Catch me doing something right.

A friend recently started a new job and in the first week had been given an informal induction by an assortment of his new colleagues. There was no formal local induction into the role although there was a corporate process which luckily he had managed to catch a few months before as part of a part time role he held. As a mature individual (yes over 50!) he was keen to settle into this new post quickly so that he could add value to the organisation and begin to enjoy making a difference. It came as a bit of a surprise then that the most valuable bits of information that came his way all came to him via informal discussions or as a result of his own questioning.
One of the most interesting things that emerged from the informal induction was that the unit manager had a very strict dress code but he had never actually passed this piece of information on. My friend ‘discovered’ this information after witnessing the manager telling another colleague not to return to the unit wearing the clothes he had turned up in. It was an embarrassing moment for all concerned and one that could so easily have been avoided by simply telling people what was acceptable to wear and what was not.
The incident raises more troubling issue – what other information has not been passed on to employees? This lack of communication sends critical messages to employees that managers prefer to catch people doing things wrong, rather than the more nurturing and supportive approach of catching people doing things right! Praise and recognition in the workplace is an essential component to good management and goes a long way to make up for any other employment deficiencies that we may face.
I think it is time that as managers of people we all look harder to find people doing things right and giving praise where it is due.

Andy Murray - a new approach?

I, like many others, watched with expectation the Andy Murray tennis match hoping that this time he would pull off the win and slam result it appears everyone is waiting for. So the disappointment that was felt by the crowd could surely only be topped by Andy’s own response. For me the match seemed dogged by a negative vibe that spoke louder than any words ever could. The question that pops into my head is why doesn’t Andy have the tools at his disposal to counter the obvious pressures he faces and rebalance his thinking towards a more proactive and positive result?
Thinking about the way we manage our day to day stresses and how people in the public eye have to deal with the additional issues of media and public expectations it is understandable difficult to always be positive and upbeat. The physical demands of a long tennis match only add to the complexities, however, others manage to deal with all of these issues. Andy needs a new approach; he needs to break the cycle of negative thinking before it grips him – that might be before he even appears on court.
No amount of positive thinking will ultimately make things happen that are not meant to be so my tips for Andy in helping him move forward are of course to stay positive but also to try the following:
• Live in the moment – each moment is precious so use it well
• Make positive choices – don’t let one mistake put you off your stride, keep going and keep moving forward
• Smile – it’s a much under used and under estimate tool and is more powerful than you might imagine
• Relax – easy to say I know but laughing at yourself and keeping upbeat changes you physically and mentally, so have fun!
I for one would be happy to help to see Andy fulfil his dream and that of so many others.