Middlefocus

Spelling it out! Sometimes middle managers are called upon to give a presentation or a talk on some theme relevant to their business situation. Past posts on this blog have offered a few suggestions on how to organise thinking around a theme. This one deals with a simple technique of focussing thinking on aspects of the theme itself. I call the technique "What's in a word?" To use it, spell out the theme to be considered. Then taking each letter in turn come up with other words that are relevant to the theme. Let's take an example. Suppose you have been asked to explore the theme of leadership in your team or organisation. What would the characteristics of good leadership be? Let's spell out the word and see: L : For me good leaders are people who Listen and Learn E : They need to be good at Enabling and Encouraging. Energy helps A : Staff note a leader's Attitude or Aptitude and sometimes their Adaptability D : Leaders have to show Determinat...

straining the peas Ever had a workplace squeeze where you had to propose a course of action for your team or department? Where do you start? How do you organise your thinking to get it right? Here's an easy to remember technique that might come in handy when you are asked to write a position paper or outline a proposal for a course of action or solution.  A former colleague taught me the technique many years ago and I have used it ever since.  Here is what he shared.  Think about the issue around themes, each beginning with the letter "P". 1: The first "P" is for Position. It describes the present circumstances. . Keep this bit short.  It's an introduction to the issue - a "Where we are now" statement. 2: You are probably having to suggest a course of action because something isn't quite right.  That brings us to the second "P" - the problem.  State this as objectively as possible, sticking to the facts. 3: What might happen ...

Are you good at getting things done quickly?   Or are you known for being slow and methodical?   It seems to me that in this fast-moving world it is the first of these skills that is most appreciated.   However, I will be making the point in this piece that there is a need for both these states.  T he trick is how to be good at both. Workplace squeeze : It’s holiday time in the office and many of us are focused on trying to get things cleared up before taking leave.   Have you ever noticed how productive and selective you can get about work when the holiday season arrives?   Wouldn’t it be something to maintain that kind of momentum the rest of the year?   It’s not really possible of course as we need time and space to re-energise and keep sharp.   When we work at peak levels we need time to recover and recreate otherwise we suffer burn out.   The advent of cut-backs and shortages sometimes means that fewer workers have more to do ...

How do you stay focussed on your goals?   Assuming you set them of course. Having a goal and a plan to reach it is generally agreed to be an important personal and career development strategy.   Some set SMART goals in which the desired state is specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and time-bound.   In John Adair’s Handbook of Management and Leadership he added two further criteria for goals that made them SMARTER, and these additional criteria were: evaluated and reviewed.   Adair went on to propose that goals should be smarter to the power of two.   His SMARTER 2 goals were Strategic, Meaningful, Attainable, Rewarding, Teambuilding, Empowering and Rewarding.   I buy that! Some writers suggest that goals should be outside our comfort zone and that we should aim for HUGGs, Huge, Unbelievably, Gigantic Goals.   Dreaming big in other words. Whatever the goal, most agree that we need ways to keep it in mind.   Some writers advise that goals shoul...

Are the meetings that you attend fully focussed on achieving their intended outcomes? The intention may be to generate ideas or share information but sometimes the exact focus is not always clear. Setting that focus is something I could be better at - how about you? Generally I find that meetings work best when participants collaborate effectively to acheive a successful outcome. I want to share what I have found to be an effective approach to group decision making. A few year’s ago, I had the great fortune to attend a seminar conducted by leading thinker, Edward de Bono. Among the many creativity and thinking tools that he has developed, there is one system that I return to over and over again. He refers to it as PMI, where the acronym stands for Plus, Minus and Interesting. It works by considering each of the headings in turn and spending a defined amount of time to reflect on and note the likely outcomes of a particular course of action. It goes way beyond simply listing pros ...