The title of this week’s blog was seen on the wall of a conference room at Intel’s headquarters. First, make sure you even need a meeting, then read on for ways to get the most out of your time: Plan in Advance: Take time to identify the purpose, content and results. Communicate the Goal: Start the meeting with a clear goal, and ensure the important topics are discussed before the meeting is over. Communicate the meeting process and the time allocated for the meeting. Start and End on Time: Consider doing standing or walking meetings to keep them short. Plus, your brain works better when you’re moving. Always keep track of action items and time left in the meeting. Check for Understanding an
Since we work with a lot of mid-level managers, we happen to think you're superstars, and so does the Wall Street Journal in this article, The Economy’s Last Best Hope: Superstar Middle Managers. It’s a long one, so we’re providing you a summary in 2 minutes. Know just how important you are to the success of your organization! 1. According to a Gallup poll based on a decade of input from nearly 2 million employees, a company’s productivity depends on the quality of its managers. Something Gallup had never seen before. Our comment: A company is only as good as a person’s immediate supervisor. Your company should spend time selecting, training and developing the right people to lead people. 2
First quarter is over. You had great intentions at the beginning of the year. You met with your team, got the whiteboard out, set S.M.A.R.T. goals, and agreed on quarterly action plans. Is that plan in action or did you get bogged down in emails and ineffective meetings? Here are a few strategies to keep the focus on the important goals you set: Are your goals still relevant? Do they still help you toward your long-term strategy? Take just 45 minutes each quarter to reassess your targets and make changes when needed. That doesn’t mean you get to put them off; make sure they’re still getting you where you need and want to go. Is your action plan a high priority? Do you spend most of your work
My last two blogs outlined the harsh realities of becoming a manager. So this week, I'm pointing out the rewards; they can be small some days and other days the rewards can be huge. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Both professionally and personally: Influence Company Culture - You create the environment for your team. Employees will stay at a company because of their immediate boss. You have the opportunity to make the workplace enjoyable for other people. Develop Teammates - As a new leader, you become a coach and a mentor to those around you. Your team will look to you for guidance and feedback. You get to help others find pride in their work and bring their ideas to life. For some, this can
