The Manager - 104 - Learning to truly see
THE MANAGER - BY ROB LAMBERT
Hi,
I hope you are safe and well.
It’s the last week of the boys off school. Next week I will be sad to see them back after 5 months of being at home with them. Equally, I will actually be able to get some work done!
This week I’ve been mostly thinking about truly “seeing” the world around us.
Most of the success I’ve enjoyed in my career has been from being able to see things other cannot.
This comes from observing and studying what is really around us. It’s a skill we can all learn to do. Like anything else though, it needs practicing.
By truly seeing what is right around us, we can spot plenty of ways to make things better.
It’s why I never reached for off-the-shelf frameworks or ways of working. When I took time to study, watch and observe, I quickly realised my problems were unique to the business I was in – so no off the shelf framework could help.
When I spent time watching and studying the people who used our products, I could bring this insight back to the team to make the product better.
When I took time to study our work and how it flowed, I was able to see areas to make it better.
Quietly looking at our world, for a long time, and trying to understand and see what others cannot, is a brilliant skill for managers.
The best photographers see things other have not. The best artists, musicians and writers bring our attention to that which we may never have seen before. They tell their stories in ways we may not have heard or seen before.
And the same is true in business.
The best managers don’t fill their days with endless tasks and back-to-back meetings. They take time to watch their world. Time to see their team working and interacting. Time to look at problems longer than many may think is necessary. They spend time studying the work.
They study themselves and they study other people – they build this time into their lives and calendars.
Truly great managers not only see the world differently to others, but they also teach and encourage their team to do the same. When the whole team is truly “seeing” what is in front of them, they have a brilliant opportunity to make it better.
It’s not enough to just get on and do work. I encourage you to slow down and see first. And when you have seen what is really happening – then move quickly and follow process. Deliver.
How to see:
Slow down
Have dedicated time to just watch, study and learn
Have a focus in mind (Today I am going to study how people interact at work, or how work moves from this team to that)
Focus and close out everything else
Try to hold judgement, just look and write down what you actually see (good, bad or indifferent)
Don’t rush – truly see
Be as present as you can
Take time to reflect and analyse what you have seen
Do you need to change anything?
We can do this at work, but of course, we can do this in our home lives too.
I like photography and video making. I also like writing. But I also like sitting and being present with my kids – they teach me more about life than any book ever could.
And with that I encourage you to slow down and watch. Truly see what is happening – and then take action.
Not only is this approach a powerful way to make changes others may never have seen, but it is also a more calming and peaceful way to make sense of the busy and frustrating world we often occupy.
Until next time.
Rob..
FOOD FOR YOUR MANAGEMENT BRAIN
1. How to see and re-invent the second part of your career - https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-to-reimagine-the-second-half-of-your-career
2. Some companies clearly aren't planning to go back to a full office - Pinterest pays to get out of its lease - https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Pinterest-terminate-SF-office-lease-88-Bluxome-15525421.php
3. How to support people in their career growth - who don't want to become a manager - https://lattice.com/library/how-to-support-individual-contributors-who-dont-want-to-be-managers
4. Practicing self care as a freelancer - some useful stuff for everyone in this one - https://mailchimp.com/resources/practicing-self-care-as-a-freelancer/
5. Declutter your mind and focus on who you want to become with Bright Lines - interesting idea - https://medium.com/@rakaelle1/a-simple-strategy-all-expert-agrees-on-to-effectively-declutter-your-mind-f0fce620fde7
6. Seth Godin on systemic problems - https://seths.blog/2020/08/systemic-problems/
7. Uncertainty can cause stress - https://time.com/4274201/uncertainty-stress/
8. I work in tech companies, but thankfully, I am able to often choose who I work for - it seems full time employees are also revolting against immoral contracts - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/26/tech-government-contracts-worker-revolt-microsoft-amazon-google
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Thanks
Rob..