Tag: managing people

Write It Down

With repeated COVID infections
all damaging the brain
combined
with all the disasters
worrying and distracting us,
the world is getting
stupider.

We have to offset
that stupid.

How?

One solid tactic
is to write down everything
and to force those around us
– employees, partners, suppliers –
to write things down also.

Document systems,
strategies, customer interactions,
cold calling scripts,
everything that is important
to the running of our businesses.

Then make it easy
for people to access
that information.
Ensure databases are accessible
and searchable.

Write everything critical
down.
You’ll need that documentation.

Project Managers Align

The zucchini/courgette plants
are starting to flower.

These plants have male flowers
and female flowers
and you need both
to create viable fruit.

The male and female flowers
don’t always
flower at the same time.

It is the gardener’s job
to align them,
which sometimes means
picking the male flower
and saving it in the fridge
until a female flower flowers.

Project managers have a similar job.
We align people and tasks and resources
to ensure the production
of a viable product/service.

It doesn’t happen naturally.
It requires work.

Put in that work.

Trust Your Customer

A personal consultant
told me
to do something
X way.

I told her
my brain would fight me
on that.

I would do the something
Y way instead.

The consultant argued
I would more likely
achieve the something
with X way
and said
I was dooming myself
and the something
to failure.

I know my own brain
better than she does.

I know how I think.

I know how I’ll be
most successful.

Trust me.

Your customer likely knows
themself
much better than you do
also.

Listen to them
when they tell you
what best works for them.

And consider
at least trying it
their way.

People Rarely Change

One of my loved ones
creates drama and fights
wherever she goes.

She visited other loved ones
over the holidays.
There were fights and drama.

Some of those loved ones
were surprised.
The drama-creating loved one
was older.
They thought
she had changed.

People rarely
if ever change.

That employee
who isn’t concerned
about being on time?
They will
never be concerned
about being on time.
Plan around that.

That partner
who does everything
at the last minute?
They will continue
to do everything
at the last minute.
Plan around that also.

People rarely change.
Work with who they are
or don’t work with them
at all.

Leaders Are Stress Absorbers

A loved one has a new boss.
This loved one’s job
is already super stressful.
The new boss
is unnecessarily
adding to that stress.

Which means
the new boss isn’t doing
THEIR job.

One of our tasks
as leaders
(and business builders
ARE leaders)
is to absorb stress.

We clear that sh*t
out of the way
so our people don’t have
to worry about it.
They can concentrate
on doing their jobs
to the best
of their abilities.

Absorb the stress.
Relay only the emotions
your people need
to do their jobs.