You know how we all joke about talking about something and having it show up as an ad on our phones? It’s creepy how it feels like we’re being watched. (Just kidding, you’re great Mr. Zuckerburg and Mr. Bezos!)
Anyway, I had that feeling with email today. Two articles hit my inbox that are replies to conversations I’m having with several clients.
I suspect they apply to your company too.
Meetings have become such a dirty word that Patrick Lencioni wrote a book entitled “Death by Meeting.” “It could have been an email!” we cry. And during the pandemic, we often found out we were right.
Jean Georges Vibert: “The Reprimand”
Coaching is a newer topic–but hasn’t fared much better. In lots of companies, “coaching session” is code word for “getting a lecture from the boss.”
McKinsey & Co. assert there is a better way for both. Two good articles for you:
- “If we’re so busy, why isn’t anything getting done?” asserts that we need to categorize our opportunities to collaborate into three areas, each requiring a different approach.
- “For smarter decisions, empower your employees” argues that managers are exhausting themselves by constant involvement in decision-making–and some upfront work on coaching can help change that.
I will emphasize that both articles involve investing in a new way of doing things upfront.
But it’s better than the merry-go-round. As one of my mentors told me, “Pay now or pay later.” For the manager, “pay later” means burnout or the organization coming off the rails.
Contact me if I can help.