Joe and Wanda on Management

In a 2007 white paper on Empathy in the workplace, researchers with the Center for Creative Leadership share results of a study they performed. It indicates that manager empathy is positively related to overall job performance. The paper also references a 2009 study which claims that 50% of managers are seen as poor performers or failures in their jobs. So why not teach managers to be a little more empathetic?

Thoughts Joe and Wanda?

Joe Kerr: Well, I’m a terrific manager, so either I’ve learned to successfully compensate for my lack of empathy, or I’m incredibly empathetic and don’t even realize it!

Wanda B. Goode: Might as well try something! Selling the advantages of the softer side of management is tough, but this study should help as it points to a positive correlation to hard results.

Here are a couple of related posts
Sales Managers as Empathetic Leaders
Management Skills: Three Ways to Build Empathy
Empathy Can’t be Taught but it Can be Practiced

In Debra Benton’s new book, The Virtual Executive, she has some great quotes about continuous learning…

There are two basic needs in life: procreation and education. The first enables humankind to survive, the second enables you to survive.

If you don’t continue to learn, your ROI will stand for “return on ignorance.”

Ignorance makes simple things 10 times more difficult than they should be and difficult things nearly impossible.

Comments, Joe and Wanda?

Joe Kerr: Haven’t had a whole lot of education post college, but I have done my share of procreating. So, I definitely have that going for me. Humankind owes me a debt of gratitude.

Wanda B. Goode: Great quotes. Learning is so important. The hard part is making the time to do it. It’s easy to get swept up in the day-to-day of our busy jobs and neglect our education. We need to block off some time each week for ourselves and encourage our team members to do the same.

Some related quotes and a related post

“Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.”
– Will Rogers

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live.”

Three Ways to Promote Continuous Learning

Dan McCarthy hosts the May, 2011 Leadership Development Carnival at his site, Great Leadership. Sample the dozens of management and leadership articles posted this month.

Kevin Eikenberry, co-author of From Bud to Boss, joins us for the second time on the Management Tips Podcast Series. With this tip, Kevin focuses on new leaders. He suggests that new managers have five very important conversations as soon as possible. If they do, their jobs will be much more effective and enjoyable. Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Kevin’s new book, From Bud to Boss, actually launches today, February 15th. To celebrate, some free gifts are available to those that purchase the book today. To find out more, visit http://www.frombudtoboss.com

 

 Kevin Eikenberry's Management Tip [8:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dan McCarthy hosts the January, 2011 Leadership Development Carnival at his site, Great Leadership. Sample the 30+ management and leadership articles posted this month.

Here’s another one from Chester Elton’s latest book, The Orange Revolution.

“A leader’s greatest success comes by lifting someone else into the spotlight. It’s a truth too few managers ever learn.”

Why is that Joe and Wanda?

Joe Kerr: Because they are very heavy, and they ain’t my brothers!

Wanda B. Goode: I think it’s because it’s a bit counterintuitive. It’s similar to, “the more you give, the more you get.” It seems one has to experience it first hand before it is believed. Getting over the hump is not easy.

A couple of related posts…

Ten Things for Sure about Building a Business
The Mentor Leader

In his new book, Good Boss, Bad Boss, Robert Sutton mentions that developing and sustaining self-awareness should be at the top of the list of skills to develop for every boss. Most people don’t realize their own deficiencies. To make matters worse, according to studies, when people are given just a little bit of power they tend to become self-centered and less compassionate.

Thoughts, Joe and Wanda?

Joe Kerr: The only person that might know me better than me is my momma, and she is very well aware that her Joey is the cat’s meow.

Wanda B. Goode: This reminds me of that study where 75% of men considered themselves in the top 25% in athletic ability. People just have a tough time evaluating themselves objectively. Furthermore, even a small dose of power does not help matters. I suppose just knowing these things is the first step toward self-awareness. For me, it also emphasizes the importance of having someone close by that can tell the emperor she has no clothes.

Here are a couple of related posts…
The Enemy is Me
A Leader’s First Lesson in Self-Awareness: Shut Up and Listen

A few posts ago we discussed the concept of emotional commitment from Stan Slap’s book,
Bury My Heart in Conference Room B. We left you hanging a bit without explaining how to achieve that coveted state. Well, glad you returned, because below is an attempt to summarize Stan’s process for doing so…

Slap explains that as a manager you must live your values at work and convince those that work in your organization to do the same. How do you convince other employees to follow your values? You need to explain how doing so will positively impact them and the team. Easier said than done, huh? Well, here’s the path…

• Identify your top 3 values (a method for doing so is included in the book) and share them in vivid detail. Provide “moment of truth” stories from your personal life that have shaped these values.
• Describe the current state as these values continue to be compromised – how both you and the team are negatively impacted. Stan calls this the “bitter place.”
• Describe how good thing will be if everyone lives the values – the “better place.” As a manager, you don’t necessarily need to know how to get to the better place. The team members will help figure that out.
• Explain how they will achieve significance, belonging, and self worth if they live the values.
• Get on with living the values

Stan gives plenty of examples and provides advice as to how to deal with those naysayer that might think you are off your rocker.

He also advocates that you apply the steps in your personal life before bringing the concepts to the workplace.

I know this is fairly high level, but hopefully it’s enough to get those noodles noodling. What to you think Joe and Wanda?

Joe Kerr: I think Stanley has had one too many Slaps upside the head.

Wanda B. Goode: Don’t knock it until you try it. I’m interested in learning more. The concept of exposing your human side at work seems like a powerful thing. If it can help improve employee engagement (to include mine), I’m all for it.

Here’s a related post
Book Review: Stan Slap

According to Stan Slap in his book, Bury My Heart in Conference Room B, Wanda was correct when she mentioned in the last post that value alignment was the key to manager emotional commitment.

“The key neurobiological source of emotional commitment is the ability to live your own deepest values in a relationship or environment. As a manager, this means the relationship with your company and your environment at work.”

Slap goes on to explain that the reason that more companies don’t embrace this truism is fear.

“This is the great fear of the corporate organism: If I set you free to pursue your own priorities, you’ll leave me and I’ll die. The problem is, managers are already free. They’re free to detach, which is about as free as one can get.”

Joe Kerr: Of course it’s value-alignment. It’s a no-brainer. Hearts and minds!

Wanda B. Goode: So with all the fear and conflicting values, how can we live our values in the workplace? Something tells me we’re going to have to wait for the answer…

Here’s a related post to keep you engaged until next time!
Getting Beyond Engagement to Creating Meaning at Work

The July, 2010 Leadership Development Carnival is up at Dan McCarthy’s Great Leadership site. There are about 40 management and leadership articles available this month. Enjoy.