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. 

Use the Tools Against the Team

Looks like they are at it again.  Instead of spending time planning and developing the business, the boss is going through every single line of expense reports (and there are 30 of them), recalculating every penny spent on every item that was outlined as expense-able in the contract and company policy.  Being that the reports are done on an Excel program that the company mandates be used - developed by their own IT team - isn't this a waste of time?

Is this what a good leader should be doing?  Yes, I understand that expense control drives the bottom line up.  But does the six-figure help need to do this?  Or could they perhaps spend a few more minutes explaining expense management to the team?  Or could they have their assistant do it in a spot-check manner to ensure all expenses are valid?

This is a singular tool.  Look at the review time you spend and why are you spending that time?  What else could you be doing to work ON your business?  Who could you be spending time with to grow your business and review the tools with them so that they better understand and utilize the tools the company has in place?

The Talk Down

Have you ever felt like although you have been in your position for a few years, and in the business for more than that, your boss continues to talk to you like you don't know anything?  That's the TALK DOWN.  Feels awful, like you are stupid. 
Fortunately that is not the case - it's the boss - they do not understand their audience.  They speak as if everyone is a beginner.  This could be for many reasons - they are insecure about their position, they do not know their material (or what they are talking about) well enough, they do not trust their team (a whole other blog topic) or they are insensitive and plain, just don't get what it is to be a leader.

What to do?  Remind the boss that although you appreciate the reminders, you have been in position for a good while and hope that they will soon trust you and your judgement.  Explain how it makes you feel.  Sometimes they just need to be told.

You Are Fired

I read a story online (where else) about a company that sent out a memo by email telling over 400 people in the organization that they were being terminated or laid off.  Not the way a good leader would execute such an awful task.  No matter what, terminating someone's employment for whatever reason is not easy.  And certainly not a email subject.

Always terminate with dignity and respect, let them know why and what the next steps are going to be.  The difficult words "You're fired" or "You will be laid off"  should be out of you mouth in the first minute of the conversation.  Do not wait, or get onto personall topics - this is all about business.  Relate the dicussion to the facts - nothing else.