Middlefocus

The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is a popular visitor attraction on our Causeway coastline. It is now open all year round as its steel ropes mean that it is much more secure than the previous temporary version. Nonetheless for some  who make the journey across its planks it represents a personal victory. Those who, for example, are challenged by heights and choose to cross have two victories. The journey over leads to some fantastic views but with nowhere else to go there remains the journey back. As the rope bridge sways gently with the crossing it brings to mind a list of balancing acts: Public - Private / Control - Trust / Relaxed - Restricted / In - Out / On - Off / For - Against. Carrick-a-Rede can be translated from Gaelic as Rock in the Road. You know how it is with rocks in the road. If you stumble onto one you can easily lose your balance. The steel-roped bridge on the Causeway coast is an effective way of dealing with its Carrick-a-Rede. What can we hold ...

Following up the last post on Leadership, I have used the same What's in a word? technique to explore the theme of employee engagement. Here goes: E : Whether Employee or Employer , both have Expectations N : Certainly both employer and employee have Needs that must be met G : This can be for Goals and for the truly engaged might mean Going the extra mile A : Might have to do with Action or Aspiration but here I want to use the term Attitude G : An employee may want a career plan. They will want to Grow that career E : Another E. Engaged people seem to get Enjoyment from their work M : Might have to do with Mission or Making a Difference , think Magnificent ! E : Another one? Good job we have terms like Enthusiasm ; how about Empowerment ? N : This letter could be for Nurture but could be for No Problem! T : This obviously must cover Training for the role. And when good at it, go for Trust .

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 ...