Monthly Archives: August 2009

Setting Goals

Posted on August 31, 2009 | 4 Comments

goal

“You’ve got to think about the big thing while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” — Alvin Toffler

The first title of this post was “Preparing for Meetings”. Many meetings many of us have attended seemed to have no purpose. “Be Prepared” is the Boy Scout motto, and I believe it should be every manager’s motto too. But be prepared for what?

Think of the purpose of the meeting first. Purpose gives us effectiveness and focus. Focus gives us efficiency. If we know what it is we want to do, we can do it. If you don’t know what you’re doing and why, any path will get you there. We need both efficiency (doing a task well and quickly), and effectiveness (doing the right task). There is not point doing the wrong thing well and quickly.

Having a visual picture of what success looks like is the most effective way to set a goal. We’re tricking our brains. If we an imagine success, see, hear, feel, taste, and touch it, then we can drive toward it. When we know what success looks like, our brains starts filling in what we need to do to get there. Olympic level athletes have used this technique for years. You can use it too.

Every team has a purpose, and every meeting should support that purpose. If you’re not clear what the purpose of your team, job, project, program, assignment, chore, or errand, or relationship is, then you’re not going to get there. Being a team means having a shared vision. Communicating, clarifying, adjusting, and reinforcing that vision is a major part of a leader’s role.

Try this exercise with the next project that you undertake. Visualize the successful outcome. Imagine you are standing on the other side of the finish line. What does it look like? This is easy if you’re creating something real-world, like building a fence. You probably even have a picture or a plan that you’re working from. When you drive in the last nail, you’ll be able to step back from it as see that it’s done. You’ll probably even drag your spouse outside and show him or her what you’ve done.

In a corporate environment this is harder. “Customer satisfaction has risen by 5%.” “Costs have been reduced by 10%.” “We sold 5,000 units of our product.” What does this look like when you’re done?

Be careful, though, when setting these kinds of goals. You will get what you measure. For example, if the CEO says “We will increase profit by reducing costs.”, and this may result in reduced customer satisfaction because they are not getting the level of service they expect. This may in turn affect sales. The real goal, then, is “Reduce costs while maintaining sales and customer satisfaction.” A clear and simple goal. Maybe not easy, but simple to understand and measurable.

A clear goal will tell you when you’re done. It will define what success looks like. “Build a fence” means that you have a fence when you’re done. “Reduce costs by 10% while maintaining customer satisfaction & sales” is similarly measurable.

Avoid nebulous goals such as “x million $ of earning before interest and taxes”. That’s a great goal for the board of directors or the Chief Financial Officer, but what does that mean to the people actually doing the work? What are you expecting from the staff that deal with your customer and the public, that attach the doo-hickeys to the thingamaboobs, or who write the software? If you’re a manager that’s been handed this bag of rats, it’s your job to break it down into something that your team can understand. Don’t just past the message along and shrug your shoulders. Tack on your own “this is what this means to us” message that is understandable and actionable.

Next time: How to prepare a good meeting

Further reading: setting SMART goals, why to avoid SMART goals

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When Meetings Suck

Posted on August 28, 2009 | Leave a comment
meetings

“Doing nothing is very hard to do … you never know when you’re finished.” — Leslie Nielson

  • Many of us have been in meetings that suck. If you’re just starting your career, you will be. This is what you have to look forward to:
  • Many people are there. Many just because they’re afraid to miss some critical bit of information they need to do their job
  • One or two people dominate all discussion, nobody talks, or everybody is talking over top of each other. The meeting chair has lost control.
  • The meeting starts late, the meeting goes long, and/or the meeting gets side-tracked by inane or off-topic discussions
  • The agenda is ignored, or there isn’t an agenda.

When I first got a the title of “team lead” and responsibility as a software developer, I took over a demoralized team that was on the edge of disappearing completely. The former lead’s idea of a meeting was to gather the half-dozen members together in the lab and go through his agenda: “What the f*** did you do this week? What the f*** are you doing next week? Get the f*** back to work.” Seriously. Not professional nor encouraging.

Ever played Buzz Word Bingo? Everybody gets at a sheet of paper with a grid. In each box is a current buzz word like “synergy” or “work smarter not harder”. As the presenter speaks each buzz word you keep track of it on your card. When you get a line or diagonal cross out, you win. We ran this is a lottery with each card costing a $1. The winner got the pot. This only works in those “all hands” meetings where there are enough bodies to cover yourself. Ours ran at about 600 people, in two shifts of 300. We had to drop the practise when the CEO noticed everybody was paying more attention than usual.

Here’s another game you can play during a boring meeting: calculate the burn rate. Take the average hourly salary of everybody in attendance, total up the cost, and multiply by the elapsed time. Many times you’ll be asking yourself if the meeting is worth its cost to your company.

Too often we have meetings because we think we have to, or to make up for a lack of good team communications that should be happening on a day-to-day basis, or to inflate somebody’s sense of power and importance. Badly run meetings are a waste of time, can demoralize a team, increase conflict and friction, and don’t make any progress forward. Well run meetings are empowering, effective, efficient, and a powerful communication tool. Meetings are valuable when they exchange information and ideas in an effective and timely manner.

Next time: What it takes to run a good meeting – setting clear goals

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Multi-taskers Have Poorer Focus and Retention

Posted on August 25, 2009 | 1 Comment

multitasking

“If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both” — Purported Native American Saying

I frequently rail against the evils of multi-tasking. This point was highlighted to me while watching the reality TV show “Canada’s Worst Drivers“. One of the drivers featured was a Toronto real-estate agent that was proud of his ability to drive, smoke, text, and eat simultaneously. Seriously. There was video tape. Is this somebody you’d want on the road next to you and your car full of kids?

He rationalized his behaviour by arguing that he got more done that way. Because he was a busy real-estate agent in a competitive market he had to multi-task in order to get everything done in day that needed to be done. In the next breath he went on to explain how he only ever paid one of his dozens of traffic tickets by always showing up at court and challenging them. My thought was “You might not have to rush around so much if you spend less time in court.”

I had a similar conversation with one of my bosses once. I asked him to give me priorities on the work I’d been assigned. He asked me why I couldn’t multi-task and do it all? I explained that using this strategy would take longer. There is a cost associated with switching contexts. Computers really only do one thing at a time, but they can switch between those tasks so quickly we don’t notice. Research going back to the 1970′s shows that it can take humans as long as fifteen minutes to get back to the point they were in their work after an interruption such as a phone call. People are not computers, we don’t switch between tasks quickly, especially tasks that require deep thought, and we can’t focus on more than one thing at a time.

Now this study (published by the BBC via Lifehacker) shows that multi-taskers fair worse at the skills necessary to multi-tasking such as memory retention and focus in standardized tests. My conclusion, once again, is that people trying to do more than one thing at a time take longer and produce lower quality work.

Being frantically busy is not the same as being effective and efficient.

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Remembering Names – When You Forget

Posted on August 24, 2009 | Leave a comment

nametag-1

So far we’ve talked about why names are important, how to remember them, and things not to do when trying to remember somebody’s name. But It’s going to happen. You’re introducing your wife to your boss and you can’t remember either name. Or maybe that’s just me.

What do you do?

You’re talking to somebody. They’ve used your name. Now it’s time for you to acknowledge their existence and use theirs. But you can’t. It’s on the tip of your tongue. Think, think, think!

Now they’re getting the impression that they don’t matter because you’re not paying attention to them. You’re furiously trying to remember their name instead. How do you feel when this happens to you? I can’t remember you’re the name, and it seems that I’m not even paying attention to the conversation. Obviously I don’t think you matter enough to even focus on what you’re saying.

The only thing that could make this worse is somebody else coming along and “rescuing” me by interrupting the conversation. Then I can avoid admitting I don’t know your name. I’ll probably even physically turn away from you to talk to the new person.

But now I have a twice problem. I should introduce them to you, and I don’t remember your name! Maybe I can tap-dance a little and get you two to introduce yourselves. That way I don’t have to look stupid in front of two people.

It’s amazing that we think nobody else can tell. We can. Humans have built-in circuitry that knows when you can’t remember their name. We also have built-in circuits to help us rationalize our own bad behaviour. Be honest now, and stop digging a deeper hole. Don’t fake it or try to tap dance. They can tell, just like you can.

Admit & apologize. Apologize profusely and abjectly. Say “Sorry, I’ve forgotten your name. Can you please tell me again.” Or “I’m so sorry, I can’t remember your name.”

They events in our lives that we remember most clearly are those tied to a strong emotion. Use that emotion to reinforce the name in your memory. Use embarrassment you feel to focus on the name, repeat it, and you will remember it. Use the emotion to remember.

Most people will tell you, and add something that they can never remember names either. Or they’ll be relieved that they can to ask for yours again. You’ve done them a favour, and started building a relationship with them.

People will think you can remember their name if you say it. They won’t remember you had to ask twice.

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Remembering Names – Avoid These Mistakes

Posted on August 21, 2009 | 1 Comment

nametag-1

In the last post we talked about how paying attention, real attention, when trying to remember a new name. Repetition and writing it down afterwards also helps.

Here’s a couple of things you shouldn’t do:

Don’t write it down in front of them — whipping out a grungy, dog-eared piece of paper and writing down names immediately does reinforce memory. It doesn’t make a good impression. If you’re meeting that many new people at once then use your business cards. Most people will offer you theirs if you offer them yours. Collect the cards, and write them down or enter them in your contacts database at the first opportunity. Along with any notes you might remember from the encounter (wife’s name, any children, etc.)

Have business cards — you don’t have business cards? Why not? You can pick up pre-punched sheets at the office supply store. Sure they’re not as nice as having them printed up professionally, but it’s better than nothing. Much better. Running out of business cards is forgivable on occasion. Not having any to begin with is simply foolish.

Don’t demand it — “Tell me your name again?” sound like a power move. Especially if you gesture your hands toward yourself as if getting something from them. If you’re not a mafia don you can’t get away with it.

Don’t mock somebody for forgetting your name — yes it’s a social gaffe to forget somebody’s name. The greater sin is to highlight somebody else’s blunder and make them feel uncomfortable.  Again, mafia dons can get away with this, but they get away with a lot of stuff. Be gracious. No matter who you are.

Don’t throw business cards out — I made this mistake recently. Somebody whom I’d met at a professional association called me up. I never expected to talk to them again, but they wanted to talk to me. Fortunately I was able to recall some of the details of the meeting. I was paying attention, plus it didn’t hurt that he was a former professional football player for the local team. It would have been even better to research his company and interest and be better ready for our meeting. The lesson I learnt from this is to keep the business cards of all the people I meet, even if I don’t enter them into my contacts. On the rare occasion I need to refer back to one, I’ll have it.

Next time: what to do if you can’t remember.

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Getting Things Done — David Allen

Posted on August 19, 2009 | Leave a comment

magnifying-glass

You cannot manage time.

This stunning (to me) statement was one of those flashes of insight that let me know that I was on the right track when I read the first chapter of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”. Allen goes on to say:

“– you don’t manage five minutes and wind up with six;
– you don’t manage information overload — otherwise you’d walk into a library and die . . .
– you don’t manage priorities — you have them.

Instead the key to managing all your “stuff” is managing your actions.”

I first came across David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” four years ago. It took me about a year to get around to reading it. I was busy. I wished I hadn’t waited so long. When I did start reading it I consumed it in one sitting. Then I got busy implementing Allen’s protocol.

This is what I like the most about this book. It gives you the framework about how & why it works. Then it gives you the practical, actionable steps to carry out the system. Using GTD (Getting Things Done is known as GTD its fans), I am able to consistently:

  • Keep all four of my mail-boxes empty every day
  • Keep my desk clear of clutter, and find everything I need when I need it
  • Know that whatever I choose to work on from moment to moment is what I need or want to work on
  • Switch from task to task as priorities change and to handle day-to-day interruptions without getting flustered
  • Focus on the current task totally so that I can do that one task well and quickly, and to move to the next task quickly.

GTD promised stress-free productivity. Not all the stress has left my life, but it certainly is smaller, and I certainly have become more productive. I started by implementing GTD at work. Then I brought the same system into my home office and personal life. Currently I’m working on my garage. The only real adjustment I’ve had to make for the workshop is having a slightly larger ‘in-box’. Two by fours don’t quite fit into the standard stackable tray.

GTD doesn’t care what tools you use. You can keep organized using a stack of recipe cards and a binder clip. If you want to integrate MS Outlook & your PDA using web-based server access, you can. It’s up to you. GTD is a system and a way of collecting, processing, organizing and reviewing all the stuff in your life. It is not the tool itself.

David Allen is coming out with an updated version of his system, called “Making it All Work”. I look forward to reading it soon.

Further reading:

“Getting Things Done” on Wikipedia gives a good overview of the mechanics of GTD
David Allen’s column on The Huffington Post, now sadly discontinued, gives a good sample of David’s writing and philosophy

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Remembering Names – Pay Attention

Posted on August 17, 2009 | 2 Comments

nametag-1We’ve already talked about why paying attention to people instead of tools in this earlier post on why you should leave your laptop outside the meeting. As a knowledge worker, manager, or executive, we are only as effective our influence on other people. We can do this by paying attention to them. The further you climb up the corporate ladder the truer this becomes. Forgetting a name is the fastest way to signal to somebody that they’re not important to you. Remembering names is important.

Then why does it seem so hard? There are multi-day courses and many web-sites that offer tips and tricks on this topic. Most of them are of the “make a mental picture” or “association” type. For example, to remember Adam’s name you should think of an apple. Adam’s apple — get it? I’ve tried these techniques. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. I knew they weren’t working for me when I spent time trying to remember the mnemonic instead of the name. Peach? Tree? Wood? No, that’s not it.

Maybe I would have gotten better at it with more practise. I was so busy trying to think of some association I wasn’t paying attention to anything else they were saying. They noticed. People have an innate ability to know when somebody isn’t paying attention to them. It seemed counterproductive.

Then I learnt another technique that was so simple that it kind of blew me away. It doesn’t involve any special effort. It invokes abilities we all already have to shape our thinking and leverage our memory. Here it is:

Pay Attention — pay attention so hard that if the only thing you remember from the conversation then you’ve been successful. Focus on their face, their voice, them and their name so hard that are paying attention only on that. Neuroscience tells us that our brains change at the sub-atomic level depending on what we pay attention to. If you pay attention to it you will remember it.

Repetition – paying attention is the key point. Now reinforce that with repetition. You can do this by repeating the name out loud. It works and it’s not as hokey as it sounds. It might go something like this:

“Hi, my name is Karl.”

“Hi Karl. My name is Bernie. What do you do, Karl?”

“Well Bernie, I’m an outstanding computer technician with a depth of experience in large-scale system integration.”

[The conversation continues for a while and then winds up]

“It was great to meet you Karl. Good luck on your job search.”

“Thanks, you too Bernie.”

I said Karl’s name three times. Twice at the beginning, and once at the end of the conversation. Repeating the name re-enforces it in your memory. It also has an added benefit. It lets Karl know that I’m actually trying to remember his name. Even if I do forget it the next time we meet he’ll know I was trying. Now there’s a third thing you can do to re-enforce a name in your memory even further.

Write it Down — this is a variation of the previous point about repetition. We remember things better if we repeat them and by writing them down. Repeating something ten times all at once doesn’t guarantee that we’re going to remember it forever. If we recall it over time (like writing it down later) it has a better chance of being transferred to our long-term memory. Write down the names of the people you want to remember. I put everything in my iPhone contact list. Include details like wives’ and children’s names. If you really want to impress somebody, ask them about their kids by name.

Next time: what not to do

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Remembering Names – Why It’s Important

Posted on August 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

nametag-1 “The sweetest sound in any language is a person’s name.” — Dale Carnegie

I was at a company Christmas party once, doing the mixer thing. I was talking to my boss’s boss when my wife came back from the powder room. I knew I would have to introduce them when the next break in the conversation came along. So instead of paying attention to what he was saying my mind went into over-drive. I should know his name. I’d talked to him many times before. Why can’t I remember his name? Mild panic began to set in.

Now he’s a smart guy, just like you and me. I’m pretty sure he noticed I wasn’t paying attention. So much for making a good impression. When the time for the introductions came I completely flubbed it. I tried to B.S. my way through it, but in the end I just had to admit I couldn’t remember. Strike two. In retrospect he knew damn well that I couldn’t remember, and he probably let me flounder to see what I would do.

Names are important. When a name slips past us it’s like saying “You’re not important enough for me to bother paying attention to you.” We can’t simultaneous believe that we can fool somebody into thinking we know their name when we don’t, or that it isn’t important, and at the same time we recognize almost instantly when somebody doesn’t remember our’s and they’re tap-dancing around that fact hoping your won’t notice. Think of a time when this has happened to you. How did it make you feel, and how did you feel about that person afterwards?

If you work in a factory making real physical widgets (less and less likely these days), you might get away with not having work through or with other people. Even then getting along makes our lives so much easier. Like knowing the name of the secretary in the HR department who knows what to do to get your pay-cheque sorted out. People will be more willing to get along with you if you actually know their name.

Even a sociopath will have an autonomic response to his own name. You need to get good at remembering names. Especially if you want to become a better and more effective leader.

Fortunately it’s a skill. Like any other skill, you get better at it with practise.

Next time: the secret to remembering names. No, it’s not thinking of an apple when you’re talking to Adam. It’s even easier and more effective than that. Here’s the hint: memory is emotional.

Next time: how to remember

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On Matching Sock and Shoes

Posted on August 12, 2009 | 1 Comment

suitandtie

It’s a little thing, I know. Why worry about what colour your socks are when you’re pitching a multi-million dollar proposal later this morning, or going to an interview for a job you really, really want. “Don’t I have better things to worry about?”

Yes, you do have better things to worry about. So don’t worry if your Mickey Mouse socks distract the interviewer from your well-crafted and enlightening reply to the “So tell me about yourself?” question. Just get it right with this simple rule:

Match your belt to your shoes. Match your socks to your pants.

If you’re wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt. If you’re wearing black pants, wear black socks. Yes, brown shoes & belt go with black pants. If the belt and shoes match, it works. Plus, matching your socks to your pants is that you look taller.

Look around you. I worked with a bunch of engineers, so finding all the different permutations and combinations as people struggled with what shoes to wear was easy. You may have to go further afield to find the same variety I did.

One school of thought argues that you want to match your socks to your shoes to “make a clean line from the toe to the cuff”. This runs the risk of invoking the “bootie” effect. This is where you look like you’re wearing ankle boots, or worse, mukluks.

They go on to argue that this is the more “cost-effective” solution since you’ll need fewer different colours of socks. This is a specious argument. I’ve always advocated that buying the best quality you can afford pays off in the long run. This is especially true for good quality clothing, which can last a life time. You get what you pay for.

Another source argued that natural or flesh toned socks go with anything. I’m scratching my head to figure out how looking like you’re not wearing socks fits into a professional environment. I can only imagine this was a copy & paste error. Maybe they were using text from a woman’s fashion guide.

Nothing will throw off a good-looking suit like a pair of white socks. Save those for the gym. Same goes for the red, fluorescent orange, or yellow & black striped socks. You may believe they show your character. What they are saying on your behalf while you’re not looking is “I’m not quite grown up yet.” Same goes for the cartoon character ties, but that’s a different topic.

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Laptops in Meetings – Just Don’t

Posted on August 11, 2009 | 5 Comments

laptop

Laptops are great. I have one. I paid good money for it and I really enjoy using it. It’s great for taking notes, looking up references, and catching up on my e-mail during those boring, never-ending meetings. We’re all busy, and killing two birds with one stone is a good thing. Multi-tasking is the sign of an effective manager, right?

Wrong.

Don’t do it. Everybody is just going to assume you’re doing e-mail or cruising the Internet. If other people in the room don’t think you’re listening, you’re not. Communicating is what the listener does.

Here’s what’s happening while you’re not paying attention:

  1. The Meeting Goes Longer — The meeting will take longer while you catch up, ask people to repeat themselves, or think about what you should have thought about while you were paying attention to something else. If it really is a boring meeting making it longer is probably not what you want. Even worse, while you focus attention elsewhere you might miss a critical bit of information that leads to some misunderstanding. The result? More meetings.

  2. You’re Being Rude — You’re being rude to the people you work with, who work for you, or maybe even your boss. Especially your boss. Especially if she’s the one running the meeting. The person who writes your annual appraisal. That document that determines your raise. Being rude to the people you work with or who work for you isn’t any better. Unless you work by yourself in your own office we depend on our peers and subordinates to get things done. Telling them they don’t matter by ignoring them during a meeting isn’t going to get you far when it’s your turn to draw from the teamwork bank. If you really have nothing to give or gain from the meeting then why are you there?

  3. You Called the Meeting? — If you called the meeting and you’re playing with your laptop, then stand up and slap yourself. Right now. Hard. If you really need an explanation for this then you should go be a taxi driver or something. Then you’ll have all the time you need to do text messaging and cruising the Internet while driving your fares around. Bet you don’t get a lot of repeat customers though.

  4. PDAs Count — The Crack-berry Prayer will not be forgiven. At least if you fall asleep during a meeting that’s somewhat excusable. Your have a new baby at home. You were up late last night putting that big proposal together. “Hiding” your Blackberry under the conference room table with your head bowed isn’t fooling anybody. You are deliberately ignoring everybody else in the room. You might as well dance on the table and sing about how this meeting is a complete waste of your time, and you’d rather be anywhere else but here.

  5. A Teleconference is Still a Meeting – Yes, they can tell. The click of the keyboard keys will give you away. Or when your end of the conversation is on mute. Or that you don’t know what’s going on and have to ask for a restatement.

I knew a manager once who was enamoured with dragging his laptop from meeting to meeting. It was his portable office. We would all wait very patiently while he set up his cord-less mouse, numeric keyboard, power supply, and Ethernet connection for a meeting that ended up taking ten minutes. Then he would tear it all down again and hurry off to the next meeting for which he was now late. After never using it during the entire ten-minutes except to check his e-mail.

The image he was projecting was not one of a busy but effective executive. He came across as either somebody who was having too much fun playing with all his toys, an ineffective manager, or as an obnoxious time-waster. “I’m more important than you, so you can just wait while I get myself settled.” Not really a good message.

Leave the laptop on your desk. Unless you’ve been assigned to drive the presentation or take minutes you don’t need it. Bring a notebook, leave it open in front of you, fold your hands in your lap, and pay attention. This is your job during the meeting. Pay attention and contribute.

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