Let People Have Their “Work Mind Space”

Every individual has some strengths and some not-so-strong areas. This is a known fact. Yet this well-known fact is scarcely used, especially in the professional area.

Most people in a work environment tend to think that they need to showcase themselves in every area of work all the time. People feel that they must show that they know everything, that they can do everything. Despite all the talk of working as a team, employees end up stepping on each other’s toes while attempting to showcase themselves. The concept of teamwork goes for a toss. So does the idea of respecting and playing on team members’ strengths.

It is important to identify others’ strengths (along with those of oneself) and let others do their job well. In other words, it is important to let others have their space – to let them do what they excel at.

This is what I call “Work Mind Space.” While at work, everyone needs mind space to think, plan, organize and finally act.

“Work Mind Space” starts with time for thinking. Well thought of action is generally more effective than something done in a spurt of thought. It is necessary to give people time for assimilating their thoughts and plans.

This comes as a luxury in most work situations. At work, one is generally expected to be and look busy all the time. Except those is swanky offices who can afford not to keep doing some activity all the time, people are expected (or at least they think so) to be always engaged in something which looks like they are working and are busy.

As a consequence, co-workers disregard the need to allow each other their “Work Mind Space”. Expectations are set wrong, people aren’t given proper time to do their jobs, strengths aren’t encouraged, talents aren’t identified. All in all, the person who could have done the job well ends up doing something else and the not-so-competent people end up doing a mediocre if not shabby job.

Identifying, encouraging, promoting and advertising the strengths of co-workers can help improve team effectiveness substantially.

A few points to note about allowing co-workers to have their “Work Mind Space”:

• People work at different paces.
• People have different strategies to approach a task.
• Being good at something does not mean being fast. Someone may be good at something (and it is generally the case), because he or she does a thorough job and that takes time.
• Process-driven approach is not a replacement for skills. Just because there is defined process does not mean anyone can do the job with equal effectiveness.
• It is necessary to let people think before they act, and this should be encouraged.
• Healthy discussions with focus on the goal help bring out the best in people.

Letting someone do what they excel in builds trust and mutual respect in the long term. While at work, personal relations play a large part in setting the environment and improving efficiency. Allowing “Work Mind Space”, would go a long way in building an environment of trust and bonhomie which ought to result in better individual motivation and effectiveness and team success.

“They Must Give” to “I Must Take” – Data Collection Paradigm Shift for Managers

Data is essential for decisions. With information technology defining the way business is done, data has become of paramount importance. Good leaders have stressed the need for having as much data as possible in place before taking decisions.

Data collection, however, isn’t easy unless it comes in directly from machines. Collecting data which humans need to provide is a challenge for even the best managers. A multitude of people are reluctant to share data. Some reasons would be:

• Knowing they yield control if they possess critical data.
• Lack of confidence that the data is correct.
• Wanting to present a good situation while the data reflects a bad one.
• Ignorance of or nonchalance to the fact that providing data is essential and helps their managers.
• Prioritizing other work which are felt to be core responsibility while providing data is perceived as a secondary task, sometimes a burden

Whatever the reason, not getting data affects the ability to decide the right course of action. It could end up in wrong decisions or a stalemate.

So, what can a manager do?

My thoughts are that it starts with an attitude. A manager needs to be firm not to allow non-availability of data become an excuse. Once firm in the belief that data is needed, the drive to ensure availability comes automatically.

Rather than using an authoritative stance that data “should be given” by team members, the manager could adopt a “must be collected” approach. With the responsibility shift to oneself, the drive to act and avoid failure is stronger. As a leader, it’s up to a manager to take on the responsibility of having data with him or her rather that blaming the team for not providing data.

Easier said than done!

Getting out data isn’t the easiest job. I have tried the below methods to aid me in this work, and mostly been successful:

• Having a meeting (short one) purely to assimilate data. Just sending out an e-mail or making a call doesn’t help. It is best to “sit down” with the concerned person and work together to collect the data and put it in an understandable and presentable form.
• Working with the person on the final presentation of the data. This gives the person a feel of how his or her inputs would be used. The next time, the person would know the importance of his or her inputs. Over a period, the sensitivity to provide data on time is improved.
• Sharing and explaining the need for that data. A lot of times, a manager just asks without explaining why. When the “why” is conveyed, the response can be expected to be more prompt.
• Making it a habit. Rather than making ad-hoc requests, it is good to make a regular reporting pattern. People get used to this. Making several ad-hoc requests would end up irritating team members.
• Being thankful. When someone takes the time out to provide data, it is a good practice to thank the person. It may have been his or her job, but the fact that he or she has helped the manager do his or her job needs recognition. This goes a long way in building a good working relation.

Whatever the method, the bottom line is changing one’s attitude from “they must give” to “I must take” can completely transform a manager’s performance.

Profit is yours, Loss is mine.

This is one leadership mantra I often remember, it is this. I think this line sums up how a leader should behave with his team.

Success is almost never certain in any work environment or any endeavor. Many times success comes only after repeated attempts. Hence, the leader’s method to deal with failure gains significance.

Here are some scenarios of leaders prodding their team members to succeed and handling subsequent failures.

This approach rarely helps towards motivating the team members. Only team members who are highly motivated by themselves would go on further.

Here’s another scenario.

This approach can avoid causing negative sentiments but may not really motivate the team members to try again.

Another possibility below.

When the team members sense their own safety, the probability that their thought then goes to the cause which the leader stands for becomes higher. Remember the announcement in the airline to secure your oxygen masks before helping others. When the team senses its own security, chances of their being motivated to work for the larger cause is higher.

This mantra has helped me on several occasions, at work, at home, with friends. It reflects several traits at once – ownership, responsibility, being in control, being careful, having sympathy; all said in a way that’s easy to remember – as it says it in the language of money.

I read this statement in a book named “Dhirubaisms”. That is testimony enough of its effectiveness. I do hope it helps the reader too.