Managers, Up your game at work using social media tools

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/managers_need_to_up_their_game.html

PLEASE HELP. GOING TO WORK HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE

Afternoon Every one and I hope you have been having a splendid week so far? I received a question recently which I have detailed below:

Evening Nikky,

I am the head of sales in my company and honestly lately work has become nightmare. You know how the country is now and my people don't seem to want/care to be there. It's always one complaint or the other with them making no real effort to do anything. My CEO is breathing down my neck and it takes all the effort in my body to still come to work. What do I do? I've made up my mind to leave but wanted your advice on how best to do this...(identity withheld to protect the writer)

This question is one I have been asked in one form or the other over the last few years. Please find below a few tips I shared with my friends and these i guarantee will be effective for managers and team leads working in Nigeria:

First, do not quit. It may sound easy in theory to just 'walk away from it all" but this is an attitude you do not want to cultivate. The economy is hard yes and as such you can't just walk away however, there is no job on this earth that will not add value to you as a human being and an employee. If you tackle the problem head on first and do not resort to quitting, there are valuable lessons, competencies, and skills to be learn that will make you an excellent employee for the next employer, when you decide to move on to a better job (as opposed to simply running away into maybe possibly a worse situation) Do not let anyone or anything make you leave before your time. Work through the situation and only leave on your own terms as opposed to leaving feeling broken and dejected.

Next, do a personal audit. It is hard to admit sometimes, but when things are going wrong, blame does not always lie in a "difficult" boss or staff members, sometimes, it lies within us. Sit down and assess both your job description and skills & competencies required for your job and take a look at yourself. Notice any gaps? Is there any part of your job that you dislike (and be honest, don't forget, it's just you at this audit!) For ex,Do you find yourself hating to talk to new people and a key component of your job requires meeting clients on a daily basis? If yes, you would need to start closing that gap. Why not make a plan to say hi to at least two strangers a day and continue on a conversation you would normally flee from. Gradually you will notice you are overcoming this dislike and learning to enjoy more interaction. While you can request for formal training, also set our a training plan for yourself. Buy relevant books, go online and do personality tests, and map out a plan for learning and implementing your new skills. But always remain honest and objective. Sometimes, managers and team leads get caught up with being busy being busy because sometimes it's just easier than being accountable. But this is your wake up call! Get back to doing your job. Don't get lost in administrative duties, work squabbles, and irate customers. Make and stick to your to do list, set daily goals for your self and accomplish. Take a hard look at the company strategy and vision and decide TODAY what you're part is going to be to accomplish it. Look out for new customers if you are not in sales and recommit yourself once again to your office. Take sometime and remember all the things you love about your job (I don't care why you took the job in the first place because since you joined them there will be things you love about your job, work enviroment, staff, boss, etc)

Are you allowing issues spill over while at work? Better work life balance might be needed. Never underestimate the power of a few minutes prayer and writing down a list (both in a both and on outlook) and meditating over it to give you both allow you relax and get into work mode as well clear your head of any negative energy accompanying you into work. You can do this first thing in the morning and anytime during the day when you want to consult your to do list.

Next do an audit of your team. Yes, you must work with Human Resources to come up with a training and motivation plan for your staff, but what happens if one is implemented and it isn't working? Or HR does not exist in your firm? Being in a position of leadership is about more than making orders, it is about taking responsibility and ownership of both the good and the bad. If there is a plan for training and motivation, take hold of that plan today and make sure it is being implemented. Tweak it if necessary to fit your team. What about if there is no plan? It is then up to you to create one. Draft a plan for your team, analyse current issues, set out solutions, give a time line to succeed, and make sure you have put in SMART solutions for any obstacles you think you will face. Also, have one on one chats with your team members. Find out what is happening with them and their work. Ask about problems on the job and empathise with them. Also ask about what motivates them to work besides money. Have you noticed quite a few people have sweet tooth's? Why not start a competition for who can talk to the most new clients and offer a bag of sweets to the winner. Do you have a little bit of money left from your departmental budget? why not set it aside to buy a gift to the highest achiever in your team. 

And above all, never ignore problems hoping they will go away. Is morale at an all time low? gossip at an all time high? people bullying one another? Then get to the heart of the matter. Observe your team for a week. Go out with them as much as possible. Have one on one meetings with everyone and pay close attention to what the say, what they don't say, and their body language. Sometimes in this situation, the solution is as easy as recognising your high achievers and finding out how you can reward them for a job well done (no matter how little or how much money you have) as well as weeding out the bad apples and working with human resources to stop the problem once and for all.

But what if the problem is a little more tricky - you are faced with nepotism, the CEO's office pet, or a bad employee that has survived and remains in the company against all odds? What if money is tight or you have been told point blank there is no money and you have no one to turn to for creative advice on how to motivate and train your people? Nigeria is vastly different in terms of the work climate to anywhere else but there is no problem without an implementable solution as I have encountered all this and more over the course of my career. Over the course of the week, I will be outlining solutions (that i guarantee will work!)to tackle these problems. Have a great day everybody.

http://dearartiste.blogspot.com/2012/03/cultivating-relationships-that-help.html?spref=fb

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER AND LIFE PART 2

Welcome back folks and today, we’re still talking about taking control of career and life.

OK, so now you have your notebook containing what you want to change and how you plan to do it... in theory, but now what? I know here in our beloved country ,Nigeria, it is easy to get discouraged with the multitude of problems that we encounter and what we see as obstacles and even feel anger when we remember how far away we are from the dream life we wanted. However, we must never let go of our dreams nor our life plans. Rest assured your plan can be translated into something realistic and implementable. However, there needs to be a shift at this point from being a 'dreamer" to becoming a "doer". For 15 years now, generation X and generation Y have heard " anything is possible, just hold on to your dream" but somewhere down the line some one forgot to tell us here in Nigeria how that will be possible for all of us when so few opportunities seem to exist.

Mark has always wanted to be a musician but unfortunately opportunities have been far and few between. Mark doesn't know anyone, can't play an instrument, and seems to be interested in a brand of music that isn't popular in Nigeria and besides Mark is getting older and needs to earn an income. Should he give up? A big fat No, but he may have to learn to “translate” his dream into reality. How does he do this, here are a few tips Mark followed and you can as well:

1.      Mark wrote down his vision and plan in a notebook just as we have already done. Oh yes, he wants to be a musician, but how is he going to get there when he is currently working in a construction firm as an office administrator? Mark remained practical and objective and wrote down what he wanted to do, looked at his present reality, his abilities, and the disadvantages working against him. He also wrote a couple of songs to test his skills, sang a few out loud and recorded them on his phone, and in the process found out a few key truths about himself.

2.      Some of these truths he found out was he didn't have some key skills and funding himself in Nigeria was harder than he thought it would be. He also realised rather than turning to anyone, he wanted to be patient and save up.

3.      Mark now asked himself, now that i have a vision, how will i translate this into something i want to do all  my life?  How do i build a legacy? Mark realised he specific training, skills and competency building; money, and mentoring

4.      So Mark went online and attending courses, bought a couple of instruments and got some training, found some mentors who he watched closely and were happy to interact with him.

5.      He then realised he needed to not only get a job but a one that paid well and in which he will learn new skills. Mark realised he needed to build up his personal portfolio, develop better job skills, save money living within his means and sacrificing, and by creating a five year plan

Mark has now knows that yes he can become a Musician, but in order to become one, he needs to get real, obtain relevant experience, become the best at what he does, and create a plan for building his Legacy. Mark has realised that from sitting to translate his dream into a working plan that in 5 years, he could save up enough money to build an in house music studio which will allow him not only record music but work for others allowing him to not only sustain his dream but earn a living in what he does while also building the dreams of others. Mark also also now knows he needs more on the job experience and works twice a week at a lounge down the road from his house as a backup singer for his mentor. He has a plan to have his own gig within the club in 2 years. Mark is now currently looking for a job within the entertainment industry which is in with his experience, skills, and training. He knows he may have to start low but with hard work and dedication he will get where to he wants to be.

Remember this, both at work and in our lives, we are all responsible for our happiness and there is nothing stopping us from taking ownership of our lives. I know its hard sometimes because we deal with so much and must respect the rules, regulations, and norms of where we find ourselves but there is always a way to create a better life for ourselves. First things first, start making yourself happy. look back at that list of a 100 things that made you happy, see any activities you can do? places to go? people to see, that you had previously said make you happy?

Then personally make a decision not to coast along any more, take your life by the horns and tell yourself, if God gives me life, where do i want to be in a few years? Make your own list of 100 things to do before turning 40; Buy a notebook and start writing all your thoughts to see how you grow; start a facebook page about your hobby in life;  or maybe just maybe finally find yourself on a plane to a place you only dreamt of before to learn something that will both change your life now and give you a better tomorrow.

If you would like more information on this topic , please send me an email at insitefulsolutionsconsult@gmail.com

Take care every one and have a great weekend.

http://bitfieldconsulting.com/get-your-life-back-12-steps-taking-control-email

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER AND LIFE

Last night a friend of mine walked up to me to tell me all about his plan to travel abroad for an MBA degree program. Im always eager to share my experiences about travelling so that people have insiders point of view about the united kingdom and we got to talking. Over the course of the discussion i realized:

A. He didnt know what he wanted to do B. All he knew was the

USA was God’s own country and he wanted go there. C. He hadnt learnt anything really in the 5 years he had been working in the consultancy he was working in and what’s more going to work had become downright depressing for him because he had a feeling he wasn't welcome anymore. D. He had no idea where he would be in a couple of years and what he would do with the MBA, all he knew is it would look “correct” on his CV. I got sadder and sadder as we talked. My people, when did this happen to us? How did we all become so complacent and “switched off” in real life. So many of us are existing and no longer living. Yes we can party things up if we choose to but life seems to be passing a great deal of us by and we live our lives fulfilling the dreams of whoever’s voice is loudest in our ears.

It got me thinking, when did we stop being our greatest cheerleaders? When did we stop being responsible for our lives? yes our educational sector needs a radical overhaul but let’s not forget we all have a duty to ourselves. We all need to at some point at the other switch back on our brains. Like it or not, no matter how things decline, no matter how many degrees we buy or dont buy, no matter how many boot straps we lick to get promoted in the workplace – to get personal happiness and satisfaction that's lasts over time, you need to switch back on your brain and know who you are and what you want. Like my friend who i escorted to a number of university sites and gently persuaded not to dump hundreds and thousands of naira untop of “buying university admission” for a program that he had no idea what to do with or where he was planning to go, I’d like to be a personal life coach. Below are a few things I would like you to do:

1.      First things first, reach back to the switch button for your brain and push on J yes, start thinking again!! No matter what or who you come across at work and where you work, its time to start thinking again. You’ll be happy and most definitely your boss will be too (note i said thinking not arguing)

2.      Look around you, take a good look around you. How did you get here? Do you like where you are? Is it fulfilling any type of need you have minus the financial? Or can you not even see a financial incentive and just wanted to escape from the house?

3.      OK, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, now that I am responsible for MY life again, what do i want to change around me to make me happier? At this point, Ill advise you to buy a notebook, not just any notebook but a really nice one that you feel befits you. Take your time and get a really nice one, invest a little money if you have to, and buy one that makes you really happy, even if it has bells and plastic kisses on it.  Dont think about anyone but yourself when buying this notebook, this is your own personal slice of happiness. Now on the first few pages write 100 things that make you happy, at home and at work. Not what others say you like, not what you’ve been complimented on, but just things that make you happy. On the next few pages write 20 things that make you unhappy both at work and at home.  Not what anyone else says but what YOU say makes you unhappy.

4.      Now take these 20 things and go online and google them, chances are you’ll see thousands of entries and people complaining about just these same things so you now know you are not alone. Now google the same things but change the wordings so you are now looking for answers and solutions. Look for and read self help books and magazines. Pick solutions that jump out at you and write them all down. Do as many self help quizzes as you can find to give you more insight including any you find on career and personality.

5.      Go back to your notebook and to a fresh page and start setting a timeline to addressing all the problems. None should be giving more than a year to solve and should have a start time of today! Go to phone, blackberry, notice board, laptop, etc and start setting up appointments, reminder dates, etc for your goals. Find a buddy or meet your significant other or best friend (but it must be a person who has always shown support) share abit of your timeline with them and make yourself accountable to what you have now set up.

Phew, we have finished our exercises so we can relax for a little bit. Now pick up your notebook and you should realize:  

A. Just looking at your notebook should make you happy because it represents a little bit of what you love and what makes you happy; B. Looking at the first few pages should make you even happier as you remember all your blessings; C. The next few will not make  you as happy but you should have a stirring within you to change things; D. The last few pages relieve you because it reminds you of your plan.

Tomorrow, we will be looking at translating what is contained within our notebook into sustainable action, bringing our plan to life, and taking charge of changing our lives and careers.

 

Have a great day every body!

MANAGING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET VIA EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SCHEMES

In Nigeria, people still remain one of the greatest under tapped resources companies have to use in surpassing their business goals and strategies and with the skills pools shrinking while the labor pool increases, it is now more vital than ever to ensure that your organization has the best people in the right positions with processes, policies, and operating procedures that are best practice, realistic, motivational, and enduring, and which ensure optimum levels of motivation and productivity are maintained at all times.

This has profound implications for us as business leaders, managers, supervisors, and or team leads in present day Nigeria. It may be easier and much more cost effective to implement a harsh, no nonsense regime in your office but for how long do we keep up the cycle of hiring and firing? For how long do we allow the brain drain to continue in our offices and businesses with the unending cycle of hiring workers and managing staff who have learnt to appear busy rather than do work that makes them proud? It  has become imperative for us in Nigeria to change our behavior so our people feel like the assets we know they are (rather than expendable costs.) 

Remember, No-one intends to do a bad job!

• People recognize when they are capable of more
• People are well aware of their own sub-optimal performance
• People find the disparity between actual and potential delivery personally frustrating with dire implications on overall productivity and profits.
• Therefore, establishing systems to help people change for the better will always be a win-win!

A few tips to encourage your most important asset

• Align the 'walk' and 'talk' of your company (talk is cheap, if you want people to act a certain way,set examples.
• Eliminate the inherent causes of people management problems (deal with your problems,Don't bury them)
• Provide a platform for culture change  (You want to see change, put in the work)
• Enable engaged employees to see themselves as a valued part of your organisational team (nothing should be a one off, establish systems built to last)
• Establish a sustainable model for keeping employee engagement at maximum levels in your business or organisation (hire who you believe, plan for the entire life cycle of the time they will be with you, and invest in your company and your people)

Remember, The success or failure of a company rests in its people. If you would like more information on this topic, kindly email me at insitefulsolutionsconsult@gmail.com