Two new views on how to organize workers and give them more opportunities for independent thinking and innovation are summarized in two articles – and these ideas are beginning to change workplaces. Especially as more workers are working at home, the idea of having them operate as “responsible adults” (as one article says) is changing the work of managers. We hope they are listening.
I didn’t know what a micro-manager really was until I got one of my own. My sympathies to the oppressed. Most work – whether producing products, serving customers and/or delivering communications – requires thought and attention, and is best with an occasional dose of creativity and innovation. A micro-manager can quash all that by dictating every move. If you think you might be suppressing your people this way, have a talk with them to find out what changes they would like to see.
If no deadline is set, projects or tasks languish in limbo, their importance undetermined and their necessity questioned. Time to ask “by when?”.
We sometimes hear about “living up to expectations”, but it’s time to recognize that it’s impossible to do such a thing without a few prerequisite conditions. We would be better off insisting that people practice communication instead of expectation.
There is some connection between the world of our feelings and thoughts and the world of our actions and communications, but we don’t know much about what it is. Still, if you practice acting and communicating, and listen openly others, you can discover “how you come across”.
Managers see their world of work in a very different way than staff members do. What does this tell us about how to improve Manager-Staff communication? The performance review is a good tool that can support a more effective Staff-Manager relationship.
We used to think people should “just do their jobs”. That day is pretty much gone. Now that we need to reinvent the job – often, and sometimes every day – we’d better get really good at productive communication.
Sometimes people get resigned about where they find themselves in their work or their life. (Been there!) It’s good to find a way to have some new conversations with people who can offer a new perspective, or a new access to another approach, another path. Communication is the key.
Humans aren’t always wired up to Get Things Done. In the swirl of daily life, we need a way to remember which things really matter.
Where do you put the promises you make to other people? Do you simply hope you will remember them – or do you record them where they will remind you to honor them? Your reputation depends on your answers.
Awarded "Best Management Book" by 800-CEO-READ.
Rated #5 "Best Business Book" by The Toronto Globe and Mail.