Focus on process, not people

Usually when something goes wrong, someone will tell you what happened and who was involved. A lot of people tend to focus on who dropped the ball.

I find it’s more productive to focus on the process.

The process is the process. And often when something goes wrong, it’s often because the process has weaknesses. A process is like a recipe: meant to ensure the same outcome every time someone makes it, no matter what their skill level is.  There is a big difference between a list of ingredients and a great recipe.

When we focus on the person, we miss the point, which is anyone could have been doing those steps and had the same problem happen to them.

So the next time a situation comes across your desk, ask what the process is and figure out how to change the process so it doesn’t happen again-no matter who was doing the steps.

A Way To Get Help

It’s rare I hear anything really new in the way of advice (this is what happens when you’ve worked as long as I have). But I recently attended an event where a senior woman shared that this is what she tells her children, which I thought was very true.

“Find a good person and make your problem their problem.”

Very often, we’re afraid to ask for help, or we go to the wrong people. When you’re stuck with a problem, this is a great thing to keep in mind.

Assuming Positive Intent

So, I just went through this myself. A colleague went to my boss to complain about how something was disseminated in the organization. He felt “out of the loop” and blindsided. And while it had been communicated, the details hadn’t been shared. And I was so knee deep into that project I thought everyone knew about it. So here were the thoughts that ran through my head (I am human).

“What a jerk. He could have called me and said something.” “If he was so interested, he could have initiated the question and found out about it.” “Really? With everything going on, this is what you complain about?”

So after the tirade in my head (and my fingers itching to send a response), I thought: “Well, maybe other people feel the same way. So I probably need to change our process to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”  So, I’ll come up with options and ask people to choose.

Do I like the way he did it? No. But will good come out of it? I think so. (But boy, is it hard!)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Whether or not you’re in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is about more than just your significant other.

It’s easy to get swept up in the demands of the job, but moments of joy, for me,  only happen with the people I love. (LL#10)

I know for me, work gives me purpose. But the people I love give my life meaning.

13. Be brave. Stand up for your position.

It’s easy to avoid antagonism, arguments, aggressive people. It’s much easier to conform and be politically correct. But if you want to learn, lead, and innovate, you have to be brave.

Being brave is always about two things: 1) speaking up and 2) taking the unpopular, but what you believe to be right position.

This is an interesting article by Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal, among other achievements. He talks about how great companies succeed, not by competing with each other, but by being so good at what they do, no one can provide a substitute.  I think this is also how people succeed: not because they compete with each other, but because they are great at what they do, and because not many others do the work necessary to come close.

He also talks about the problem of conformity “We never really push the envelope; we never really ask the tough questions.”  I love the last line of his article:  “And remember, we live in a world in which courage is in far shorter supply than genius.”

So don’t let the moment pass by being silent. Speak up. Be brave.

Mobility

I am a big believer in mobility because I like variability. In college, I liked the electives better than my core courses. I like the sides better than the main course. I like accessories better than the outfit.

A lot of people ask me about mobility: how I did it. It happened two ways for me.

1. Someone told me I was moving. Now at the time, I was often not happy about it. I felt like I had just gotten the hang of things, and they were moving me already? Looking back, those moves were the best opportunities of my career. I learned how to adapt to change, how to get the lay of the land quickly, how to assess people, and how to build relationships and teams. Every time I moved, I had to do all of these things all over again. So it was great practice because those skills are important in managing your career. Others saw in me potential I didn’t see in myself.

2. I raised my hand. There were times when I felt that I had “overstayed” my welcome. That the job was pretty much business-as-usual, and that there wasn’t anything that was going to surprise me. My gut would tell me it was time to move…to try something else, to challenge myself, and keep learning.  In those situations, I would have a conversation with my manager about possible next steps.

Regardless of which way mobility happens, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Stay in your job long enough to have contributed. Jumping from one role to the next isn’t a sign of progress, it’s a sign of someone who’s chasing the next thing. And jumping for the money alone isn’t a good enough reason.

2. Be patient about your next move. Good moves take time (great jobs don’t tend to stay open long). Sometimes it’s about timing.

3. Don’t lose focus on the job you’re in today. You still have to perform. Don’t neglect your day job.

4. Educate yourself: talk to people in different roles. Ask them what they like about their job. Ask them what they don’t like. A peer is likely to be a lot more honest with you than a manager who’s selling you a role. I always spoke to someone who worked for the manager who was interviewing me.

5. Be picky. I have turned down roles I didn’t think were right. I’ve never looked back and thought : “Wow, I really should have taken that role.”  I have thought: “Gee, I should have stayed longer.”

 

 

Don’t be an order taker

This is a big pet peeve of mine. When someone acts like “an order taker.”

What do I mean by that? You get a request or a task which is dependent on inputs from someone else, and you just pass it through. You copy and paste into your document and pass it on. You accept the requirements. You don’t question. You just fill the order.

Does it take a lot more work to ask questions and ask for clarification? You bet. But if it passes through your hands, it’s now yours. You’ve taken their inputs and incorporated it into your output: whether it’s a report, a system enhancement, a change request.  So if you had no idea what they were talking about, it doesn’t put you in the best position to defend what you did. And “that’s what they said” isn’t a great explanation.

Ask the questions. Make sure you understand what they’re trying to convey. They may get irritated, but explain why you’re asking… because you want the best possible outcome. And don’t constantly send it back with lots of little comments or questions. Set up a meeting, walk through it, and if need be, take the pen. Everyone will be better off.

You didn’t get promoted…now what?

Nothing is more disappointing than not getting something you were expecting/hoping for.

In my career, I have had many people come to my office upset because they didn’t get promoted. I always ask the one question:

“Did you have a conversation with your manager about promotion?”

Every time, the answer is no.

I know everyone wants to believe that their works speaks for itself. That it will come to them because they deserve it. That it’s impolite to bring it up if your manager hasn’t.

Nope. Here’s the reason why: your manager may think you’re not interested.

Once you have the conversation, a couple of things will happen:

1. Your manager will be supportive: you’ll work on a plan together to make it happen.  If your manager is supportive, you’ll probably see the change right away. Someone I spoke to who did this saw that she was given much more exposure, invited to more meetings, and given the ball more frequently. That’s exactly what should happen.

2. Your manager might be surprised and not think you’re ready. The question you need to ask is “Is my promotion an if or a when question”?   Someday is different than never.

If the answer is “when”, you need to have a frank conversation about what you need to work on. Is it platform, perception, or performance? (see LL#24)  Create a set of action steps with your manager, and schedule a quarterly touch base on how the plan is progressing. Don’t get too hung up on timeframes: you want to be ready when it happens.

If the answer is “if”, meaning they’re not convinced you can operate at the next level, you need to ask yourself the hard question: “Is my manager right?”

I have had many conversations in my career with people who thought they were ready to be promoted, but I didn’t agree. Often it’s a timing issue. But sometimes, it’s not, especially at the more senior level. It’s a hard conversation to have because the individual compares themselves to other people at that level, or because they are strong performers in their current role.  But that’s not the only thing needed. So here are two things to think about:

1. Do you trust your manager’s opinion?  If your manager is telling you you’re not ready, are they specific with your areas of weakness? Is your manager respected within his or her peer group?  Have you heard this feedback before? Do you think other people you respect would agree with your manager’s assessment? Do you respect your manager’s opinion? Do you think it can be changed?

2. Why do you think you should be promoted? Will you be able to meet the criteria of the new role? Have you demonstrated that consistently to a meaningful population? Why does your opinion differ from your manager’s?

Keep in mind: it’s easy for a manager to put a candidate forward, and let the process weed weak candidates out. It’s a lot harder for a manager to have the honest conversation. It may not be what you want to hear, but at least they told you the truth from their perspective. There is nothing worse than 1) the promotion that clearly was too early, or 2) the loss of a talented person who didn’t realize they were on the promotion track.

So in order to prevent those two things from happening, have the conversation before you decide what to do next.