Tag: communication

More than a higher salary

FabrizioLeave a comment

If your team complains about something, it’s not because they are spoiled, naive, or junior. If they complain often, that’s even more true.

There’s probably some deeper issues behind their behaviour. They might not feel motivated, or they might have the impression they are not free to make their own decisions, or they might just be disoriented by the continuously moving targets.

It’s your responsibility as a team lead to figure that out, because you can’t really start talking about performance, goals, development, until you clear the air and tackle the complaints.

And “tackle” is not about blindly accepting all request, but rather managing them.

“Here is how we are going to do this”.

“Here is why we can’t do that.”

“Here is who is going to be responsible for the other thing.”

And so on.

Being a manager is more than a higher salary.

Forceful

FabrizioLeave a comment

You can’t pretend to know what’s better for others. Not even your dear ones.

And you can’t pretend others will come to you when they need something. Or express that in a way that makes what they need clear.

What you can and should do, instead, is to be aware of and vocal about what is better for you. And be adamant about it.

It might actually be so that it will help others figure out their own stuff. Or at least, if you are the person that will help or not.

Losing

FabrizioLeave a comment

How quickly can you get out of an argument?

How quickly can you say, “it does not matter”, and forget about it.

How quickly can you say, “you might be right”, and shift your perspective.

How quickly can you say, “we don’t agree”, and proceed together.

How quickly can you say, “that’s alright”, and put the difference out of your mind.

Just a reminder that no matter how hard you try, you can’t win an argument.

Let the right one in

FabrizioLeave a comment

What you want in life is to find those who see where you are going, your potential, your true self.

Many see where you have been, what you did wrong, where you failed, your shortcomings, your missteps, your fragility. You are the first one to see all of that and make it the focus of everything you do.

Someone who can go beyond that and still cheer for you is precious.

For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli’s eyes. And what he saw was…himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself. Seen with love.

John Lindqvist, Let The Right One In

What’s keeping your team?

FabrizioLeave a comment

What’s keeping you from achieving more, being more motivated, completing that task or project?

Each one of us will have their own answer, but in an organisation, the most common answer must be meetings.

Meetings without an agenda and a list of actions to follow up with.

Meetings that are updates.

Meetings that should have been an email or a Slack message.

Meetings to give feedback on a piece of work you have never seen before.

Meetings that are workshops that aim at fixing a problem with participants who have no idea what the problem is, let alone the skill set to fix it.

If you are a manager of people, your first responsibility should be to rid their calendars of meetings.