As discussed in my previous blog post on being ill in the workplace, traditionally you have specific options to look at: set number of sick days, or a pool of days that you can use for your illness or vacation. Without directives from management or the company, employees can and will do what they want to make the most of these like coming to work with a fever and sneezing on everyone to avoid losing vacation time with the family.
In the previous post, I talked about what employees have to consider, and also about the rate at which normal humans actually get sick. Today we're going to talk a little about Mangement and the Company and illness (oh my).
As a manager, I don't want people coming to work contagious. That is different than coming to work sick. Basically, if someone is sick but has something that isn't contagious, I'll feel sorry for them, but if they feel they can at least do 60% of their normal work, I welcome them in. An excellent example here is a sinus infection; they are really, really hard to give to other people who are not intimately involved with a person. Knowing a sinus infection from the flu, pneumonia, etc., however, is hard to tell if you or they are not a medical professional. Typically, if someone is producing extra liquids--nosebleed, phlegm, other gross stuff--I'm going to ask them to make sure they aren't contagious.
A trip to the doctor or Urgent Care is preferred, but typically I'll take 24 hours without a fever. Note, many medical studies still argue today about when you're infectious: most agree that before you have full on symptoms you could be spreading the virus or bacteria, but there are different agreements about whether you're still shedding the bacteria/virus the entire time you're sniffling, coughing, etc. or just after the worst of the fever is over. As I'm not a doctor, and they can't even agree, I've come up wtih the 24 hours after a fever rule.
I've also got the one I just casually mentioned above, which is 60% effective to their normal quality work. When people are sick, they are not doing top notch work (typically). As long as they're at least at 60%, its ok with me if they want to work through it (and not infect me). For me, personally, this means I have to be able to drive to work; if I can't operate a motor vehicle due to illness (coughing too hard, head too fuzzy, balance off, etc.) then I don't come to work. It's a nice rule of thumb to discuss with employees. If you feel unsafe in heavy machinery, please don't come in and try to make coffee or code.
If they are sick, I like to do the magical "work from home" option, again, up to the 60% effective option. Sometimes, people cannot drive their cars because the car doesn't come with an in-car bathroom and their issues are related to that. Their brains are relatively clear. Maybe they can work from home. With folks who are full on shedding virus/bacteria--with a fever or being told by a doctor/nurse they're doing it--if they feel they can produce up to 60% of their productive work, I'm typically good with them working from home.
Note, however, not all COMPANIES are. I've worked in healthcare; often if you're ill, they want you to simple take a day off and not work from home. In some states, cities/zones, it might not be okay to work from home when you're not well enough to be in the office. And some companies just don't count work that isn't done under the company roof, either for auditing purposes or because of some esoteric rules about managers being able to walk around and see people click-click-clicking away. As a manager and an employee, you should check the company guidelines about working from home.
If there aren't any guidelines, and the employee feels confident in taking responsibility for any state/local/zone laws, then I'd recommend for reliable employees that you just let them work from home and see how it goes. If it goes well, make your own policy and keep it on the down low. If it doesn't work well, then you may need to cancel that policy for all employees to avoid the ones that don't 'work' for the "Work from home" policy from complaining to HR. Alternately, if you determine its not working and tell someone they no longer have the privilege, you can talk to HR about your overall work-from-home policy. Please remember, though, from my post on HR: HR is here for the company, not for you, and not for the employee. Plan accordingly.
The world of comp time is complicated and harrowing. You should review all materials at the office/company handbook to see if its mentioned. If not, and as long as the employee knows that it is completely between members of the team and you as a manager, and that comp time banked or otherwise could be lost at a moment's notice, I typically am of the opinion to go ahead. However, you need to make sure you're not violating any labor laws (ie: in banking that time you need to make sure you comply with the laws, or in making time up) and that you and the team are not actively being untruthful about overall hours worked. Any employee unhappy with this can and will blow the whistle to HR on the practice, and unless you have a policy already in place, you, as a manager, are risking reprimand or worse for allowing for comp time. So, if you choose this option, know that doing so has risks attached to it.
As the boss you also approve sick time/PTO. An option you have is to just not count sick time or PTO for good employees/people so long as they are not abusing the privilege. Even if they start abusing it, a firm discussion with them and notification of accomodations that can be made by HR should be had before you withdraw this privilege. I would use it sparingly, but it is always an available option to managers who are pretty sure that the star employee isn't actually pretending to cough from a fishing boat somewhere on a lake.
Finally, as the boss, you have to enforce policies at your company about time off. Maybe you don't have the leniency to use your own judgment because of law or company policy, or because someone with pneumonia whose been out a week is kind of noticeable. My natural tendency on the matter of sick time is to never question it; even, and especially, at emergency time or crunch time. People burn out. Mental health is a recognizeable illness, so if someone wants to bust a sick day to sit at home and play video games, I don't care--it's their benefit. I won't be happy if it leaves me in the lurch, but I'm not going to drop by to see if they're "really" ill. They and I (well, I most of the time) are adults.
Some employees will be more sick than others; if you can provide flex time for them (they are in the office core times, but can work from home or stay later or come earlier) to help accomodate, great. People with kids really need this for both their own illnesses and general kid stuff. I'm not sure who in the school randomly decides to create holidays where none were before, but, surprise, parents, SCRAMBLE, you have three days to find childcare because we're cancelling school on Friday. Happy Wednesday!
If an employee uses all their sick time, you should work with them and HR to find out what their options are when they get sick again. With luck, they won't, but if you read my last post, you'll grasp that people get sick a lot. This may mean they go "in hoc" with the company; it may mean they take days off without pay; it may mean that they use vacation days. But work something out with them before their next illness, when they're awake and alert and (hopefully) at their mental best, so things can be done as fairly as possible, and they don't have to worry about being sick and figuring out how to handle it with the company (or worse, worrying about being fired) at the same time.
When you have employees who have been sick or the threat of illness abounds in the office, I recommend frequent hand washing reminders and, if your company doesn't already provide it for free, picking up hand sanitizer and dropping it off like a little present for every employee. Science has proven that, statistically, people with cleaner hands get sick a lot less often, hence the imperative regarding hand washing in places like hospitals. Also, as illness makes the rounds, I recommend fewer in-person meetings in enclosed spaces; stand outside or use a conference call. Do normal things to prevent transmission, like suggest people cough/sneeze into the crook of their arm instead of into their hands, and, you know, covering their coughs in general.
I don't like to be sick anymore than anyone else, so this is less about being an excellent manager (although you do get that as a nice side benefit) and more about staying healthy yourself. A healthy manager has a much better chance of being a good manager.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Making People Ill: Part 1, Being Ill Yourself
The current technology management environment is kind of flummoxed about what to do with sick people. If you work in technology and health care, its a little more clear cut, but no less confusing on the actual, you know, sick days side of the equation.
As an employee, what do you do when you're sick? As a manager, what do you preach when members of your team are ill? As a company, what is your policy on employees who are sick? Today we're going to talk about the typical options and what you can do when you're an employee. Future blogs will cover what the manager is expected to do (both as an employee and a manager) and some tips about how to handle company policy on illness.
Today, though, we start with tracing out the problem: how is time off for illness being handled across most of the technology management environment?
If you are lucky enough to have a job with benefits (I am currently that lucky) and those benefits include sick days (I am not that lucky), typically you get them in one of two forms: 1) specifically designated sick days, and usually not a ton of them; most companies do 5 formal sick days or 2) Paid Time Off, which is a pool of sick days and vacation days.
Both policies kind of suck, which, if you have them, you know why. First, let's look at the limited sick day plan. If you are very lucky you might get more than 5 days, but I haven't actually been anywhere that's been the case. I have caught flus every 3-4 years that eat up five days at a time. There is nothing different in those years that prevents me from getting ill other than that 5 day stretch, but since I don't have sick days, what do I do on the sixth day I'm so sick that I can't come into the office?
Alternately, PTO, if you're lucky, is 15 days to spend on being sick or taking vacation time. It's the same pool. So, if you have a horrible headache, fever and cough, do you burn a day you could be spending healthy with your family in Disneyland, or do you go into the office and infect everyone else?
I don't have children. Look at people who do. There is a family leave act in place in most states and there is a national law. Basically, if your mother, father, husband, children, brothers, sisters, or in some very rare cases, extended family get very sick--like cancer kind of sick--you can legally take time off to help them/be with them. Many places have paternity/maternity rules in place so you can have some time off after a baby is born, or after your spouse goes back to work so you have flexible time to be with the baby. Neither of these particularly helps you when the baby gets YOU sick (or if the rest of the family does). On the bright side, that's not how things like cancer work. On the downside, as children gain immunities and encounter strangers (other kids in daycare for example), THEY CATCH EVERYTHING. Everything. Their little immune systems are the engines that could--they're down for a day, two, maybe three at the most and then their running and screaming and getting infected (or infecting others) with something new.
Adult immune systems rock, but cannot keep up with the traffic coming with and out of the little ones. You may be able to use either of those options as needed for long term illness or during the time of the paternity/maternity leave to help take care of the kids when they are sick, but things start getting iffy when the kids are getting you sick. A parent with a child freshly in daycare is going to blow through 5 sick days in the blink of an eye. And just how much of their family vacations do they want to give away by staying home sick when they're sick once or twice a month for a year or two while their kids immune systems spool up?
What if work requires you to be in places where your immune system has to work hard? People who travel a lot--locked inside metal tubes with tons of other people who have varying ideas of what hygiene is and are all breathing shared, recycled air--either get hearty immune systems or they get sick more than their fellow employees (or some combo of both).
Then, there are folks who have actual medical issues; people with compromised immune systems or ongoing conditions that cause them to have to take additional sick days or who get sick more often than others. In a lot of cases they can apply for accommodation, but it still often means they may end up eating their sick days, vacation days, etc.
Now that we've reviewed how lame the policies for time off are, how do we answer the question:As an employee, what do you do when you're sick?
As an employee, without being a manager, you're just as screwed as anyone else with the 5 days or the PTO thing, but you are not substantially more screwed, which is nice. Companies often have policies but don't communicate them (or did that one time when you were first hired) or don't enforce them around sick time. Very often, the company doesn't have a policy beyond "you get this many days to decide what to do if you don't feel well."
This means when you're sick, you make the call about how sick is too sick to come into the office; as an individual, if I can drive AND I haven't had a fever in 12 hours, I go to the office. This exposes my co-workers to any germs that may still be coming out of me--there are lots of articles on the fact that after a fever leaves you aren't contagious and just as many that say that you are until you stop "shedding" virus/bacteria, and by "shedding" they mean all the gross stuff trying to claw its way out of your lungs, throat and/or sinuses. As an individual, however--unless I'm in a medical firm or medical profession where I can literally endanger others who compromised systems and am aware of that fact--I can make the decision to come in contagious if there is no set company policy, or if there is a policy and it's not enforced.
If you're thinking this means the 5 days off or PTO policies suck even more because it drives people into the office where they can spread the illness and get even more people sick, you are correct. However, as an individual with no policy or direction from company or manager, you get to make the call--eat up one of those 5 precious days when you might be much sicker later, or go into work now propped up on cold medicine and caffeine?
Whenever I take a position I always ask about working from home as an option. It's not always an available option, but if it's possible, I ask about it, especially around times I might be ill. Some companies cut you off--if you're too sick to come in, you can't work from home. Most companies that allow work from home will allow you to work when you're home ill, provided you don't abuse the privilege (this might be a good time to take a look at my blog post on perception with your bosses, especially when working remotely).
Whenever possible, I try to take this option. In this way I can continue to meet deadlines, email doesn't pile up, and I can work as much or as little as I can stand--as long as I report what I'm doing and when. This doesn't give you carte blanche to take a nap and then act as if you've worked those hours, but it is acceptable to let your boss know you're offline and when you're back online and either make those hours up (more on that later) or take hours out of sick leave or PTO (rather than entire days).
I like to talk to bosses about comp time, as well--this is time that is "comped" back to you. Some companies are formal about it, other companies prohibit it, and some companies don't want to know about it, but are okay with you doing it (seriously) as long as it's not written down and no one tries to push being paid for comped time. For example, during crunch month you might work later nights, longer weeks, even on the weekend; this might mean that your boss "comps" you time after crunch time is over. If you worked Saturday, you might get the Wednesday after launch off if you like. It can also mean that if you regularly work more than 40 hours a week, your boss may not care if you have to take two hours to nap in the middle of the day, and nothing comes out of PTO or sick time. In some cases, bosses may always not take time out of your sick leave or PTO for a day or two illness if you "make up" that time later, or if you've "banked" that time by working overtime before.
You can NEVER count on comp time. Let me repeat that: YOU CAN NEVER COUNT ON COMP TIME. Even if your company has a formal policy on it, they rarely track it. It is an agreement between you and your boss, and you need to be absolutely clear with your boss about banking and making up hours. If the boss is crazy, forgetful, or say switches out between when you banked the time and when you need to use it, it can vanish. Comp time is lovely, but don't depend on it.
Finally, you are now in the realm, as an individual, of "what the company will allow" if you need time off. Say you've used your sick days. Some companies may make you use your vacation days if you need to stay home after that. Some companies only give sick or vacation days on an accrual basis, which means that in addition to burning that time you could be on the beach soaking in the sun on vacation, you're actually going into debt on days you could be on the beach until you're health recovers and enough time passes. Some companies allow you to take time off without pay (though they often force you to use all your sick and vacation days first). It varies company to company.
The gist is, when you take a job, know your options. If you have one and don't know them, don't go directly to HR, go to your boss and ask. Obviously if you have an illness in the family or are expecting a child from childbirth, surrogacy or adoption (or alien landing from the moon, changeling, or anything legally acceptable for this category), talk to HR and use the available options. But always start with your boss--what her/his views are on time on and off, working from home, comp time, etc. It can help to know how to spend your sick days or your PTO days, but also how NOT to spend them.
As an employee, what do you do when you're sick? As a manager, what do you preach when members of your team are ill? As a company, what is your policy on employees who are sick? Today we're going to talk about the typical options and what you can do when you're an employee. Future blogs will cover what the manager is expected to do (both as an employee and a manager) and some tips about how to handle company policy on illness.
Today, though, we start with tracing out the problem: how is time off for illness being handled across most of the technology management environment?
If you are lucky enough to have a job with benefits (I am currently that lucky) and those benefits include sick days (I am not that lucky), typically you get them in one of two forms: 1) specifically designated sick days, and usually not a ton of them; most companies do 5 formal sick days or 2) Paid Time Off, which is a pool of sick days and vacation days.
Both policies kind of suck, which, if you have them, you know why. First, let's look at the limited sick day plan. If you are very lucky you might get more than 5 days, but I haven't actually been anywhere that's been the case. I have caught flus every 3-4 years that eat up five days at a time. There is nothing different in those years that prevents me from getting ill other than that 5 day stretch, but since I don't have sick days, what do I do on the sixth day I'm so sick that I can't come into the office?
Alternately, PTO, if you're lucky, is 15 days to spend on being sick or taking vacation time. It's the same pool. So, if you have a horrible headache, fever and cough, do you burn a day you could be spending healthy with your family in Disneyland, or do you go into the office and infect everyone else?
I don't have children. Look at people who do. There is a family leave act in place in most states and there is a national law. Basically, if your mother, father, husband, children, brothers, sisters, or in some very rare cases, extended family get very sick--like cancer kind of sick--you can legally take time off to help them/be with them. Many places have paternity/maternity rules in place so you can have some time off after a baby is born, or after your spouse goes back to work so you have flexible time to be with the baby. Neither of these particularly helps you when the baby gets YOU sick (or if the rest of the family does). On the bright side, that's not how things like cancer work. On the downside, as children gain immunities and encounter strangers (other kids in daycare for example), THEY CATCH EVERYTHING. Everything. Their little immune systems are the engines that could--they're down for a day, two, maybe three at the most and then their running and screaming and getting infected (or infecting others) with something new.
Adult immune systems rock, but cannot keep up with the traffic coming with and out of the little ones. You may be able to use either of those options as needed for long term illness or during the time of the paternity/maternity leave to help take care of the kids when they are sick, but things start getting iffy when the kids are getting you sick. A parent with a child freshly in daycare is going to blow through 5 sick days in the blink of an eye. And just how much of their family vacations do they want to give away by staying home sick when they're sick once or twice a month for a year or two while their kids immune systems spool up?
What if work requires you to be in places where your immune system has to work hard? People who travel a lot--locked inside metal tubes with tons of other people who have varying ideas of what hygiene is and are all breathing shared, recycled air--either get hearty immune systems or they get sick more than their fellow employees (or some combo of both).
Then, there are folks who have actual medical issues; people with compromised immune systems or ongoing conditions that cause them to have to take additional sick days or who get sick more often than others. In a lot of cases they can apply for accommodation, but it still often means they may end up eating their sick days, vacation days, etc.
Now that we've reviewed how lame the policies for time off are, how do we answer the question:As an employee, what do you do when you're sick?
As an employee, without being a manager, you're just as screwed as anyone else with the 5 days or the PTO thing, but you are not substantially more screwed, which is nice. Companies often have policies but don't communicate them (or did that one time when you were first hired) or don't enforce them around sick time. Very often, the company doesn't have a policy beyond "you get this many days to decide what to do if you don't feel well."
This means when you're sick, you make the call about how sick is too sick to come into the office; as an individual, if I can drive AND I haven't had a fever in 12 hours, I go to the office. This exposes my co-workers to any germs that may still be coming out of me--there are lots of articles on the fact that after a fever leaves you aren't contagious and just as many that say that you are until you stop "shedding" virus/bacteria, and by "shedding" they mean all the gross stuff trying to claw its way out of your lungs, throat and/or sinuses. As an individual, however--unless I'm in a medical firm or medical profession where I can literally endanger others who compromised systems and am aware of that fact--I can make the decision to come in contagious if there is no set company policy, or if there is a policy and it's not enforced.
If you're thinking this means the 5 days off or PTO policies suck even more because it drives people into the office where they can spread the illness and get even more people sick, you are correct. However, as an individual with no policy or direction from company or manager, you get to make the call--eat up one of those 5 precious days when you might be much sicker later, or go into work now propped up on cold medicine and caffeine?
Whenever I take a position I always ask about working from home as an option. It's not always an available option, but if it's possible, I ask about it, especially around times I might be ill. Some companies cut you off--if you're too sick to come in, you can't work from home. Most companies that allow work from home will allow you to work when you're home ill, provided you don't abuse the privilege (this might be a good time to take a look at my blog post on perception with your bosses, especially when working remotely).
Whenever possible, I try to take this option. In this way I can continue to meet deadlines, email doesn't pile up, and I can work as much or as little as I can stand--as long as I report what I'm doing and when. This doesn't give you carte blanche to take a nap and then act as if you've worked those hours, but it is acceptable to let your boss know you're offline and when you're back online and either make those hours up (more on that later) or take hours out of sick leave or PTO (rather than entire days).
I like to talk to bosses about comp time, as well--this is time that is "comped" back to you. Some companies are formal about it, other companies prohibit it, and some companies don't want to know about it, but are okay with you doing it (seriously) as long as it's not written down and no one tries to push being paid for comped time. For example, during crunch month you might work later nights, longer weeks, even on the weekend; this might mean that your boss "comps" you time after crunch time is over. If you worked Saturday, you might get the Wednesday after launch off if you like. It can also mean that if you regularly work more than 40 hours a week, your boss may not care if you have to take two hours to nap in the middle of the day, and nothing comes out of PTO or sick time. In some cases, bosses may always not take time out of your sick leave or PTO for a day or two illness if you "make up" that time later, or if you've "banked" that time by working overtime before.
You can NEVER count on comp time. Let me repeat that: YOU CAN NEVER COUNT ON COMP TIME. Even if your company has a formal policy on it, they rarely track it. It is an agreement between you and your boss, and you need to be absolutely clear with your boss about banking and making up hours. If the boss is crazy, forgetful, or say switches out between when you banked the time and when you need to use it, it can vanish. Comp time is lovely, but don't depend on it.
Finally, you are now in the realm, as an individual, of "what the company will allow" if you need time off. Say you've used your sick days. Some companies may make you use your vacation days if you need to stay home after that. Some companies only give sick or vacation days on an accrual basis, which means that in addition to burning that time you could be on the beach soaking in the sun on vacation, you're actually going into debt on days you could be on the beach until you're health recovers and enough time passes. Some companies allow you to take time off without pay (though they often force you to use all your sick and vacation days first). It varies company to company.
The gist is, when you take a job, know your options. If you have one and don't know them, don't go directly to HR, go to your boss and ask. Obviously if you have an illness in the family or are expecting a child from childbirth, surrogacy or adoption (or alien landing from the moon, changeling, or anything legally acceptable for this category), talk to HR and use the available options. But always start with your boss--what her/his views are on time on and off, working from home, comp time, etc. It can help to know how to spend your sick days or your PTO days, but also how NOT to spend them.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Why I've been Away...
Hello!
Hubby and friends and I have been working on this book for about 9 years. It will be available for sale sometime in the next few weeks (trust me, I'll update here).
This is part of my life as a member of Dreams of Deirdre (link on the right); I've learned a ton about managing people through doing so in the course of my social life--playing games--as well as my work life, where typically I am a manager, project manager, and scrum master.
I am so very proud of my name on the cover!
More details as they become available.
We will return to our regularly scheduled program next week.
Thanks, so much, for your patience and tenacity.
Hubby and friends and I have been working on this book for about 9 years. It will be available for sale sometime in the next few weeks (trust me, I'll update here).
This is part of my life as a member of Dreams of Deirdre (link on the right); I've learned a ton about managing people through doing so in the course of my social life--playing games--as well as my work life, where typically I am a manager, project manager, and scrum master.
I am so very proud of my name on the cover!
More details as they become available.
We will return to our regularly scheduled program next week.
Thanks, so much, for your patience and tenacity.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Please forgive the Intermission
The (Im)Perfect Manager had a job hunt followed by a job find followed by several personal items coming to pass at the same time; I will have a bonus blog with the product of my labors coming up. My apologies for not noting it here on the blog. I expect the blog to resume in June, which is easy to say, but easy to enforce through guilt to myself to actually do it.
Thanks, so much, for reading (if you still are).
Thanks, so much, for reading (if you still are).
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Don't Kill The Idiots
There are too many of them and not enough of you. Also, idiocy is typically a temporary condition for most people.
The basic concept to take away from this post is don't talk/email/interact with people when you are out of sorts and/or out of control. I know, way easier to say than to do (but hard to type, what with all the slashes (/).
Also, use your eyes, ears, and gut to notice things like major mood swing issues with others. People who are angry or upset are clenched up; rarely are they relaxed in demeanor. Some get very quiet, others get very shrill. You can tell after talking to someone a few minutes that maybe they're not at their best.
Recommendation: walk away.
You don't want them killing you for being an idiot, either.
This is all pretty basic advice: most people know not to poke the angry beast when the angry beast is being angry. Which is why noticing when you are the angry beast--the first part of this blog post--is a skill to hone.
Get grumpy when you don't eat or don't get that first cup of coffee? Don't talk to people about controversial subjects (or at all if you can avoid it), until those hurdles have been leaped. Low blood sugar and caffeine addiction are reasons for bad behavior; they do not erase it or excuse it. If a co-worker felt the need to blast your head off for saying "Good morning," to him or her, you're probably not going to feel charitable towards them if your head could have remained in place had they but eaten their breakfast bar.
A lot of issues regarding anger/fear/anxiety/upset in the work place are specific to physical conditions of the body. You could be really tired, really hungry, crashing from sugar, jonesing for caffeine, or if you're particularly a braniac, you could be recovering from a hangover. All of these are conditions that have been brought on by yourself, the same way that a driver who loses control of a car because of a faulty tire is to blame: it's the driver's JOB to make sure the vehicle is safe to operate, and its your job to make sure you are safe to be around other people.
Now you may have a baby at home, which is what is killing your ability to sleep; you could blame the baby for your lack of sleep, or your wife for sleeping because it was your turn to cope with baby last night. However, its not really anyone's fault here: you made a choice to participate in the raising of a beautiful, awesome creature that hasn't figured out the concept of a schedule yet. Your co-workers did not get consulted about that. First, that would be weird, and second, they don't expect to be. But they do expect you to perform as well as you did before the kid came along, with a few exceptions because they are not heartless automatons, and some of them probably have kids, too.
So if you're prone to bouts of unreasonableness when you're tired, they will put up with a bit of it--kids are awesome and they are a lot of work--but you never want to push them too far on that. This may mean mini-naps at lunchtime for you, or napping instead of your normal decompression when you get home (when you can, as baby and family life permits). This may mean--if you aren't nursing--consuming more caffeine than you might otherwise to keep the peace.
Whatever you do, be AWARE. You may need to make a note for yourself related to physical conditions and keep it on your monitor or tacked to your phone to remind you that the guy you're talking to on the phone might not actually be a moron, it might be that you're in a bit of a pissy mood. Also, regardless of mood, never treat anyone like a complete moron. You might be right, but the workplace rarely rewards people for calling out complete morons. Someone had to hire that moron. They might not enjoy you pointing out their mistake.
The second big reason you could try/want to kill the idiots is mood related to emotional context. You come into work having narrowly avoided an accident caused by someone talking on their cell, then run into a co-worker talking on his cell, there is a temptation to lash out. Needless to say, DON'T. Easy to say, by the way. Hard to realize that you might be in an altered state due to emotional issues going on.
Have a sick kid at home? Buying a house? Managing a promotion? Comforting a friend whose loved one has died? These all eat up energy from you. The less energy you have, the more likely you are to turn evil at a moment's notice.
So, question what comes out of your mouth, before it comes out of your mouth. Is it polite? Is it emotional? If its emotional, where is the emotion coming from? Note, some people NEVER MASTER THIS SKILL. There is a disconnect between their ability to filter and their brain. Many of them are hilarious. Many of them are never going to get terribly far, depending on their career of choice.
In summary, question yourself before you question other people. Preferably in your head. Despite Gizmodo's recent article about talking to yourself making you smarter (and not actually crazy), many people are still hung up on the crazy part. Also, unfiltered external dialog is a lot like leaving TNT lying around for the cat to play with: generally a bad idea. You never know who will over hear you. You also don't know who the person you are talking to today will be tomorrow; a simple kindness (such as rushing for coffee before having a quick morning discussion), could make or break someone's impression of you, and those impressions have long lives in the increasingly cozy career world where someone who was your co-worker yesterday is your boss tomorrow.
The basic concept to take away from this post is don't talk/email/interact with people when you are out of sorts and/or out of control. I know, way easier to say than to do (but hard to type, what with all the slashes (/).
Also, use your eyes, ears, and gut to notice things like major mood swing issues with others. People who are angry or upset are clenched up; rarely are they relaxed in demeanor. Some get very quiet, others get very shrill. You can tell after talking to someone a few minutes that maybe they're not at their best.
Recommendation: walk away.
You don't want them killing you for being an idiot, either.
This is all pretty basic advice: most people know not to poke the angry beast when the angry beast is being angry. Which is why noticing when you are the angry beast--the first part of this blog post--is a skill to hone.
Get grumpy when you don't eat or don't get that first cup of coffee? Don't talk to people about controversial subjects (or at all if you can avoid it), until those hurdles have been leaped. Low blood sugar and caffeine addiction are reasons for bad behavior; they do not erase it or excuse it. If a co-worker felt the need to blast your head off for saying "Good morning," to him or her, you're probably not going to feel charitable towards them if your head could have remained in place had they but eaten their breakfast bar.
A lot of issues regarding anger/fear/anxiety/upset in the work place are specific to physical conditions of the body. You could be really tired, really hungry, crashing from sugar, jonesing for caffeine, or if you're particularly a braniac, you could be recovering from a hangover. All of these are conditions that have been brought on by yourself, the same way that a driver who loses control of a car because of a faulty tire is to blame: it's the driver's JOB to make sure the vehicle is safe to operate, and its your job to make sure you are safe to be around other people.
Now you may have a baby at home, which is what is killing your ability to sleep; you could blame the baby for your lack of sleep, or your wife for sleeping because it was your turn to cope with baby last night. However, its not really anyone's fault here: you made a choice to participate in the raising of a beautiful, awesome creature that hasn't figured out the concept of a schedule yet. Your co-workers did not get consulted about that. First, that would be weird, and second, they don't expect to be. But they do expect you to perform as well as you did before the kid came along, with a few exceptions because they are not heartless automatons, and some of them probably have kids, too.
So if you're prone to bouts of unreasonableness when you're tired, they will put up with a bit of it--kids are awesome and they are a lot of work--but you never want to push them too far on that. This may mean mini-naps at lunchtime for you, or napping instead of your normal decompression when you get home (when you can, as baby and family life permits). This may mean--if you aren't nursing--consuming more caffeine than you might otherwise to keep the peace.
Whatever you do, be AWARE. You may need to make a note for yourself related to physical conditions and keep it on your monitor or tacked to your phone to remind you that the guy you're talking to on the phone might not actually be a moron, it might be that you're in a bit of a pissy mood. Also, regardless of mood, never treat anyone like a complete moron. You might be right, but the workplace rarely rewards people for calling out complete morons. Someone had to hire that moron. They might not enjoy you pointing out their mistake.
The second big reason you could try/want to kill the idiots is mood related to emotional context. You come into work having narrowly avoided an accident caused by someone talking on their cell, then run into a co-worker talking on his cell, there is a temptation to lash out. Needless to say, DON'T. Easy to say, by the way. Hard to realize that you might be in an altered state due to emotional issues going on.
Have a sick kid at home? Buying a house? Managing a promotion? Comforting a friend whose loved one has died? These all eat up energy from you. The less energy you have, the more likely you are to turn evil at a moment's notice.
So, question what comes out of your mouth, before it comes out of your mouth. Is it polite? Is it emotional? If its emotional, where is the emotion coming from? Note, some people NEVER MASTER THIS SKILL. There is a disconnect between their ability to filter and their brain. Many of them are hilarious. Many of them are never going to get terribly far, depending on their career of choice.
In summary, question yourself before you question other people. Preferably in your head. Despite Gizmodo's recent article about talking to yourself making you smarter (and not actually crazy), many people are still hung up on the crazy part. Also, unfiltered external dialog is a lot like leaving TNT lying around for the cat to play with: generally a bad idea. You never know who will over hear you. You also don't know who the person you are talking to today will be tomorrow; a simple kindness (such as rushing for coffee before having a quick morning discussion), could make or break someone's impression of you, and those impressions have long lives in the increasingly cozy career world where someone who was your co-worker yesterday is your boss tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Once More Into the Breach, Thoughts on Job Seeking and Interviewing: Doing Your Homework
So, you've contacted friends and they've kindly passed on your resume. You've hit the job boards and applied to anything that looked remotely like you could do it. Recruiters are actually calling you.
The way the current job market manages hiring is a multiple step process:
1) Your resume gets through the slush pile to someone who thinks you can do the job/might be a good fit.
2) This person (or someone in their org) contacts you about a phone screen.
3) You agree to a phone screen and schedule one.
4) You do the initial 'is this person insane/lying to me' dance of the first phone screen.
5) You pass! They ask to schedule another phone screen and/or they ask you to come in for an in-person interview (9 times out of 10 it's another phone screen)
6) You pass the phone screens/initial in-person interview! They schedule you for at least one more interview.
7) It is now down to you and whomever else has passed these hurdles (Typically 5 or fewer applicants)
8) You do or do not get the job
9) They notify you, typically via email if you didn't get it, by phone if you did
10) If you got it, you discuss rates, vacation time, contract length...whatever is pertinent to the gig.
Let's break this down.
(1) I've covered in an earlier blog on resumes; everyone has what they like, I have what I like. Check it out - there are comments from other managers indicating their preferences to get resumes through the slush pile, as well.
You schedule a phone screen (3). I'm going to state the obvious here, but bear with me: if you are currently employed do not do the phone screen on the time of the company for whom you still work. Do it on a lunch break or after or before work. I'm generally okay if you are a contractor and no one else is using that room during the time, in scheduling time in a conference room over lunch to do the interview. If you are a permanent employee, its up to you whether you feel comfortable doing that or if you want to take the call outside/in the cover of the stairwell/whatever.
The first phone screen is usually not the person who can make a hiring decision. However, it is the person who gets to decide if you get anywhere NEAR the person who makes the hiring decision. Also, you never really know who you are talking to; I've done an initial phone screen with the CEO of a company because she was managing HR while the HR director was out at the start up where I was interviewing. This person may seem like the first obstacle on your path to this job, but really, they're the first person who can remove that obstacle for you. BE NICE.
Before you even talk to them, if I have a name, I Google it to get a better idea of whom I am speaking to. I wouldn't immediately drop the name of their dogs or ask them how their kids are doing when you talk to them--that sort of escalates to stalking and will definitely get you banned from moving forward with that company--but it does mean if you also like dogs, bringing them up is probably a safe concept. If you have kids, it might also be a safe area for small talk. Read carefully though; no one wants to talk about dogs when Betsy, their baby, passed away Tuesday. The emotional mood of the person with whom you are talking will influence their opinion of you (whether they think so or want it to or not). So try to keep them positive, talk about things they like, and to do that, you need to look them up.
You also need to look up the company. I've screened a lot of people who had never even glanced at the website. When asked what they thought we did, the number of "ums" was in the hundreds. Don't be the person "umming" their way through this part of the interview. Read about the company. TAKE NOTES. Write down the name, what they're famous for/main product is, find out where they are (so you aren't asking that embarrassing question in the interview when you could have found out yourself), and anything of interest on their "breaking news" or "marketing" division sites. Companies like it if you can a) spit their buzzwords out at them and b) know what they mean. So, look up anything you don't understand. For example, I've been in tech for wow, 20 years now, and I can NEVER remember what SaaS means. For the record, it's "Software as a service." Enjoy your acronym.
Finally, look over the job description to which you applied again. Make sure you understand those acronyms. Review the expected job experience and requirements. Prepare stories of the times you did those things--or things like them--at other companies if the question comes up. If you are shy required experience and you got the screen anyway, there's something they value in you, so prep for why that lack of experience is not a drawback/how you will get caught up/how you have it in this other way/etc.
Take your notes, the open job description, and a copy of your resume and have them with you when you do the phone screen. Try to keep answers positive; if you don't know something, that's okay, just answer how you'd find out (or how you've handled a situation in the past with a positive ending).
Traditionally the initial screeners aren't going to go for the throat--they may just be making sure that if you wrote "Agile/Scrum" experience on your resume you know what an Iteration is and what a daily stand up means. But sometimes they will. Be prepared.
I recommend against having a computer in front of you, other than for data that is already up on the screen (such as their website). People can hear you typing when you talk to them, and phone screeners are not stupid when there are short delays between asking a question and getting an answer. No searching the internet for stuff you're supposed to know once you're on the phone, unless you're explaining every step of the search process to the person on the phone and why you're doing it. And even then, avoid it.
I like to interview people about the job, just as much as I want to put my best foot forward in being interviewed. One of the ways I do this, as noted in a previous blog post, is to ask what people like about the job themselves; it tells you a lot. It also typically puts the interviewer in a good mood because you've asked about something positive. Every little bit of good mood while you are present helps in the interview process.
After the interview is over, you're likely to receive an email about next steps (or a "thank you but no thank you" typically in email form). I like to respond to that thanking the interviewer for their time, expressing interest in the upcoming interview, and if the upcoming interview is an in person interview, asking a little about the dress code at the company.
Do all the same prep for (6) again about a half hour before the interview. If it's an in-person interview, prepare to kill some trees. I like to bring at least two copies of my resume, a copy of the job description, my notes, a copy of the email thread or written notes for the name/contact info of the first call, and directions on how to get there. I like to review all this before I leave for the interview.
If they do not expressly say "jeans" in the reply email about the interview, or do not provide any information about normal company dress policy, slacks (for men) and slacks or skirt for women are the best option. For men I recommend a button up shirt, buttoned to the top, slacks (that are not part of a matching suit, but still nice), and a jacket (again, not part of a matching suit). In this way if it turns out you're over dressed, you can take off the jacket and unbutton a few buttons. For women, a utility dress--that can be dressed up with a jacket and jewelry--or slacks/skirt and blouse that can be dressed up or down with a jacket or scarf, is the equivalent. Something that can be upped if you need to look nicer with accessories from your purse, or that can easily be taken off to get you closer to what your interviewers are wearing. You want to look nice, and you want to be memorable, but you also want to play on the fact that people like people who are like them.
Don't lose heart if you have to be interviewed more between options (4) and (6). Depending on the market, there may be a glut of competitors out there, and to weed you out, they'll have everyone they can think of talk to you. Additionally, especially in places where they really need the additional help, they need help because they haven't got time...such as the time needed to hire you to help them. You could do three phone screens and four in-person interviews, or you might get one phone screen and one interview and get the gig. But take heart--unless two weeks pass without word OR you receive the very nice "thank you but no thank you" letter, you're probably still in the running. Just, it's a really long run.
When I find out (7)--that I'm one of the final candidates--I like to send an email to those who have given me their email (I never ask for it, because people worry about that whole "stalking" thing); each on personalized thanking them for their time and letting them know I enjoyed speaking with them...typically, if I can remember something fun we talked about, I will try to recount how awesome it was there. Keep it short--a four sentence paragraph or shorter. Then leave them alone to make the decision.
If a week passes with no word, ping the person responsible for telling you the news with a polite inquiry.
If several weeks pass (and no response to your query), call it done and move on. If they call you back a month later, it's up to you if you still want the gig (depending on your needs, etc.), but if they do that to you during the interview process, what will it be like to work there?
If you do get the gig, you'll probably get a phone call. Thank them profusely. If you haven't already asked about dress code, ask. Get their take on the best commute routes and places to eat locally (or who in the office might help you with that). Talk to them about rates (if you haven't already, which you should have by this time), vacation time, contract length...whatever is pertinent to the gig. Note: a lot of things are negotiable, but companies frequently bank on the reciprocity principle--they're giving you a job so you feel like you owe them--to prevent you from even thinking of asking. But it cannot hurt to ask about a third week of vacation or extra sick leave. As long as you don't threaten to fail to work without those things, the job will still be yours. But if you don't ask for what you're interested in, you certainly won't get it. After all that, thank them again and show up when told.
If you didn't get it, typically you get a very nice email explaining how close you were, but that someone else was just a titch closer.
A lot of people just stop here. DON'T. Instead, send a polite email thanking them so much and letting them know how much you liked everyone you talked to/met. Name names. Ask them to think of you if they have additional openings in the future. Sometimes initial candidates accept and back out, or turn out to be crazy and don't make it through the company's probationary time. Candidates that respond positively, and paid attention, get called back when there are job openings. You want that to be you. And maybe it won't be this time you're hunting, but people remember your good deeds--if you're looking three years from now, it might help you out.
I'm sure I'm sure I'll revisit this topic again, but in summary: be nice to everyone, you never know when it will come back to bite you if you're not, or when it will come back to help you when you are; prep small talk as well as technical and job related skills; do your homework before you talk to people; and don't burn any bridges behind you. The job market may seem vast, but it can be a rather small pool depending on your career choices; you always want people to want to work with you and they talk to each other. Keep that in mind, and you'll soar through this process like a pro.
The way the current job market manages hiring is a multiple step process:
1) Your resume gets through the slush pile to someone who thinks you can do the job/might be a good fit.
2) This person (or someone in their org) contacts you about a phone screen.
3) You agree to a phone screen and schedule one.
4) You do the initial 'is this person insane/lying to me' dance of the first phone screen.
5) You pass! They ask to schedule another phone screen and/or they ask you to come in for an in-person interview (9 times out of 10 it's another phone screen)
6) You pass the phone screens/initial in-person interview! They schedule you for at least one more interview.
7) It is now down to you and whomever else has passed these hurdles (Typically 5 or fewer applicants)
8) You do or do not get the job
9) They notify you, typically via email if you didn't get it, by phone if you did
10) If you got it, you discuss rates, vacation time, contract length...whatever is pertinent to the gig.
Let's break this down.
(1) I've covered in an earlier blog on resumes; everyone has what they like, I have what I like. Check it out - there are comments from other managers indicating their preferences to get resumes through the slush pile, as well.
You schedule a phone screen (3). I'm going to state the obvious here, but bear with me: if you are currently employed do not do the phone screen on the time of the company for whom you still work. Do it on a lunch break or after or before work. I'm generally okay if you are a contractor and no one else is using that room during the time, in scheduling time in a conference room over lunch to do the interview. If you are a permanent employee, its up to you whether you feel comfortable doing that or if you want to take the call outside/in the cover of the stairwell/whatever.
The first phone screen is usually not the person who can make a hiring decision. However, it is the person who gets to decide if you get anywhere NEAR the person who makes the hiring decision. Also, you never really know who you are talking to; I've done an initial phone screen with the CEO of a company because she was managing HR while the HR director was out at the start up where I was interviewing. This person may seem like the first obstacle on your path to this job, but really, they're the first person who can remove that obstacle for you. BE NICE.
Before you even talk to them, if I have a name, I Google it to get a better idea of whom I am speaking to. I wouldn't immediately drop the name of their dogs or ask them how their kids are doing when you talk to them--that sort of escalates to stalking and will definitely get you banned from moving forward with that company--but it does mean if you also like dogs, bringing them up is probably a safe concept. If you have kids, it might also be a safe area for small talk. Read carefully though; no one wants to talk about dogs when Betsy, their baby, passed away Tuesday. The emotional mood of the person with whom you are talking will influence their opinion of you (whether they think so or want it to or not). So try to keep them positive, talk about things they like, and to do that, you need to look them up.
You also need to look up the company. I've screened a lot of people who had never even glanced at the website. When asked what they thought we did, the number of "ums" was in the hundreds. Don't be the person "umming" their way through this part of the interview. Read about the company. TAKE NOTES. Write down the name, what they're famous for/main product is, find out where they are (so you aren't asking that embarrassing question in the interview when you could have found out yourself), and anything of interest on their "breaking news" or "marketing" division sites. Companies like it if you can a) spit their buzzwords out at them and b) know what they mean. So, look up anything you don't understand. For example, I've been in tech for wow, 20 years now, and I can NEVER remember what SaaS means. For the record, it's "Software as a service." Enjoy your acronym.
Finally, look over the job description to which you applied again. Make sure you understand those acronyms. Review the expected job experience and requirements. Prepare stories of the times you did those things--or things like them--at other companies if the question comes up. If you are shy required experience and you got the screen anyway, there's something they value in you, so prep for why that lack of experience is not a drawback/how you will get caught up/how you have it in this other way/etc.
Take your notes, the open job description, and a copy of your resume and have them with you when you do the phone screen. Try to keep answers positive; if you don't know something, that's okay, just answer how you'd find out (or how you've handled a situation in the past with a positive ending).
Traditionally the initial screeners aren't going to go for the throat--they may just be making sure that if you wrote "Agile/Scrum" experience on your resume you know what an Iteration is and what a daily stand up means. But sometimes they will. Be prepared.
I recommend against having a computer in front of you, other than for data that is already up on the screen (such as their website). People can hear you typing when you talk to them, and phone screeners are not stupid when there are short delays between asking a question and getting an answer. No searching the internet for stuff you're supposed to know once you're on the phone, unless you're explaining every step of the search process to the person on the phone and why you're doing it. And even then, avoid it.
I like to interview people about the job, just as much as I want to put my best foot forward in being interviewed. One of the ways I do this, as noted in a previous blog post, is to ask what people like about the job themselves; it tells you a lot. It also typically puts the interviewer in a good mood because you've asked about something positive. Every little bit of good mood while you are present helps in the interview process.
After the interview is over, you're likely to receive an email about next steps (or a "thank you but no thank you" typically in email form). I like to respond to that thanking the interviewer for their time, expressing interest in the upcoming interview, and if the upcoming interview is an in person interview, asking a little about the dress code at the company.
Do all the same prep for (6) again about a half hour before the interview. If it's an in-person interview, prepare to kill some trees. I like to bring at least two copies of my resume, a copy of the job description, my notes, a copy of the email thread or written notes for the name/contact info of the first call, and directions on how to get there. I like to review all this before I leave for the interview.
If they do not expressly say "jeans" in the reply email about the interview, or do not provide any information about normal company dress policy, slacks (for men) and slacks or skirt for women are the best option. For men I recommend a button up shirt, buttoned to the top, slacks (that are not part of a matching suit, but still nice), and a jacket (again, not part of a matching suit). In this way if it turns out you're over dressed, you can take off the jacket and unbutton a few buttons. For women, a utility dress--that can be dressed up with a jacket and jewelry--or slacks/skirt and blouse that can be dressed up or down with a jacket or scarf, is the equivalent. Something that can be upped if you need to look nicer with accessories from your purse, or that can easily be taken off to get you closer to what your interviewers are wearing. You want to look nice, and you want to be memorable, but you also want to play on the fact that people like people who are like them.
Don't lose heart if you have to be interviewed more between options (4) and (6). Depending on the market, there may be a glut of competitors out there, and to weed you out, they'll have everyone they can think of talk to you. Additionally, especially in places where they really need the additional help, they need help because they haven't got time...such as the time needed to hire you to help them. You could do three phone screens and four in-person interviews, or you might get one phone screen and one interview and get the gig. But take heart--unless two weeks pass without word OR you receive the very nice "thank you but no thank you" letter, you're probably still in the running. Just, it's a really long run.
When I find out (7)--that I'm one of the final candidates--I like to send an email to those who have given me their email (I never ask for it, because people worry about that whole "stalking" thing); each on personalized thanking them for their time and letting them know I enjoyed speaking with them...typically, if I can remember something fun we talked about, I will try to recount how awesome it was there. Keep it short--a four sentence paragraph or shorter. Then leave them alone to make the decision.
If a week passes with no word, ping the person responsible for telling you the news with a polite inquiry.
If several weeks pass (and no response to your query), call it done and move on. If they call you back a month later, it's up to you if you still want the gig (depending on your needs, etc.), but if they do that to you during the interview process, what will it be like to work there?
If you do get the gig, you'll probably get a phone call. Thank them profusely. If you haven't already asked about dress code, ask. Get their take on the best commute routes and places to eat locally (or who in the office might help you with that). Talk to them about rates (if you haven't already, which you should have by this time), vacation time, contract length...whatever is pertinent to the gig. Note: a lot of things are negotiable, but companies frequently bank on the reciprocity principle--they're giving you a job so you feel like you owe them--to prevent you from even thinking of asking. But it cannot hurt to ask about a third week of vacation or extra sick leave. As long as you don't threaten to fail to work without those things, the job will still be yours. But if you don't ask for what you're interested in, you certainly won't get it. After all that, thank them again and show up when told.
If you didn't get it, typically you get a very nice email explaining how close you were, but that someone else was just a titch closer.
A lot of people just stop here. DON'T. Instead, send a polite email thanking them so much and letting them know how much you liked everyone you talked to/met. Name names. Ask them to think of you if they have additional openings in the future. Sometimes initial candidates accept and back out, or turn out to be crazy and don't make it through the company's probationary time. Candidates that respond positively, and paid attention, get called back when there are job openings. You want that to be you. And maybe it won't be this time you're hunting, but people remember your good deeds--if you're looking three years from now, it might help you out.
I'm sure I'm sure I'll revisit this topic again, but in summary: be nice to everyone, you never know when it will come back to bite you if you're not, or when it will come back to help you when you are; prep small talk as well as technical and job related skills; do your homework before you talk to people; and don't burn any bridges behind you. The job market may seem vast, but it can be a rather small pool depending on your career choices; you always want people to want to work with you and they talk to each other. Keep that in mind, and you'll soar through this process like a pro.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Failure is not only an option, its sometimes the required option
I work with a friend who doesn't like to screw up. As someone who also doesn't like to screw up, I'm down with that. However, this person wants to be a lead, which is a type of manager, and if you've never screwed up, when you become a lead, screwing up is a) inevitable and b) freakier than hell if you've never done it before.
Unlike code or sofas that will take whatever you or your cats do to them (spoken as a woman whose cat almost succeeded in editing the registry of her husband's laptop with the power of a sunbeam and her butt), with people there is always, always, always, a wrong answer.
I've talked in previous posts about the fact that some people may have a bad day and that can affect their performance and interaction. Sometimes people are ignorant, as well--they've never encountered whatever and just don't know the pitfalls. Sometimes people are scared, and they hide that by puffing up and digging in. Whatever the reason, people are the part of the equation that makes managing fail (as well as succeed). You will do something wrong. You will do something perceived to be wrong. You will FAIL at something. Someone who works for you will FAIL and you'll wonder where you failed. Basically, failure is a part of life, yes, but it's a bigger part of your life if you're responsible for anyone (like a team) or anything (like a project).
To steal from the remade Batman franchise: "Why do we fall? So we can learn how to get up." I'd not go so far as to fall down a well and be attacked by frightened bats trying to escape from you, but its basically true: you fell on your butt several times before you learned your balance to walk. You may have skinned your knees a bit getting the hang of the bike. Hopefully the dents in the car were invisible or hideable from your parents when you were learning to drive. And I dearly hope the person or persons you love have forgiven you for that time when you (insert the incident in question that was definitively a mistake).
Management is a lot like that. When you are a manager, people expect that you will not screw up, so the pressure is even worse.
What I'm here to tell you is that: a) you will screw up, b) its okay if you screw up as long as you c) handle the screw up properly.
I've talked in previous entries about handling personnel issues; I have a few posts on "Screw Ups Happen." What this is about is to clarify that there is a purpose to failing, even in management, and that is to learn from the failure. Many of us want to just bury it and move on, but the truth of the matter is 99% of the time the failure is somehow connected to other humans (I'm assuming robots for that other 1%, but don't quote me). You need to know how that failure happened for yourself, so it doesn't happen again.
And, as I noted in my article on the Blame Game, I don't mean "who did this" but "what part did I play in this?" When folks you manage fail, you fail. When you're connected to a project with a failure, there is typically something you can learn so that a project you work on doesn't fail in the same way again.
Failure, therefore, is not only an option, it's sometimes required.
This is not to say that you should run right out and start screwing things up for learning opportunities. Trust me, failure will find you and yours all its own, without having to invite it in. Also, your manager generally frowns on you encouraging failure as what she/he pays you for is quite the opposite.
When a failure or potential failure comes up--from a comment that got your back up to a full fledged missed deadline--go somewhere private and react to what happened as you need to do so. Don't be self indulgent (it's not all day thing), but its normal and human to react, and its best not to react where normal humans can see you, as how you react will often guide how your team reacts. You want to, whenever possible, be calm and prepared for them, so they can be calm and prepared in return.
After you've reacted, do your clean up; I have lots of great advice in my Blame Game column and my Screw Ups Happen columns.
After you've done your clean up, go do something completely different and rest your brain. Come back the next day to review the failure itself.
Now look at what happened and ask yourself:
No one likes to fail. The desire to avoid failure frequently spawns fear which can be harnessed into good things like planning. But you will fail. Probably at least big time once in your life. Not only do you need to get yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to whatever you were doing, you also need to know how to take a critical eye to the failure in question and learn from it. This is the huge divider between those who can lead well, and those who are lead (but may be put in leadership positions): they take experience in whatever form it may come, and they use it effectively.
Unlike code or sofas that will take whatever you or your cats do to them (spoken as a woman whose cat almost succeeded in editing the registry of her husband's laptop with the power of a sunbeam and her butt), with people there is always, always, always, a wrong answer.
I've talked in previous posts about the fact that some people may have a bad day and that can affect their performance and interaction. Sometimes people are ignorant, as well--they've never encountered whatever and just don't know the pitfalls. Sometimes people are scared, and they hide that by puffing up and digging in. Whatever the reason, people are the part of the equation that makes managing fail (as well as succeed). You will do something wrong. You will do something perceived to be wrong. You will FAIL at something. Someone who works for you will FAIL and you'll wonder where you failed. Basically, failure is a part of life, yes, but it's a bigger part of your life if you're responsible for anyone (like a team) or anything (like a project).
To steal from the remade Batman franchise: "Why do we fall? So we can learn how to get up." I'd not go so far as to fall down a well and be attacked by frightened bats trying to escape from you, but its basically true: you fell on your butt several times before you learned your balance to walk. You may have skinned your knees a bit getting the hang of the bike. Hopefully the dents in the car were invisible or hideable from your parents when you were learning to drive. And I dearly hope the person or persons you love have forgiven you for that time when you (insert the incident in question that was definitively a mistake).
Management is a lot like that. When you are a manager, people expect that you will not screw up, so the pressure is even worse.
What I'm here to tell you is that: a) you will screw up, b) its okay if you screw up as long as you c) handle the screw up properly.
I've talked in previous entries about handling personnel issues; I have a few posts on "Screw Ups Happen." What this is about is to clarify that there is a purpose to failing, even in management, and that is to learn from the failure. Many of us want to just bury it and move on, but the truth of the matter is 99% of the time the failure is somehow connected to other humans (I'm assuming robots for that other 1%, but don't quote me). You need to know how that failure happened for yourself, so it doesn't happen again.
And, as I noted in my article on the Blame Game, I don't mean "who did this" but "what part did I play in this?" When folks you manage fail, you fail. When you're connected to a project with a failure, there is typically something you can learn so that a project you work on doesn't fail in the same way again.
Failure, therefore, is not only an option, it's sometimes required.
This is not to say that you should run right out and start screwing things up for learning opportunities. Trust me, failure will find you and yours all its own, without having to invite it in. Also, your manager generally frowns on you encouraging failure as what she/he pays you for is quite the opposite.
When a failure or potential failure comes up--from a comment that got your back up to a full fledged missed deadline--go somewhere private and react to what happened as you need to do so. Don't be self indulgent (it's not all day thing), but its normal and human to react, and its best not to react where normal humans can see you, as how you react will often guide how your team reacts. You want to, whenever possible, be calm and prepared for them, so they can be calm and prepared in return.
After you've reacted, do your clean up; I have lots of great advice in my Blame Game column and my Screw Ups Happen columns.
After you've done your clean up, go do something completely different and rest your brain. Come back the next day to review the failure itself.
Now look at what happened and ask yourself:
- What actually happened?
- How did it get to this point?
- Can I make a guess at the motivations of the other people involved who made the initial request or requests that led to this?
- What do I know now that I didn't know before this happened?
- can I make it part of my normal routine to learn what I know now that I didn't know then (if humanly possible; no one expects you to anticipate Earthquakes or the invention of actual cold fusion)?
- What are the best take-aways from this failure that aren't self-deprecating?
No one likes to fail. The desire to avoid failure frequently spawns fear which can be harnessed into good things like planning. But you will fail. Probably at least big time once in your life. Not only do you need to get yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to whatever you were doing, you also need to know how to take a critical eye to the failure in question and learn from it. This is the huge divider between those who can lead well, and those who are lead (but may be put in leadership positions): they take experience in whatever form it may come, and they use it effectively.
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