Mr Maslow still has it right!

Students completing Psychology 101 will no doubt start with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  What Mr Maslow did was map out the pyramid of human needs and calculated which were more important than others.  I tend to agree with Mr Maslow and I think he got it right, very right!

If we apply Mr Maslow's work by looking at the skills of a manager - guess what - nothing changes!

 

 

Physiological Needs
The base needs for people need to be able to breathe - both literally and metaphorically.  That is people need the time and space to express themselves, to let their creativity and ideas flow and to be able to innovate.  ACTION = schedule some creative time for you and your team to relax, think and explore the possibilities of what if?

Security Needs
Knowing that your job will still exist when you come to work tomorrow is pretty important. Sometimes people get too secure in this area but that tends to be the exception rather than the rule (as far as I know).  And sometimes it is good to have tenure or short term contracts to create momentum and fill the gaps but overall security = production.  ACTION = let your employees know you've got their back.  Let them feel secure and that when it comes to the crunch - you're with them through thick and thin.

Social Needs
People need to feel like they belong, have love and affection. One good friend at work is worth thirty acquantainces.  Social needs are quite complex and need fostering. Managers especially are susceptible to closig off and limiting the people they interact with.  This is due mainly to busyness and the pressures of time.  The need hasn't changed but the method for fulfillment does.  ACTION - find a friend and have coffee with them at least once a fortnight.

Esteem Needs
This can be the make or break of a manager/employee relationship.  Everydody, and especially employees, relate better, work better and get far better results whtn they have a high self-esteem, sense of personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment.  ACTION - Praise your people.

Self-actualizing Needs
This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested fulfilling their potential.  So?  Work on developing your people!  Notice that this is the top of the pyramid?  This is the cream on top.  This is where employees move beyond merely showing up and start adding real value to your business.  Let them grow and watch the results come in!  ACTION - work with your people to reflect on their needs and development areas.  Then invest and review.

(For more see: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm)

Increase your performance with four easy steps

The best way to improve your performance in life is to measure, plan, change and review.  Want to improve your performance?  Lets view these four steps in action using physical fitness as our example.

1. Start measuring.  Find some parts of your role/life that can be measured and measure them.  For example - how much time do you spend each day working on your fitness? 
2. Start planning.  After you have your measurements then you will have a clear idea on where your issues may be and you can start planning on what and how you are going to improve.
3. Start changing.  Put your plan into action.  Start making changes - small ones at first and then grow those changes into larger and bigger changes.  The important thing here is that the changes are incremental and sustainable in the long term.
4. Start reviewing.  This is where you begin the cycle again from step one.  Look at where you were when you first measured, assess the plan - did it work?, were the changes too much - just enough - or too much?, then start all over again.

The more data and measuring you do, the easier it is to judge if you are improvinr or not.  Another aspect to this is getting a coach.  Find an expert who can look at your performance impartially and who can guide you towards making improvements.

Navigating the Political River

When you start working for a bigger organisation (like more than one employee or owner) then the ability to make a decision or create action can be stifled.  This is the time that your ability to negotiate the currents and torrents of politics.

Here are a few points that will help you in your quest - 

1. Be quiet, watch and learn.  The idea here is to listen more than you speak.  Watch what is really going on in your workplace. 
2. Know the players.  The key here is to know who is in control of what and how much influence each person has.  This is where positional power vs real power comes to the fore.  Even though one person may have the job title sometimes there may be another person who can influence that person.  Know which is which.
3. Create alliances.  I recommend creatiing multiple small wins for key players as and when you can.  I do not condone kissing up because it mjight get you somewhere.  What I am for is being yourself and creating genuine wins for others.  You reap what you sow.

Political savvy is an important skill in every aspiring managers arsenal. 

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandraskovic/2431807594//)

Success

Success does not come as a result of luck very often.  Rather success is the culmination of hard work, dedication. perseverance and good luck.  Good luck is the final 3% of the equation - not the other 97%.

There is nothing wrong with winning or being successful. In fact it is what each of us should aspire to reach.  And should we be fortunate enough to reach those peaks we should also practice being humble in victory.

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted”  David Bly.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliff_robin/2877198611/)



Liquidity

In accounting circles liquidity is defined as -

1. The degree to which an asset or security can be bought or sold in the market without affecting the asset's price. Liquidity is characterized by a high level of trading activity. Assets that can by easily bought or sold, are known as liquid assets.

2. The ability to convert an asset to cash quickly. Also known as "marketability". 

(http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidity.asp).

When we start talking about the skills of the manager I like to define liquidity as being -

1. The ability to deal with a transforming and ever moving work landscape.
2. The ability to shift between tasks or responsibilities with the least amount of friction possible.
3. The ability to convert and apply skills and knowledge to a new role.

Viewing your work as a series of liquid tasks can help your mental state immensely.  Rather than getting stuck and focusing too much on one particular task the key is to see that task as a part of the whole day and park that issue for a while.  Then when you have more time or the opportunity float back to that task and assimilate it into your tasks for the day.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjjohn/2523043847/)

Word of the Week - Evolve

e·volve (-vlv) v. e·volved, e·volv·ing, e·volves

1. a. To develop or achieve gradually: evolve a style of one's own.
b. To work (something) out; devise: "the schemes he evolved to line his purse" (S.J. Perelman).

2. Biology To develop (a characteristic) by evolutionary processes.

3. To give off; emit. (Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/absche/3054927857/)

In order for the manager to have a long and successful career like most things there must be a process of evolving and change.  No one person ever starts with all the answers, skills or key ingredients to be successful.

One key requirement is for the manager to be able to spot new trends, understand new technologies and be able to interact and work in a co-operative way with others.  Not onle does the manager have to be able to spot the trends they must also develop a strategy for incorporating or changing to embrace those changes.

It seems to me that the older we get the harder it is to keep in touch with the technological changes and demands of the day.  However the skills required to manage and interact with people don't change - much.
The medium is different but the message's are essentially the same.

So what are the message types - encouragment, endorsement, coaching and leading.  No matter how many changes the rest of or work undergoes these essential skills are timeless and will not change.

So there are two main points to this post -

1. To be a successful manager you need to be prepared to evolve and change your style and skills to ensure your longevity. 
2. The mediums for dealing with people have changed but the messages are the same.

If you have great people skills but cannot evolve to use technology I would expect that you will end up in a more manual close range type role c.f.a mre technical managing from a distance type role. 

"To sustain longevity, you have to evolve. "  Aries Spears

Swiss Army Knife - Management Lessons - Adaptability

The key to the knife's success - adaptability and simple design and construction.

Being small, compact and safe - you can take one anywhere!

How about your management skills - can you transport those anywhere as well?

Swiss Army Knife - Management Lessons - The Knife

The Swiss Army Knife is just that - a knife. It is a knife bundled up with extra components that make it indispensable.

knife: noun - 1. An instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle; 2. A cutting edge; a blade.
verb (used with object) - to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife . (Dictionary.com)

A knife has one primary purpose - and that is to cut. There are any different types of knife available to people. Many different knives serve many different purposes but not all knives are suitable for all situations. The size of the knife determines where and when it can be used.

Example - you wouldn't use a slasher (long blade) to remove a splinter. Nor would you use a butter knife to blaze a trail through think underbrush.

The Swiss Army Knife (SAK) is a fantastic knife (with a small and appropriate sized blade)because of it's adaptability. It isn't threatening in it's size but it can punch above it's weight when required to. The SAK could remove a splinter or alternatively it can be used to separate and cut through vines, ropes and leather boots.

What lessons can we draw from the SAK knife blade?

• The knife blade is usually the first item people look at and pay the most attention to. Work on developing a stand out skill or function that people can see from the start and makes others sit up and take notice of you.
• A knife needs care and attention paid to it to ensure it retains it's edge and it's function. The same is true for the manager. Managerial skills must be kept oiled and sharp.
• Don't overstate or make too much noise about your skills. When the time comes you apply your skills in an appropriate form and size which is determined by the task at hand.
• Try to make sure your particular area of focused skill is appropriate to the rest of your abilities.
• Blunt knives (as well as skills) are highly dangerous and ought to be avoided or fixed as quickly as possible.