by Rick Baker
On Oct 1, 2014
When people don't do what you expect consider the possibility this is due to one or more of the following complications:
- They understood what you asked but they didn't know how to do what you asked
- They understood what you asked but they forgot to do it
- They understood what you asked but they chose not to do it
- They didn't understand what you asked
These 4 possibilities represent significantly different situations.
To help your people do better in the future, use very different approaches for these 4 situations.
If you do not adapt to fit the situation then you are more likely to hinder rather than help your people improve their performance. Coupled with this, if you do not adapt to fit the situations, you will expand confusion...their confusion and yours.
In fact, you will need to address nuances within these 4 possibilities. You will need to take different tactical approaches. You need to consider the situation thoroughly. To do this, you will need to ask questions to determine what is causing your people to under-perform.
Design questions to hone in on the specific cause of the under-performance. For example, regardless of the situation, investigate to determine if the problem signals:
- a delegation-communication error,
- a lack of required knowledge, or
- a lack of talent or skill.
Those are the 'Big 3' causes of under-performance, so, investigate them first. Discover the true source of the under-performance. Then design a solution plan to help your people get from where they are to where they need to be.
PS: Yes, you may be tempted to conclude the under-performance is due to bad attitude. It is very normal to conclude 'attitude' is the cause of problems. However, more often than not this conclusion is exactly what causes problems to linger, fester, and repeat.
by Rick Baker
On Sep 29, 2014
A little too spoiled
A little too self-satisfied
A little too insensitive to the needs of others
A little too comfortable with a job not-well-done
A little too aloof
A little too cocky
A little too distracted
A little too busy
So true...it's the little things that count.
Beware the breeding grounds for bad habits.
***
I see people doing the same things over and over, knowing those things repeatedly lead to problems and errors.
I see people doing the same things over and over, knowing those things repeatedly lead to success.
For example, I see successful small business leaders repeatedly performing a success formula:
- Focusing on the acquisition of specialized knowledge in their chosen business sector
- Recognizing patterns that contain opportunities
- Investigating and gaining more-critical specialized knowledge
- Taking advantage of the opportunities and solving problems for other people.
by Rick Baker
On Sep 22, 2014
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
We have been taught and conditioned to think of 'self-conscious' people as timid people, people who cower under negative self-images.
Let's give this another think.
Better still; let's replace that first-thought with a constructive thought.
Self-consciousness is a good thing:
- It means the person has given some thought to self...thinking about self is an important thing to do.
- It means the person is aware of self...self-awareness is a valuable commodity.
Self-awareness, like any other skill, takes practice. That practice should be done with an open mind.
Let's stop assuming self-conscious thought and awareness is only directed toward the negatives.
Let's assume that self-conscious thought will result in finding positive things like talent, courage, confidence, conviction, & creativity.
Put another way - "I was thinking and feeling rather self-conscious the other day. Wow, was I ever proud of myself!"