Don't Be A Bossy Boots

One of the best pieces of advice I have gotten on how to treat and work with those that report to you in the workplace came through an MBA professor - Luis Martins. He said in order for someone to be an effective manager they have to learn to delegate. That means they have to be good at getting work done through other people. That seems intuitive to most but I submit it is not. And delegating well is even harder. People want to hang on to control over not just the type of task delegated but the "how" of the task, i.e. they want to control every aspect of how the delegated task gets done. The problem then becomes the effect of this type of managerial behavior on managers' work and on those that report to them. When managers try to control the "how", managers are failing to manage. They are doing, not managing. Further, the direct reports feel like they are being micromanaged. They feel their boss finds them incompetent and untrustworthy. Those kinds of feelings do not create a healthy working environment. Managers have to trust their reports, give them the task, and then release their reports to do the task. Trust them. You manage, don't do. It will foster a better work environment for all and allow you to do the job of managers.

Tips to the Interviewers out there...

So your HR department says get ready; we have a candidate coming to interview with you in an hour.  You have never seen this person's resume, don't know anything about them, and have little time to prepare. What do you do? 

You need to have some good questions to really make an interview worth anything.  Otherwise, you are just going with a gut feeling and that really does no service to you, the company, or the candidate.  You want to make sure someone fits your needs and the culture of the organization in a short thrity minute interview.  I always recommend having some background questions ready like how did you choose to interview with our company and what are your goals for this position you are seeking.  These two questions will tell you if the candidate did their homework on the company and whether they have a desire for this company in particular or just any job that pays. 

I also think you want to always be prepared to explain the culture of your company.  I never try to hide a culture in an interview. It's an important sub-part of any job. So tell the candidate if the company is bureaucratic and requires following lengthy procedures before final decisions are made. Then, ask the candidate for examples of situations where he has faced similar circumstances and ways he responded successfully or unsuccessfully.  Conversely, if the culture is informal and collaborative, ask the candidate to explain situations where he has been able to work in groups or see projects through to completion without much help from boss' or management. 

These few questions will really be the key to having an effective interview and giving good information back to HR before offers are made. Also this interview gives a candidate a good idea about the kind of company it really is.  You want the business and the candidate to be compatible.  The worst is to hire someone who becomes grump because they hate their job. Fit matters for companies and it starts at the interview to make sure it is there!

Customer Service

I am always amazed how some businesses get it so right and some get it so wrong.  It applies to retail stores, doctors, lawyers, airlines, real estate agents, etc.  Customer service has to be a focus for them all otherwise these services - as much as they would like to think they can differentiate themseles - really cannot.  How can they demand a premium and still make customers happy? Customer service!! One example I got yesterday from my friend who is selling her house.  She was telling me she had one agent who had listed the house but the house had been on the market for months.  She switched agents to Martha Turner Realtors in Houston and offers were flooding in the door exactly as the realtor predicted.  What stood out to me is not that my friend is getting the offers on the house.  It was that she said she was happy to pay Martha Turner for their great services and responsiveness.  That should highlight to companies how important the customer service aspect is.  You can get more money for the same services if you treat your clients right.  Congrats Martha Turner.  You have an amazing woman at the head of that company and her great attitude has clearly flowed down to the realtors that serve that company.  I also have to brag on a retail store in Houston that gets customer service right.  It is called Melissa and it sells fantastically fun shoes in Uptown Park.  Ana Silva is the owner and she is a fantastic saleswoman.  She loves to get to know her clients and offers great ideas on how to where the shoes and other accessories.  I don't always buy every time I go in the store but I love going in there to say hi to a wonderful person who sells herself as much as the shoes because she invests time in her customers.  So cheers to two great ladies in Houston - and here's to hoping others get it that right too!

Meeting Start Times - Early, Late or Right on Time?

I appreciate that people want to start meetings on time.  I think it is important to respect all attendees times.  But one rarely discussed topic is whether it is ok to start a meeting early. I propose it is not. What if someone is coming from another meeting?  If you start your meeting early, you are saying that you are more important than the prior meeting/appointment.  It is important to respect everyone's time so an on time - no earlier or later is best. What is the best way to keep on time though? I struggle with this a lot. I submit every bell and whistle should go off on your desktop or smart phone (just remember to disable the phone when you get in the meeting). I also always try to plan for longer than you think. Meetings inevitably go over so I try to add 15 minutes lag time after each meeting so that you can wrap up and not be rushed to the next task without finishing the first one.

Hospitals

I am unfortunately spending some of this morning in the hospital with my boyfriend.  I am in the waiting room and it is such a juxtaposition of emotions from anger to sadness to hysteria - all of which are allowed and necessary in these circumstances.  I have been thinking about all the friends I have had in the hospital over the years and I think some of the most important conversations and real friendship experiences have come when I have visited them in the hospital or while at home after surgeries/sickness.  One party is extremely vulnerable.  If you are willing to show them that you love them even when they are helpless that goes a long way to tying the bonds of friendship tighter.  So go see those friends who are in the hospital or home bound for whatever reason.  Friendship is about your experiences together and these times can be some of the most important ones.

Praying for health and friendship for you all,
Marty Thompson
Manners Pro
www.mannerspro.com

Dress for Success

My rule of thumb is that if you are unsure of the attire for an event, always over dress.  But, be prepared to "undress" or"dress up" as necessary.  For example, if a man gets an invitation to an event that says business casual attire, I would recommend wearing a jacket and bringing a tie.  Usually business casual for a man means no tie but sometimes it can mean tie, no jacket. Also, I would never recommend very casual pants like kakhis.  Opt for suit pants or nice slacks.  Dress is very dependent on the company and industry.  Thus, be prepared to make a change on the fly.  The same is true for women. Wear a dress that you can put a jacket over. If it is a more casual event than you anticipated, take of the jacket and you are ready to mix and mingle.   The important thing is that you came prepared and can feel confident as you go throughout the evening without worrying that you have under-dressed.  So dress up and get out there!

Best,
Marty Thompson
Vice-President
Manners Pro

www.mannerspro.com

Another rubber chicken dinner and someone stole my glass...

I have had the pleasure of another rubber chicken dinner - you know the big dinners at hotels where the food is always the same bland chicken, you know no one at your table, and you must make small talk extend for the entire 2 hour event.  Most of these events I attend are usually in a professional or business setting.  It still baffles me that very successful business folks can still not know which fork is for the salad or which glass at a place setting is theirs.  It is not that knowing this information is a definition of whether a person is nice or even a good businessman.  It is whether someone cares enough to figure it out so that everyone at the table can feel comfortable and confident in knowing what to do in these weird rubber chicken dinner parties in the first place....  It's worth learning just a few things about the big table settings, lest you drink out of your boss's wine glass at your next business dinner.

Marty
Vice President
Manners Pro
www.mannerspro.com