Ode on the Road 😃

Mike’s been back out on his travels and in this episode he finds himself in Manchester ahead of delivering a course on managing change – always a hot topic! In this short clip, Mike chats about how you might want to manage your team when it comes to change. Do you have a Change Survivor Susie? Or maybe you have a Change Resistor Reggie? Follow this link to listen to Mike’s top tips. PS – Feel free to follow or connect with Mike after you’ve watched the clip.

Managing the quiet ones

All teams are made up of different personalities and characteristics. It would be pretty boring if everyone was the same 😊

Managing these differences can be a challenge at times. In our sessions, managers quite often say that the most difficult personality to manage is the team member who is generally quiet. They don’t really say much. They don’t contribute in meetings and as a result, managers don’t really know how to manage them properly. Some say it’s like walking on egg shells.

There’s nothing wrong with being quiet. Sometimes people are reflecting and thinking about how to respond and contribute.

The PU View

Mike has put together this short clip to help you managers out there who have to manage the more introverted employees in your team.

Follow this link to watch his 2min clip.

Presentations – YOU be YOU

You’re on stage in 15 minutes.  Your slides are bang on, your shoes are shiny, and your hair is perfect.  You could do with an emergency toilet stop but there just isn’t time.  You’ll treat yourself to that once this is all over.  You stand up and share your pearls of wisdom.  You sound disjointed, there’s no flow, your heart is racing, and you really wish you hadn’t put off that toilet stop. You feel like you’re on a treadmill and you can’t get off.  Never mind, only 20 more traumatic minutes to go.

Sound familiar? We work with lots of people who struggle to present with confidence.  This lack of confidence can be stressful and debilitating. 

So, why does our confidence take such a hit?  There’s lots of reasons, but here’s a few of the key ones:

❌ A lack of preparation

❌ Complacency

❌ A lack of self-belief

❌ PTPD (Post traumatic presenting disorder) Being mentally scarred from previous presentations.

These are all legitimate reasons but, in our opinion, nerves are heightened when the presenter tries to be someone they’re not. They aren’t authentic. They aren’t standing up at the front and being their true selves.

They might try and be like Mark, the amazing presenter with gleaming teeth from Marketing, who doesn’t look nervous and appears to be making it up as he goes along.  Everyone admires Mark, even though he’s actually quite annoying.  You think, “I’m going to be like Mark” (even though your teeth aren’t gleaming).  You march around the stage making it up as you go along and of course, you forget your words, your slides, your name, and even what day it is.

What about the funny one?  That’s Zoe from HR who’s hilarious and has her audience laughing all the way through.  You think “I’m going to be like Zoe”.  You aren’t funny, you’re dying on stage. You try to save the day with your best gag, but nothing, not even a giggle.

As a presenter there’s a danger that you’re putting yourself under far too much pressure.  The important thing to remember is that YOU are YOU. 

✅ Don’t try to be someone you’re not

✅ If you’re naturally funny, don’t try to be

✅ If you don’t use big words, don’t use them

✅ If you have an accent, embrace it

We’re not saying don’t be influenced by other presenters, but don’t copy them and never put off that toilet stop!

Leading Change – Are you Agile?

Change is never too far away.  How your teams respond to change will depend on the change culture of your team and your business… A change culture can be divided into 4 categories:

• Chaotic – The perception might be that the business isn’t scared of change, but when implemented, it can appear to be a little chaotic. Businesses also fall into the trap of launching change for no reason, giving off the impression that change is happening for changes sake and this leaves people feeling uneasy and uncertain

• Static –Here, a business is stuck in their ways and probably feel that things are ticking along nicely and as a result they feel they don’t need to change. The business will ultimately pay the price in the long run

• Confined – The feeling here might be frustration. The employees know that change needs to happen, but the business isn’t quite as receptive.  This might be because they are blind to change, or because of a lack of resources.  The business runs the risk of losing good people because of their frustration

• Agile – A business that is change agile is ready for change. The feeling around the business is that change is seen as positive and is a good thing.  Employees are looking for processes and procedures that can be improved.  The leaders are open to ideas and welcome challenge.

Here’s a short video from Mike to explain more about the 4 cultures of change 

The PU View   

We use this model in our ‘Leading Change’ course and it really helps to get the delegates to reflect on where their business is at when it comes to their change culture.  It’s always a mixed bag.  Interestingly, a lot say there is a difference in perception when it comes to how they would describe the culture and how their SLT would describe it, e.g. the SLT would say the culture was agile, but the employees would describe it as chaotic.  This lack of awareness leads to increased resentment and a lack of trust.  In your next team meeting, ask your team how they would describe the culture and why.  Then, work together to identify how you can make your team a little more agile.

Book Recommendation    

A leading guru in the world of leading change is John Kotter.  A book we would recommend by him is ‘Leading Change’.  Not the sexiest of titles but a great book none the less!

Remote Working – Tweak your Management Style

Managing a team face to face can be challenging; throw remote working into the mix and it can become a whole lot more difficult…  

Many managers say some of the main challenges they face with managing remote teams include:

• Keeping tabs on everyone in their team
• The lack of face to face communication
• Too many emails/phone calls
• A lack of trust – Are they doing what they say they’re doing?

These are all valid challenges; however, they can all be overcome.  Here’s a few ideas:

• If your normal management style is a controlling one, change it. If you continue to virtually control your team, they will push back.  You need to encourage autonomy and empowerment during this time and with that, will come mutual trust and respect.
• Where is she now? Stop being paranoid.  Just because Janet hasn’t answered that email, or called you back, doesn’t mean she’s watching ‘Homes Under the Hammer’. Trust people to manage their own workload, at a time that suits them.
• Be more specific about what emails you need to see/don’t need to see, when a phone call would be preferable etc. By setting out a clear communication structure for you and your team members to work to, will help reduce unnecessary e-mail grenades and voicemail tennis!
• Adopt a Growth Mindset – use positive language when speaking with your team. Negativity is contagious.  Before you know it, a normally vibrant Janet is now feeling exactly the same as you and this attitude will do nothing for motivation levels.
• Respect individuals’ feelings towards change – working remotely can be a massive change for some and it can take time to adjust. If anyone appears resistant, use open questioning to find out the root cause.  Only then can you help to tackle the problem together.

The PU View

Ultimately, it’s about you being proactive and leading from the front.  A little tweak of your management style coupled with you demonstrating total trust in your team will go a long way in helping your team to be more self-confident, empowered and productive.  It’s also important to work with your team when making decisions.  Involve them as much as possible.  We guarantee, you will reap the rewards in the long run.

Our Recommendation

Who doesn’t love a good TED Talk?  Here is a selection of the best clips that focus on remote working.