One of my longtime clients placed a bulk order for her team of my latest book, Wake-Up Calls for Managers: Insights to Sharpen Focus and Elevate Results (warms an author’s heart!), and then asked me a question. “Art, why Wake-Up Calls for a title?” I love this question! Here’s my rationale:
We’re in new territory, and old ways of thinking need to be cast aside
Everything is and/or will shift about how we structure, lead, invest, and engage our people in this world. It’s an amazing time to rethink the need for, use, and impact of the manager. It’s an amazing time to think differently about everything we do related to strategy, innovation, and engagement.
A fresh jolt of morning coffee (yeah, there’s the leadership caffeine tie-in) is essential for waking up and taking on the new day!
The old way of managing isn’t working.
Just look at the engagement numbers from Gallup every year, where at least 60-70% (or more) of your workforce is disengaged. Even if Gallup is off by half, a statistical error I imagine they would deny vehemently, collectively, we’re stinking up the place on managing. I checked, and there’s no way to grow and lead a successful business with your people checked out and miserable.
It’s time for a wake-up call on how we manage. It goes further. It’s about how we select, teach, coach, and support those who manage.
Too much wrong-headed thinking about cutting costs
Managers are easy targets in too many restructurings, reflecting ignorance of the role’s potential positive impact. In my recent article, Why Gutting Management Layers is the Wrong Response to AI, I suggest the short-sighted, easy cost-cutting ignores the real issues of engagement, leadership, and culture. I make the case for reconceiving the role, not eliminating it. “The delayerers (cost-cutters)ignore the need for greater organizational agility and adaptability in our uncertain world. They don’t understand the changed world of strategy, and, as the carpenter left with only a hammer, they see every problem as a nail to be pounded into place.”
It’s time for a wake-up call on the role of the manager.
The people issues are arguably more pronounced/complex
I work with some of the smartest people in the world in AI and technology. They are amazing. Yet, the limiting factors in their work aren’t tied to AI or technology. It’s all about people and the rate of change. Growing influence, leading in the matrix, navigating organizational politics, and gaining support for their ideas are the real issues blocking their progress.
It’s time for a wake-up call on how we approach the people issues in front of us.
Every problem in the workplace has communication issues at the core
The majority of my time with clients, both leaders and contributors, is spent on planning for or dealing with problems where communication issues are at the core. Even giving quality behavioral feedback remains as elusive as Jason’s search for The Golden Fleece. Top leaders struggle to create context for all the change they are hitting their teams with. And technical experts need support in making the case for direction and investment.
It’s time for a wake-up call on how we communicate.
—
I can keep going, but that’s the long-enough answer to that great question of why I selected ‘Wake-Up Calls’ for my book title. We all need to wake up and adjust, adapt, and reinvent.
Sidebar: I confess to being inspired by Henry Mintzberg’s outstanding collection of essays: Bedtime Stories for Managers: Farewell, Lofty Leadership…Welcome Engaging Management as well. I’m covering another day-part and a broader field of content, but Mintzberg’s collection is a great resource for us all!
The Bottom Line:
I love the Leadership Caffeine brand that has served me well for so many years. It was meant to motivate the hard work of leading and managing. Wake-Up Calls is a call to arms to think and act differently about everything we’re doing in our organizations. Now that you are well caffeinated, let’s get moving!
—
Shameless Promotion and an Offer
I’m proud of Wake-Up Calls. It addresses core issues I encounter with my clients daily in a practical, action-focused format. Ideal for anyone managing, about to
manage, or leading informally, including team leads, project and program managers; the collection of articles is a go-to resource for thinking differently and turning ideas into actions.
Let me know if I can fill a bulk order of 10 or more for you ([email protected]) or, for smaller quantities, please point your browser to Amazon, where you can pick up the paperback or Kindle version.
For bulk orders, reach back out to me for my guide on using the book as part of your team’s professional development efforts. For orders of 25 or more, I’m happy to join you and your team on Zoom to host a live Q/A and overview of the book and how to best use it to sharpen insights and elevate results.
—