Whatever You Want In Life
8. Sitcoms: Adults Are Silly; Disrespectful Behavior Is Funny
9. “In Your Face” Modeled and Celebrated: Rap Stars, Music Videos, American Chopper, Jerry Springer, etc.
10. Collaborative Learning Approaches in School
11. Technology Is Just A Normal Part Of Life
12. New Media Shaping Neurological Development for Short Attention Spans
13. Multitasking: It’s Easy; Its Fun!
14. It’s a Global, Connected World… Well, yeah…
15. It’s a Customized, On My Terms World: Starbucks, iPods, Tivo, etc.
16. Diversity Is No Big Deal
17. What I Have to Say Is Important; I’m Important: Blogs, MySpace, Facebook, etc.
18. Children as Activists: You Can Make a Difference
19. Be Rich, Be Famous: American Idol, Dot Com Millionaires, etc.
20. Problems? Blame Others: Personal Injury Attorney Ads, MacDonald’s Lawsuits: Spilled Coffee and Obese Kids, Parents Suing Schools When Child Gets Into Trouble
21. Seeing First Hand the Cost of No Work/Life Balance
22. Enron, WorldCom,… Big Corporations Are Not to Be Trusted
23. Unprecedented Affluence For Many

What Do Gen Y Employees Say About How You See Them

Make an honest effort to know that person and not generalize who this person is. You might be surprised who might be working for you. Don’t assume that I’m coming in as a 23 year old and I’m entitled, and like what you saw on MTV. I can understand where that comes from. If you are 65 year old person and see MTV and that’s your only exposure to 20 year olds, I can see why would think that way. But if you spend time around people like me who paid for college, paid for my car, you’ll see we’re not that way.

Gen Y Employee

Age-ism is an inaccurate approach to take… just because someone is cute and is young… they think they have an attitude… if someone uses that tone and treats me like a young person/little kid then I react standoffish

Gen Y Employee

If you're in New Hampshire and would like to invest in professional development for your Gen Y employees, check out this April 16th seminar

Do You Have "Managerial Bad Breath?"

A good friend and colleague of mine told me a story last week that captures one of the biggest causes of diminished employee engagement, morale, and loyalty.

I see this cause as the equivalent of “Managerial Bad Breath.”

Here’s what happened…

My friend was asked by a client if she would share with the president of her company the work that she does helping people communicate more effectively. Each time my friend tried to explain what she did and how, the president would interrupt.

After multiple times of this, the lady who invited my friend started laughing.

"What?" asked the president, more than a bit irritated.

She Had No Idea What She Was Doing

To her credit, her direct report had the courage to say: "Joan (not her real name) this is exactly why I invited Dana (not her real name) to talk with you. You keep interrupting her and preventing her from talking. That's just what you do to the rest of us."

To HER credit, the president got over her immediate defensive response and practiced good listening.

If this president's direct report hadn't been brave enough to speak up, the president would have continued to alienate her team, and - just like the person with bad breath - never realize it.

The Cost of This Problem

I've been struck over the years by how many morale and loyalty crushing interactions employees still fume about, but have never told their bosses about (not surprisingly).

Even really good and conscientious bosses do things that diminish employee morale and engagement, but never realize it. When I was a supervisor, I had some of these moments of truth myself.

Fortunately, I had coached my team to be honest with me, so they let me know when I blew it, rather than not telling me and all of us paying a price for my not knowing and their simmering resentment.

Think of your own experience as an employee plus tales of woe you’ve heard from others. What is the cost when managers alienate others?

Just a Few Of The Costs:

1. Diminished employee engagement (i.e. not caring as much about helping their employer succeed)
2. Subtle ways of sabotaging the business – such as not working as hard, letting equipment get damaged (“Hey why should I care?”)
3. Not offering ideas that could help improve processes, etc.
4. Absenteeism
5. Turnover
6. "Payback" law suits

Here are a few resources to check out and share:

1) Here's a great article by Dr. Robert Sutton, author of "The No A*&*hole Rule" which I highly recommend. In this article, he shares some fascinating research on how, even if you're really conscientious, getting into a position of power can have a deleterious affect on your level of empathy, courtesy, etc. I HIGHLY recommend that you share this with others. It's for both:

- really "evolved" managers (and parents) who want to do and be their best

- "old school" or "toxic" managers who need a wake-up call

Are You a Jerk At Work?

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/greatergood/current_issue/Sutton.html


2) I also have 2 mini-seminar downloads (7-8 minute podcasts) for you that address this issue:

"Power May Bring Immunity From Feedback, But Not Reality"

"How to Make It Safe For People to Speak Honestly and Openly"

If you go to

http://switchpod.com/p15800.html

and scroll down the page, you'll find them.

Both stories are on my new CD:

The Mindful Manager
http://tinyurl.com/3b6sud

And... if you have stories of how you practice being mindful of how you affect people and/or your use of power (or bad examples), I'd love to hear from you.

P.S. If you're a parent, I highly recommend you check out all resources too, as the overarching principles are just as applicable to being a good parent

Do You Tell Stories? If not, you should

One of the most important practices for any leader - regardless of the level - is to capture and tell stories that reveal :

- who you are as an organization
- why you're worthy of pride
- what you value
- what behaviors you value


Doing this helps you:

1. Increase your ability to attract and retain talent
2. Engage your employees - i.e. get them to care
3. Strengthen your culture
4. Improve your orientation and onboarding program by making them more inspiring

I just came across a great article in Fast Company that included an example of a teaching story that tells employees who their employer, Costco, is and why they should be proud:

clipped from www.fastcompany.com Some organizations have evolved stories to simplify strategy. For instance, Costco (NASDAQ:COST) employees know the "Calvin Klein jeans story," as reported in Evelyn Clark's book Around the Corporate Campfire. In 1996, Costco was selling out of Calvin Klein jeans at $29.99 a pair. Then, the chain's buyers struck a deal to get about 4 million pairs at a discounted price; with Costco's usual 14% markup, the jeans would sell for just $22.99. The buyers knew that Costco could easily sell out the full order at $29.99. Where do you set the price? The decision: $22.99. Jim Sinegal, CEO, said, "I use that as an example because it would be so tempting for a buyer to go with the higher price for a very quick $28 million in additional profits, but ours didn't. That's an example of how we keep faith with the customer." These situations could be paralyzing: Should you maximize profit or stick with a rule that keeps prices at bargain levels? The Calvin Klein story resolves the tension. You can learn more about capturing and using stories in my white paper Successful Onboarding: Getting Employees Started Off Right

Do you make these "constructive feedback" mistakes?

Because one of the most difficult "managerial moments of truth" managers tell me they struggle with is giving corrective feedback, I decided to create a new seminar solely devoted to this and... a quick "Tip Sheet" too. Here's the tip sheet.

1. Sugar coating negative feedback because you’re afraid the person will get too upset and defensive. Result? They don’t get what you’re trying to say.
   

2. Caving in or backing down because the person is getting upset.
   

3. Avoiding the conversation until you’ve “had it up to here” and now are in a frustrated, take-no-prisoners state – which results in them instantly getting defensive.
   

4. Stating what you’re unhappy about without offering a clear picture of what you want them to do differently.
   

5. Plowing forward with an action plan without first getting agreement about the problem.
   

6. Giving positive feedback without specifics (e.g. “You’re awesome”, “You do such a great job!”)
   

7. Mistaking excuses for valid reasons - allowing the former and shutting down the latter.

8. Waiting for the once a year performance review to give feedback.
   

9. Using vague judgments without specific examples and concrete, sensory-based language. Common examples are terms like “more of a team player”, “more service oriented”, “more helpful”, “more professional”. Labels without examples leave people feeling helpless about making changes because they don’t know what specifically you’re unhappy about.
   

10. Controlling the airwaves so they can’t disagree or make excuses – i.e. making it a monologue instead of a dialogue.
    

11. Sandwiching your negative feedback between two positives: “I really appreciate how hard you work Sam, but…. Your quality levels are really poor and need to be improved… and I like it that you’re always on time."
    
    
12. Delivering a long warm-up preamble before giving the negative feedback: “I really appreciate what a team player you are and I really love your attention to detail and I think you’re doing a great job with…”
    
    
13. Using blunt, provocative, or shaming language to make a point: “I would think that it’s a no brainer…” “That train has left the station, so let’s move on, huh?”, “We’re all grown-ups here.” (said in a shaming tone of voice), etc.
    

14. Pretending to agree and then disagreeing: “I can see why you feel that way, but….” This pattern is especially good at triggering defensiveness and shutting down when it’s delivered with a vocal intonation that rises to a crescendo just before the “but” part comes.
    

15. Winging it. Making an assessment or judgment without thinking through possible angles and getting all the facts. Few things spark resentment than feeling unfairly criticized.
    

16. Using humor to make a point. Some humor – used VERY judiciously – can lighten the tone. Using sarcasm or “just joking” comments to make a point (“Oh, you’re on the 8:23 to 4 PM shift? Now?”) is not such a good idea.
    

17. Interpreting their intention: “I know there’s tension between you and Sarah because she got the Team Lead position you applied for, but…”
    

18. Use a “one size fits all” approach to praise, rather than tailoring it to the personality style of the individual you are praising.

If you would like information on the seminar, email me at David@HumanNatureAtWork.com

Are you driving away employees without even realizing it?

Here's a great, quick read that you should have everyone in your HR dept. and management team read:

The 7 Hidden Reasons Your Employees Leave

Here's the beginning of the article:

Nearly 90% of bosses think their employees quit to make more money. That means nearly 90% of bosses are wrong. Studies show these are the seven “real” reasons that retention isn't better:

Ask HR people their top issue these days, and it’s likely to be retention. That’s no surprise. The cost in dollars and disruption of replacing a trained employee is enormous.

What is surprising is how much employers misunderstand why their people leave, author Leigh Branham, SPHR, told a standing-room-only audience at a recent SHRM conference. That misunderstanding is evident in one astonishing statistical comparison:

--Employers who think their people leave for more money: 89%

--Employees who actually do leave for more money: 12%

The latter result, says Branham, founder of retention consultant KeepingthePeople, Inc., comes from a study of 19,700 post-exit interviews done by the Saratoga Institute, an independent research group. The data identified seven “hidden reasons” employees resign. Here are those reasons, along with Branham’s antidote for each:

for the rest, click here

More Evidence That "Everything Matters"

One of THE most important mantras for managers to remember is:

"Everything Matters"

I've written about this principle - and the story it comes from - in a number of articles, including:

If You Want to Be The Employer of Choice for Healthcare Workers: EVERYTHING MATTERS

Successful Onboarding: Starting Your New Employees Off Right

I always try to make sure I mention this principle in my management seminars, because the more you understand the truth of this when dealing with employees, the greater your ability to manage important moments of truth.

While there are a lot of applications to this principle, here's an important one if you want to:

- increase employee motivation

- improve employee morale

- reduce employee turnover

... and that is... if you focus simply on doing a lot of the best practices for motivating employees or becoming an employer of choice BUT.... you don't consciously and methodically remove the negative things you are doing... it's not going to work.

Why?

Because, the human brain is hard-wired to notice and remember the negative more than the positive. You've probably experienced this if you're a manager.

You can do 20 great things for your team and make one clueless, unthinking mistake, and that overshadows the 20 good things. That's how the brain works. That's part of human nature.

Here's some new research that once again shows how negative memories are coded and remembered more strongly than good ones:

Remembering The Bad Times Better Than The Good

Here's an excerpt:

"Negative events are remembered in greater detail than positive ones.

Kensinger reviews evidence that negative emotion enhances not only the subjective vividness of a memory but also the likelihood of remembering some (but not all) event details. For example, after seeing a man on a street holding a gun, people remember the gun vividly, but they forget the details of the street."

So... find out what you're doing that drives your employees crazy and you'll be far along the path to having a highly engaged workforce