The information age swept through your town over a decade ago now. Technology designed to help us be more efficient in our jobs simultaneously buries us under a mountain of information, directives, tasks, follow ups, invites, and solicitations via our wonderful inboxes. The information flows faster and faster with seemingly no end in sight. Entry level managers must quickly learn how to navigate through the sea of data or be swallowed up and sent to the abyss while tenured managers have learned most of the tricks rarely missing a deadline, deleting an important email, or forgetting an appointment. The tenured manager wraps up at the end of the workweek feeling proud that they made it through the week without falling behind. Not a single request for response went unanswered. You checked off every mundane task filtered down from the boss. You didn’t miss a single appointment, conference call, and were prepared in advance for every webinar. Couple all that with being an attentive listener, providing direction, and giving some positive feed back to a direct report, and you have managed your way through a pretty busy week.
Congratulations!
You just met the minimum expectation for today’s manager in almost any field.
Yup, I said it, the MINIMUM.
And if you keep it up, you will likely MANAGE to keep your job……for now.
Don’t get me wrong, all that organizing, prioritizing, responding, and preparing is a lot of work. It does require some level of skill and dedication to keep up with the breakneck pace these technological advancements allow us to maintain. The point I’m trying to make is if you would like to set yourself apart in your position, field, expertise, etc.. You must first ask yourself a difficult question.
Do I want to be good at THIS job, or great at the NEXT job?
Webster defines the root “Manage” as: to handle or direct with a degree of skill a : to make and keep compliant b : to treat with care
So by definition, if your goal is to be good at the job you are already in, then all you need is some level of skill, the ability to keep your area compliant, and be nice to the people around you. Couple those three things with the organizational skills discussed in the opening paragraph, and “VOILA!”, you are a manager operating at today’s acceptable standards.
The phrase “keep compliant” in the definition really sticks out to me. This phrase implies that a person that follows a predetermined set of rules or guidelines to keep compliant, is effectively, a manager. The problem is that most companies require more from an individual than just the ability to handle, keep compliant, and treat with care. Don’t believe me? Pull out that dusty copy of your job description. These phrases are likely included, for example, “keep department compliant with HIPAA regulations”. That task seems pretty mundane when you consider this is what you will be doing every day for the next 10-20 years.
Webster defines the root “Lead” as: a : to guide on a way especially by going in advance b : to direct on a course or in a direction c : to serve as a channel for
A highly accomplished hotel executive once told me “Leadership is one’s ability to influence others.” I’m pretty sure he was on to something.
Think about some of the greatest leaders of past and present. Lincoln, Kennedy, Jobs, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Muhammed Ali all come to mind. You may not agree with their message or personal styles, but you can certainly agree they all possess(ed) the ability to influence other’s behavior and decisions in amazing ways. In some cases even influencing millions of people to question societal norms that had been acceptable for hundreds (or even thousands) of years.
Referring back to your job description, you will likely come across words like guide, serve, direct, and lead. The context of these terms is likely more vague, but the statements are much more powerful. For example “Serve the company as a responsible leader in the community and consummate professional in the industry.” There are an unlimited number of ways for you to satisfy this job requirement, and zero direction is provided. It is completely up to you how you will meet these particular job functions.
If you choose to be a manager, meeting these more open ended requirements will be difficult. If you decided to set yourself apart and make a unique impact on your organization, these objectives becomes your opportunity.
Stand Out
If you have decided that you desire more from your career and would like to leave a positive impression on your organization, I offer the following challenge. For the next six (6) months, meet or exceed all of the following criteria:
- Meet all deadlines (preferably exceed them)
- Organize your inbox, calendars, and tasks so that you may reference past data quickly from both your computer and smart phone. If you struggle in this area, find someone in the office that excels at it and for help.
- Enter every meeting prepared to ask (2) questions or provide best practices related to the subject matter. The questions may be answered through the regular course of the meeting, but this will force you to prepare in advance.
- Develop an agenda for every meeting you organize and distribute 24 hours in advance of the meeting time. This sets the expectation for all invited to come prepared.
Establish your Circle of Influence–
- Provide positive feedback to someone in your area of supervision at least once a day. It is preferable that you do this in front of other members of the team.
- Provide positive feedback to someone outside your area of supervision at least twice per week. This can even include your superiors, but be careful not to look like a “kiss-up”!
- Go above and beyond for one (1) customer per week. This can be as simple as a personal “Thank You” call, or helping someone change a flat tire in the parking lot. Each business offers different opportunities to make the customer feel valued, you have to identify yours.
- Lead by example 100% of the time. Smile and share a positive outlook on a otherwise negative topic. Do the small things like parking in the designated employee area, pick up a gum wrapper in the hallway, or inform security of a faulty door latch. You will be amazed how this step will rub off on people.
- Take responsibility for your actions. If you make a mistake, admit it. Then more importantly, seek out guidance to ensure a more appropriate decision is made the next time.
- Surround yourself with the right people. This step involves setting personal interests aside and building business relationships with people that you can learn from. Identify those individuals in your organization that excel in (professional) areas that you have room to grow in. For example, if you struggle with public speaking, join a committee led by your company PR representative. Watch, learn and ask questions at every chance you get. You must understand and accept your own weaknesses to have success with this criteria.
- Network. Hold a business discussion with a person outside of your organization at least once per week. This could be as simple as attending a reception, posting a message on a business network, or scheduling lunch with a counterpart at a competing organization. This is a great way to share and understand how challenges in your industry are being met by others.
If at the end of six (6) months, you are still struggling to meet the minimum expectations of your position and these criteria seem far-fetched, I urge you to seek some direct feedback on your performance and skill set from your peers and boss. Let them know that you are seeking constructive criticism and be sure to take notes. Keep open-minded to all comments and compare them against some of your recent results. Reapply yourself for another six (6) month period. If it so happens that you are in the wrong job, your circle of influence will naturally help you land in the position that is right for you.
As always, I encourage and recommend your feedback. Please post comments on this blog or email me directly at Ryan.Roche@FinishLineMedicalBilling.com.
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