“I just don’t understand,” said Chris. “Our productivity is on a downhill slide and when I walk the shop floor, not a single person seems to know what is going on. They all seem confused.”

“And who is responsible for the confusion?” I asked.

Chris stopped. He was hoping the answer had someone else’s name on it.

“Chris, high productivity does not come from a state of confusion. One of the most important activities of a manager is to create crystal clear expectations. Ambiguity kills productivity. So, what are you going to do?” I asked.

Chris’ mind began to churn. “I guess I am going to start by having a meeting to make sure everyone knows what is expected.” -TF

“Can you take a look at this job description?” asked Stan.

He slid the paper underneath my nose. It was well organized into different Key Result Areas. Each area contained descriptions of tasks, activities and responsibilities.

“What is the desired outcome in each Key Result Area?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the problem with most job descriptions is that they tell you what to do, but don’t tell you how well something should be done, or by when. In each Key Result Area, what result does your manager expect?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Stan.

“If you can nail down the expected result, you will find this job description much more useful. Go spend some time with your manager and find out. I want to see an outcome connected to each Key Result Area.” -TF

“Everyone says they have integrity, but I have to tell you, when Roger was talking about how he managed to skip out on the maintenance fee in that contract, I got a queasy feeling.” Alice was having difficulty even talking about this. “I know it was only a $130, but he was so proud that he was able to beat the vendor out of his money, I don’t know, it was just weird.”

Every agreement you make with other people, you are ultimately making with yourself. When you cheat other people, you ultimately cheat yourself. When you break a promise to yourself, you teach your brain to distrust your intentions and your behavior. You begin to sow the seeds of self doubt. You undermine your strength and integrity.

Every agreement you make with other people, you are ultimately making with yourself. When you keep your agreements with other people, you teach your brain to trust your intentions and behavior. Agreements you keep with yourself, that are invisible to others, are the most powerful because they are pure. They sow the seeds of self confidence. You build on your strengths with a foundation of integrity. -TF

“They told me they wanted me to take on more responsibility, but Curtis, my boss, still micromanages everything I do. Even though I have a new title, I can’t even send a confirmation letter without him changing it before it goes out.” Roger was trying to be a sport about things, but he was frustrated with his new promotion.

“It’s a tough situation,” I said. “Many managers in Strata III love to do Strata II work or even Strata I work. One reason is they like doing that work. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.

“Your question, however, is what do I do? First, sit down with Curtis and work on your job description. Make it crystal clear what you are responsible for and what outcomes have to occur each day, each week and each month. Ask for regular meetings every couple of weeks with an agenda to specifically discuss those outcomes. This exercise will not only refocus you, but refocus your manager. -TF

PS. I’m-OK.org continues to provide a web based messaging system for Katrina evacuees by creating an individual message board tied to their old phone number. Volunteers are now working at aid stations and relief centers to add people to the database. For more information, visit www.im-ok.org.

The tension in the air was growing. The silence lasted longer than Troy’s patience. “Okay, you screwed up. Not the end of the world. And you need to make it up to the team.” But how? How could Henry face his peers? Firewatch had been his responsibility and he took a shortcut. The resulting accident had been scary, there was some property damage but no one was hurt. Three people had been in danger and the re-work would put the team a week behind, still with a hard deadline.

As the Manager, Troy could not afford to have the team blow up. He would need all-hands-on-deck, even Henry’s. Henry had to be humble, not defensive. Henry needed to apologize. Henry needed to demonstrate a new attitude of responsibility. Not just a promise, but a demonstration. For this to work, Henry had to save face. Anything less and the team would find itself short-handed, perhaps at odds against itself.

How do you save face when you are wrong? Admit it immediately and emphatically. Take responsibility, don’t blame circumstances. Don’t blame lack of sleep, fatigue, the fate of an accident. Be strong. You are responsible. -TF

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