Bernie is a blogger, consultant, and business execution specialist. In other words he looks at his clients’ watches, and then tells them if they have the correct time.
What I Believe
I believe there are simple things that outstanding managers do well.
Basic skills, like skating and puck handling in hockey, or blocking and tackling in football, that good managers practise over and over again. Giving feedback, setting priorities, managing their calendar, delegating, coaching, communicating, making decisions, hiring the right people for the right job, building long-term relationships, establishing the habit of life-long learning, holding people accountable for what they promised to do. Simple things that if done consistently over time change how people work together for the better.
I work with managers who want to become effective executives, and effective executives who want to become outstanding. I want you to be a better boss, run a better company, and together we can leave the world better than we found it.
Who am I Looking For?
If you’re looking for tangible, actionable, coaching and education on personal communications, leadership, managing staff, increasing influence, and delivering your projects for yourself or your staff, drop me a line.
email: bernie@practicalmanagers.com
Bernie has a knack for intent listening that gets to the crux of an issue. When he puts the problem – and its solution – into a visual, tangible form, it sparks the ‘Aha!’ that allows clients to recognize their next action steps.
Hi Bernie,
Hope you are doing well..
How can you challenge the status quo without burning bridges or creating any negative relationship ? I’d appreciate your insight to this topic.. thanks in advance..
This is a relationship building exercise. If you deliver, and are trusted, when it comes time to push you’ll have influence. It’s also easier to influence when you know who to influence, when to influence them, and what levers you have to pull. If you’ve put the energy into establishing and managing the relationships you’ve identified as being critical to making that change or delivering that project, then you’ll have the advantage.
Remember also that meetings are NOT where decisions are made. Meetings are where decisions are formalized. It’s naive to assume not horse-trading is going on. That is, one executive or manager may support another in return for support further down the road.
These discussions take place before the meeting, which is why the managers who don’t understand this dynamic are taken by surprise. You’ll be able to identify them because they’re the ones whining about “politics”. If you want this kind of influence in an organization, get in front of the decision.
You don’t have to choose between staying quiet and lighting a bridge on fire. In your context, how can you pitch your need/want for change at the right people such that they see the advantage to them, and what do you have to prepare to give it the best chance of success?
In the end, after giving it your best, sincere effort, and your energy and effort falls on deaf ears, you may have to consider if this company is a good fit for you. Maybe finding a company where your values line up with the real values of the company will help you feel like you’re not fighting against the current.
Hi Bernie,
Wow.. Thanks so much for covering this topic in depth and providing with your valuable insight. I agree with you everything you mentioned in this and I’d like to add to that in my opinion it also depends upon the elements of “collaboration maturity” in the organization i.e. team work, accountability, ownership, “staying the above water line” kind of behavior.. Many matured organizations have this compentency inculculated part of their professional development efforts and those companies expect their managers & leaders sincerely evaluate their actions aligned with the vision/mission/value statement and in the process, they are honest to challenge the status quo and collaborate effectively to get the best for the company !
Thanks again,
VS
Hey Bernie, Great blogging. I continue to follow your missives.
Have a safe holiday.
Stu
Thanks Stu!