From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
One of my biggest frustrations, as a manager, is the expectation from the people that report to me that I ‘spoon feed‘ them answers to all of the problems and challenges that they face. Do I have the wrong people? How can I get out of this trap?

Response:
Your solution is in your question. You are spoon feeding them the wrong stuff. When you provide answers to your team, you are creating a co-dependent relationship that you turns you into Radio Shack (you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers). You are actually training them NOT to solve their problems, but to bring them to you for solutions.

So, STOP it.

Every team member is entitled to have a competent manager, with the Time Span capability to bring value to their problem solving and decision making.

As a manager, you do NOT bring value by spoon feeding answers. Learning happens through questions, not answers. As a manager, your greatest value is in the questions you ask your team members. And if you are not getting the response you want, then you are asking the wrong questions.

A quick heads-up about our Working Leadership Online program. Our next Subject Area – Team Problem Solving starts Monday. Here is what we will cover.

• Five reasons to get your team involved in problem solving.
• Three things that keep you from involving your team.
• Why no one on your team should get a free ride.
• How to create active disagreement to shake out the best solution.

Once again, we are offering scholarships to the first ten people who send me an email. ($250 value). I look forward to seeing you online.

Coming up July 6, we begin our coaching series. Here is our schedule for the rest of the year. You can sign up for one subject, three subjects or our annual subscription (best value). Visit Working Leadership Online.

Jun 8 – Team Problem Solving – Power of Team
Jun 29 – Summer Break
Jul 6 – Coaching – Two Powerful Models
Jul 27 – Coaching – Underperformance and Misbehavior
Aug 17 – Coaching – People to Their Maximum Level
Sep 7 – Fall Break
Sep 14 – Managerial Authorities – Managerial Accountability
Oct 5 – Employee Entitlement – Yes, there is one.
Oct 26 – Performance Effectiveness Appraisal
Nov 23 – Break (Thanksgiving – USA)
Nov 30 – Bringing Out the Best in People
Dec 21 – Jan 10, 2010 – Winter Break

A couple of days ago, for the first time, we published the schedule for our Working Leadership Online program. A number of people have asked about it.

Working Leadership Online covers 15 subject areas over the space of one year, but we set it up so you can try out one subject, sign up for three in a row, or subscribe for the year. We also have an audit track for companies with two or more people in the program. (If you are in HR, ask me about this).

Our next subject area starts Monday, Control Systems and Feedback Loops. Accountability is the focus. Most managers drop the ball on follow-up.

We have had several inquiries from HR departments, so, here is the calendar for the next 12 months.

2009
Apr 27 – Accountability – Control Systems and Feedback Loops
May 18 – Managing Time – Managing Yourself
Jun 8 – Team Problem Solving – Power of Team
Jun 29 – Summer Break
Jul 6 – Coaching – Two Powerful Models
Jul 27 – Coaching – Underperformance and Misbehavior
Aug 17 – Coaching – People to Their Maximum Level
Sep 7 – Fall Break
Sep 14 – Managerial Authorities – Managerial Accountability
Oct 5 – Employee Entitlement – Yes, there is one.
Oct 26 – Performance Effectiveness Appraisal
Nov 23 – Break (Thanksgiving – USA)
Nov 30 – Bringing Out the Best in People
Dec 21 – Jan 10, 2010 – Winter Break

2010
Jan 11 – Planning – Your 2010 Business Plan
Feb 1 – Goal Setting – The Essence of Time Span
Feb 22 – Decision Making – Facts and Intuition
Mar 15 – Managing Time – Managing Yourself
Apr 5 – Spring Break
Apr 12 – Communication – Mineral Rights Conversation
May 3 – Delegation – Ultimate Leverage

Sign up here.

“It’s a lot of change,” Denise concluded. “I know I have to be calm and make my decisions with both my head and my heart.”

“Denise, this is not all sad,” I replied. “I know this is difficult to let go of things we have built, but those are things of the past. Yes, it’s change, but some change is necessary.”

Denise looked up, taking a fresh breath, slowly exhaling.

“Look,” I continued. “I expect massive innovation, and not just in technology. I expect innovation in methods and processes. I expect innovation in business models. You are correct, this will not be business as usual, but business as usual got us into this mess. The thinking that got us here will not be the thinking that takes us to a new place.” -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Question:
I signed up for your program, but I have a concern, related to working with teams within my own company. I don’t anticipate that anyone here will participate with me on any of these projects. I hate to sound negative, but lip service around here is alive and well, and I always wind up being the only one putting a priority on things like planning and budgeting. I hope this course will help me to gain buy-in from my coworkers, but I don’t know if anyone will be willing to participate on my team. If they don’t or won’t, will I be able to complete the program on my own?

Response:
Your question is not about our program. Your question is about you and your role in your company.

And you are not alone.

Many managers face your issue. Last month, you were a team member, maybe even the team leader that everyone looked up to. Then you got promoted to manager and everyone hates you. Or resents you. Or even if the relationship is still positive, it is certainly different.

Working Leadership Online focuses first on you, building your skill set. The interaction with your team is where you apply the skills we talk about. The purpose of this program is to help managers gain the willing cooperation of their team. The short answer to your question is, yes, you will be able to complete the program. The long answer depends on you.

You are right to feel a little uncomfortable about this. It is in the crucible of discomfort that we make the most effective changes in ourselves. -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

I want to step out from behind the story for a couple of days here.

We have been preparing for this recession for the past two years. You knew this in your head, but now the pain is real. This pain can turn a room full of reasonably intelligent people into a group of blithering idiots, watching television, shaking their heads, and wondering what to do next.

We can react, like pulling away from a hot stove. Or we can imagine a sequence of cause and effect. Some right moves are completely counter-intuitive.

If you can keep your wits about you while all others are losing theirs, and blaming you. . . . The world will be yours and everything in it. –Kipling.

We have been working hard to create a learning platform to help managers keep their wits about them. This online program begins in earnest February 2, 2009.

We will explain more over the next couple of days. If you want to know more now, or if you would like to pre-register, you can visit www.workingleadership.com.

Over the past 13 years, I have had many requests to deliver our classroom program in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, the logistics of this type of program are difficult. We can’t do the work that needs to be done in a one-shot seminar.

So, we have been working hard to create the same learning program in an online platform. We studied online learning for several years and spent the time creating a platform we are finally happy with.
If you have interest in participating or have someone on your team that you think would be interested, here is the heads up.

• We will have about 20 participants in an online interactive group.
• I will personally be the instructor.
• There will be application assignments that have to be done at work (so to participate, you have to actually be working in a management capacity).
• There will be outside reading in addition to the time spent online with interactive discussion assignments, about two per week.
• This is not some zippy online course that you can wing your way through. Participants should plan to commit 2-3 hours per week for five weeks.

If you are interested, follow this link to the pre-registration. Pre-registration only commits your interest. Once we have a group together, we will confirm the start date and see who is ready to go.

The tuition for the program is $600, but if you pre-register, you will get a $50 credit toward the program. Looking forward to seeing you online. -TF

“I’m a little disappointed,” explained Ruben. “Disappointed in myself.”

“How so,” I asked.

“Since I was promoted to manager, everyone has been telling me to delegate more stuff. So, I have been trying.”

“What have you been trying?” I prompted.

“Well, I bought three books on delegating. I finished one and I am reading the second.”

“So, what’s changed, for you?”

“Well, nothing really. I mean they are really good books, but I am still doing everything myself.”

“Ruben, delegation is a skill. A skill that can be learned. You can learn how to delegate, but skill has two parts to it. The first part is technical knowledge. That’s the stuff you have been reading about in those books.”

“What’s the other part?” queried Ruben.

“The other part is practice. You actually have to get out there and practice. I really don’t care how much you know. I am interested in what you can do.” -TF

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

Please, help me. I am 26, a mechanical engineer, Egyptian, living in Egypt. I am working as a mechanical engineer on drilling rigs, but I want to move into a career in management. I think I am ready for this move, but the problem I face is that I don’t know how to start. What should I learn first?

Response:

There is no technique to learn that makes you a manager. It is a role that you play inside an organization. You report to either a supervisor or a manager. Your next step is to simply observe your boss. What kinds of things are they doing, what kinds of things are they responsible for? You will find it is a totally different job than your job. Talk to your boss, explain your interest.

Understand, this is a long term process. You may think you are ready, but you are only ready to start. You are only ready to start to learn. You are NOT ready to take a position as a manager.

Explain to your boss, that, over the next few months, you would like to help, assist in some of the smaller duties, so that you can understand what is involved, so that you can practice.

Becoming a manager is not something you learn. Becoming a manager is something you grow into. You have the first ingredient, your desire to grow. -TF

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

I have completed my MBA and I am now working in an office with a limited territory for our company here in India. I want to know what other things I need to do, like a course, to create better prospects for me to become a manager?

Response:

More learning, taking a course is always a plus, but not sufficient.

You need two things. First, you need to speak with your manager and ask for clear feedback on how you can improve in your current position. Whatever you are currently doing, be the best. Your manager is the best coach to give you that feedback.

Second, you need to find a mentor. Your mentor may or may not work inside your company, but should be in a position to speak with you long term about your career. This is usually not your direct manager, but one more level up. Your conversations should not be centered around your day-to-day accountabilities, but on longer one and two year goals.

Be the best where you are today and keep looking forward one to two years in the future. Congratulations on your MBA. You are now at the start of the game, a wonderful game. -TF