Word-Of-the-Week #903: Thankful
November 25, 2021 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Thankful – appreciative and grateful.
Are you appreciative and grateful for all that you have? Do you acknowledge and thank people when they do something that is of benefit or favorable to you? When you do something kind or giving to someone, do they thank you? How does that make you feel?
Today is the day we give thanks and I am sharing “words of wisdom” that really resonated with me two years ago. This from SD Tribune Neil Senturia on “9 reasons why this columnist is thankful on Thanksgiving.” I’m only listing #9 today.
“The Challenge. “May you live in interesting times,” is an old saying. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Embrace the insanity, because it is exactly that which keeps you sane.
My final thanks are personal. I am reasonably healthy, and I deeply acknowledge the good fortune that I have received. And so I give thanks that I can continue to try to do better, to improve the lot of others, to make people laugh from time to time, to remain engaged in this world — in other words, I am thankful to be alive.
I am always deeply moved when I read the New York Times Neediest Cases stories. They have been doing this for 100 years, but you don’t have to travel to the Big Apple to see this world. Those stories are right here, right now, up close and personal. Do not give up. The journey always starts with the first step. And finally, remember that there but for the grace of God go all of us.”
Rule 655: Count your blessings.
This from Bill Marvin, “You have enough on your plate right now (pun intended), but while we enjoy our abundance, many in the world are hungry today … and with what has to be one of the best uses of the Internet that I know of, you can do something about it.
Go to The Hunger Site, click on the “Donate Free Food” button and somewhere in the world a hungry person gets a meal to eat, at no cost to you. The food is paid for by corporate sponsors who gain exposure in the process because you’ll see their logos, but all you have to do is go to the site and click on the donate food button. It literally takes a second … and you can do it once a day. Pass the word.”
And being thankful has its health benefits. Researchers at the University of California-Davis, Cornell and the University of Michigan found that people “who have a plethora of events for which they feel grateful bounce back more quickly from trauma, can undo the negative effects of stress and have lower blood pressure.”
A USA Today article said to, “Notice small things. Experts almost universally agree that some of the most significant blessings are also the most seemingly insignificant acts. Take note of a nice day, a spectacular sunset, a moonlit night.”
I personally am so grateful for all that I have in my life. I am thankful to have been able to travel and experience so many different cultures. And I am very thankful to live in the “best place on the planet” with an abundance of everything. (And great paved roads) I have wonderful friends and family and the love of my life! I don’t think it can get any better than that!
This week focus on being thankful. What are you grateful for in your personal and professional life? When was the last time you told your customers, guests, clients, members, friends and family how much you appreciate having them in your life? This week make it a point to thank someone and then notice how they respond. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Word-Of-the-Week #902: Culture
November 18, 2021 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Culture – the set of predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize a group or organization.
How important is having work-life balance to you? Do you feel supported and safe at work?
This week is the last half of “6 Signs it’s Time to Quit Your Job” by Kathryn Vasel, CNN Business.
To recap:
“Millions of workers have left their jobs in recent months.
Some found new roles, while others walked away without having anything lined up. So how do you know if it’s time for you to start looking for a new role?
Here are some signs that could signal it’s time to find a new role:
You feel like you’ve plateaued
There are major issues with your boss
- You perpetually procrastinate
We all put things off occasionally, but if you are constantly waiting until the last minute to complete work tasks when you used to schedule appropriately, that could be a signal it’s time to move on.
“When you procrastinate, you tend to be reactive and wait until the very last minute and then the quality of the work becomes just a checklist just to get it done,” said Sheth. “Compared to ‘I do this because I have pride in doing this….I care about the results. Now the shift is: ‘I need to do just enough so I don’t get into trouble.’
- There’s a cultural disconnect
Your company’s culture plays a role in your engagement, productivity and happiness, so any disconnect can create problems.
For instance, if work-life balance is important to you and there’s a constant deluge of emails from your boss at all hours of the day, that can contribute to burnout.
Sheth said workers should feel supported and safe at work. How companies responded to the needs of workers during the pandemic has played a role in people deciding to leave their jobs, she added.
“If your company did not give you that support system, this is why people are leaving.”
- You’re noticing other potential opportunities
When you feel unsatisfied with your current position, you start to notice other opportunities more frequently.
“All of the sudden you start to notice job opportunities pop up on LinkedIn and you are actually slowing down and looking at them — your focus has shifted,” said Sheth.
She suggested asking yourself: If you were unemployed and your current job was offered to you as it is, would you accept it or keep looking?
- Your attitude has changed
Take note if there’s been an increase in your eye rolls, heavy sighs and under-your-breath grumblings at work.
“If you find yourself over and over for months on end just being dissatisfied with different aspects of your job, being unhappy going to work, sitting down at your computer and thinking ‘ugh I cant believe I have to do this,’ that is a sign that you might need to look at what else is out there,” said Gallo.
While you aren’t expected to be happy at work all the time, Sheth said always being defensive and providing snappy, transactional-type responses that are curt and supply limited information can also be warning signs.
Shifts in your attitude and approach to work can be an indicator that it’s time to rethink things.“You aren’t pouring yourself into work the same way…maybe you are calling in sick and just not showing up to meetings that you used to show up to,” Bray said.
This week’s focus is on the company culture. How happy and/or satisfied are you working for your current employer? Have you ever caught yourself procrastinating? If you were unemployed and your current job was offered to you as it is, would you accept it or keep looking?
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Word-Of-the-Week #901: Plateau
November 11, 2021 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Plateau – a period or state of little or no growth or decline, esp. one in which increase or progress ceases.
How satisfied are you with the company you work for? Is there room for advancement?
This week is the 1st half of “6 Signs it’s Time to Quit Your Job” by Kathryn Vasel, CNN Business.
“Millions of workers have left their jobs in recent months.
Some found new roles, while others walked away without having anything lined up. So how do you know if it’s time for you to start looking for a new role?
“Many of us have bad days, don’t like our jobs at times and have frustrations with our managers and co-workers, but does it mean you should actually quit is a different level of a question,” said Amy Gallo, workplace expert and contributing editor at Harvard Business Review.
Evaluating how long there’s been issues with work and identifying what you are dissatisfied with can help determine whether you’re stuck in a rut or if it’s time to move on.
And don’t lose sight of the big picture: “In the pandemic, things have been very intense. We’ve all felt a lot of burnout. We’ve had a lot of stressors in our lives,” said Gallo. “Is it possible all of that is influencing your perception of your job?”
Once you have the list, figure out if the problems are fixable, and start outlining any potential resolutions to improve your job satisfaction. If that doesn’t seem possible, you may want to start looking for another job.
Here are some signs that could signal it’s time to find a new role:
- You feel like you’ve plateaued
It’s hard to stay motivated and productive at work if you feel there’s no room for advancement.
Feeling like you’ve plateaued can look different to each individual. For instance, it could mean a lack of promotions and pay raises, uninteresting assignments or lack of learning new skills.
Long-term unfilled promises from your boss, like a new position, additional training or staff, can also be draining.
“If you don’t feel like the inroads or the transparency or communication and connection with your boss is there to have a fruitful conversation, that can be a red flag,” said Anna Bray, executive and career coach at Jody Michael Associates.
- There are major issues with your boss
There are going to be times when you and your boss don’t see eye-to-eye, but when issues go beyond casual disagreements and there’s a lack of trust and support, that can stifle productivity and career progression.
“When you feel like you have to constantly monitor what you are saying…when you feel like you are constantly being scolded or evaluated, feeling like you are under a microscope constantly, and when you feel like your manager doesn’t have your back, there is no trust there — when those three things are present, it’s not going to work,” said Foram Sheth, chief coaching officer and co-founder of coaching company Ama La Vida.
Gallo suggested evaluating whether your bad boss is an isolated problem or part of a bigger cultural issue.
“Any bullying or toxic behaviors, I think those are real signs,” said Gallo. “Look around the organization and say: ‘are there better bosses here?’ It could be that your boss is acting in accordance with the organization.”
This week’s focus is if you’ve hit a plateau. Does your job feel stagnate? Do you think that you should be paid more or promoted for the work you do? Do you trust and feel supported by your boss?
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Word-Of-the-Week #900: Obsessive
November 4, 2021 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Obsessive – excessive in degree or nature.
Does management ever get caught up on unimportant details? Do you feel they acknowledge all your accomplishments?
This is the 2nd half of “4 Signs You’re A Micromanager At Work. There’s a key difference between being attentive and being a controlling, obsessive manager,” by Monica Torres at HuffPost.
To Recap:
“When does managing someone turn into the unwanted and unhelpful monitoring of their performance? There are many reasons a manager may need to take a more hands-on approach to productivity, but micromanagement often stems from the worry that an employee can’t do the job well without the manager’s close supervision.
If you are wondering whether your constant check-ins and requests for status updates have veered into micromanagement, here are signs to consider:
- You check in only because you are anxious.
- You assign without clear expectations of when, how or why you want a task done.
- You focus too much on the small stuff.
Micromanagers can get too caught up on the unimportant details of how a job should get done and miss out on the impact of what their employees accomplish.
“This can be frustrating, because employees are looking to leaders to think about the big picture and have vision. Valuing small stuff over the more impactful whole can be demoralizing and frustrating,” said Angela Karachristos, a career coach who previously worked in human resources.
“For example, if a report for a major project was done and done on time, but the manager is hyper-focused on one word or image that was ― in their opinion ― out of place, that would constitute a micromanager.”
- You are convinced that your way is always the best way to get things done.
“Another sign of a micromanager is that they want to groom their employees to work just like them,” Karachristos said. “They tend to communicate in a way that suggests there is only ‘one right way.’ This can be stifling to creativity and motivation.”
This narrow thinking is a common mistake people make as first-time managers; they believe that everybody should behave exactly as they behave and want the same things that they want because it’s what worked for them as an individual performer.
Karachristos said that if a task can only be done one way, that expectation should be set upfront and you should offer helpful feedback to get the work to that standard.
Although forcing projects to be done your way can get the job done, it’s not an effective long-term strategy if you want your team to be at their best. Ng said that if you are not clear about the why, how, what and when behind assigning tasks, then employees will likely not do the job the way you want. As a result, you’ll feel the need to micromanage.
In this way, micromanagement becomes a lose-lose: Bosses are stuck with more work, and employees lose out on valuable learning opportunities.
“Micromanagement might get you what you want in the short run, but, in failing to educate, enable and empower your team, you’ll need to micromanage again and again,” Ng said. “The more you take over, the more people will expect you to take over ― and the more people will shy away from doing anything without you dictating every next move.”
This week is all about not being obsessive. Does management focus too much on the small stuff? Do you ever feel they are convinced that their way is the only right way to do something? Do you feel fully empowered and supported by management?
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Word-Of-the-Week #899: Micromanage
October 28, 2021 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #899: Micromanage
Micromanage – to manage or control with excessive attention to minor details.
Does your track record at work demonstrate that you know what you are doing? Do you complete your tasks on time?
Big thanks to Bill Marvin for the next two WOW’s on “4 Signs You’re A Micromanager At Work. There’s a key difference between being attentive and being a controlling, obsessive manager,” by Monica Torres at HuffPost.
“When does managing someone turn into the unwanted and unhelpful monitoring of their performance? There are many reasons a manager may need to take a more hands-on approach to productivity, but micromanagement often stems from the worry that an employee can’t do the job well without the manager’s close supervision.
At worst, micromanagement piles even more work onto high-performing employees, who are stuck having to prove they are doing work on top of actually doing their work.
“No one aspires to be a micromanager. No one aspires to be a bad manager. No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, ‘How can I make my team’s life as difficult as possible?’” said Gorick Ng, a career adviser at Harvard University and the author of “The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right.” “However, people become bad managers, or micromanagers, because of uncertainty, which leads to anxiety.”
If you are wondering whether your constant check-ins and requests for status updates have veered into micromanagement, here are signs to consider:
- You check in only because you are anxious.
Micromanagement is sometimes necessary depending on individual employees’ motivational and development levels, said Kimberly B. Cummings, a leadership consultant and author of “Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love.“
But check-ins can become unintended micromanagement when you don’t give your employees a chance to prove their competence, even when their track record demonstrates they know what they are doing.
To know the difference between a status check that’s warranted and one that isn’t, Cummings said you should ask yourself questions like, “What is this employee’s track record of success? Have they completed their assignments on time? Do they demonstrate a full understanding of their role, the tasks and the projects? If so, how have they shown that they demonstrate that understanding? … Would this person be able to do my job if prepared appropriately?”
The answers to these questions can help you understand when your need for check-ins is a compulsive, unhelpful way to calm your nerves and when close supervision may be necessary.
″[Micromanagement is] when… the due date is like next week, they’ve never submitted something late and that leader is consistently like, ‘Well, what’s happening with this? What’s happening on slide seven? Did you get to slide 10 yet? Can you tell me what’s on there? Remember to do it this way.’ The employee hasn’t even gotten a chance to work on these things,” Cummings said.
- You assign without clear expectations of when, how or why you want a task done.
Keep in mind that your management style needs to align with the individual needs of your employees, and those can change over the course of a working relationship. Maybe a new employee needs frequent check-ins and supervision to get up to speed but won’t later on. Being clear and upfront about why you are supervising people so closely makes the process better for them.
Cummings shared an example from when she worked at an organization where everything needed to be communicated in a deck. She was transparent with new team members about her plans to closely supervise them on how to do that in order to set them up for success and ensure their ideas were heard.
“I want you to be self-sufficient and do it on your own,” Cummings said she told her team members. “But those first 90 days, all we are doing is fine-tuning how you communicate. We’re checking in frequently before whenever that big meeting is.”
Before you check in with an employee to see how a task is going, ask yourself if you shared why the task was assigned, what they need to do, how they need to do it and when they need to have it done. If those key questions are answered and understood upfront, it can help you avoid the need for anxious micromanaging later, Ng said.
“What will end up happening is a manager will check in on someone and say, ‘Hey, are you done yet?’ ‘Are you done yet?’ ‘Are you done yet?’ And often that’s because we haven’t aligned on the ‘by when?’” he said.
This week’s focus is micromanagement. Do you feel that you are competent in all areas of your job? Have you ever felt that management doesn’t give you enough credit? Is management clear and upfront about their expectations of you?
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