You Deserve What You Tolerate

I love this quote. Its been passed around the office lately, and its true. You do deserve what you tolerate.

It does matter if you're tired of working so much, frustrated with your lack of direction in your role as a MM, or frustrated things aren't getting done like they're supposed to. If its an ongoing problem and you're around it, you are just as guilty as the one's directly responsible.

Take an action - talk to the co-worker or employee, discuss it with you boss, outline objectives, ask to take over some of the responsibilities - but don't stand by and watch it happen. Do everything in your power to incite change and put the burden of seeing that change come to fruition on your own shoulders. If you're being stymied by someone in authority, make it clear to them you're about seeing results and need to know that you can help make results happen. Even give an ultimatum as a last resort if you have to (but be careful you're ready to see if through if you do go that far).

Just don't tolerate. Or on the other hand, if you do, realize you deserve the baggage that comes with it.

THE Communication Gap

There is one chief enemy to communication - assumptions. I've grown to hate them. Every time I make one or someone else I work with makes one, something goes wrong.

Time, money, & relationships are wasted. This happened just this past week at my job when we decided that we could make a decision without discussing what seemed like a small detail to a client (we assumed). The result - that small detail ended up being a huge issue and was the difference maker between a successful end result and an unsuccessful one. It caused us time dealing with the vendor, client and co-workers involved, not to mention it cost our company actual cash to remedy the issue.

Its a simple, but far from easy thing to counter. As Middle Managers, we're trying to bridge the gap between clients and co-workers, our boss and our co-workers, or our boss and our clients. In the midst of those gaps, opportunities for assumptions abound. We assume someone understands what a term means, what's next in a process, that we'll get back in touch as soon as we can, and on and on. Its inevitable that its going to happen sometimes, but make it just that some times.

The only counter measure to assumptions is over-communicating. Tell someone everything and anything they might need to know. Go to the other extreme and use assumptions for good...assume the person you're talking to knows nothing about whatever it is you're working with them on. Talk about and bring out into the open all details, even when it seems painful. Be prepared for some people to get bored, but you'll be amazed at the difference in makes in a successful long-term relationship with those around you, not to mention avoiding all kinds of pitfalls on the path toward meaningful results.

Over-communicate!

The Difference between Doing & Leading

I always thought doing was the hardest part and leading...well leading was much easier. I'm learning quickly this isn't true at all.

As MMs, we often delegate responsibilities as our positions grow. As this happens, our challenge is to be able to totally let go of these without taking them back when something goes wrong. Its especially hard when you know you were doing something the right way and the mistakes start to take place after you delegated.

The funny part is, that just means we're not leading well. If I'm frustrated by things not going right, the answer is definitely not for me to take it back over and just "do it myself". As MMs, we've got to push back and make sure the folks we delegate to 1.) have the tools to succeed and 2.) understand when and how they are not succeeding.

Stop only focusing on you doing it right and start giving your attention to leading others to do the same...or even better.