Showing posts with label management. Show all posts

Monday, February 18, 2013

Do you have time to be a mentor?

By Anne Fisher, contributor January 31, 2013: 12:07 PM ET

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Some managers who have squeezed mentoring into their already-packed schedules say they get as much out of it as mentees do.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I am a team leader at a company that has started encouraging everyone at my level to mentor at least one or two people below us. The point is to identify those with the potential to move up and guide them toward getting the right skills and experience. We can choose our own mentees, rather than having them assigned to us, but we do have to report periodically on how it's going. In fact, "talent development" is now a big chunk of what determines our bonuses.

All well and good, but I'm so busy already that I really worry about whether I have the time to do this on top of everything else. It might help if there were some specific benchmarks for what mentors are supposed to do, exactly, but that's being left up to us, too. Can I be any good at this in, say, 30 minutes a week? Do you or your readers have any suggestions for me? — Overbooked

Dear O.: Your employer's mentoring push sounds unusually vague, but maybe that's a good thing. After all, if there are no benchmarks, you can't be accused of not sticking to them. On the other hand, the lack of specific expectations may be adding to your anxiety about whether you have time for this -- which, by the way, is far from unusual. Notes Beth N. Carvin, whose human resources consulting firm Nobscot designs formal mentoring programs for big companies, "It's very common for people's first reaction to be 'I don't have the time' when they're asked to be mentors."

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And no wonder. Bill Rosenthal, CEO of communications coaching company Communispond, says that the most effective mentors do all or most of the things on this checklist:

Keep mentees current on what's happening in the company and in its competitive environment;
Participate in mentees' performance reviews "or at least provide input";
Showcase the mentee's accomplishments to higher-ups;
Help promising mentees consider "all the available development opportunities in the company, like job rotation, work on cross-functional teams, stretch assignments, and so on";
Arrange for help to plug any skills gaps, including training from in-house or outside sources; and
Step in to mediate when there's a problem -- "when, for example, there's a conflict when a fast-tracked mentee is reporting to an executive who'd prefer a more experienced person in the job."

It's a lot to take on, but according to Rosenthal, much of it can be done in "small bits of time" that fit in around your current schedule. "You can be highly successful at this by having frequent and focused meetings, or even phone calls" with your mentee, he says. It takes practice, but the experience may make you a better all-around team leader. "Mentoring or coaching people is really just a more concentrated form of what good managers do anyway."

Something else that might make the task seem less daunting is that "for a mentoring relationship to work, it has to be reciprocal," Rosenthal observes. The person you're mentoring has to do at least half the work" of nurturing his or her own career.

Moreover, Nobscot's Carvin says that, in interviews with mentors at her client companies, many initially reluctant mentors express surprise at how much they end up getting from the deal. "Working with a mentee lets you see business issues through a different lens," Carvin says. "If you're mentoring someone in a different part of the company, it gives you another pair of eyes there, which can give you information that helps you succeed at your own job. A mentee's point of view can sometimes help you understand your own team's concerns, too."

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Another thought, particularly relevant since you're allowed to choose your own mentees: Carvin's firm two years ago launched a Mentor of the Year contest, wherein the nominees are selected by their proteges. The 2012 winner, Samantha Stovall, is a program manager in United Technologies' (UTX) aerospace systems division. Stovall says she learns as much from her mentees as they learn from her, but "the chemistry has to be right. It just isn't there in all mentorships. If it doesn't click, find someone it does click with."

Good luck!

Talkback: If you're a mentor, what do you get out of the experience? How much time do you find it takes? Leave a comment below.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Super-talented employee driving you crazy? How to deal, thanks to Ask Annie

Super-talented employee driving you crazy? How to deal.

November 30, 2012. 12:27 PM ET

Most creative teams have at least one gifted, difficult loner. Luckily, says one expert, they're "highly coachable."

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I've never seen this problem addressed in your column, but I can't be the only one struggling with it. About six months ago, I got this great new job leading a team of 18 software developers and designers, and everything's going great, with one exception. One of our most talented people is also the most difficult and unpredictable. He has terrific ideas and often comes up with elegant solutions to challenges that have other people tearing their hair out. He's also the brain behind two of our biggest hit products.

However, he's not at all interested in project deadlines, he's dismissive of other people's ideas, and he's so absorbed in his own work that he misses a lot of meetings, so he's never quite up to speed with the details of what's going on. I want to keep him here (he's already changed jobs four times in eight years, and I know for a fact he gets other offers all the time), but his prima donna act is bad for the whole team. How can I get him to play well with others? — Baffled Boss

Dear Baffled: Ah. Sounds like a textbook example of what executive coach Katherine Graham Leviss calls a high-maintenance high-performance (or HMHP) employee. "These people tend to be visionary, big-picture thinkers. They're independent producers, and they're very driven, but they're not process-oriented. They're focused on results," she says. "Once they have a mental image of the outcome they want, they go after it without regard to how what they're doing affects teammates."

Leviss runs XB Insight, a coaching firm that specializes in taming HMHPs for Fortune 500 companies and the National Football League, and she wrote a book you might want to check out called High-Maintenance Employees: Why Your Best People Will Also Be Your Most Difficult…and What to Do About It.

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"HMHPs are tremendously valuable if properly managed," Leviss says. "And luckily, they're highly coachable. One thing this personality type can't stand is feeling out of control. So once you create an awareness of the problems an HMHP's behavior is causing, he or she is likely to feel a sense of urgency about getting back on top."

How do you do that?

1. Set up consistent processes and guidelines. "If there's no process in place, HMHPs will create their own," says Leviss -- and that can lead to chaos. But don't let an HMHP determine what the process is going to be, even though he or she will probably try. Instead, assign designing the structure of a project, including deadlines, to "more methodical, step-by-step team members who are good at that."

2. Assign them tasks they can "own." This is largely a matter of turning an HMHP's outsized ego to your, and the rest of the team's, advantage. Since these are people who want to put their own stamp on their work -- and since "they're usually highly technically proficient," Leviss notes -- put them in charge of the part of each project where they can shine the brightest.

To bring out an HMHP's best performance, Leviss says, make it about him. "Instead of saying, 'The team has to get to X result by such-and-such a date,' focus on his part of it: 'In order for the team to get to X, you have to produce Y.'" Then stand back. "It's usually pointless to tell an HMHP how to get there," says Leviss. "He or she will just try to find a better way, and they usually can."

3. Make your expectations clear. Sit down with your HMHP for a frank discussion of exactly what isn't working, and don't hesitate to be blunt about it. "You don't need to 'sandwich' your remarks with praise, as you might with other employees, because HMHPs already know they're extremely talented," Graham Leviss says. "So get right to the point: 'Here's how what you're doing -- skipping team meetings, for instance -- affects everybody else, and here's what I need you to start doing instead.'

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"We do this kind of coaching with NFL athletes," she adds. "It takes a little while for new habits to form, but hold people accountable and remind them of the changes you've said you want to see."

4. Provide as many learning opportunities as you can. High-performance employees get bored more easily than others (which helps explain why they tend to change jobs so often). They also "like to feel that they're on top of the latest, newest, hottest" trends in their field, Leviss notes. So be on the lookout for cutting-edge training, interesting conferences, and other learning experiences you can offer your HMHP. Whatever the cost, it's lower than the price of replacing him.

5. Keep the challenges coming. Leviss, a self-confessed HMHP, writes in her book that, having changed jobs six times by age 30, she had an epiphany: "I loved my job when I was working on new projects or new problems…. It was the thrill of something new that kept me going…. Most high-maintenance employees are unhappy when a project is over and they don't have another one in sight."

This eventually motivated her to start her own company, but you probably don't want your HMHP to do that in this case -- so make sure he never runs out of fresh puzzles to solve. A definite upside of having HMHPs around: One of their defining characteristics is that they don't know the meaning of the word "overwork."

Good luck.

Talkback: Have you ever worked with, or tried to manage, an HMHP? Do you think you are one? Leave a comment below.

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Monday, December 10, 2012

Productively Deal with an Enemy at Work? [courtesy of thoughtleadersllc.com]

I do hear from people that have very negative/combative people to deal with, even in the workplace, which is supposed to be a professional atmosphere.
If that's true for you, then this column is for you... :-)
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We all have enemies. For most of us, they’re a drain on our energy, focus, and time. But if you approach your enemies differently, they can make you much better and stronger than you already are. Allow me to illustrate.

I hate Navy. I’m sick of them winning the Army-Navy football game for the last (I’m not gonna say it) years. ...

I’m sure they’ve learned a few things about how to productively channel that anger into healthy endeavors. Perhaps you can learn a few things as well from the process of dealing with an enemy, directing your anger, and coming out on top.

We all have enemies. Some of us have a lot of them. But when we spend our time and energy focused on attacking them and counterattacking their inevitable strikes back, I’d submit we’re the ones losing. In getting us to attack, our enemy has taken us away from productive pursuits. They’ve hung a dark cloud over our days. They’ve drained us of some energy that would be better served elsewhere. They’ve also made us appear hot-headed and little in the whole process. Even if we win the fight, we lose – on multiple fronts.

There’s a better way to approach this.

Step Outside the Conflict

We get sucked into the conflict with that coworker or boss. Attack brings counterattack. The spiral begins. But I’ll bet you nine times out of ten if you step away from the conflict for a few moments/hours/days you’ll see how small and petty the issue being fought over likely is. Without regaining this perspective, you’re doomed to get bloodied and bruised in a battle that’s not worth fighting. On top of that, you might miss an easy solution to the problem because you’re too busy throwing punches.

Be the Bigger Person

Your enemy is going to take shots at you no matter what. The defining moment comes not when the shot lands but in how you react to it. You either get just as childish or mean and attack back or you try to take the high road. You ignore the insult. You laugh off the verbal slight. You kill them with kindness. Those around you will take note of how each of the combatants are “showing up” and if you’re being nothing but professional, it’s hard for you to look bad.

Channel Your Energy Productively

Now that you’re not enmeshed in the deep battle and daily fray, you probably have some time on your hands as well as some additional energy. Direct that time and energy into productive pursuits. Get your work done early and take some time off. Launch that lower priority project you’ve been dying to dig into. Spend some time coaching and mentoring your team. Go work out or read a book. By investing that newly found energy in productive activities, you’re bettering yourself (and likely driving your enemy crazy that they’re not getting to you).

Extend the Olive Branch

The best way to be the bigger person is to seek to set differences aside and create a positive environment. If your enemy is all fired up about continuing the conflict, they’re not going to be the one to reach out and end hostilities. That leaves the task to you. Take them out to lunch. Buy them a beer (unless they’re an angry drunk in which case get them a cream soda). Tell them you’d like to work with them more productively and end the conflict. Ask what you can do to change the way you show up and LISTEN when they tell you what’s wrong. Make a note of any changes you’d like to make and try to begin making them the next day. Also feel free to ask for a few changes on their part as well – if you ask for too many changes, they’ll take it as an attack and it’s on like Donkey Kong again.

Hopefully we can all take this approach to managing conflict and dealing with enemies. Because in the end, we all want the same things – for everyone to be productive, happy, and to get along and FOR NAVY TO LOSE A FREAKIN’ FOOTBALL GAME TO ARMY!

GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!

- Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

How to keep employees you can't afford to lose - Ask Annie - Fortune Management

How to keep employees you can't afford to lose

September 13, 2012. 11:06 AM ET

Even in this sluggish job market, your best people always have other offers. Here's how to entice them to stick around.

Dear Annie: I liked your column about the art of quitting gracefully, but unfortunately several of my most talented and experienced direct reports seem to have read it, too. Three of them have quit (gracefully) in the past three weeks, and certain others seem less enthusiastic about their jobs than they used to be, so I'm worried about losing them as well.

The problem around here is that we had to lay off almost half the staff during the worst of the recession and, now that business has picked up again to some extent, top management is telling us to keep right on "doing more with less." Everyone has been overworked, including me, and the same budget constraints that preclude hiring more people are also standing in the way of my being able to offer my stars more money. I can't be the only boss who's struggling with this. Any suggestions? — Low-Budget Blues

Dear LBB: It is indeed unfortunate that you can't hand out big raises (you'd probably like one yourself, for that matter), but don't fret about it. An overwhelming majority of experts on employee retention say more money probably wouldn't help much anyway, or at least not for long.

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A new study called Talent 2020 from Deloitte Consulting, based on an in-depth poll of 560 recent job changers, says that the biggest reasons people quit have little or nothing to do with pay. Instead, what most often makes them move on is the opportunity to develop and use more of their skills and abilities elsewhere, cited by 42%. More than a quarter (27%) also cited a lack of career progress in their old jobs, and 21% mentioned "lack of challenge."

In other words, people get bored, and the added work only exacerbates that -- especially for your best and brightest. "Employees with critical skills pose the biggest flight risk," notes Bill Pelster, a principal in Deloitte's U.S. talent services division. Retaining these folks "is not simply a human resources function," he adds. "It has to start with the C-suite and extend through every level of management, down to line managers and supervisors."

This is where you come in. "Keeping your best people is often a matter of having the right conversations with them, which doesn't cost a dime," says Beverly Kaye, co-CEO of consulting firm Career Systems International and co-author of a new book, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want. "People want to feel valued, and they want to see a future with you where they can continue to develop and thrive.

"Managers don't wake up in the morning and ask themselves, 'How can I burn out my people today?'" she adds. "It just happens because everyone is so busy and so focused on the crush of the day-to-day." Kaye recommends these three strategies for keeping your stars from straying:

1. Say "thank you."

Simple as it sounds, Kaye has observed among her clients that what she calls "the power of the thank-you" is a woefully underused resource. "People are more frustrated about being overworked if no one is telling them, 'I understand how tough this is, and I appreciate it,'" she observes.

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Nor should pats on the back be reserved for a once-a-year performance appraisal: "This should be woven into the daily texture of the work. Just saying, 'Great job!' can make someone's day. It's a gift you can give that costs nothing." While you're at it, she advises, try to tailor your attaboys (or attagirls) to people's individual preferences. "Some people revel in public recognition. Others are embarrassed by that and would rather hear 'thanks' one-on-one, in private," Kaye notes. If you don't know who prefers which, just ask. And speaking of asking…

2. Start having "stay interviews."

All too often, Kaye observes, nobody asks what it would take to keep a key employee until the exit interview. "People end up going somewhere else to get something you could have given them, too, if you'd only known about it," she says. "But most managers never ask, 'What can we do to keep you?' until it's too late."

The reason for that, she notes, is that they're afraid the answer will be "more money" or "a promotion." Let's say someone does reply with one of those. "You can say, 'I wish I could do that, but right now, I can't. Let's talk about what else you might want that I can give you,'" Kaye says. "If you keep probing, you will probably get at least three or four answers -- flexibility, recognition, the chance to do more of what they really love doing -- that you can deliver."

In some respects, these conversations resemble a job interview, she notes. "Curiosity about each person can uncover valuable information. Ask, 'When was the last time you really loved working here? Why?' Or, 'What is one skill you have that we're not making use of now?,'" Kaye suggests. "You'll get some surprises and, even if you can't act on the answers right away, you can keep them in mind for when the opportunity arises."

3. Recognize that one size does not fit all.

"Never before have we had to treat valued employees so much as individuals," Kaye says. "A big copout managers often use is, 'If I do this for one person -- letting someone telecommute a couple of days a week, for example -- I have to do it for everyone.' No, you don't. If someone has earned a break of some kind, he or she should get it, regardless of whether anyone else does."

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This approach requires managers to grow a backbone. "If you reward one of your stars with a special privilege, and someone less stellar says, 'I want that too,' you have to be honest with that person, even if it means frankly telling them, 'So-and-So got that because he or she earned it. When I see the same performance from you, we'll talk again,'" says Kaye. "That's a tough conversation to have, so most managers just avoid it and say 'no' to everyone. That's one of the biggest reasons why stars leave."

Kaye pooh-poohs the excuse she often hears from bosses who say there are company rules, written or unwritten, that dictate treating everyone exactly the same. "One question we often ask is, 'Would you rather keep the rulebook or the people?,'" she says. "Sticking to a rigid policy of rewarding everyone equally, just because it's easier or seems safer, is guaranteed to make your best employees look elsewhere."

Talkback: Last time you quit a job, what made you do it? Would a bigger paycheck have enticed you to stay, or did other issues matter more? Leave a comment below.

Filed under: Ask Annie

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Connie O'Dell - DV, EDA, jobseeking, life,whatever

Monday, February 18, 2013