At some time or other, everybody in the workplace gets anxious. For any number of diverse reasons we get stressed out; we get a knot in our stomachs.

You’re aware your judgment might not be 100%. You feel you’d better watch what you say, or even keep your thoughts to yourself.

It doesn’t matter if the stressor was outside of work or waiting for you on arrival. It’s on your plate, not going away and now you have to manage your way through.

Personally, I’ve always used stressors as spurs to drive me on and intensify my thoughts and action. But sometimes, maybe just once in a while, things get a little too intense and it’s time to back off and take stock.

Over time I have seen people deal with these problems in many different ways.  For myself, there was always one trick I could use that got me back in balance and on track:

Cool-down Mode. Here you just simplify all work activity and focus upon only one thing at a time. It’s very Zen-like. You can keep working as usual and be very productive. The trick is to stop your mind multitasking and address only one issue. It is this focus that reduces stress levels and allows you to re-assimilate.

You can still have action item (AI) lists to complete during the day, but as you prepare the list, think only of the list. If you’re interrupted when working, put the current action aside (both physically and mentally) and focus now only upon the interruption until you can return to that AI. You must be disciplined and singular in focus. Keep your thoughts methodical, quiet and steady.

Operating in cool-down mode can go on for days or sometimes even weeks. Do whatever it takes to get you feeling right. This is also a good time to catch up on projects or individual work assignments if you have that opportunity.

Certainly, this approach works for me, but everyone is different. So, here are some other effective approaches you might consider:

Take a Break. Take a holiday or long weekend away from the stressor. You must be 100% out of your regular routine and away from troubling issues. Its better these breaks are low stress events and do not involve emotionally intense engagements. Again, slow, quiet and steady is the best path.

Try an Outlet. New or old pastimes/hobbies and activities are often great diversions. Try something where you have no time to think about what makes you anxious or angry. You might use this as either the short-term release you need now, or adopt it to provide a longer-term balance within your lifestyle.

Emotional Release. Sometimes you just have to let it out. It can be tears or arguments for some and physical exertion for others. If it reduces the stress and anxiety-levels, use it. Just be sure all consideration is shown to others in the process! Even after this, working through the Cool-down Mode might still hold benefits for your rested, new self.

Avoid Pause Activity. Don’t waste time doing things that merely delay (or, Pause) your feelings: Internet searches, TV viewing and watching movies etc. can fall into this category. It can be useful to delay, but ideally you must ultimately understand and address the root causes for your stress.

As a minimum, you should find ways to successfully adapt your lifestyle and work habits in a way that ensures you can become productive, happy and content.

Reassess Priorities and Plan. This could be done while you are on a break or operating in Cool-down Mode. In either case, it should only be undertaken after that stressful feeling has been diminished. It’s always better to plan with a clear head and refreshed mind.

So, now is the time for self-assessment. You need to consider if your stress was brought on by:

• Short-term problems.

Do you just need to back-off your intensity and schedule for a while? Are there events that will naturally settle down and be less a problem shortly, anyway? Are there specific issues you should address and resolve? If so, you can just manage the current pressure with some of the ideas suggested above and then later, return to your regular (or modified) lifestyle and work.

If this is not the case, are there:

• Lifestyle issues.

If you’re in a place where priorities and career are not what you want, you may need to reconsider your job, work habits and lifestyle outside of the workplace.

If your work/life balance is off, then at least you are fully aware what isn’t working. At worst, this is a good place to start! So, maybe it’s time to write down your priorities. Consider what it is you want:

• To be as a person, now
• To become in the future
• Enjoy in relationships
• Experience in life
• Accomplish in your career

Describe what you want and be sure to write it down. Next, make a Plan of how you will adapt your current course. If you’re unable to do this and your current path makes you unhappy, stressed or anxious, it may time to get some real (career, or other) counsel.

So, what matters to you? Maybe you already really like who you are and what you’re doing. Perhaps the Cool-down Mode lets you catch your breath and enthusiastically reengage your current lifestyle. It works for me.

Whatever it is you want, be sure you don’t routinely operate with that knot in your stomach. True, it can be a useful, occasional stimulus, but it’s ultimately unhealthy  and keeps you from being at your best. Besides, you deserve better.

Good luck finding your niche. Just make sure you dare to consider alternative paths. And, if you need to make changes, make them!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

No matter where you work you’re likely looking at problems and issues that make life just plain miserable. It can be broken systems, outdated methods or even just bad situations.  You can see the problem, maybe even the solution, but you just don’t know how to get it addressed.

If you want to take action yet don’t know how to push your agenda, then read on. Whether you’re a senior executive or individual contributor you’ll need to consider these pointers.

Why might you need to report a problem or present an idea? Issues and concerns can stem from a variety of sources:

• Well-known Problem. Everyone knows about this and yet it remains.
• Observed Issue. You noticed it yourself.
• Reported Issue. This was told to you by someone else.

Be really certain anything you want to flag is worth fixing. Its correction should have a real return-on-investment (ROI) and/or benefits to morale.

Who you are will affect your entire plan-of-attack. Are you senior or junior in the organization? Also, what do you wield in terms of:

• Personal Power. The measure of your established credibility and influence in the organization by virtue of the skills you have and value you bring.
• Positional Power. Your influence in the organization by virtue of your title.

Be realistic about your influence around the organization. If in doubt, check with a trusted colleague. Who you are directly affects your choices on all the following pointers.

When things are flagged can often be important. Not everything has to be flagged immediately. In fact, sometimes problems are better highlighted later because:

• There are Bigger Issues In-Play right now. You don’t want either yourself or your idea to be an untimely and inconvenient distraction
• It may be Too early to Address the matter. Some things just become more important, later.

Although it’s often better to get problems lined-up and visible ASAP for future action, sometimes it’s wiser to wait for important events that make your issue more obviously compelling (yet still timely!). Carefully assess when issues should be brought forward. If in doubt, work privately and early-on with a relevant, trusted colleague or mentor to make that assessment.

Mentors are often great guides to help you with all these pointers.

What type of idea or concern you have will affect how you proceed. What is your intention and what do you want to happen? Perhaps you want to:

• Highlight. Maybe you only need to point out there is a problem?
• Make a General Recommendation. Here you might want to make less comprehensive suggestions, recommendations and/or observations
• Present a Proposal. In this case you have a specific and more detailed proposal or plan about what should be done and how.

In some cases pointing out a problem is all the involvement and value you need to have. At other times you might be wiser to go all-in with a plan and hands-on activity.

To Who you present your ideas can determine the interest level that follows. A heavy-hand and too elevated an approach can be a turnoff in some situations, yet at other times this is exactly what is required to establish support and attention. Your approach might begin through:

• Informal channels. Perhaps you open up your campaign using a casual discussion with a relevant colleague or another manager having useful influence.
• The formal chain of command. Maybe you should just tell your boss?
• A group/team/committee. Your entrée here might be through discussion or entail a more formal recommendation and/or proposal.

Even though you might open your campaign at a low level and with simple discussion, it’s likely to move to more organized presentations and senior forums as acceptance gains momentum or is secured.

How you present your ideas can also impact the interest level that follows. It’s important to choose the medium most likely to increase acceptance and support beyond whatever level you have already established. Your approach might be:

• Verbal. Promotion of your ideas will often begin with a discussion between yourself and a relevant colleague/manager. Even as acceptance and support grows there may be need for new or on-going discussions to further the cause.
• Email. Often a good opening to present your case. Be sure not to overwhelm the reader with too much content, nor be so brief as to omit critical points and information. Get the right balance for the situation.
• Presentation. Often a useful ice-breaker. And sometimes the deal-closer. As with the email, don’t either over or underwhelm the recipients relative to their current level of acceptance and your goal(s) for the meeting.
• A Report (informal). A written outline not containing a full plan-of-action or recommendations.
• A Report (formal). The whole enchilada describing the issue, what to do, why and recommendations. Best not to deliver this until folks are primed to buy-in and take action.

So, these are the critical things to consider. Balance and approach are your keys to success.

Do you have ideas or concerns you want to put forward? Need to get people to listen and act? Have you hesitated to move and ignored problems because you were unsure what to do? If so, consider the pointers above and plan how to proceed. When you take action to improve the workplace, you also elevate your own value and reputation!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

The moment someone sets eyes on you they begin forming strong and broad-based opinions about who you are. It happens in seconds. And more, they’ll likely spend the rest of their time with you confirming their first impression.

The truth is humans are prolific rationalization machines. It’s normal for us to jump to opinions and selectively reinforce our first impressions.

Psychologists, Behaviorists, Anthropologists all tell us we each communicate through highly evolved body-language which is a part of our personalized repertoire of nonverbal behavior. Also, there is an inherent need for us to evaluate and assess new people quickly. After all, we are a very successful part of the animal kingdom and so possess great, innate survival instincts!

In a social setting, we perhaps sometimes get a slightly better break when people first assess us. Maybe those new contacts are more relaxed, have more time, or are even fundamentally more open in their evaluations. However, in the work environment introductions often happen quickly and inaccurate judgments can easily have undesirable consequences.

Let’s say someone walks into a room or lobby and you are waiting to meet them for the first time. Whether you like it or not you are immediately inundating them with signals and they are drinking them in.

With a glance lasting only moments and following a brief initial introduction, this person will instinctively assess your:

Appearance

                  Facial Expressions

                  Stance

                  Posture

                  Movements

                  Voice

                  Dress

                  Behavior

                  Support of cultural norms

It would be better if the image we present really represents who we are. Certainly it takes an awful lot to undo this first impression.

Given this knowledge we can actively make a choice to either accurately reveal who we are, or even conceal things we don’t want to expose.

So, with general awareness of this reality, it comes as no surprise that much has been published about Dressing for Success, following Greeting Protocols and Conveying a Positive Body Image (etc.) in the workplace.

On first reflection this whole situation seems unbelievably superficial. After all, we are complex creatures, possessing:

Diverse Talents and Skills

Unique Qualifications and Experience

Values

Strengths

Weaknesses

Beliefs                 

Personalized Motivations and Circumstances

Etc.

Yet people will normally lock in on their first, instant impressions. All your subsequent messages (conscious, unconscious, verbal or physical) may be ignored or accepted depending on the recipient’s flexibility, expertise, curiosity and even available time.

These are tough facts to swallow if you’re on a date, in an interview, being evaluated or even investigated in some way.

I remember when I played sports (rugby in my case) as a young man. Certainly I prided myself on being able to glance at an opponent and assess his skills in seconds; even recognizing diverse tendencies for exceptional movement, speed or strength. I knew what to watch out for and it served me well. Was my excellent observation nothing more than the universally obvious, anyway? Hard to know, but I still stubbornly believe in my great talents in making these reads, even today!

It can be easy to view this form of communication as somewhat unimportant. Yet this could not be more untrue. If we want to convey who we are, what we think and our ideas, then body language is crucial. Our smallest movements and actions instill mental states and reactions in others.

High profile personalities, actors and politicians all recognize this opportunity and manipulate their bodies to convey their messages.

If you’re up for an important meeting, why wouldn’t you pay the same attention to these details? Practicing gestures and the body language you want, you can more readily convey the information and impression you desire. Even more, by installing such body language as part of your repertoire you can actually move towards becoming that person you portray and want to be.

It is said that within the first 3-7 seconds (apparently, even these reported, very short times can vary!) you can tell how someone feels about themselves. Their facial expressions, stance and the way they move offer messages about mood, feelings, attitudes, emotions and much more.

It is better to control such powerful communication the way we choose. Why send a set of misleading (perhaps even damaging) messages to someone you meet that don’t accurately reflect who you are or what you believe? Don’t we all often make this very mistake?

Do you have an important meeting on the horizon where you want to instantly convey the best image of yourself? If you do, then better you spend a little time thinking about that moment of initial contact; those first few seconds really do count!

FOOTNOTE: There are 5 Articles linked from within the body of this BLOG, above. Each LINK provides you excellent guidance regarding actions you can take to present the most positive body-language possible in many different “first impression” situations you might encounter.

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

A few days ago I received a call from a concerned young marketer with a problem. It was not an uncommon issue; he was having trouble gathering the necessary support from across the organization to execute a project he’d been assigned. Many professionals experience similar problems, particularly early in their careers.

Knowing the individual fairly well and having specific knowledge of his company, it was easy to see there are a few elements in play:

• Power to control and influence
• Cultural Norms in the organization.

The power aspect is well understood. To freely influence and involve others cross-functionally in your projects you either need Positional Power, or Personal Power. The former is what is given to you and implied simply by your job title, whereas the latter is a function of the respect and influence you command. Positional Power gives you certain rights to control and indeed is often ultimately earned as a result of thePersonal Power you wield.

Generally, highly effective leaders always possess strong Personal Power. The prevailing consensus wisdom is that such leaders:

• Are bold
• Articulate clearly, communicate well and
• Possess a vision.

Clearly, such characteristics are formidable. However, the marketer in question carries no management title, nor has he yet clearly established himself with any significant personal power, or recognition as a leader. Nevertheless, he still has a couple of options (which could be equally applied to any similar situation):

1. Have his boss visibility endorse both he and his a project and notify all appropriate parties; this leverages his boss’s power and sets the employee up to proceed. Or,
2. Personally promote (by the most appropriately effective means) the business case for the project directly with both the key influencers and those participants involved; this gets buy-in from those who will help and their bosses, when required.

Clearly option “1” can be implemented very quickly. The boss should be approached with a strong and thoughtful request, rather than a seemingly weak call for help. A little diplomacy is required, as let’s face it, in this case the marketer’s boss had clearly done a poor job of setting him up to succeed. Or, option “2” could be executed in a series of one-on-ones and/or a single meeting where participants (and perhaps their bosses) are courted in a call-for-action. Even if option”2” takes a little longer, it certainly will build our young professional’s leadership image and Personal Power along the way!

Lastly, in this case we need to consider the unique Cultural Norms of the company involved. Most companies establish unwritten functional hierarchies across the organization. For example, in some cultures Sales rules the roost, yet in others sales professionals might be viewed as somewhat scatterbrained, perhaps even disorganized and having questionable ethics! Similarly, there is sometimes a true reverence for Engineering, while simultaneously engineering staff might still be considered naïve regarding business practices and customer needs. And, so it goes.

Now, in the case of the particular company involved in this discussion, there is a known strong engineering bias and an accompanying lack of understanding or empathy for the Marketing role. So, in this situation our marketer should be doubly motivated to present that solid business case that will win over willing participants and so ensure success for the project.

It seems our young professional liked the advice presented above! It will be interesting to see how his situation evolves. If you have similar concerns or questions you can reach me at Ian@mthamilton.net

Reprinted from pickthebrain.com

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

A couple of weeks ago I was at lunch with a good friend who is a serial entrepreneur. He’s been a pretty successful high-tech player for a number of years, is Ivy League (PhD.) educated and articulate with a confident air.

Let’s cut this long story short. My friend is raising start-up money and in his case there are three likely sources he should approach.

Good entrepreneurs all know they must solve problems, find the best approach quickly and eliminate leads which are poor options swiftly (i.e. fail fast).

After quick assessments of the most likely viable sources my friend seemed to want my opinion regarding who to approach and how. So, I began offering suggestions of organizations with names of people to contact and to suggest generally viable approach-styles for each situation; all designed to fail fast, or make a quick connection.

Something just didn’t seem right. Yes, I have lots of connections, but this guy surely knows as many people as myself and is more than able to construct an appropriate approach. Why was he having me ramble on about targets, calls to make and how? Why did he even need my expertise at all?

Then, my light bulb went on. He just wasn’t making those calls he could already have begun. At first I didn’t believe my read of the situation, after all, he’s held senior roles in startups for a few decades. Finally I bluntly asked, “Are you just nervous about making these cold calls?” And, there we had it.

He was fundamentally uncomfortable and actually inhibited from approaching senior professionals. Pretty devastating if you’re an entrepreneur and want to raise money!

My tip to the problem was that I went through a similar realization about myself more than 20 years earlier. We can be comfortable with others and outwardly very confident, but beneath our veneers swirl those insecurities.

I was personally able to recognize and manage that specific liability in short order. Since procrastination for me is generally signaled by as short as a 24-hour delay in my taking action, I was soon analyzing what-the-heck was wrong and quickly jumped all over the issue.

But I was lucky. Yet, being paralyzed from making cold approaches (or, even those made through secondhand introductions) seems intuitively likely to be a very common problem. And, what a career-limiting block to suffer!

A quick Internet search confirms this fatal behavior is pretty common and has many other forms. I’ve often heard it said that, “all bad (and/or weak) behavior is based in insecurity.” Certainly doubting your own self-worth (or, capabilities) must be truly a debilitating insecurity to carry into the workplace. After all, success in most areas of life and business is at least in part based on an individual’s perceived level of self-confidence.

Humans are creatures seemingly littered with insecurities and peculiarities of lesser or greater significance. Yet, if Insecurity paralyzes or changes what would be your normal behavior, then for all practical purposes it’s essentially elevated to the impact level of an actual addiction, isn’t it?

How do you defeat these problems? Or at least, how do you establish a level of control whereby you can function and accomplish those things you must?

There are some simple pointers I can offer. These follow, below. Certainly my colleague (mentioned above) must overcome his demons, or the path to success is currently barred to him; his personal approaches to those cold contacts are essential.

The basic plan-of-action to overcome just this particular problem is straightforward, though execution will be easier (or, tougher) depending on your level of insecurity. The solution is to:

• Recognize it

You have to recognize you’re avoiding the meeting/call. If you know how to reach the person and you’re not doing it, figure out why. Look into yourself: what is the root reason you’re not contacting that person, right now? Sometimes this can be easier to say than fully analyze.

• Plan to Meet People

Set a deadline to making the contact and the preferred date for actual F2F meeting/call. Figure out what you want to say, your approach and even practice as you must. Remember: most people will take your calls; just be confident, professional, polite and persistent.

• Set up the Meeting/Make the Call

Make the approach and set up the meeting as required. Push (politely) to get the meeting when you need it and avoid any brushoff. Work through second party (referral/admin) if you must, but get the meeting.

• Do the Meet

Arrive on time, establish rapport but get to the point. Normally, work to build a friendship and contact for the future. Approach and present with an air of professionalism and expectation of success; be confident. You deserve to be there and your cause is worthy!

• Repeat

Stay on the horse. Repeat 2 through 4, above, for each of the different people with whom you need closure. Keep pushing for the progress you need and the results you deserve.

Things really can be as simple as just shown. Either make this work and move on, OR figure out how to get more profound help in order to execute.

I’m sure we all recognize most people have some level of the insecurity discussed above. I believe many people can overcome this problem adequately, or even completely. And unfortunately, I also realize a good number of people might fail to overcome this challenge at all.

Whatever your situation be sure to recognize and accept if you have such a problem. Just recognizing insecurity gives you some measure of power in managing its impact.

Not everyone can make cold calls. Similarly, not everyone has a regular and compelling need to do so.

And just for the record, the friend I mentioned above quickly concluded his own insecurity and inability to approach senior execs was based in childhood experiences. He said his parents, “did a number on him” regarding his self-worth relative to others. As he discovered this within only 5 min. of discussion, I suspect he will overcome!

Have you ever caught yourself not reaching out to people you must contact? Do people’s Positions, Ranks, Education, Experience, Image or Status freeze you into inaction? Respect these things, yes, but do not be put off or devalue your own self-worth as a result. Take a look at the way you approach others and consider any underlying issues that might inhibit your confidence or delay action.

Remember, overcoming such an obstacle can only enhance your career opportunities!

In both life and business people don’t always tell us the truth. There can be many reasons for this; perhaps they want to save face or protect our feelings. Perhaps they want to outsmart us or avoid negative consequences?

When we’re in the driver seat (i.e. say as a parent, or manager) we can usually ask a few probing questions that clarify a situation. But, what if we are not in this position?

What can we do when we are culturally obliged to accept an input on face value and it just doesn’t ring true? Perhaps you’re in a job interview, or your boss is providing you important news? Maybe a customer is providing you feedback?

Well, if you can read people you’re at an advantage. However, if you are naturally trusting and can’t make the read, you could be easily victimized.

So, how do you read the signs that you’re not getting the truth?

Most of us instinctively know how to recognize body language that betrays a liar. It’s in the facial expressions (eyes, nose, mouth and brow) and body movement (hands, posture and stance). We’ll review this, below.

The biggest problem is our proficiency. Despite the huge exposure we receive to facial expressions and body language we observe each day, we mostly only scratch the surface in using what is presented.

We’ll recognize when someone’s happy, sad or troubled and we instinctively confirm appropriate facial and other body-language signs. So, to learn more precisely what’s going on, we need only practice and enhance our existing skills of observation.

Learning to listen by improving our observation of expressions is an interesting skill, indeed. Almost anyone can develop themselves this way and enhance their understanding of others, while growing personal awareness.

So what are the physical giveaways when someone’s not telling the truth? The signs are firstly in the face. They may be both fleeting and barely noticeable, but they are usually readily discernible:

• From the Mouth

Deceitful words are often hidden in throat clearing or feigned coughs. Many variations of hands or fingers on or near the mouth suggest a desire to cover words and hide deception. Fake smiles are often used to deceive; real smiles involve the entire face, eyes, brow, etc. Fake smiles arrive and depart quickly, regardless of how long they’re held.

• In the Eyes

Darting glances and poor eye contact are often tells, but bold liars can sometimes even stare directly into your eyes. Vigorous rubbing or even gentle touching below the eye is indication of deception as are muscular twitches and changes in the size of pupils.

• On the Nose

Oddly, when we lie we release chemicals that swell nose tissue and cause an itch. If someone touches, pulls or rubs their nose, chances are there’s a lie progress. President Bill Clinton’s nose-touching displays during the interview regarding the Monica Lewinsky affair are notorious.

• Absent in the Face

Slight sweating is a sign of pressure. However, someone offering a poker-face, with little or no emotion may often be hiding something more. If there is tension in the jaw and forehead, and/or eyes are narrowed, then potential giveaways are being actively suppressed.

• Upon the Brow

The brow and eyebrows should match the overall expression upon the face. A true smile should raise eyebrows in the center and furrow the brow. Inconsistencies in expressions and tension in the brow are signs of stress and often more.

And, secondly there are signs in the body:

• In the Stance

Often movement might seem more controlled but more frequent crossing of legs, twitching and foot shuffles are giveaways. The lower body provides strong indications of deception, as does the avoidance of bodily contact.

• Within Posture

Crossed arms and legs present a closed posture, often signifying something (emotion, facts, etc.) are being withheld.

• With the Hands

During deception hand movements are often suppressed and their motion restricted; this is even truer for men. However, women tend to increase hand movement in this situation. When presented, a palms-up motion is often a major indication of untruth.

And, of course, fiddling with or touching the nose, ears, or neck areas are often signs that something is not right.

It’s easier to read these signs in someone you know, as norms of expression and movement are already well-established.

Sometimes these tells (as listed above) can be checked by innocuous conversational questions being asked so simple norms can be checked/re-established. Then following this, a more pressured inquiry can be made to recheck a particular response. Lots of tricks, maneuvers and expertise have been developed to both use and detect these behaviors. Indeed, a well-practiced liar might have a better-than-average (never total) control of the involuntary responses listed above.

Do you have a real and personal need for improving your awareness and observation of these behaviors? Perhaps your skills and sensitivity should be improved a little?

When you catch someone telling you a whopper it’s generally important that you know this to be the case. I’d hope that most people wouldn’t routinely need such awareness, but if you do, develop your skill carefully. After all, you don’t want to overanalyze everything and simply feed your own paranoia! And, at the same time, can you afford to be as unaware as you might now be?

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

Everyone Delegates. Delegation is a routine part of everyone’s life. Every day, in countless human interactions we share information, results and work. You do this and I’ll do that. We routinely collaborate and so responsibilities are moved from one person to another.

Parents delegate to their children and vice versa. Students that are old enough might take on their own school transportation responsibilities; in return parents could maintain and insure them a vehicle. There are both written and unwritten contracts and expectations in play.

It’s the same in the workplace. Whether you’re collaborating on a brief two-person project or managing a large team of professionals, responsibilities are being assigned and expectations of required results are established.

So, what is delegating, other than sharing responsibilities and achieving results through others? There are certainly some universal principles we can consider that will send us in the right direction.

The traditional pointers seen every day in the workplace (where a manager delegates work to employees) are typically very relevant in all the diverse instances mentioned above. And, these are:

Delegate or Die

Start by recognizing the need to Delegate or Die.  And, in doing so, be sure you trust people. Rely on your experiences with them or insights provided by others. Leverage employees’ strengths and avoid their weaknesses; above all, set folks up to succeed and give them sufficient rope to do so, but not enough to hang themselves! Select the best people available for the job and ensure they have time for the work entailed.

Effective Delegation Retains Control

Maintain only the level of control required to keep things on track; basic reviews and scheduling might be appropriate. Use triggers to highlight warning signs of problems and if personnel weaknesses emerge, install support mechanisms and/or corrective actions to get back and stay on track.

A Team Should Generally Accomplish More Than You Alone

A Team should have better collective insight and move more productively than you alone. Empower team/project leaders and clearly define goals and desired results. Be sure all essential resources are allocated: time, materials, manpower etc.

Invest in the Kickoff

Before the action begins, invest in a suitably motivating kickoff event. This is essential to set positive expectation, provide guidance, insight and advise of available resources. Commission the team (or individual) and make clear your own availability for troubleshooting and guidance so good momentum will be maintained.

Establishing Commitment

Be sure individuals and teams clearly confirm (and play back) their understanding of goals and agreed results before activity is underway. These are commitments and should be unambiguous; once serious action begins, it’s tough to make course corrections.

Extending Your Reach

Well delegated and deftly monitored work accentuates your influence and the results you can accomplish. At the same time this frees you to take on more challenging objectives and lets you further magnify accomplishments for yourself and organization.

Empowering Others Grows Your Organization

This point it speaks for itself and is another benefit of Delegating. Success breeds success and teams (or individuals) who get results are available for expanded challenges. Welcome their success and enjoy how it reflects on you, too! Empowered teams with well-managed responsibilities are motivated to accomplish even more.

Almost Everything Can Be Delegated

This is a principal to be embraced by every wise Manager/Delegator. Keep only, “must do” work assignments or politically sensitive projects for yourself. Allow projects and assignments to grow and develop individuals and teams.

Failure to Delegate Is Career Limiting

Consider this a warning to the insecure or inhibited Delegator. Not sharing/delegating can be a demotivation for key employees and simultaneously limit your own credentials for promotion. The better you work through others the more profound the results you obtain and impressive your personal case for promotion.

Celebrating Successes

When goals are achieved, celebrate!  Ensure that personal acknowledgments occur and rewards are plentiful and appropriate to those involved. Be sure all affected groups and people are informed of any resulting new tools, practices and/or procedures that affect workflows and interactions elsewhere.

When Delegating Goes Wrong

Sometimes things don’t work out. Avoid blame; take personal responsibility for your assignees and teams. Keep errors small and detect them early by having simple triggers or reviews that are not burdensome to work activity. If the problem was your own oversight/management, then accept, learn, correct and move on.

These pointers should work for you, regardless of the environment in which you delegate, collaborate or share. So, are you delegating enough? Should you delegate and share more responsibilities? Can you improve the way you share and delegate? Certainly there are lots of benefits to delegating effectively.

Consider the ways you interact and work with others. Maybe it’s time to sharpen your skills!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

I’ve personally noticed that interest in Mentoring has been taking on a new life in the last few years. Likely, this is a result of the tough economic climate driving businesses to run lean and best leverage their top people; human assets, which can be readily further shared throughout the organization.

At the same time, in many professional fields having a personal Mentor is a desirable, basic expectation of Mentees seeking strong alliances and rapid personal career growth.

The truth is, whether an organization is being driven to leverage its valued employees to the max, or just professionally offers Mentoring as a career growth norm, the benefits are real and it’s worth any Company’s time and investment to establish a meaningful Mentoring program.

The benefits and advantages to Mentors are great, as well:

• Improves organizational insight
• Enhances personal value/reputation
• Extends personal reach
• Establishes personal relationships
• etc.

And, the organization secures its predictable rewards, too:

• Fast-tracks promising candidates
• Unifies thoughts/approach and drives culture
• Develops organization’s knowledge-base
• Promotes vertical and horizontal awareness
• Opens communication channels
• Motivates key personnel
• etc.

Interesting discussions are made elsewhere about Reverse Mentoring and challenges in Mentoring Millennials, but my focus here is on regular, Senior Mentor/more Junior Mentee arrangements.

Here are a few Key Pointers for Mentors to consider:

Basics of Mentoring

Programs may be company-sponsored or individually driven, inside your own company or without. Inside is generally preferred and Mentees should be outside of your direct management chain. Be sure you know real value you can offer and are at least one level up from the Mentee; two levels often magnifies advantages and is preferred. And, before you begin, secure permission(s)!

Finding the Right Mentee

Look for those with good promise and obvious upward-mobility potential. Candidates should understand and want the relationship; they should have good communication skills and demonstrate the ability to listen and follow-up.

Terms and Conditions (T&C’s) of Mentoring

This is a relationship with a typically, unwritten contract. Make sure appointments and availabilities are understood and respected on both sides. As it’s essential to build trust, informal meetings (over coffee or lunch, etc.) are invaluable. Be sure inputs and suggestions are offered quickly and that any delays made to check facts or possibilities are brief. Privacy is implicit, but Mentors can take on multiple Mentees if sufficient value is brought and adequate time is available.

What’s Provided during Mentoring?

First and foremost bring insights into the Formal and Informal Organization, sprinkled with practical help and guidance. Teach how to get things done, highlight alternatives with pros and cons. Offering career-path suggestions is a cornerstone of Mentoring, but always highlight risks and rewards. Mentors traditionally offer their own personal contacts to accelerate Mentee’s awareness, growth and development.

Ending the Mentoring When it’s Done

Lastly, you need to recognize and accept as unproductive any Mentoring situations that just aren’t working. Above all, gracefully and finally end the Mentoring when its usefulness is over. Some arrangements last forever and some just run a course. Circumstances can move a Mentor and Mentee apart either physically or intellectually, or needs are sometimes just outgrown. In any event, when you end the arrangement you must be sure this is done on a positive note, accepting the gains and celebrating achievements.

There is no doubt that Mentoring is a rewarding and beneficial experience.

So, take a look at your own situation. Can you bring such help to others? Would your standing and value in the organization benefit as a result?

Think about your career goals and how you want to be viewed. Perhaps now is the time to take on the challenge (and opportunity) to be a Mentor!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

If you look around your workplace it’s often very easy to assess who you consider proactive and who’s not. Perhaps you sometimes see those you deem to be proactive as a little obsessive, maybe even a little paranoid? Maybe you’re just aware of their ability to get results?

The truth is we’re all proactive, to a degree. We take out the garbage when collections are due, normally schedule annual health check-ups before problems arise, etc. So, in the workplace the important questions become:

• How much proactivity is enough?
• How do we demonstrate and leverage proactivity to our advantage?

Proactivity is about anticipating needs/problems/opportunities/issues and then initiating appropriate, beneficial change. There’re lots of good characteristics suggested here for making great life choices both in and out of the workplace. Certainly, those proactive characteristics are the very ones companies need to be present in most managers, regardless of their level of seniority.

An important observation to make is that proactive people generally tend to build (or, leverage existing) infrastructure. They might even sometimes claim to trust their guts, have a nose for problems or it’s said they are just operating from extensive experience. Nevertheless, they commonly like solid infrastructure that protects them from liabilities and positions them for improvements. And, it’s their proactive urge and the building of infrastructure that brings them those beneficial results.

Truly proactive people like to put systems in place; indeed, proactivity can sometimes permeate their lives. And, good managers who are proactive often:

• Measure and Monitor performance
• Value Problem Solving
• Know how to Make Decisions
• Interact and Communicate well with others
• Delegate responsibly
• Motivate others
• Plan
• Are personally Organized and encourage this behavior
• Control workflow and their environment
• Create, Overhaul and Upgrade Systems
• Are good Team Players
• Lead effectively
• Mentor and develop others
• etc.

It could be argued that just having some of these skills is what makes you proactive. Or, perhaps being naturally proactive drives you to develop such skills, simply out of need? Either way, it’s a chicken-and-egg argument and ultimately does not matter, here. In the end, these are all great skills to possess and behaviors to demonstrate.

Again, if you are anticipating needs/problems/opportunities/issues, you will need several of these behaviors to realize any beneficial change. So, unless you already possess and exhibit some of these essential behaviors, it will be hard to be seen as that proactive leader.

Having the ability to head-off problems and anticipate needs is a winning recipe for any career. A successful career demands you change, adapt, grow and increase your value.

If your coworkers looked at you today, what would they see? Are you a proactive person; are you able to look ahead and execute valuable change?

The primary way to enhance your standing and image in the workplace is by differentiating oneself. As you target, select and develop more skills you increase your value to any company and stand out from the crowd. Importantly, all of the skills listed above can be learned.

So, if you want to be seen as that proactive person who can initiate positive change and manage liabilities, then look to your skill-set. After all, proactively improving personal skills is on the roadmap of every successful career, anyway!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh

If you’re looking for that next (or even, first) management position, you’ll need to quickly assess how well you match up to the requirements. Most job markets are already tough and everyone has limited time, but if you want that move you’ll need to get the basics in line.

Whether you’re considering an internal or external move you’ll need:

• A useful Network (for introductions, references, insights or leads)
• An appropriate Social Media presence (interviewers and recruiters will be checking)
• An honest, well-structured Resume (easily modified to best showcase those skills most important for different roles)

When you’ve identified a target position make sure you completely understand the Qualifications required and the Skills sought and desirable to the hiring company and manager. This takes some research. Use direct, network, trusted colleagues or mentor contacts to be certain, upfront, which Qualifications and Skills are fixed and the extent to which any might be softer requirements. It’s better than know at the beginning if you’re not well aligned!

Qualifications (or, what I like to call Specific Job-related Skills and Training) are often formal requirements. Well-defined qualifications might be a degree in a specific subject, perhaps even (say) a PhD in a specific subject area is required for a CTO position? Sometimes however, qualifications are more loosely defined: (say) a University degree is mandatory, but perhaps the discipline is flexible for a Marketing position?

If there’s any doubt, check which qualifications you must possess. Also, watch out for unwritten expectations, where (say) participation in some professional organization or activity is appropriate. There may even be chances to positively present more than is expected.

The next body of Skills that might be requested for any management position is what might be termed learned behaviors (I will present a specific listing, shortly). Again, research (through your contacts, colleagues or network) the job and compare what is sought for the position and what additionally might be an advantage and appropriate for you to present.

Your first contact when approaching for a position must, check the boxes. Be sure this approach (be it verbal, or an e-mail/cover letter and resume) clearly flags how you match the Qualifications and have the Skills required. Your goal is to pass the smell test and avoid erroneously being discounted from consideration. After all, in any competitive situation much of being chosen is about avoiding de-selection.

When you research any position it important to understand how to maximize the personal value you bring to the table. Once your basic suitability is proven you should appropriately reassert the essential skills you possess (and are required), yet subtly showcase those additional skills you possess and ensure they enhance your candidacy. A realistic listing of the most important generic Management Skills you might present includes:

• Problem Solving
• Decision Analysis
• Interpersonal Relationships/Management Styles
• Delegating
• Motivating
• Planning
• Organizing
• Controlling (in an appropriate manner!)
• Reengineering
• Team Playing
• Leading
• Mentoring
• Time Management
• Public Speaking/Presenting

(Note: you can link here to my book for a comprehensive, yet abbreviated Skills description and a planning guide which helps you to assess your current competence with each of these skills. As a stop-gap, you might Google the Skill terms of interest and just use your best judgment in selecting from those definitions presented).

Don’t be alarmed. Clearly not everyone possesses these skills, nor has them mastered! In fact, very rarely are many of the skills listed collectively required to secure any particular position. However, each skill is important and might have real value to the hiring manager for the position you seek. So, your goal is to understand the position, recognize which skills may be advantageous in that role and (only) if you can beneficially demonstrate good competence with (or perhaps just real interest in?) the relevant skill, show it off.

Whatever you do, present your skills well and accurately. Give specific before-and-after examples of where they’ve been used effectively, whenever it’s appropriate in your discussions. Just avoid being too focused on pushing your cause so hard that your presentation appears as bragging or self-obsession!

Whenever you’re in an interview be sure you’re answering what’s enquired and showcasing what you offer. Most importantly, look for those signs of when you can switch from selling your cause, to buying what’s being offered. Then you can confidently continue to assert your body language, and move forward with your own detailed polite questioning, accordingly.

Do you have a career move already planned in your future? Should you? If you’re basing your career plans and finances on that next promotion, then maybe it’s time to consider a move? Happy hunting!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter @ianrmackintosh