How Effective Are You?
June 2, 2010 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Career Management, Personal Productivity, Professional success, Time Management
How Effective Are You?
In the realm of time management, the word effective is used quite often. In fact, there is usually a comparison made between effective vs. efficient and of course, both are needed for professional success.
As a reminder, a common definition of effective is doing the right things at the right time to get the best results. However, in this post, I’d like to expand our thinking around the concept of being effective.
I believe increasing our “effectiveness” is more important than ever in creating and maintaining value to our organizations. It’s a must have and do career strategy.
An Expanded View
Consider effectiveness to not only be getting the right things done at the right time, but additionally identifying and addressing needs, identifying potential solutions, and getting high-impact results. In essence, effectiveness is beyond just executing tasks.
If this expanded view of being effective is to be realized, then what’s needed in order for this new version to occur?
Consider the following:
1. Broader knowledge of the players involved in key situations, their roles, their strengths and weaknesses.
2. A clear understanding of the core needs of the company.
3. Identification and laser focus on the core needs of internal and external customers and how your role (and that of your team or department) addresses and impacts those core needs.
4. How does the specifics of your job description contribute to the above.
Compiling the information to the above will craft a bigger picture from which to work to develop and increase your effectiveness. In fact, you may need to volunteer to tweak your job description. There are a lot of job descriptions out there that are not “value based” job descriptions (meaning they are more about being busy than get high-impact results).
From this big picture access how you go about your work week, what you do with your time and how the tangible results of the day impact this big picture. If you’re a manager, do the same with your team.
Then ask yourself this question, “Am I getting things done or am I getting things done that also impact the bigger picture.” Getting things done that impact the greater picture are high impact results.
The irony of productivity is we can go a full work week, get things done and yet have little to no activity that significantly address the big picture.
Coaching Tip: Plan and work with the big picture in mind. Make sure to track and language your performance with this in mind. This is a beneficial strategy in performance reviews. You can communicate and show how you’ve demonstrated results with more value.
Career Management Bonus Tip: This is also a great strategy for how to communicate your experience in a job interview.
A Success Quote equals Bite-size Coaching
December 9, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Employee Motivation, Management Success, Team Management
Ever considered it that way? This is cool management insight!
I love quotes! I have since I was young. I would collect them, make collages of them, and put them on hand made cards for my friends. Whether it’s a success saying or a success quotation – it’s a bite-size form of coaching. It’s powerful information and inspiration in a bite.
Here’s a Management Success Tip: Include quotes in your team culture.
Why? Consider what quotes do…
1. Inspire = motivate
2. Direct
3. Instruct
4. Feed our spirit
5. Stimulate our thinking
…just to name a few and I’m sure you can think of more.
How powerful is it to have just a few words carry so much weight and do so much good! And you know the funny thing?…a new social media phenomena creates a context for that to regularly occur – Twitter.
I am going to be sharing my favorite quotes there, so if you’re not following me…do so! I promise I will not bother you with my personal, inane activities. What I will do is pass on quotes and information that are worth your time and support you in developing the quality life you desire to have. Twitter Web Site
To start, here are a few of my favorites and how they impact me:
Category: Wise & Instructive
Humphrey Bogart once said: “Enjoy the moments, kid, because in the end they add up to a life.”
Coaching point: Live in the moment. Don’t waste your time dwelling on the past or too much anticipating the future. Make the most of now…each now adds up to a life.
Category: Inspirational
“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot…and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s precisely why I succeed.” Michael Jordan, American Basketball Player
Coaching point: go after it, plan on loosing a lot to be a winner.
Category: Motivational
“Go big or go home.” Donald Trump
Coaching point: give it all ya got!
These 3 hit me in so many ways….all in just a few words. Join me on Twitter for a regular does of these Power Qutoes!
Remember the success tip...Use quotes in your team culture and to coach yourself
To your success! JoAnn
Management Success – The Power of Gratitude
November 25, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Employee Motivation, Management Success
There is nothing more powerful to impact employee motivation and employee retention than to say, “Thank You.”
It’s been consistently reported that many employees don’t feel valued and appreciated. Please know that does impact their ability to really give their best. Only the unique few will do their best inspite of the absence of appropriate thank yous. And I believe, at some point, that won’t go on forever.
One manager I met in one of my pubic seminars shared that she had written 100+ hand written notes to her whole department! Wow….what does that say about her besides the fact that she has a strong writing hand? I’m sure you could come up with a constructive list.
The irony? Companies spend thousands and some millions on employee incentive, reward and recognition programs. Yet a simple “thank you” cost absolutely nothing!
Coaching Questions: Does every member of your team feel appreicated? When is the last time you gave a heart-felt thank you to members of your staff?
One cool idea: One company due to extended work hours, sent thank you gifts to the families of those working all those long hours.
Source: 1001 Ways to Reward Employees
TSUWAEE7ADR5
Management Success Tip – Pay New Hires to Leave – Huh?
October 22, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Employee Motivation, Management Best Practices
Want a counterintuitive route to management success?….well you may or may not. But, you may want a creative way of enhancing employee motivation, increasing employee retention, and accessing a management best practice.…If so, read on...
Though this article was written sometime ago, I think it flew under the radar for some time. I’d like to resurrect it. At the end of this post you’ll find the link to the full story.
The headline? Why Zappos Offers New Hires $2,000 to Quit. Now at first blush you might be thinking…what?…it cost me money to hire them and now I’m going to pay more money to let them go…encourage them to leave?
This thought begs an essential question regarding profitable management and here it is, “How much does it cost to keep an employee who is underperforming, has proven to not be a good fit, has proven to not be coachable and is now disruptive?” Might I suggest way more than $2,000.00. If nothing else think of the ripple effect on fellow team members and their productivity.
The cost is more explicitly spelled out in a study conducted by The Future Foundation. You can find the key findings via an article at this link. The Hidden Cost of Poor People Performance. It worth your time to read!
It’s been my experience as I’ve connected with thousands of managers across North America, that it is a very common practice to keep these kind of employee way too long! Now there are many reasons for that, but the point is it’s happening more than it should and it absolutely does hurt a companies bottom line as well as the morale of the direct reports and fellow team members.
In this new economy where there is a crying need to be innovative in all areas of business practice, more innovation regarding this people part of business is essential as well.
I am going to consider this a potential best practice. Here is the link to the full article: Full Article
Coaching tip: See how this practice can be implemented or modified in some way or see how the spirit of the practice can be applied in your situation.
Career Management – How You Manage Your Health
October 10, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Career Management, Corporate Wellness, Management Trends, Personal Productivity
Some blog posts are of great value by sharing a small bit of very important information and then asking a question. (btw…that’s a effective method of coaching as well.) Recently, I read a trends report received from The Herman Group (http://www.hermangroup.com) reflecting the trends in eating choices. I posted that report on my news blog – Career & Management and you can go there to read the short report: Go here
Additionally, a follow up report highlighted the wellness program that President Obama has touted run by Safeway Grocery Stores, that has been very successful in lowering health premiums and increasing the overall wellness of it’s employees. You can learn more at their website: http://www.safeway.com/IFL/Grocery/About-Us
What occurred to me as I was reading this is VERY IMPORTANT in our career management and employability. Here’s the thought:
With more focus on health, health care and employer paid plans. Will there be a heightened focus on the perceived health of potential employees during the hiring process? Would knowing this influence or change the way you currently handle your own health and wellness?
In recent previous posts, I shared current job search strategies being used to get a “leg up” in the job search or in the office….one of which was altering their appearance. Read that post here
In posts to come, as a additional component of effectively managing one’s career, we’ll examine how health plays a role in work productivity-performance. For now, consider the question posed above.
Blogging for your success,
JoAnn
A Simple Strategy To Improve Your Productivity
September 29, 2009 by JoAnn Corley
Filed under Personal Productivity
I wrote this article a while back and now that I’m working on new projects thought it would be worth revisiting.
This is great habit-practice to increase your results significantly. What’s the habit?… the “morning mindest”….read on..
The Magic Moment – The Power of the Morning Mindset and Taking Five
Category: Personal Productivity
Wc: 346
I woke up this morning after being up rather late and knew that it was a crunch day. Within the next 24 hours I’d need to hop on a plane and be out of the office for the next few days.
In those few moments I felt slightly pressured and overwhelmed which lead to a bit of emotional and mental confusion, (by the way, I call this “brain fog”). What should I work on first?….what could wait until Monday?
I could have just barreled in, but time was precious I needed to work on what was most crucial. I realized I couldn’t let the pressure “pressure” me into the wrong decision. So, I decided to take a 5 minute mind clearing break.
I gave myself permission to step away from my desk, move into a physical space where I could clear my mind. Ah….a break through! Just giving myself permission to “take 5” and step away helped my mind to calm down and my emotions to come to neutral.
In the clarity of that moment, I was able to get a better view of what was crucial and what was not.
Honestly, I have days where I didn’t do that first thing in the morning and ended up working on the wrong things at the wrong time. In those cases, a few critical things fell through the cracks; it wasn’t pretty.
What I’m describing is the power of a moment…a moment you take in the morning to gain clarity on the day that could make all the difference. I’m calling it the Morning Mindset.
You know it’s just harder to work in a fog; it takes more energy and the quality of your work may suffer.
So let me recommend creating the practice of “The Morning Mindset.”
Additionally, this principle of “taking five” is not reserved for the morning. Anytime, you’re feeling confused for what ever the reason, give yourself permission to take five…that practice could make all the difference!