How was your meeting?

One day I asked a colleague: "How was your meeting?" A shrug was followed by a single word: "Routine." We chatted a moment longer and then I headed home, but that word, "routine," really stuck in my mind. Meeting for meeting's sake is one of my ultimate pet peeves. If there's a hell, it's a long meeting with no agenda, time frame, or purpose. On the drive home I thought about when I call meetings. Here's what I came up:

• A decision needed to be made, especially a decision that effected the entire team and their workload. I heard this first on the Manager Tools podcast, which is absolutely first rate and should be MANDATORY LISTENING for managers at all levels. The Manager Tools blog is totally sweet also.
  
• Complex projects. Sometimes all the detail in an email can't stand up to a good ol' conversation with colleagues armed with paper, pencils, dry erase boards, drawings and ideas. My team always has good, productive discussions that enable us to go into a big project with the right approach.
  
• Collaboration with other departments. Though I supplement all of my meetings with other departments with heavy notes and agendas, sometimes this is another case in which verbal communication is better than digital communication. However, I'm really trying to follow up after meetings at least by writing the minutes in my work journal - but GEEZ that's a whole ton of work! In the end it's worth it, but still.
• One-on-one meetings. This is another awesome tip from the Manager Tools folks. It's great to sit down and just hear what the employees need to talk about. I haven't done that in a while, but look forward to scheduling some of those throughout summer.

Don't let your meetings be routine. Make them count. Make them important. Make them something we CAN'T do without. Make them so that people are excited or intrigued by what's happening at them.

And if we can do without a meeting, than by all means cancel it!

Adventures in Management - Winter 2011

In the realm of management, I am starting to really become interested in more complex research projects and how to effectively divide the work. Projects with a number of moving parts and a lot of cooks in the kitchen require a certain amount of direction, review and reporting and I think I'm still searching for that mix right now. I think I have a knack for delegating, but I would like to get into the literature a little more and see what I'm missing.

Reading has been a big focus of mine, but I haven't seemed to be able to capture enough time to sit down and absorb heavier stuff, like professional literature. I picked up two books by Scott Adams, the creator of the comic Dilbert and author of The Dilbert Principle and The Joy of Work. Admittedly, they're not the greatest books for positive managerial reading, but I've found a slightly different perspective on them. They are indeed hilarious, but The Dilbert Principle was written in 1996 and some of it still holds. I'm happy that Dilbert only reminds me of past jobs and not much relates to the present.

My job gets cooler as it gets more challenging. My department has been helping the entire division use information in a whole new way. We are reaching out and becoming more proactive. I think people are still getting used to our availability. We are using a variety of new and different tools. Our efficiency and productivity have increased. We just got an official new president, Allan Gilmour, for the next two years. It's definitely a time of growing at Wayne State. It's time for some healing in Detroit, finally.

Book Review: Nice girls don't get the corner office

Book Review: Nice girls don't get the corner office
By Lois P. Frankel, PhD

For the ladies exploring management, this book is perfect. You don't have a lot of time; it is short. You need to be able to implement changes in a reasonable fashion; the book sheds light on both long and short term solutions. You don't realize how many subtle changes can make a difference. I found it to be a most valuable resource and one that I've already returned to a few times after finishing it.

The way I came by this book was interesting. I had just experienced a number of instances that made me shift in my seat a little bit at work. A colleague knew I was a little frazzled and they sent the book interoffice envelope style. I admit, both the delivery and the title made me chuckle.

In most of my prior jobs, I would just let things of that nature roll of my back. Yet, back then I was a student, intern or part-timer. Now I'm a manager, full-time, and doing what I feel is very meaningful work. But I also have to deal with, well, uh, I'll say "it". All of "it". And sometimes, "it" ain't pretty. The experiences definitely kept me on my toes, but were resolved. Had I read this book on the first day, I think I would have fared even better. Hindsight, eh?

I was enthralled by this book. It made me really evaluate how I did things, how I communicate, how I look and act. Some things I do pretty well - look people in the eye, take high priority projects capitalizing on relationships and learning from feedback. Some things the book pointed out were really subtle, like the use of minimizing words and phrases like, "Oh, it was nothing" or "It was just a quick project." I'm a little more careful and a bit more concise. Trying to be, anyway.

There are, of course, parts that I really can't get with. For example, I get a strong feeling that I probably smile inappropriately (read: too much). Well, forget that. I like smiling, especially if I've got something to smile about. There was a mention of wearing makeup, which I don't. Mistake #20 is Telling the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth (So help you God). I'm a big fan of truth, transparency and accountability, so I dismiss that as a mistake. Sophocles said "The truth is always the strongest argument." The thing most disagreed with was the alleged mistake of "Working Hard." This was friggin' #3. I'm pretty sure that's one of the most emphasized parts of my division's strategic plan, so again I disagree. I was, however, pleased that the author didn't mention swearing as a mistake, because I love me some swearing. I digress.

Despite the above examples, it was surprising to read through these 101 mistakes and find that I relate to so many. Here are a couple that I have made some progress on:

• Explaining and apologizing. I often do both at the same time. Sometimes you just don't need to do either, but I like fostering good will. However, cutting out chatter really makes my email writing quicker.
  
• Not taking a break. In a previous blog post about management, I said that I wasn't taking a break for the first month. Well, the trend lasted a few months longer. I have been doing a lot better trying to get out of the office. I'm actually thinking about working out during lunch. Besides, I kinda' become a grumpy jerk if I just pound through the day and don't eat or take a breather.
  
• Putting work ahead of your personal life. Yeah, still working on this one, but I do try to leave my computer at work twice a week. Also, I'm starting to work out right after, so I'm hoping that will be a nice buffer between the two.

The book might be a little more focused toward a corporate environment, but it can work for everyone. There are many applicable things for every workplace, but sometimes it's talking high executive level stuff. Learning about the culture is quite amazing, if not sometimes puzzling. I recommend this book for women of all ages in management and looking to move up.

In management, learning always keeps it interesting...for everyone involved.

Management is thrilling. It has been enormously fun and interesting, but my favorite part is how much I've been learning. I got a call from a colleague that I was going to be a member of CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education). This was great because I've always been involved with professional organizations. I had left academia for a couple years and I think this is a great way to re-introduce myself in a formal way. Professional organizations are always worth it and this one appears to have a lot of interesting and relevant resources.

Also, last week I went to a Fred Pryor seminar called "Essential Skills for First-time Managers or Supervisors." I went on the recommendation of a colleague and it was awesome. It was particularly awesome because in three months I got a smorgasbord of issues to deal with as a manager and heard about how to handle them at this seminar. I was happy to hear that in a lot of ways I was actually doing okay. Afterward, I was looking through my notes and found a few quick snippets that were covered at the seminar:

• One must be CRYSTAL clear.
• Document everything.
• Give employees the priority list.
• Get creative with incentives for your employees.
• Hire people smarter than you.

The first three things I think I've accomplished and continue to make a regular part of my work day as best I can. The last two are a couple of nuggets that I picked up at the seminar and I'm particularly intrigued by the last one and it makes perfect sense.

My favorite part of the seminar was the importance placed on reading. One of the essentials was "Read, read, read." It made me think about how I could role that into an employee incentive. By giving them time to read, they can back away from the computer and learn on company time should the week's workload allow for it. Giving them this time could also lead to increased creativity and enhance their knowledge on topics like philanthropy, business and higher education.

Inspired by the message to read, read, read, I totally got pulled into buying something. It seems "too good to be true" but this is my second Fred Pryor/CareerTrack and I've heard amazing stories about the Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics System. Both speakers said they've shared this with their families; both swore it changed their life and one of them told me they've never, ever had one returned. It's supposed to drastically improve your reading speed and, more importantly, increase your retention. So I went for it. I love reading, but I use that lame excuse "There's no time to read." I've been trying to carve in time, but now I'm going to try to take it one level further and give this a shot. I will definitely post my experience once I'm done with the program.

Lessons from a month or so of management

I recently got a promotion. It has been awesome. The position is one of the managerial kind and it's just a whole different world, but it keeps me engaged, busy and on my toes at all times. I'm pretty sure I'll blog more about this or even start a series of "5 things I'm grateful for: manager editions." However, I have learned some things. I'm a rookie and here's what (I think) rookie managers should know:

1. You should listen to Manager Tools podcasts. I know the intro music is cheesy, but the stuff these guys talk about is absolutely priceless advice. No seriously, it's free. The hosts actually recommend that your employees listen, too! I'm very interested in these guy's professional development opportunities (geez, that sounded kinda' corporate - sorry!) But really, I am.
2. Lunch. Yeah. If it's your first time being a manager I recommend you just eat a big a** breakfast for the first month. I say that because if you are into a project you shouldn't let food ruin your focus. When you step into a leadership role and are bursting with ideas, focus on those and tell lunch to piss off. There's one exception for your first month: lunch is acceptable in the case of meeting your peers. So pick up the phone, call a colleague and learn about the organization.
   
3. You will forget things. This is also known as "stuff might be overlooked." It really doesn't matter how organized you think you are. Something won't work out one day and it will seem like the end of the world. However, you got to where you are for a reason and no, in fact, it's not the end of the world. (Sidenote: don't mess it up twice, though.)
   
4. Having mentors is essential. If you have 'em, count your lucky stars. For you that don't, dish out the dough for a professional organization and get into a network. Students: GET INVOLVED WITH STUDENT GROUPS. If you want to get your money's worth out of school - get yourself in a student group.
   
5. Rome wasn't built in a day.