RC&A’s Post

The Sunday Morning CxO Companion! YO CXO! Are you a manager OF fear, OR a manager BY fear? There is a distinct difference in this; only separated by 1 word and 2 letters. However a whole world apart, and also some mentally decades. I`m not making this up; it is pure and simple science. And it is the basis of creating sustainable results if you know the difference. As a trained spingboard diving coach, I deal with management OF fear every week. I learn my studends to embrace their mental mechanisms from the stone age - accepting that the fear is present - not fighting it, naming the fear so it becomes a great companion to stay focused; analysing the fear, making it easier to cope with by breaking down the companion in smaller pieces - and finally making the fear a good thing; stating that the "Self" is evolving and making progress. Creating Self Confidence, Self Esteem and Self Awareness. Results which will last for a lifetime. And then we have those who hide behind the businesscard. We have all met these through the years, and let`s make one thing clear. These managers / leaders who lead BY fear is perhaps making results for a while - however the results is not sustainable. Their specie is threatened - and they certainly feel challenged, scared and threatened: hence they manage others BY fear.Their own fear. This article from Forbes have some golden pitches. " [Quote] The reason so many managers treat their employees as badly as they do and keep them in line with unnecessary rules, policies and punishments is that the managers themselves are in a state of fear. They don't have the self-esteem to build anyone else up and make the people who work for them feel strong and capable." This week I want us CxO`s to stop for a second and listen. Do I always hear my own voice first? Do I hear others instantly copy and repeat what I just said? Never any objections or qualified conserns? Are my surroudings instantly changing their opinions and pushing through without hesitation? Well, then you have my sympathy. Your specie will soon be drained of competent resources, motivation, creativity and the KPI`s will drop. However, if you are changing YOUR mind occationally based on a feedback - people trust you so they give you (important) informaton you really do not like to hear (not telling fairytales), challenging your behaviour (since they will perform better themselves if you are aware...) - and showing that they care for the joint progress in an egalitarian way; well; I would like to salute you. You will head into the future; being the true 360 oriented leader which fosters the free spirit, free will - and sustainable results. Manage OF fear - not BY fear; and make your peers succeed! #CXO #Leadership #Leaders #SundayMorningCoofee #CEO #CSUITE

🧠 Managing an employee with a big ego? Try these tips from Elizabeth Lotardo: ☺ Start with a genuine compliment to ease defensiveness. 👍 Frame improvement as going from good to great in their performance. 🤝 Agree on clear next steps to ensure real progress. These strategies help in managing ego-driven employees effectively, promoting growth without triggering defensiveness. Learn more in our recent blog by Paul Petrone: https://lnkd.in/gNCJYYBE

Hey Amelia, I found your analysis of micromanagement and its impacts incredibly insightful. Your approach of asking candidates about their preferred management style during interviews is something I'll definitely consider adopting - it's a clever way to gauge cultural fit and set expectations early on. Your breakdown of the reasons behind micromanagement resonates with my experiences. I'd add that I've sometimes seen it stem from a manager's own insecurity or fear of being seen as redundant if their team operates too independently. This ties into your first point about the difficulty in relinquishing control. I can't agree more about the long-term consequences of micromanagement on team creativity and innovation. In my experience, it not only stifles individual growth but can lead to a risk-averse culture where employees are afraid to take initiative or think outside the box. For managers looking to break this habit, I've found success in starting with clear goal-setting and regular check-ins, gradually increasing the autonomy given to team members as trust builds. This allows for oversight without constant interference. Lastly, I love your cat anecdote - it's a delightful metaphor for the importance of giving others space to adapt and explore their new environments!

Soft Skills Every Manager Must Strengthen just as managers had to support their employees through the initial upheavals of the pandemic, they have to continue supporting them through the next phase. https://bit.ly/2WdaROo

We’re settling into our new home, and still unpacking. Shouty Cat however has taken to observing the outside world from the window ledge (you need to keep cats inside for a couple weeks when you move). So whilst Shouty Cat has to restrain his world domaniation plans until at least mid-July, let’s talk about managers who don’t or can’t restrain themselves. That’s right, micromanagers. Everytime I interview someone, I ask them the same question “How do you like to be managed?”. The answer tells me a lot about whether that person will enjoy working in my organisation’s culture, and it allows me to give advice to their new manager on how best to manage, develop, and grow them. Universally, when I ask an interviewee this question, people reply that they don’t want to be micromanaged. It’s hard to think of time when micromanaging is suitable. If someone is very junior or new to a task they may require more supervision, but micromanagement won’t help them learn. If someone is incompetent and not trusted to do a job, micromanagement is not going to help there either. Micromanaging is just going to eat into the manager’s time. The best solution there is training, a proper performance improvement plan, discussion, and if necessary dismissal. So, why do managers micromanage? I’m sure a few of you are more qualified than I to answer this, but here’s my take. I believe there are three possible reasons: 1. unawareness that they’re doing it. Some managers are just unable to relinquish control and find delegating hard. They may also believe that their way of doing something is the only way of doing it, and therefore seeing people approach a task differently makes them feel uncomfortable and want to correct things - by micromanagement. 2. a lack of trust in someone’s ability, meaning that the manager feels the need to keep a close eye and intervene way too often. 3. a form of bullying, designed to undermine someone’s confidence in their own abilities, and remind them that the manager is in a position of power. If you’re on the receiving end of micromanagement, it isn’t much fun. Your development can be stunted, you can feel humiliated, belittled, and not trusted by your manager. It can also be the cause of extreme stress. If you’re a micromanager, particularly an unconscious micromanager, it can be hard to break the habit, but it is important to do so. The key take away is that we all learn differently and approach problems differently. Forcing someone to follow a rigid set of instructions where they are checked on constantly, will not lead to happy, autonomous, innovative, or motivated staff. Instead it’s likely to lead to your team feeling unable to try new things, solve problems, make suggestions, or voice concerns. Organisations with fewer micromanagers, are much more likely to have high rates of creativity and innovation. #humanresources #HR #micromanagement

Healthy conflicts require a growth mindset. #Healthy #conflicts are, in my opinion, one of the cornerstones of running an #effective #business. This means that regardless of what we discuss, the ego needs to be put aside and replaced with an objective assessment of the situation and how we can best strengthen the entire business, not just one's assignment. Here it is important to distinguish between personal #ego; such as pride, fear of failure, not wanting to take on more responsibility or work, not sharing one's resources, etc. and one's personal #passion. Because personal passion is a crucial part for healthy conflicts to thrive. Everyone needs to pursue their perspectives #passionately and at the same time be open to the input of others. In my #management #team, we have recently discussed a number of sensitive issues where my management team colleagues and I had to take a position on how we should tackle these challenges. It has challenged our ability of healthy conflict, but it has also strengthened us as a management team, I think. I am so happy to lead this particular management group (Elin Söderbäck and Sebastian Rozs) and that we can have such open discussions where everyone can expose their thoughts, weaknesses but also strengths so that we can together as a group solve our challenges.

🚗💥🚙 Have you ever worked for an "accidental manager"? 🚗💥🚙 Having worked for "accidental managers" in the past, I find it alarming to learn that they are on the rise. Accidental managers cause massive problems for people and companies, from burnout to attrition, ultimately hindering growth and progress. Take 3 minutes to read this excellent article by Agata Nowakowska and learn how to avoid accidental managers causing damage to your culture and company. https://lnkd.in/gayXdc5M

"𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬." – 𝘙𝘢𝘩𝘶𝘭 𝘎𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢 Continuing to talk about conflict, let's break workplace conflict down, starting with the 411 on the basics of conflict. First up, let's review the types of workplace conflict that can exist. ➡ 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 - When there is a difference in goals or what's trying to be achieved. Example - We disagree on priority. ➡ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 - When there is a different expectation in approaching the work or what processes should be followed to manage and execute the job. Example - We disagree on how to solve the problem. ➡ Status - When ownership of decision-making and project execution is unclear. When power (formal and informal) is not apparent, it creates doubt in your standing within a group. Example - We disagree on who the decision maker is. ➡ Relationship - When things become personal, how we treat each other is not aligned with our values, and we question trust. Example - We no longer trust each other. 💡 Many workplace conflicts start as Task, Process, or Status types; however, if left unmanaged, they can quickly turn into Relationship conflicts where individuals or groups can no longer work with each other productively. 🗝 The key to healthy conflict is identifying the type of conflict and managing it before it expands and becomes unhealthy. 📖 If you'd like to dig deeper into types, check out HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict by Amy Gallo. What type of conflict do you commonly see in your work groups? Let me know in the comments below. Next up, we'll discuss the options for handling conflict. PATH Leadership Solutions #conflictmanagement #conflictcoaching #executivecoaching #leadershipcoaching #difficultconversations

Read more about how employers can help first-time managers thrive in their roles and contribute to a healthier work environment. #WorldMentalHealthDay #LeadershipDevelopment #Management #LHH #LeadershipDevelopment

Dear network, Conflict and drama are a natural part of workplace dynamics. However, they can hinder progress and productivity if not kept in check. Add some corporate politics and leadership matters into the mix, and we have a formidable barrier to business success, which tends to demotivate those trying to do a good job considerably. Leaders spend valuable time and energy dealing with ongoing conflict and drama—so-called “people problems.” How much time is lost discussing the same matter repeatedly—an hour or two a day? Maybe more? Regardless, it's too much and not necessary. After some struggle, my pivotal realization came when I realized: 👉🏼 Conflicts are merely pointers and, as such, valuable. 👉🏼 I might be unwittingly contributing to the issue and must take responsibility for my part. 👉🏼 Not addressing problems early on deepens them, and looking away as a leader is not advisable. 👉🏼 Conflicts are multifactorial, and we must separate at least three, sometimes more, perspectives, the two conflict partners and their context, in the analysis to understand why it is happening.     👉🏼 Conflicts offer significant opportunities for growth and innovation (i.e., silver linings) because they are there for a good reason—signs that things are out of whack: processes, interfaces, structures, skills, roles, blind spots, etc. 👉🏼 When we handle them properly, we gain much more than we lose. 🚨 Over the years, I've created some tools I use regularly to manage conflict effectively and uncover opportunities and solutions for those involved. 🚨 Here are the tools: a. An overview of inherent silver linings of 4 recurring organizational issues and what stance you can take personally. b. A diagnostic questionnaire to identify the silver linings in a specific situation. c. A live online crash course for those who want to master conflict once and for all based on my STOP! 1-2-3 model for conflict analysis and resolution. d. A conflict hotline for quick feedback on a particular case. 🚨 Here are the links to the tools for those interested: ✔️The Silver Linings of Conflict & Drama in the Workplace https://rb.gy/s2iw8 ✔️Die Silberstreifen von Conflict & Drama am Arbeitspatz https://rb.gy/klatv If you have a friend or colleague who needs these tools, please share this post with them. #ConflictResolution #WorkplaceDynamics #ProductivityBoost #ConflictAnalysis #BusinessOpportunities #BusinessInnovation #BusinessSuccess #LeadershipInsights #ConflictHotline #TeamCollaboration #ConflictAwareness #ConflictManagement