We write and talk about the challenges, trials, and pitfalls of those getting started in management. What we don't do enough of is offer some perspective on the potential for the role of manager to evolve into a rewarding career. Here's my attempt to balance the scales a bit with at least six ideas why you will love managing. While it's not all unicorns and rainbows, there are some truly rewarding aspects to this role.
Challenging workplace conversations and even confrontations are inevitable. The key is to be at your best when many might be at their worst. Learn to tie these three together—own your message, manage yourself in the moment, and practice positive persuasion—and you have a bright communication future in front of you.
New manager development in many organizations is ad hoc at best and non-existent at worst. And while short-term pressures often drive sudden decisions to move people into first-time manager roles, the potential for misfiring is high. For managers responsible for identifying and developing new managers, effort expended ahead of time in assessing the individual's fit for the role pays dividends for all parties. Of course, this takes some time and effort ahead of the need. As my old boss would say, "You have to put your back into it."
There's a process to reinventing your career. Unfortunately, for those who like things nice and tidy and linear, the process regularly involves pivoting and back-tracking plus the occasional unanticipated course correction. And while there's no straight line or stage-gate process, the general flow of your career reinvention work eventually passes through these six steps.
I fret over feedback poorly provided. I also recognize that not all feedback is worth listening to—a great deal depends upon the source and the motivations of the feedback giver. However, I worry a great deal about the incredible and immeasurable cost of important feedback never given. As Deming suggests, this value is unknown and unknowable. And that worries me.
We all receive advice during our career journeys. In my case, one piece of advice I received early in my career stuck with me and served as a constant reminder to the key to success. Here's that advice along with my add-on based on over three decades of putting the guidance to great use.
When you're struggling to create clarity on an important topic or navigating a heated group discussion, it pays to stop talking and start drawing. This sudden shift in medium takes the negative energy out of discussion and focuses your audience on designing a way forward. Here are 7 tips to help you get to the whiteboard in pursuit of communication clarity:
The invitation to present to your organization's senior executives is a pivotal career moment for many young professionals. Crush it (in a good way), and you make a name for yourself and show up on the radar screen as someone on the rise and worth watching. Stumble, and you make an impression as well, just not the one you wanted to make. This article outlines ten tips to help you crush it with this great career opportunity.
Before saying "no" to that messy situation, recognize that the mess is the opportunity. Being invited to fix a messy situation is like receiving an engraved invitation to success on a silver platter.
In any given workplace, there are a wide variety of communication styles on display. While the variation creates a rich environment for engaging and sharing ideas, there are a few styles and behaviors that get in the way of your communication and career success. If you or someone you know resemble one of the three styles: watchmaker, interruptor, or arguer, it's time to get help and adapt your communication style.
