Supervisor Snacks

We’ve all done it!   We’ve dashed off and quickly sent an e-mail or instant message only to think of one more thing we should have said – so we quickly write that second thought and hit “send” again.   But WAIT, I should have told them this…and off goes a third message.   In the meantime, the recipient is writing a long answer to the first message, not knowing there is a correction in the second message, and more information in a third message.  They send their reply, and THEN see the additional messages, and now need to write something new.  What a waste of everyone’s time and energy. Let’s see if we can stop the crazy! Before you hit “send” on an e-mail, or “enter” on an instant message – hit REVIEW in your brain.  Go to the beginning of the message and read it as though you were receiving it. Fix the typos, fill in the words you left out.  Be sure you have complete content. More than 50% of the time you will clarify something, or realize you l...

We are living in a time where communication occurs at the speed of light. Especially now that we are all home-bound, we are letting our fingers do the talking as we text, tweet and email.   The speed of communications is great if you need information quickly, but speed kills when you respond first and ask questions later.   We are doing so much multitasking online as we keep several discussions going at the same time, that we increase our chances of mixing up conversations, being misunderstood, or worse, truly offending someone.  Slow down.  Here are six hints to keep your conversations cool.     When you can’t see facial expressions, or hear a tone of voice, it’s easy to misinterpret a message.  Read through what you have written before you press SEND.  This is especially true for the answering service industry.  Be sure your message says exactly what you want it to say.     Reading a message twice is a good idea when you a...

Mary Kay Ash once said, “There are two things people want more than sex and money - - - recognition and praise!”   And that is why her top employees drove pink Cadillac’s and were given so many accolades as salespeople.   Mary Kay Cosmetics is a legend, and an example for employers everywhere.   “That which is Rewarded is Repeated.” Rewards come in many forms.  We think of them as a trophy for being the best at something, or money, a promotion or public recognition. A parking space for a month, a name on a plaque, all are rewards that encourage good performances.  These are certainly rewards but…. Rewards don’t have to be big things!  As Mary Kay pointed out, praise is a wonderful form of recognition; it’s a small reward that resides in our head, to be cherished.  It makes us feel good!  Praise can be spur of the moment, “Gosh, you handled that beautifully!”; “I can ALWAYS count on you!”  “Your smile just makes me feel good!”  We wan...

Yoda, he of the large pointy ears, sleepy eyes, and infinite wisdom, is one of the most beloved characters ever. Star Wars fans the world over, in every language, can tell you any number of Yoda-isms that are genuinely brilliant, and deeply motivational, but none will be as pithy as the title of this article.   “Do or Do Not – There is No Try.” The moment you agree to “try” you are paving the way to defeat; you are admitting that you will probably not come through with what you are agreeing to “try”.  You will either do something, or you won’t, and it is nearly confirmed at the onset, at the word “try”, that you won’t do it. “Try” is a whiney, wimpy, weaselly word.  It can’t be mistaken for a commitment – it more suggests a lack of intention.  It’s a deflection, a way to say you won’t do something without saying the word “no”. You tell yourself you’ll “try” to be on time.  You will “try” to be more patient, you will “try” to get more exercise, you will “tr...

There are three things, we all believe, that make you a good listener.       Letting people talk without interrupting.     Using facial expressions and the occasional “Mm-hmm” to show you are engaged, and….     Repeating some of what was said; sometimes word for word. Most of us think we are good listeners, but we can do so much better.  An article posted on the Harvard Business Review Blog by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, of Zenger Folkman, suggests that there are four areas that have great importance in successful listening. After conducting a development program designed to help managers become better coaches they found many characteristics that moved people from average to outstanding listeners.  They grouped these into four main findings. Good listening is much more than being silent while the other person talks.  People perceive the best listeners to be those who periodically ask questions that promote discovery and i...

The ancient theory of thirds says that in any organization, team, business, or industry association, one-third of the people will do two-thirds of the work.   The next one-third will do the remaining work and the last one-third will do almost nothing.   If you belong to a group of any kind, think about the members and you will see that this is a pretty fair statement, and has been for thousands of years. The theory can be extrapolated to mean that the first third of the people in an organization are the leaders, the second third are the followers, and the last third barely contribute.  It is almost impossible to motivate this last third to become an active part of the group.  That’s not to say they don’t want to be a part of the organization, or that they lack interest.  Sometimes, we just need to be a passive part of a company. The people who make up those thirds ebb and flow; for a year or two (or many), one person will be in the first group and then slide...

I bought my new computer through a private dealer this time; he transferred everything from my old laptop to my new one and added some extra protection since I was concerned about the security and safety of my documents.  He warned me about changing passwords often, and not to download anything from people I didn’t know – things we’ve had drummed into us for decades now.   And then he added one reminder I hadn’t heard, “Be careful of what you click on; not all bad things come looking like an e-mail from someone you might know,” he gravely admonished.  What did that mean?   Suppose you’re browsing through Facebook and a cute video pops up alongside, showing a puppy and kitten sleeping together, or a mama duck herding her babies across the street while big trucks wait, or a pair of dancers in their 70’s grooving along to some uptown music.  Click on one of those and you might be safe – and you might be sorry.  Because one of those adorable images co...