Social Media is a relationship... not a one night stand

(Source: http://darmano.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bfa9853ef0147e348f5d2970b-pi)

As an educational facility we use social media to talk about what we are up to.  We also use social media for an association I belong to and the workers union.

The problem I see is that we spend a lot of time broadcasting news headlines and not so much time engaging in conversation.  There is no shortage of posts or interesting stories being put out there for people to read.

The issue is engaging with our clients/customers/stake holders.  From where I sit the issue is in finding stories or starting conversations that get students to talk to us.

Nothing beats face to face and one on one conversations.  But when we have 9,000 students spread across a huge land area.  So speaking to each of those students one on one?  It just isn't going to happen.

From where we sit as educators we assume it would be easy to engage students.  We spend up to 30 hours a week with students in the classroom.  We teach them, work with them and ultimately we hope change their lives.  So why the resistance or apathy from the students when it comes to engaging with us?

Any ideas anyone?

More thoughts and musings on life in 2011

(via: A.S. Preciado)

"In 2011 listen to the music, be honest with those around you,
and please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times!"

Cross organisational relationships are necessary

One of the biggest areas that I have had to work hard on over the past few years has been keeping in touch with others in my organisation.  While the building I work in is located on the main campus we are seperated both physically and psychologically from the rest if the campus.

Our building is the only one of three buildings that are not located in the central layout of buildings.  Of the other two buildings one is used only for special occassions and the other building is serviced by and for our clients - the students./

So what strategies have I employed to keep in touch with the main campus?

1. Attend social times.  Morning tea, lunch times and other breaks are a perfect time to catch up with what is happening around the traps.  Be careful though - avoid the negativity and any rubbish talk that may take place.
2. Join working parties.  If a project is going on somewhere then get involved.  Joining into a cross organisation project is a great way to extend your influence and also your connections.
3. Get out of your chair.  The old adage goes that if you want friends then you first need to be a friend.  Nothing has changed.  People enjoy personal contact and speaking to someone in real life.

Staying in touch with people is not hard but it does require hard work and discipline.

Office relationships: Management funny

What drives you?

What are you here for?  Check out the article on HBR by clicking here.

(Okay today I'm being lazy and borrowing someone else's content.  Bak to normal Monday with a recap on the ATEM conference I attended Thursday and Friday).

Networking

"Every event is an opportunity to network".

What I got told when I didn't take business cards to the conference dinner on Thursday night.  I assumed (wrongly) dinner was about eating.  I was wrong!  It was actually a chance to do business...

Note to self - always carry business cards.  Always.

Try this though - there were about 80 attendess at the conference but less than 10% use or even know what Linked In is.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pascalcharest/308357541/)

Relationship Management - Using Remembering Tools

So today I had the opportunity to make a presentation to some of the key people who influence our priority customers.  Sound a bit overblown?  It's not.

I am in the business of recruiting and educating students so that they can become valuable members of society.  They will have careers, employment opportunites, pay taxes and contribute to society.

So who were the key people I was talking to?  The Careers advisors and Transition Educators (or CATE for short).  These are the front line people who can influence students decisions on what they want to do in life and where they want to study.

Last year I had the same opportunity and at that time I gave each teacher a wooden kiwi that had been manufactured by our students.  Today a number of those persons commented on the fact that they still have those kiwi's on theor desks or near their phones.

Another momento we handed out last year were Christmas trees.  At the time they were about 30cm tall.  Students were encouraged to take them home and grow them.  And guess what?  Those students came back 12 months later and commented on the fact that they remembered getting a tree and their tree was still growing.

So my question to you is -

• When you see someone important again in 12 months time - what does that person take with them? 
• and when they see you again in the future - will they remember you?  And how?

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbisson/86164348/)

People You Don't Get Along With

Nobody gets on with everybody all the time.  It's a fact of life.  So what do you do about it?

1. Be courteous.  Respect is a valuable commodity.  You also never know when you might need a favor or if that perso will ever be on an interview panel.
2. Be polite.  Being rude or obnoxious will only make the situation worse. 
3. Cut to the chase.  Don't spend too much time mucking around with nicities.  When in a meeting, talking on the phone or sending an email - get to the point and get on with it!.
4. Be careful what you say to others.  Playground politics can be incredibly destructive and corrosive.  If you've got anything to say - speak directly to the person.

One interesting situation I have is where I have previously had one person whom I had difficulties working with.  There were a lot of tense moments and no matter what either of us did we could just never agree on anything - even when we agreed!

Nothing changed overnight.  However three years later we can understand each others perspective and have learnt to respect each others work.  The real issue is we are more alike than apart in personality.

And now I have to work with another person (who also has a large personality) and guess what?  We don't get on.  Well, we do get on, but we'll never do coffee.  So whats my strategy for dealing with this person?

The same three points I've listed above.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tzofia/316646522/)

Allies, Acquaintances and Alliances.

I have been thinking recently about work relationships.  There are three main positive categories that I can think of.  Those categories are -

• Allies,
• Acquaintances and
• Alliances.

These are three different groups of people that we interact with everyday while at work.

• Allies are your close circle of friends or those in whom you know you can trust.  Those whom you interact with and are friendly with.
• Acquaintances are those people whom you know and occasionally (sometimes frequently work with but wouldn't necessarily classify as a friend.
• Alliances are those relationships whereby your allies choose to stand with you when it comes to the crunch.  You can also from alliances with your acquaintances from time to time but generally the relationships with your allies are the ones that will stand the test of time.

So what does this have to do with the everyday manager?  It is important to know who is on your side and when.  It is also important to know who will stand with you should the pressure come on you through time restrictions, employment issues or personality clashes.

You don't have to classify everyone you know but if you do know who you allies are - you can save a lot of time when it comes to finding solutions to the problems you might face.

Here is my quick suggestion -

1. Make a list of all the people that you work with.  This can be as narrow or as broad as you like.
2. Seperate those people into two groups - allies and acquaintances.
3. Draw connecting lines betwen those people whom you a) already have alliances with and b) could choose to form alliances with.
4. Make a plan to communicate with your allies as much as you can when the correct work situation or opportunity arises.

If you spend the energy to foster grea relationships your allies and your alliances will help you when you need them.   (Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentea/508815606/)

The Important Jobs

Who defines for you which jobs are important and which jobs aren't?  Honestly - is there a rating system that defines what is mor important to be done?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  Especially not for managers. 

One key task of a manager is to figure what is important in their role.  There are few set ratings or 'star-system' for measurement (unless you have these as KPI's).  However I think we can create categories that define broad aspects of our work.  Those catagories look a little something like this -

1. People - internal.  I value internal people higher than externals.  Many would disagree but as a manager I believe we should be coaching/working with/empowering our people first so then they can go and serve the external people.
2. People - external.  External persons are not just customers but any person who is not in your department, office or area of influence.  People are the most crucial aspect of a managers role.  get the people part of things right and you are well on your way to success.
3. Compliance - internal.  Sticking to the rules and ensuring that the requirements of the organisation are met.  Creating budgets that balance, updating project management reports, customer interaction reports.  They are all important.
4. Compliance - external.
5. Any tasks not already covered above.

No single area is not as important as another area but there is a hierarchy.  When the internal people know what to do and when that frees you up to deal with customers external and the compliance issues and requirements of your role.




There are very few unimportant jobs in an organisation.  What defines a task as being important or not is the emphasis you place on it.

Human Capital Management

PeopleStreme.com have made this awesome video and posted it onto You Tube.  I have put it here and will add my contribution further down the page.

What value do you place on your work?  What value is placed on you?  Do you rate yourself or not?

Conversely - What value do you place on others work?  What value do you place on others?  How do you measure that value and is that measure relevant or accurate?

Here are a few facts of life as far as organisation's go -

• Size matters.  The bigger the organisation the less they know about you.  What happens is the more layers in an organisation the more removed you will be from the central services.
• Front Line Managers matter! The relationship between you and your direct manager is always the most important relationship you will have.  This is true if you are the cleaner all the way through to if you are a Director of the Board.  You must work with your boss!
• The HR Department matters!  Admitted in most organisations the only time you most people will interact with HR is when they are hired or if they are fired.  But it doesn't have to be that way!  Go out of yur way to meet the staff and make sure they remember who you are (for the right reasons of course).  It pays to make friends and keep them for as long as you can.
• The skills and abilities of your staff matter!  Update them!  Watch your staff.  Learn from them.  Be open to having your staff tell you where they think what sklls they need to work on and develop.  If you disagree you can help steer them in a better direction.  Create an audit or questionaire to work through at appraisal time to help lead and guide your discussions about where peoples skills are at.
• Coaching matters!  The best time to coach someone is when they are reflecting and considering their performance.  If your manager doesn'tdo this for you - tell them or look for another manager.

PunkRockHR posted a great piece on employee engagement a few days ago which ties in nicely with this post.  Head over there and check it out - WARNING: it will provoke a response.

People who are paid to do work will do a better job when they feel valued, understood and have the freedom to do what they have to in a way that makes sense to them (while adding value to the organisation).

Customer Service Lesson

I need to buy a present for my wife for her birthday. I have a pretty good idea of what she likes, so I went to the local jeweller's store.

At the time I was there, I found something I liked but I wasn't prepared to buy it at the time I was there. So what happened?

The salesperson took my details and offered to invite me back to a VIP sale they are having.

I wasn't fobbed off or left to go somewhere else. I was looked after and given an opportunity to return to the store to get a way better deal than the original offer.

Okay the note is basic. But - it is personal, hand written and it means a lot that some one took the time to write to me and followed up on their word. Had they have sent me a flash looking, obvious database letter - I would have ignored it.

Businesses and people in general could learn a lot from this young lady.

Relationship Management

One area that I work on as much as I can when I meet people is trying to leave them with a memory or impression of me that will last.

While I would prefer that the impression would be positive that isn't always the case.

Here are a few things I do -

1. Ask questions about them. What do they like? Where do they live? What work do they do?


2. Find common ground or interests. It is always easier to speak to someone about a subject you know than a subject you don't.


3. Talk about the interest and how it relates to them. People love talking about themselves and more importantly knowing that someone else is taking an interest in them.


4. Treat everyone the same - whether boss or groundsman.

Now this may not appear on the surface to be a great business strategy. And maybe it isn't - but it is an excellent people strategy. Business comes and goes but good relationships last forever.

Communication Lessons

Once again Change This have managed to locate a great writer who has posted an A grade manifesto.

Here a few key points that are applicable to everyone -

• Authentic communication can become as natural as breathing when you pay attention to a few essential aspects of what connects people.


• The first thing you have to do to communicate better is name what happens to you under stress.


• You have to name what happens what to you, because if you don't, you can't take responsibility for your tendencies in any conversation.


• You have to read your listener if you want your relationship to get stronger.


• The words you choose will either strengthen a connection or construct great pyramid sized roadblocks between you.


• You want a closer relationship: you'll get it when you keep trying.

You can view the full manifesto by heading over here.

Connection vs. Communication

Napolean Boneparte once said "An army marches on it's stomach". True.

A business and relationships are dependant upon something else - communication. We operate in a world where there are countless opportunities and technologies that we can use to communicate with others. However we need to reassess and discover if we are merely connecting or are we truly communicating?

(Note - I will use the word 'connect' to mean electronic methods of interaction).

Here's an example - to connect means someone picks up the phone or sees you have messaged them but there is no action, feedback or follow through by the other person.

Communication is where the other person answers the phone, listens to you and understands the intent and purpose of your message.

Many managers assume because they have made a connection (usually electronically) that the message they were trying to communicate has occurred. Wrong assumption.

How do you know the difference between a connection and a successful communication? Try these tips to figure it out -

1. When sending email track the message - to make sure it gets opened.
2. Get the receiver to repeat back to you the message you sent - in their own words.
3. Follow up with the person to their progress within a realistic time frame (shorter rather than longer) to ensure progress is being made.
4. Speak to people face to face. Body language and non-verbal communication styles account for 80% of a message given (and received!)

To succeed in life - communicate.

• Communicate often;
• Communicate clearly;
• Communicate effectively.

Feedback and Criticism - the how and when to take it

Being told that you aren't as good as you think you are can be pretty hard to swallow - especially when it comes from someone you think highly of.

So what do you do in this situation?

You can either get upset, get angry and blame the other person for being wrong OR you can analyse what they said and change the way you do things.

It is important that when receiving feedback that you differentiate between the feelings and the facts of the situation and comments. Try not to confuse the two.

Here are some quick fire steps for receiving criticism -

1. Who. Who said it, do do you respect their opinion, does their opinion count in the current situation?


2. What. What was said? Was the criticism relevant to the situation?


3. How. How was it said? Was the person fired up and angry? Even if they were - was what they actually said worthwhile and valuable (after you take all the heat out)


4. Why. What situation arose whereby the criticism became necessary? Was there a genuine situation to apply the comments to?

After you have evaluated these things then you can choose how to respond or change your future approach or management style.

This is exactly one situation I was in during this week. I knew a particular work setup was working okay but was far from the best. I asked a person what their view was - and guess what - they confirmed my suspicions! I became upset and angry because I knew they were right and I was so wrong.

After a day or two of re-evaluation I have decided to write up a new plan for 2010 that hopefully will begin to correct some of the problem areas. Were the problems huge or personal? No way, they were actually quite minor. However it was what I heard (the way I listened) that was the real problem.

So now I move on and start again next week, with fresh feedback, fresh thinking and a fresh plan for 2010.

"We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticise us perform a remarkable act of friendship for to undertake to wound or offe". Michel de Montaigne.

Employee vs Friend

There is no clear line that separates an employee from being a friend. This is one area of management that is fraught with uncertainty and danger.

A manager can either get this really right or just as easily get it really wrong.

It is important to ensure that a clear distinction is kept between the two to stop problems arising.

When you are managing someone you essentially are there to ensure that they do their job to the best of their ability and to coach them on to higher things.

This works in both positive matters as well as negative. If the manager and employee are unable to distinguish between friendship and work responsibilities - DANGER!

Communication Skills

Simon and Marie from ijump posted about their experience with technology and communication.

They both started with the same scenario from which they devised a question to ask the public.

Simple enough - what do you want in a bank?

Simon asked the question using a very direct and simple form. "What do you want in a bank?"

Marie asked the question providing some context - "I'm with some executives and they want to know what you want in a bank?"

What was the difference - context.

The first question has no urgency, empowerment for the answerer or potential for results. It sounds more like a muse than a direct question to it's audience. Hence that is the way that persons responded.

The second question says - I'm here with someone who has the power and potential to make changes based on your opinion. Tell me what you think - I'll let them know - let's change something. Result - a bunch of answers in a very short space of time.

How does this affect the work relationship?

• What questions do you ask?
• How do you ask them?
• Do you provide context and a sense of urgency?
• If someone answers - will anything change?
  

"If you wish to converse with me, define your terms". Voltaire.

Customer Service - Thanks

I was filling up with petrol on the weekend when I noticed a small sign of the pump. It said -

"Thank you for choosing Gull".

Thanking your customers for choosing you is a very small show of appreciation but can mean a lot to others. Saying thanks may be the difference between them choosing to use or communicate with you or not.

When was the last time you thanked your customers? Try these examples - in education - thank your students; at work - thank your employees; at home - thank your wife and kids.

I hadn't noticed the little sign on the petrol pump before, but when I did notice I thought to myself - "I will come here again". I would like to congratulate the person whose idea that was - because it is a good one!

What do people know?

Interesting isn't it - the fact that the more we hang out with people, the more we are able to learn about them - without knowing it.

If someone knows me better than I think they do or should - what should me reaction be?

Run and hide, face up to the facts, interact with them more? Where is the line?

The better people know us I s'pose the more comfortable we can be. It was interesting that at a masquerade ball - a person showed me that they could see behind the mask (metaphorical for behavior).

Where do I go now? Am I comfortable being known? So often I have enjoyed being a different person to different people in different situations. But I suppose now - there is no hiding, however I can still change who I am - with ease.

Watch this space - the new Jonny Hagger to be revealed in the next few months...