Archive for April, 2008

“It’s estimated that out of every 11,000 signals we receive from our senses, our brain only consciously processes 40.”[1] In short, we are creatures of habit. A habit can be defined as any action we have performed so often, that we now do it without thinking, and may not even realize we are doing it. Certain habits can be seen as undesirable however, and some of us are unaware of the signals we send through our habits.

Often, we think things like nail biting or never changing the toilet paper roll shouldn’t really bother anyone else. To us, they are merely an extension of who we are and we aren’t even aware we’re doing them. In the eyes of others however, our habits may stick out like a sore thumb. There’s a pretty good chance that our significant other, family member or friend will eventually point out our irritating customs.

Bad habits that go uncriticized can be detrimental to us, especially in the workplace. Smoking, swearing, bad grammar, excuse making, procrastination, complaining, arrogance, and being overly authoritarian can be undesirable responses to common, everyday circumstances. When we spend one third of our day working, those kinds of bad habits are bound to be unveiled to our coworkers. Worst case, they can cause derision, provoke your employees to find other work or cost you that much anticipated promotion.

While some of our behaviors may seem less harmful, they can be conceived in a bad light and create a false portrait of us to our coworkers. Folding of the arms when meeting with peers might give an impression of insecurity. Talking about personal issues with a new client may instill an air of unprofessionalism. Never leaving the tip at lunch meetings may give prospective customers an uneasy feeling about that lack of concern for the little guy. Consistently answering a cell phone in the middle of conversations or even spitting while talking can cause important people to avoid future encounters. Don’t become the person that people whisper about when you leave the room. People may not always have the nerve to tell you something to your face, so take this opportunity to analyze yourself, and see if a change needs to be made. Be honest as you consider, “Do I belong in any of these categories?”

Not Listening – The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

Failing to Give Proper Recognition – The inability to praise and reward.

Negativity - That person that needs to share his negative thoughts, without invitation.

You can find a more in-depth list of bad habits that can hold you back at http://www.businessweek.com/playbook/06/1228_1.htm.

Many of us attempt to break bad habits with little success. Often we go headlong into the fight and at the first sign of failure, we get discouraged and quit (another bad habit). Conquering those shortcomings seems a monumental task, and sad to say, there’s no magic cure for learned behaviors – just hard work. One overarching rule that I have found to be true: bad habits absolutely must be replaced with good ones. We can’t just slice out a neat little piece of ourselves and call it a day, because that incision leaves a gap that needs to be filled.

Fortunately, there is help. Find a few friends or coworkers who share your problem or at least would love to see you conquer yours. Hash out ways to avoid situations that prompt your bad habit and some substitute behaviors. Get on the internet and take a course. Don’t expect things to change overnight. You’re going to slip up sometimes, so forgive yourself if you fail and move forward. Remember that it took you a good long time to form that behavior, so give yourself some time to unform it. Mark Twain said, “Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

Examine your own behaviors, and pay attention to the subtle hints from those around you – maybe someone’s trying to tell you something!

In the words of the great philosopher, Aristotle,

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

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[1] Tips for Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits, by Scott Young

You’ve all heard the story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Delegating. Seems like it should be freeing, right? Giving all of those tedious and mundane tasks to someone else to do – things that could surely done by anyone who’s not as busy as you are right now. You’ve got deadlines to meet, clients to please and for-goodness-sake, a life outside of work! But. It’s. So. Painful. Not only will you have to choose a perfect assistant, you’ll actually have to drop the reigns and let them take over! Is it time to unclench your grip?

Here’s a neat test I found to help you decide. Answer yes or no:

1. Do you allow your team members to make mistakes?

2. Do you frequently take work home or work late at the office?

3. Does your team function smoothly when you are absent?

4. Do you over-rule or reverse decisions made by team members?

5. If you were incapacitated for 6 months, could a team member take over smoothly?

6. Do you do some things your team members could be doing?

7. Do your team members take initiative without input from you?

8. When you return from a trip or training, is there a big pile in your in-box?

9. Do your team members delegate to their teams (if applicable)?

10. Do you spend time on details that you would rather spend on planning and supervision?

To determine whether delegation may be able to help you, give yourself one point for each answer of “Yes” on the even-numbered questions (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10), and one point for each answer of “No” on the odd-numbered questions (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9). The higher your score, the more likely you are to need to use delegation more than you are now. Any score higher than 5 indicates some need for additional delegation of tasks.[1]

I like the use of the term “team” above. Your team is just that. Imagine a game where you are playing all the positions yourself. Could you win? Possibly – but more likely, you would run out of time, get burned out or just flat out fail. We need to be able to pass the ball. We also need to be aware of who it’s best to pass it to – each team member has his own set of skills. At times, duties may even be best handled outside the office. One time-consuming task that has made its way to the top of every web owner’s to-do list these days is a weekly blog or newsletter. Did you know that you can hire someone to write your blogs for you? Here are some professional ghostwriters who can keep your blog up to date or create a newsletter:

http://www.mccordweb.com

http://www.thenewslettercompany.com/

http://www.getitinwriting.biz/e-newsletters.htm

Initially, outsourcing may seem like an unnecessary expense (after all, you could do it yourself!), but not if it can free you up to focus on more profitable projects.

The above test is a good self-examination for the workplace, but what about at home? New team, different game! No matter what arena of life we play in – as a boss, parent, homemaker – we think nobody can do it as good as we can. But, just as we delegate in business, we can also delegate in our homes. Sometimes we just overlook the fact that we can! Ask your spouse to share the yard or housework with you. Have the kids to take over getting the mail, walking the dog or emptying the dishwasher. Pay bills online. Get a nanny. Have the house professionally cleaned once a month. Order out.
Theodore Roosevelt himself said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Eighty years later, Ronald Reagan said the same thing: “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere.” Now, maybe Ron just adopted that notion from Teddy, but might I suggest that great minds think alike! And if the President of the United States can feel secure enough to let some of his team handle a few things, shouldn’t we?

For more seriously in-depth info on delegating, see this article: http://www.lawsoncg.com/lcgi-article_delegate.htm

[1] http://sa-health.wikidot.com/how-to-delegate

There are a variety of thoughts on To-Do lists.
I’m addicted – I love them – I love the satisfaction of checking them off and of looking at them at the end of the day and seeing how much I accomplished. The satisfaction of a day well spent. But that is just me.

Some people, my sister for example, hate them – it is to them a nagging reminder listing all their failures taunting them throughout the day.

To-Do lists serve as reminders for us feeble minded souls who can’t remember 10 things, never mind 50. They allow you to choose smaller things when time is short and to bully you into the larger things that seem overwhelming. They free up your brain to focus on one thing at a time without worrying about forgetting all the rest. However, they may not be all good. The simple act of putting something on the list can create a sense of urgency where this is none. A long list can become overwhelming and a sense of failure may accompany it if not enough items are checked off. It can even (contrary to one’s first thought) become a time waster if it becomes a focus (for example – for a period of my life I would rewrite my list each time I crossed something off so it looked neater!)

A friend once told me her therapist suggested she have no more than 5 things on her To-Do list so that she not become overwhelmed. This would not work for me. If I was only juggling 5 things, I would not need to write them down!

Nowadays you have a host of online To-Do lists available including Ta-Da, Bla-Bla, Tu-do, and Remember the Milk to bring the paper To-Do list into the new century. There is even a book about To-Do lists that shares the To-Do lists of famous people and the stories behind them. Ever wonder what your To-Do list says about you? You can find out at the authors website www.sashcagen.com.

Another idea I have come across is the Not To-Do list – this one comes in handy as a parent and when trying to break some bad habits. Just writing the goal of not doing something can help reinforce your commitment to stop the behavior.

A book I read once suggested a “what I accomplished today list” – this is good for the end of the day especially when you are feeling like nothing got done – at times I have resorted to putting “got out of bed” on this list.

To-Do lists are even touted by Universities of learning. Cornell suggests to their new students that the three things that are essential for a To-Do list are:

- making a new To-Do list everyday
- prioritizing the tasks
- breaking things down into small pieces

I wonder if it’s considered cheating if I leave yesterdays accomplishments on the paper just to feel good!

(article written – one more thing off my To-Do list!)

Resources:

sashacagen.com
tadalist.com
blablalist.com
rememberthemilk.com