Lifetime Learning

You've probably heard it before but I'm going to repeat it again for you - you should never stop learning. This is especially true for a manager (ok - it's especially true for everyone).

Why is it important for a manager? First because you don't know it all (and you probably never will). Second because it will help you to improve your management skills which will make you a better manager for your staff and a better employee to your boss.

Does this mean you have to go back to school? Definitely NO!

There are many ways you can continue to learn and one of my favorites is to open my browser and do a search on a topic of interest. Once you cut through the chaff to find the wheat there is a lot there.

Among the web sites that I have found worthwhile and have bookmarked are these:

http://www.manager-tools.com By visiting this site once a week you will feel like you've enrolled in a manager education program at a top management school. The big difference is that the material here is free and the lectures are available as podcasts. They sponsor a web forum where you can discuss topics from the podcasts with the authors and others who register to participate (again it is all free).

http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/ This is a site where Marshall Goldsmith is making available a wealth of information from his vast experience and the information is also free.

Between these you'll be able to schedule 1 hour a week in your calendar for management development and your staff and your boss will see a difference in you within a few weeks (possibly within a few days) and you will notice the change yourself as you become more effective in your job.

A note about podcasts - you do not need an iPod to listen to them. The files are mp3 format audio files which can be easily downloaded to your PC (or Mac) and then played on the built-in audio player that comes with your PC (or Mac).

Stress

Have you ever noticed that your job is stressful?

OK - those who answered no either are not working or having way too much fun.

Every job has some level of stress. Sometimes it is a problem that was not anticipated that needs to be fixed yesterday. Sometimes it is a request from upper management that they want done yesterday. The first is understandable and we can all deal with that kind of stress and in fact many of us don't even think of that as stress. The second is something that management has control over in most, not all, cases and is a matter of setting realistic expectations.

What is realistic is different for everyone. Asking someone to do something they have never done and expecting it to be done in the same time frame as if the individual were experienced is not realistic - yet that is what I've seen too many times.

As a manager you have to have and set realistic expectations and when you give an assignment you have to provide enough information so that it can be done to your expectations. When an assignment is given with less than complete information the results will not be what you expect and the individual doing it will be stressed trying to decide what you really want.

An example - my manager asked for a copy of all checklists. That was the request. No explanation of what kind of checklists, how they would be used or who the target audience would be. Consequently there was a lot of discussion among my peers and I about what was expected and no one had the same answer. We finally asked and received clarification that the checklists requested were problem resolution checklists but still no answer on who the audience would be. Thus what was provided were checklists assuming that they would be used by individuals with the same high skill set as those who created the checklist. Sadly this was not what was expected as the target audience for using the checklists was to be entry level technicians which required that the checklists be rewritten for the audience. This caused stress for everyone involved that could have been avoided.

The lesson is that some stress can be avoided if management sets realistic expectations and clearly articulates all assignments.

Science vs Art

Management is both a Science and an Art. Part of the 'science' part is all the mechanical aspects of the job such as keeping track of information on your staff, hours worked, vacation earned, status reports, kudos, warnings, performance reviews, etc.

Some have all of this information 'well organized' in various notebooks or folders in their desk. Others have this information in both papers as well as in electronic form in Word and Excel files somewhere on their workstation.

Being one of the organized types (some of the time) I was frustrated by not having easy access to all of this information and using my technical background I picked up a copy of Domino Designer and created a simple database where I can keep all of the information on my team in one place. When I've shown this to other managers they are amazed at the ease and speed of finding this information and at the same time they are reluctant to try it themselves because they "don't have the time".

The amazing thing is that they will never have the time and yet they can't afford NOT to do this.

Something I have learned is that many times it is worth spending extra time one time to save many times that time investment later and this is one example where this philosophy has paid off.

90 days and counting - random ramblings

I was just given my 90 day package which means that I am on the payroll for another 90 days during which time I need to find a new position either within my current company or outside. My preference is to stay as I fully support the mission and I like the people I work with.

I'm also struggling with should I remain in management. I've been told that I'm an excellent manager by those I manage, by my peers, and by my immediate management. The challenge is finding another management position. There are a lot of 'project management' positions to be had but very few management and a job is a requirement as I have yet to win the lottery (perhaps if I purchased a lotter ticket it would help improve the odds).

I have a strong technical background and have learned to manage highly technical individuals in areas where I do not have the in depth background.

More later ... time to work on in house networking.