Have you ever been frustrated by feedback that did not contain suggestions for improvement? The input seemed to be more of a label or title than a condition you could change by elevating your performance. The feedback may have been valid, but the manager was a poor communicator. Conversely, the feedback may have been a bogus means of stifling your ambition, since preference and bias are still prevalent in the workplace.  Either way, this practice can be demoralizing, especially in an increasingly competitive work environment with a reduced number of promotional opportunities.

Everything about work is a test. It is important to know the questions on the test, in order to prepare yourself for the best results. This will enable you to perform better, reduce anxiety and preempt efforts to derail your performance or career. There are six labels which are commonly delivered as feedback. You may have heard them and you can learn from them. The six factors must be positively satisfied or they can be barriers or knock out factors to success.  These factors and their interpretations are as follows.

1. Not Strategic  
2. Nobody Knows You
3. Lacks Business Acumen & Analytical Skills
4. Questionable Leadership
5. Poor Communication Skills
6. Personally Intimidating

1.    Not Strategic

“You are not strategic,” refers to a lack of a true understanding of the big picture. You may have been accused of not engaging in strategic thinking and planning for tomorrow. Strategic thinking means to plant yourself in the future and visualize and anticipate where your product, the market or industry is going. This future placement also allows you to recommend innovative and alternative solutions. Your vocabulary should be filled with the necessary words that are appropriate to a strategic thinking. In other words, you must speak like a strategic thinker. Look for ways to anticipate future developments and devise a plan or recommendations to handle them. If you are labeled as lacking strategic thinking or vision, it is a difficult image to change, so try to avoid it at all costs.

2.    Nobody Knows You

Personally you are seen as an unknown quantity.  People don’t know you. Therefore, it becomes difficult to completely trust you; but this goes both ways. You are performing your role, but not letting managers and co-workers into your life, so they can become comfortable with you. People like people like themselves and love to feel comfortable. If you have similar interests and think the same way, a natural affinity can be developed. You may wish to keep your business life separate from your personal life, which is an honorable philosophy. You are not required to become personal friends with your co-workers or boss; however it would be beneficial to find a way to give others a glimpse into your life. They will greatly appreciate your character and values. This could convince them of your value in becoming a member of their team. You can find levels of commonality and mutual affinity which could assist you in developing advocates and allies for your career.

3.    Lacks Business Acumen & Analytical Skills

You were told that you don’t understand all facets of why and how business works. This may be a ruse, but it is something you can address by taking business courses and throwing yourself into the numbers. You do not want to be branded as having the softer skills, getting by on relationship building skills and personality when interacting with customers. Remember, it is better to address this issue before it becomes a problem and a blemish on your record. Corporate success will be predicated on your understanding how the business works which involves the financials. Do not shy away from business math and understanding such areas as transportation, the balance sheet, profit and loss and the identity of the ultimate customer. Spreadsheets and computer programs that relate to the business of understanding profit are important areas to master.

4.    Questionable Leadership

Silence or minimal interaction in meetings and social interactions leads people to conclude you have nothing to offer to the overall business conversation. People will therefore, have a hard time visualizing you as a leader. They will surmise, rightfully or wrongly that people would not follow you. You must demonstrate your comfort with taking risks by engaging in business debates. Additionally, you must illustrate your ability to form complex business arguments and logically support your defense. It is essential to mentally prepare your contributions before any business meeting. “Every interaction is an interview” are important words to remember.

5.    Poor Communication Skills

Managers will say the following, “We have a hard time understanding you, whether in writing, public speaking or in conversations. This may be a façade to take you out of contention for a promotion, but you need to know this and take it seriously. For example; a manager did not want to recommend someone for a District Management Development program. He said he felt her speech was a problem. It did not matter that she had six years of successful sales experience with the organization and it was never a problem. The only example he cited was her saying “ax” instead of ask. Often these underlying concerns may not be verbalized, but these assumptions could be a barrier to your upward mobility. The issue was brought to her attention and she immediately worked on correcting the one area. Her new-found awareness enabled her to remove a barrier which could have hindered her growth. Since communication skills are necessary, and are on the test; they should be fine tuned and perfected.

6.    Personally Intimidating

You may be told that people are uncomfortable around you. You are too emotional, look angry all the time or do not smile enough. Your display of emotion is misconstrued as unprofessional, possessing the potential for violence and deters people from talking to you. Passion is the word used to describe people who love their work and are dedicated to excellence. When you display it, it is called anger and intimidation. When you speak, it may require some work to smile more and reign in your emotions. Do not show emotion only when you are upset.  When people see your range of emotions, your passion is put in perspective. Additionally, it is a good practice to guard against people who try to get under your skin and cause you to lose your temper. You will find that impressions of you will change when you are viewed as a vital, versatile, viable member of the organization.

You may read these 6 factors and personally identify with their tone and content. You may have experienced them directly or know of someone labeled with this feedback. You may feel these are unfair assessments of your capabilities or the abilities of others. Regardless, of your feelings these are reality in many companies around the world. Your ability to intercede or correct them will have a direct impact on your rise within an organization. The best method however, is to address them upfront, so they never become an issue. Develop a reputation of acting counter to these misconceptions, so they will never be used as evidence to hamper your development. 

I like the concept of prevention being the best intervention. With that in mind how can you begin with each item and enhance your knowledge and performance until they become certifiable strengths, witnessed by those in positions of power and influence.

Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser

Have you ever worked for a person who used anger to get people to work harder? Are you one of those people who fly off the handle and use fear and intimidation to generate better results?  From a personal standpoint, have you ever been so mad at yourself that you used anger to push yourself to stay focused and perform to meet your expectations?

Anger is an emotional reaction, expressing displeasure or irritation. But it can be a tactical technique or tool to stimulate performance to get a desired action. Anger has a less than favorable reputation, especially if you are on the receiving end of its’ fury. Managerial bullying is associated with tirade throwing supervisors. Anger Driven Management is common in many organizations, departments and families. It is braided into company cultures, as one of the expected managerial competencies.

Anger is often considered a method of last resort and a companion with disciplinary action; when reasoning and talking are insufficient.  Anger Driven Management with its fear based overtones is instituted to handle the difficult situation. ADM is also used when a manager does not have the personal discipline to control their emotions and panic causes them to strike out at those doing the work.

One manager had a habit of saying, “If you can’t get the job done, I will bring in someone who will get the results I need.” This actually terrified people and left them afraid for their jobs. In the current economic climate managers are using this technique to wring more out of their employees. With jobs hard to find and upwards of 2 years to find a position, people are working extremely hard on the job and the wrath of their manager is keeping them in place.

Managers who use anger to manage their employees have done this for years and are convinced it works for them. They are often imitators or copycat managers. They were trained with anger and feel it is the right way to exercise the power of their position in order to get people to listen and obey. They rant and rave and people shake in their shoes. They swear and threaten and magically, performance against objectives improves; but at what cost?  Interesting enough, if anger did not get results, it would not be used as much as much. With all of the negative side effects, it has a relatively high success rate.  

When anger is unleashed strategically, it is a valuable asset. It can be the lightning rod to stimulate those who need an extra jolt to get them fired up to excel. A football coach was talking about his two quarterbacks. If he would scream and get into the face of one of them, this anger would cause him to play his heart out and improve his performance. The second however, would fall to pieces, go into a shell and make more mistakes on the field. Their personal temperament gauged how they would be affected by an angry boss or coach. Therefore anger can be used effectively to gain results if you use it in the right situation and or the right people.

A persistent state of madness can create a poor work environment, characterized by low morale and employee confidence, lack luster engagement and temporary increases in results. Additionally, anger may ultimately lead to lower productivity and greater turnover. In organizations all over the world, people are resigning because anger has poisoned the environment and affecting their health and state of mind.

A Badge of Honor

There are circumstances in companies where periodically displaying anger is viewed as a badge of honor. Being upset shows that you have the emotional toughness to be a leader. Early in my career, I was chastised for being even keeled. Not showing anger suggested to my manager that I did not care about the business. Part of my personal development plan was to bring situations to my boss that raised my ire and my blood pressure. I remember relaying a situation to my boss exclaiming in a frustrated tone, “How could they possibly do that?” This felt awkward, but it showed my manager that I was management material.

Self Directed Anger

Individuals who are focused on excellence will sometimes get angry with themselves if they fail to follow through on a desired task. We have weaknesses that we know we need to address. If we are delinquent in changing, we personally become frustrated and get mad at ourselves. This happens to us from time to time when we wish to no longer tolerate a substandard personal performance. We become angry at ourselves and our level of effort. We may raise our voices, clench our fists and grit our teeth. This lack of effort and poor results has to stop today. “What is wrong with me?” I heard someone say. “Am I out of my mind? I can’t let this continue to beat me. I am better than this.” I caution against asking whether you are stupid, crazy or any other outrageous accusations. You would not want your subconscious mind to grasp the concepts and answer in the affirmative. 

We can accept anger that addresses the problem and does not attack the individual personally. This is true whether it is anger from a supervisor or self-imposed rage directed at our personal performance. Researchers have compared the sub-conscious mind to our automatic pilot that does most of our thinking for us. If we feed it or accept ruthless demeaning words as truth, it will continue to receive and perform actions that validate negative words and concepts. So focused rage can harmlessly get us better results. If we use positive self-talk to rally our emotions and cheer us to victory, it can work.

Anger Driven Management is a viable means to influence performance. Anger can be used as a management tool to drive corporate and personal results. However, if used inappropriately it can become a ticking time bomb that will alienate employees and reduce employee engagement. Eventually, it can damage corporate culture and increase turnover. Anger that is directed to events and situations and not to castigate individuals may not have long-term negative consequences. Lastly, individuals can use displeasure with personal effort and results to stimulate focus and the required energy to change the trajectory of their performance without hurting their self-esteem.

Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser

We have often spoken about how much we could get done if we did not care who got credit for the idea. There is a resistance within us to accept some ideas, especially ideas from certain people and at certain times. If a co-worker who is a competitor launches a suggestion we are quick to find flaws in their argument. If a person of lower stature on the totem pole fires a comment; we may be slow or reluctant to accept it.  Surely they don’t have the perspective to contribute to such a complex process. In reality the idea may be phenomenal, but we have a problem with the messenger.

This principle of “selective acceptance” applies to our professional and personal interactions. Many times in our obstinacy we would not do something because of the person who suggested it. If we came up with the idea on our own or a suitable supplier, we would readily implement it, no questions asked. But we would not give individuals or groups the satisfaction of knowing that their ideas influenced our decisions.

This tendency started in our youth when we wanted to exert our independence. It probably started as early as our toddler years when we said, “No” to be defiant to a parent. When we were older we wanted acceptance. Competition was also a part of our daily activities. We did not want anyone to have control over us in particular situations or to beat us in the game of life or sport. We therefore, tried to keep some people out of consideration.

Marriages have been affected because one party feels that the other wants to control them or take credit for everything. One person makes beneficial comments and the other views them as an attempt at dominance by their partner. On the job, a suggestion from a co-worker or someone lower in position is discarded. “I can’t accept an idea from them. What do they know? My ideas are better. I did not think of that one, so it must not be any good.”

If we simply let down our guard for a minute and ask three simple questions, it may change our lives.

1. Would the implementation of the idea improve us or our situation?
2. If we had thought of the idea, would we resist it as fervently?
3. What could we do to make the idea work, if anything?

We may find our opposition to the suggestions may fade away. Our openness may usher in many life changing ideas. These ideas may transform lives and enhance our business results and environment.

The question isn’t who came up with the idea, but will it make us better, if given a chance for acceptance. There are instances where we see the value of an idea, but wish we had thought of it first. We may entertain the idea of repackaging the idea as our own. Resist the temptation. Don’t be an idea thief and shoot down the idea as irrelevant and inappropriate, knowing that you will reword it and pass it on as your own at a later date. The discovery of larceny of this kind will undermine credibility and reduce the number of ideas shared by the team. It is not worth the devastation of discovery. There are many more ideas where those came from and you want them to continue to flow freely.

My son Brian was resisting one of his Mother’s ideas. He was rebelling, it seemed, because he did not want her to be right again. I simply asked him to, “Stand back and step outside of the situation. If you did what she asked you to do, would it make you better? Try to be as objective as possible. Would it improve your circumstances or situation, if you did what she asked you to do?” He quietly considered the questions and saw the beauty of the idea. He saw the potential of her suggestions and conceded to give it a try. I am not saying this technique will work for everyone and in every situation, but it might intermittently have value as a part of your toolbox.

The messenger plays a vital role in innovation and workplace performance. Ideas sit in our minds waiting for the opportunity to launch themselves into our conversations. The messengers for these potential earth shaking ideas are challenged with an enormous responsibility. Step aside and allow the messenger to enter. Do not make it a gauntlet to the extent the messenger would rather travel elsewhere than to interject their opinion into your presence. The results could be catastrophic as you could be denied vital information that could improve you professionally and personally.

Who brought the ideas? The messenger did it. Your objective is to create a culture where this announcement is celebrated within the hallowed halls of your organization. The messenger is the carrier of the seeds of innovation. Their concepts may serve as the catalyst for greatness and the power to transform people, products and processes.

Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser

 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us of equality, justice and racial reconciliation. But he also emphasized hard work and excellence. He said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” When we combine this quote with a verse from the Bible we have a winning and potent message to live by; ^“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23 (NIV).

One way to deliver excellence is to make the necessary adjustments to keep your game at a higher level. Anyone who has coached people to improve performance can tell you a simple fact. Oftentimes, you do not have to drastically change someone’s behavior or technique. It may require a minor modification or a slight adjustment.

When an athlete is in a slump or a sales person hits a low mark in closing sales, they may press harder with worse results. Remember a time when you had a string of performances that were below your expectations. You may have lost your confidence, became upset with yourself and may have worried about your job. During these moments you worked harder than you ever worked in your life. What was required to get you back on track was usually an adjustment in technique or routine.

Nolan Ryan, fast ball throwing pitcher for a number of professional baseball teams. For most of his career he could bring the heat. He would throw the baseball consistently in the high 90 miles per hour and has eclipsed 100 miles per hour. Later in his career he became known as a finesse pitcher, resorting to off speed pitches and ball placement. This enabled him to reinvent himself and extend his career.

NFL receivers lose a step as they age. Those with extended careers, concentrate more on conditioning, improving strategy and running better pass routes. They made adjustments which were a natural part of the growth process.

Basketball players are known as wily veterans, which is another way of saying they rely on experience and strategies to play the game. They had to modify their skills or add new skills to compensate for a reduction of others.

An athletes’ giftedness got them there, but making the necessary adjustments or modifications will keep them there. At a certain stage it is wise to supplement your main skill with alternative ones. Rather than wait until skills diminish to add-on new ones, it is prudent to continuously make adjustments to stay ahead of the competition.

Too many people wait until;

1. Things are not going as planned
2. The same amount of effort does not give you the same result

Things are not going as planned  

Job performance is critical to our success at work. If our results are off course, drifting in the wrong direction, or not traveling fast enough we are concerned. When we notice a difference between expectations and current performance, we know a change is needed. When the status quo is no longer working or has become lackluster, dull and boring, it calls for something different.  Our success is based on the predictability of our performance. Traditions and common practices are great when they are functional. When things are not going according to plan, we have to adjust the plan or our execution of the plan.

Same amount of effort, but different result  

The same level of education or ideas may no longer be successful. There is a discernible reduction in your ability to maintain the same level of output. We decided to neuter and declaw our cat years ago. Our feline was tearing up the furniture and getting into a fair number of fights with other cats in the neighborhood. One day Fluffy was out in the yard and was attacked by another cat. Fluffy gave him the equivalent of several rapid jabs, extending his paws to scratch his opponent. He hit him with his best shot and the other cat kept on coming. I could see the confused look of on his face. 

We are like my cat Fluffy. When we exert effort we expect a certain result. Experience taught him to expect a certain outcome. When he did not get it he made an adjustment and ran for his life.  

All of us, as we get older notice that we can’t so things the way we use to do them. We may not run as fast, jump as high or recuperate as quickly as we use to. This is a part of the maturation process in any field. As we mature in the game of life, business, sports, and relationships; we gain wisdom to modify our approach.  This will enable us to continue to perform at a high level. Past processes may become outdated or irrelevant. New principles, theories and practices supplant the traditions of yesterday. Newer marketing practices such as social media must be embraced quickly. Others in your field have branched off into new markets with a more diverse customer base. We acquire an arsenal of techniques to serve as ammunition for the challenges ahead.

Our vocabulary is filled with words concerning adjustments. These are small and major changes to get us in line or on-line or on board with the program. Something has to be tweaked, refined or has its’ course corrected.  

We must understand the life cycle or performance cycle of markets and individual people. We must change and make adjustments or needed based on the stimuli, stressors, and changes. We must anticipate and adjust. This refinement mindset will help us in the short and long terms.

1. What changes or adjustments do you need to make to prolong your effectiveness?
2. Who can you use   as a model?
3. Who will give you feedback?
4. Who will hold you accountable

This may require more than your performance evaluation process on the job. Discuss with your mentor or coach to get a jump on matters before the problems develop.

1. Ask someone to watch your performance focused on 1 or 2 areas only
2. Videotape yourself and review the footage alone or with a trusted advisor

Adjustments should be a mandatory aspect of our performance. We can reflect on memories of veterans who reinvented themselves and prolonged their careers by utilizing this concept. They continually added something to their arsenal and were able to change their thinking, mechanics and techniques. This increased the longevity of their livelihood. These adjustments were necessary for survival in a competitive atmosphere. The natural life cycle of your career will call for mandatory adjustments. This will keep you performing to meet the needs of an aggressive and demanding business environment.

Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,700 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 28 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

When people say Happy New Year, they are delivering a phrase that covers the entire 365 days and not just January 1^st or New Year’s Eve. Sometimes I feel it is more of a greeting than a wish, dream or a prayer. A way to accomplish this pleasant time frame usually is by stating and sticking to one or more New Year’s resolutions. I said stating and sticking to, not stating and breaking. The truth be told, resolutions are goals that should be made anytime you think you need them.

Resolutions are therefore, not bound to a certain time of year, nor should they be view with hopelessness. We know resolutions are like goals. They should be grounded in reality and have a starting point, such as the first of the year, the first of the week / month or the next day. Some have resolved that from this moment on they will never do dot, dot, dot, such and such or whatever.

I have elected to do a resolution state of mind approach this year. I plan to move to evolution in my resolutions. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary there are many definitions for resolution. Most of them are covered in a resolution state of mind. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

1. Determination
2. Clarity – the measure of sharpness of an image
3. Decision or declaration
4. Deal to end a conflict
5. Separation of a chemical compound or mixture into constituents
6. Formal expression of an opinion

If I roll all of these definitions into a mental framework, I arrive at the following way of thinking.  In 2012 and beyond, I am going to resolve to be;

• Clearer in my dealings with people so that they understand my messages and intentions
• Stand for my values and beliefs to minimize any disconnect between intent and actions
• Be the peacemaker in conflicts, by understanding people and myself on the way to better conclusions

Why limit it to 2012. For as long as I am alive I will think this way. I can apply this mindset daily to my actions. I can ask myself, am I moving the ball forward? What is the ball and where is it now and which direction is forward?  Is there evidence to include in my journal to support my follow through on these matters? Inherent in this comment is the need for a journal and some plan around using it.

I can eliminate my failure rate with resolutions by simply asking if I am improving and growing in the areas that mean the most to me. If I adopt a mindset of am I clear, firm in my positions and being a peace maker, I should successfully tackle any resolution in the end zone of life for a safety in my favor.

I am not speaking against formalized resolutions. But if you have a resolution mindset that has an evolutionary component set on growth, you will flow in the direction of your dreams. You will constantly calibrate and recalibrate to ensure you are on the right path and clearly in the center of your lane. You will not beat yourself up for failing to reach a goal that has not been first fully accepted in your mind. You will make process even if you digress from time to time. The objective is the same as running a marathon. When I trained for the two marathons I ran, I remember reading in Galloway’s books on running and the books by Jim Fixx. They basically said to keep moving. Whatever happens, keep moving. I know that if you are going to achieve momentum for your resolutions you have to keep moving. Movement is essential to momentum I use to tell my sales people.

So New Year’s resolutions are not events of the past, but a state of mind to help you deliver a better year than prior years, a level of performance that meets your expectations and give you the quality of life you so richly deserve.

Copyright @ 2012 Orlando Ceaser

Strategies

1. Do not take disagreement personally

We are not always right nor are we perfect. There is a streak of insecurity in each of us. When someone offers an alternative opinion, we view it as a lack of approval; an assault on our character or a betrayal of trust. The more secure we are in a relationship and in ourselves, the less we view this as a problem. Would we rather hear feedback or information about a shortcoming from someone who cares about us or someone else? Would we rather be aware of a situation or walk around blindsided like in the emperor’s new clothes while others laugh at us? Silently ask the questions, “Why are their words bothering me”? Is it my ego? Do I have a feedback allergy? Do I have a problem accepting criticism?

2. Grow in different and similar areas

Be distinctive and find common interests to accomplish mutual development. It is important to specialize where we can increase our knowledge and skills. Our mate can respect and encourage us and vice versa. But, it is also critical to engage in activities where we can share and enjoy companionship and compatibility in the same activities.

3. Choose a different messenger

Realize that in some matters we are not the right messenger. Sometimes our mate cannot hear our arguments or for some reason cannot listen to us. We may not have the sensitivity, qualifications or experience to address what they are feeling. There may be an invisible barrier on certain concepts and conversations. Additionally, sometimes words are more acceptable coming from another source.  We may joke about getting experts to quote us so our words would appear more acceptable. This stresses the fact that we are not the ones to proceed or lead on all issues.

4. Explore and discuss guidelines for conflict resolution

We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can debate without hate. We need to know the temperament and philosophies of engagement to see how each party handles conflict. How do we respond when things don’t go our way and disappointment sets in? Agree on rules of engagement with guidelines on what is and is not acceptable behavior.

5. Don’t elevate things that are not important

Don’t argue about things we don’t care about.  We might feel the need to voice an opinion on something that doesn’t matter to us. We get involved in ego driven debate to make a point. Don’t argue as if it is a sport with a winner and a loser.

6. Don’t get engaged in future focused situations

We have disputes over things that are scheduled for the future. This is a waste of time. Both parties may change our minds or the events may not happen. Be careful not to argue something that may or may not happen. Fight that battle when it gets here. Many problems are often based on a failure to communicate properly and how we treat each other in a relationship.

7. Beware of arguing someone’s point of view  

Don’t become the defender of someone’s opinion. Allow them to wage their own battle. We may find ourselves acting as if we are the proxy for a phantom person or an individual hardly worth sabotaging our relationship. We do not owe anything to the other person if we unwisely decide to support their opinion.

8. Schedule vacations and date nights

A mate may love night life and exotic locations. Vacations may invigorate them and allow other people to clean the rooms and prepare the meals. Make decisions around this information. Remember the important days and show spontaneous acts of kindness and affection. We may want to write this information in your computer, telephone or the other places we use to keep track of vital information.

9. Divide chores and involvement in children activities

Successful relationships are partnerships. Studies show that most successful marriages involve both partners playing a major role in all aspects of the home. However, some people would rather perform a certain activity on their own. This is perfectly fine, as long as the couple agree on the arrangement.

10. State your commitment

Saying phrases like “I want this to work.” Thinking defection is not an option and instituting rituals to show our sincerity are ways to state our commitment.  Our religious beliefs are another way to help us become stronger in our intent and demonstrating our allegiance to the covenant with our mate.  Additionally, in a management classic by Robert F. Mager, managers were trained to ask the performance oriented question “Can they do the job if their life depended on it?” We should modify the question to ask, “Is this relationship important enough to us that we would do it as if our life depended upon it.”

Copyright © 2011 Orlando Ceaser