A Better Way To Reach Goals: The One Word Resolution

Be Your Best Despite Your Boss

I recently read an article about the importance of a supportive boss.  Having a supportive boss can transform your workplace experience.  It can make a difference in productivity as well as engagement.  When you are engaged you have a sense of belonging, connection and value in an organization. I have had neglectful bosses who ignored me and kept secrets.  I have also had bosses who were quite friendly and kind, but didn't handle managerial responsibilities like performance issues,  clear goals, and distribution of work.  Neither of these is an ideal type of manager to have.  Nevertheless, its possible to have an engaged, productive and satisfying work experience without a supportive  boss.  If you find yourself in a situation where the boss doesn't provide direction; is inconsistent; or even non-responsive, here are some things you can do to manage yourself.

Find a mentor.

A mentor will be a good sounding board and source of advice.  This should be someone who doesn't have a stake in your career (like your boss does).  They should be in a position at a higher level than yours. And, your mentor might work in your organization or another one; they might even be retired.  Your mentor is a person with whom you can be candid and who in return will be candid with you.  A mentor can provide valuable advice, recommendations and resources.  Your mentor could help you learn how to best navigate a tumultuous environment and share their experiences with you.

Find a workplace peer.
You should have at least one close relationship within your organization.  This should be an experienced, trustworthy individual with whom you can discuss your concerns.  Because they have institution knowledge, they'll have a good understanding of the organization and be able to give you relevant perspective.  If you are trying to figure out how to resolve a conflict or solve a problem, this colleague could be a valuable resource. When you're seeking that promotion, your peer might be able to share valuable insights and/or warnings.  If nothing else, your colleague in the workplace can be a good sounding board when you need to vent. 

Join a club.

In every field there are industry-specific or even role-specific associations you can join.  In these organizations you have the opportunity to build relationships with others who do the same thing you do for a living.  They may have already experienced some of the situations you are experiencing.  Since association members are generally from many different companies, they can provide a wide variety of perspectives.  This kind of association could also keep you abreast of best practices, trends, and other pertinent developments in your field.  Staying in the know can help you be more effective at work, work smarter, or prepare you for your next promotion/role.

Ask.

There is an old saying that closed mouths don't get feed.  If you don't verbalize what you want and need you probably won't get it.  Schedule periodic meetings with your boss to discuss progress on assignments, obstacles you're facing and concerns you have.   Ask specifically for things you need to be successful, such as resources, training, information, or help solving a problem.  You may not already get what you request.  But, you have a better chance of getting your needs met, if you express what those needs are.

As you prepare for success in this new year, don't let your un-supportive boss be your excuse for not achieving what you want to achieve.  Don't give him/her all the power in your career.  Take proactive steps and take control of your professional life.

Growing Like A Garden: Your Development Plan for 2019

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Seven Ups of Performance Improvement

Show Up - Be available for your team, your peers and your leaders.  Be physically present; and also be mentally focused and attentive while you're there.  There are a million tasks pulling you in a million directions. and it's easy to get distracted.  Nevertheless, your team needs you.  Be hands-on (but don't be a micro-manager).  Listen to others needs, preferences and perspectives and offer your support.

Speak Up - Sometimes there's an elephant in the room and no one will acknowledge it.  Be willing to discuss those tough topics.  Rather than avoiding conflict, admit when something is not working and seek resolution.  Be quick to identify a problem and open dialogue to identify possible solutions.  If you are a leader, you should encourage others to do the same.  

Grow Up - This is not so much about emotional maturity as it about professional development; although both are important.  Take assessments of your communication, leadership and personality styles to better understand you and how you tend to behave and respond.  Gather feedback from up, down, and across your organization;  then develop a plan to strengthen your competencies in one or two key areas.  

Link Up - Network and partner with others inside and outside the organization where you work.  If you only network at work, you're limiting exposure to new ideas, options, opportunities, strategies, and even customers.   

Know What to Give Up - Making Adjustments in our behavior can be challenging.   Ask yourself "what am I willing to change to get better?" In Marshall Goldsmith's book What Got You Here Wont Get You There, he identifies 20 habits some leaders hang on to, that hold them back.  

Lift Others Up - .  Studies show that in order for employees to remain engaged, stick around, and not get burned out, they need to feel valued and they need to be encouraged.  If you are only recognizing those who do everything right all the time, you're missing the mark. Show your appreciation for people's efforts and the improvements they make.    Even when they make mistakes or don't meet their goals, talk about what they learned from the experience and coach them on how to get better.

Follow Up - There are Three Essential Conversations, you should have with direct reports:  Goal Setting, Feedback, and Follow Up.  Follow up conversations are periodically check-ins that provide you with a status report.  Make sure your team members understand that they should lead the discussion and therefore they should be prepared to share current state, challenges, lessons learned and needs.  Every team member may not need the same frequency of follow up, so consider each individuals level of expertise, and the complexity of their work.

What's Holding You Back? Maybe Its You.

A redwood tree can live thousands of years and grow to be 400 feet tall.   It is particularly resistant to things that most trees can't withstand -- insect infestation, fungal rot, and even fire. Like us, redwoods are thought to get even stronger when they face adversity.  They grow wider root systems with each storm.  Their bark become thicker when burned.  New trees can grow from living root systems, even if the tree is cut down.  But, these mighty giants can be destroyed... by poison.  In business, there may be behaviors, habits and even thoughts that are poisoning your progress.

Beware of those mental destroyers that might turn you into a victim and destroy your likelihood of achieving everything you want to achieve:  

• "I inherited this dysfunctional team."
  • Well of course you inherited them.  Unless you are starting a business from the ground up, what's the likelihood that you will get to hand pick the team? 
  • As the leader, it's your job to coach, give feedback, correct, praise, engage, give clear direction and more. 
  • Make sure people know your expectations because they may differ from those of their last boss.  You don't get off the hook just because you didn't recruit and hire the team yourself.  
• "My boss doesn't like me."
  • This is an unfortunate position to be in, but not an unusual one.  Research shows that most workers have had a boss who they felt didn't like them.  It's possible to do well in your role despite your boss's disposition towards you.  It may be tougher, but it's possible.  
  • Find a mentor who you can leverage as a sounding board, network with others in the organization, and build relationships outside your organization as well.  These actions can help fill in the gaps you are experiencing with your boss.
  • Schedule monthly or biweekly 1-on-1 meeting with your manager and be sure to state your agenda.  This is the time to tell your leader what you've accomplished lately, and warn him/her about any thing that might not be going according to plan (over-budget, behind schedule, unhappy customers, quality control issues, etc.)  
  • Ask your leader what you can do to assist her.  Ask if there is something she can delegate to you that would help reduce her stress or make her day go better.
• "They don't listen to me or value me."
  • Keep sharing your ideas and keep offering your solutions.
  • Value your own contributions.  Make a list of your accomplishments each month - if no one else is recognizing them; you still can.
  • Remember: It's never the wrong time to do the right thing.   Even if it seems no body is watching.
• "They are trying to get rid of me or sabotage me."          
  • Don't give them a way or a reason.  If your work is impeccable and consistent, this is less likely to happen. 
  • There are few jobs that are free from risk of termination, but your own performance will be the number one factor in whether you are asked to leave or welcomed to stay.

Most of the destroyers we experience in the workplace involve other people.  And, some of the solutions in the workplace involve  other people as well.  This demonstrates how important relationships are.  Just like the redwood, which intertwines its roots with those of neighboring trees to grow stronger;  we have stronger careers when we have stronger relationships.  No matter how resilient you are, networking with the right people will help you to thrive.