Worry or Stifle

It often happens that leaders get caught up in the worry and start to stifle the ideas that flow around them.

Worry can cause leaders to refuse to open their eyes (or their mind) and see around or over roadblocks, consider other perspectives or even alternative solutions....their worry leads back in a circle to themselves.

They are concerned more with how they will look by taking a new path, they worry about how they will be perceived by their peers if they take the advice or draw on the perspective of others.  They worry what the consequences will be if they take an alternative route to a solution.

What to do?  Help the leader see that they can spend a few minutes sorting out all the 'what ifs ' of the worry?  What if exercises can be both in positive or negative voice.
What if the project fails?
What if the alternative solution makes us more profitable?
What if my peers see me taking the advice of the team?


This helps guide the leader to understand -what's the worst that could happen but also what's the best that could happen, while at the same time taking time to learn along the way.

Meeting Boy

Yes, I am on Twitter...and I follow quite a few interesting people. One of my favourites is Meeting Boy!  @meetingboy

He tells great stories..especially on Fridays.  Quick quips that keep you in stitches, and he invites everyone to share their meeting horror stories!  And many NOT to Do stories.

Check out his blog: http://meetingboy.com/

Guaranteed Laugh!

The 3 Hour 30 Minute Meeting

Would you like to have one of these at your next meeting?

If you have a boss like I had long ago, they would call a 'quick' 30 minute meeting....
....and we never got out in under less than 3 hours!  And everyone in the department, no matter what the role, was required to attend.

What a waste of time!  We ended up calling this the 'M' Meeting!

Having a meeting without a purpose or agenda, it was all about feather-fluffing and her talking about what she just did or what she still has to learn and why she (meaning us) is always behind on every project.

Not fun!

What to do?  Let the boss know that an agenda would be appreciated so that you can prepare for the meeting.  Also, request that your team need not attend because you would be happy to provide the meeting details and action steps so they can keep working on the project at hand, keeping productivity moving efficiently.

No Risk Here

Feel like you are riding a rollercoaster and there is no safety bar?

OR

Is you day at work like a rollercoaster that is made of marshmallow and you are wrapped in bubblewrap?

Either doesn't work.

You need the safety bar - rules and guidelines that help everyone make good business decisions based on the needs of the organization and grounded in the values of the company.

But at the same time, you cannot be strapped and restricted to the point of no motion.

Risk is good.  The level of risk needs to be assessed.

Risk can bring improvements, innovation, new customers, new products, new avenues for growth.

What to do?  The leader who refuses to take risks will stagnate...and so will their numbers and their development - of the business and the team.  Even taking measured risks will provide growth.  No risks creates complacency for both your clients and your team. 

Hand Up

It's the gesture.
You are speaking and the hand goes up...like Sex in the City 2 and Miranda ends up quitting her job.
This is the worst .
The hand just puts an end to everything - your thoughts, your momentum, your self -esteem.


What should you do?
Politely ask the gesture-er to not do that, let them know how insulting it is, and how to better go about getting a space in the conversation.

We're All In This

I was spending some time researching and reviewing notes this week for upcoming articles, posts and discussions and stumbled across a great line on a comic by Roy Delgado in the Harvard Business Review issue from July-August 2009.  His comic is beautifully drawn, but this image gets the point across too.

"Remember, we're all in this - not together, but we're all in this"

The story of the leader who is only in it with you if all is going well is all too common.  And like the image, we look up at this leader anyway.  It is time to break the bonds that are only fastened with elastic bands, fitting tightly only at the discretion of the leader.....do you have elastic bands?

A Medical Rant

OK service and leadership go together


So I would think if you were in the medical profession
At one point in your life
You made the decision to follow that path because you wanted to help people.


Well stop it if you are tired of it.


We can hear the exasperation in your voice
When we answer your questions,
That you've asked a million times before
But don't remember because
You failed to read the notes you took.


We can hear the condescension in your voice when you tell us to relax
You know, just because you do a gunk exam 100+ times per year,
I only go through it once a year, and relaxing is not easy.


How about your sarcasm telling me to lose weight?


I am here,


After six months of waiting,


To talk to you about my back injury from a car accident two years ago.


You don't think that I would still be running half marathons if I could actually run for more than 5 minutes without my leg falling asleep?


How about asking how all this happened?


How about getting to know me instead of trying to get me out of your office as fast as possible?


How about not yelling at me because you didn't get all the information from my referring doctor
...and instead of sending them a scathing letter, pick the phone and explain your expectation?


What about if,
because you scheduled me an appointment during a time when I was unavailable,
and even though I told your assistant that,
you still want to charge me,
instead...make room on your calendar for me
....but I guess
I am a number


With a dollar sign in front of it.


If you are tired of dealing with people who are sick,
Hurting,
Having issues,
Need help,
Then stop.


Go do something else that might make you happy.
It's okay to change careers.


We feel bad enough coming see you as it is.


We don't need your attitude to make us feel worse.


If you don't want to help,
to serve any longer
Go find something else to do.