People Performance - Can You Believe What You See?August 12th, 2011 5:47am - Posted By: Wayne L. Anderson
When we are observing the behavior and performance of our people can we really believe what we see? In 1927, the theoretical physicist Werner Karl Heisenberg developed the uncertainty principle. The uncertainty principle states that, at a microscopic level, it is impossible to know both the momentum and position of a particle. To do so you need very sensitive and generally very powerful measurement devices. As a result, those devices must disturb the very system under investigation. We have to look so closely at the thing being measured that we can affect how it behaves. Therefore, we cannot be totally sure of the results of the measurement. I am convinced that some variation of Heisenberg‘s principle can be applied to the management of people, albeit not at the quantum level. There are many leaders today that manage people so closely that it affects their natural behavior as well as their performance. If left alone, their people would operate and behave di ... Read More...Posted in: Leadership, Professional Development, Management Techniques, Micro ManagementView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookA special account: Just for you.August 8th, 2011 5:32pm - Posted By: Wayne L. Anderson
How would like to have a special bank account where the sum of $86,400 is placed in it every day? The only stipulation is that any amount you do not use by the end of the day is lost. That’s right; anything not used is completely wiped out. The great thing about this bank account is that at the beginning of the next day, you will automatically receive another $86,400 to do with as you please. Are you interested? Well, I have a surprise for you. You actually already have an account just like this one. Instead of money, it contains seconds. Each day 86,400 seconds is deposited in your life account to spend anyway you please. However, like the special bank account, anything not used by the end of the day is lost. There is no way to retrieve it... no way to get any of it back. Don’t worry though; you will be given another 86,400 seconds at the beginning of the next day. How do you plan t ... Read More...Posted in: Leadership, Time Management, Professional DevelopmentView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookMaster the Art of ProcrastinationAugust 2nd, 2011 9:16am - Posted By: Wayne L. Anderson
This is the time of year when people tend to procrastinate. They are engaging in vacation planning and many other things. All of which they are spending some amount of time procrastinating the accomplishments of these tasks. Many leaders procrastinate unconscientiously. I think this is a mistake. If you are going to procrastinate–like any other activity that is worth doing–you should conscientiously know what you are doing and… be good at it. Many psychologists would agree that procrastination is a learned behavior. Therefore, I have provided a brief ten lesson course that will help you to master the art of procrastination. Upon completion of this mini-course, you will be an expert at not doing. Lesson # 1 - Know what procrastination means It is difficult to be a good procrastinator if you don’t know what procrastination means. The Webster’s Encyclope ... Read More...Posted in: Time Management, Professional Development, LeadershipView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookStay in your helicopterAugust 1st, 2011 9:47am - Posted By: Wayne L. Anderson
I was a technical wizard who worked his way up through the ranks to become a senior vice president of a multi-billion dollar corporation. One of the first mistakes I made when I first became a manager was to micromanage my people. Fortunately, early in my career I had some excellent mentors. The first piece of advice they gave me was to stay in the helicopter. I figured my career was in trouble because my mentors had lost it! What were they talking about, stay in the helicopter? I am in IT; we don’t have any helicopters! What they were telling me was when I manage that closely, I can’t see what is happening in the entire organization. In reality, I can only see the one activity on which I was concentrating. My mentors were telling me that I should be more like a Forest Ranger. This situation may apply to you as well. Your organization (like mine) has a tremendous number of things going on. Projects are underway; equipment is ... Read More...Posted in: Leadership, Professional Development, Management Techniques, Micro ManagementView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook |
