Most managers know that it’s important to schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. But if you are one of those direct reports, do YOU know how important those meetings are?

It would help if you did, because no meeting is more abused than this one. It’s rarely planned and it’s the first thing to be rescheduled when things get tight, which is pretty much always. As a result, they are largely ineffective.

It’s time to fix that, and there’s no need to wait for the boss to do it.

Show initiative by coming to the meetings prepared with concise bullets outlining your current projects and where they stand, as well as a small number of questions that are appropriate for this setting. End each meeting by asking if there’s anything you should be doing differently, or any way to improve communication.

Here’s a news flash: This meeting is not mostly about the work. It’s about establishing and maintaining a trusting, effective relationship between supervisor and employee. And there’s no end to the benefits that flow from that.

Perfection is a beautiful idea. So is Santa Claus – but that doesn’t mean you’ll get presents under the tree just by being good.

Likewise, if you set your mind on perfection and decide to accept nothing less, you’re in for a long, hard fall. And the very things you’re hoping to achieve will fall with you.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s a very good thing to set the bar high, to push yourself and others to do more than they ever thought possible. But part of the package when you’re dealing with human beings instead of robots is knowing for a FACT that mistakes will happen on the way to your goals.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of the human package. So if you’re a manager, how do you deal with employee mistakes when they happen? (more…)

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. – Ken Blanchard

Feedback is one of the most indispensible tools for success. We ought to welcome it as hungrily as our morning meal. But some people attach who they are to what they do so tightly that when they hear suggestions about how they can improve, it feels like a personal attack. That’s a matter of weak self-esteem, something we all struggle with to some degree.

If you are offering feedback to someone else, be absolutely sure your input is respectful and not accusatory and hurtful. The best way to do that is by checking your language to make sure you were making requests about actions, not criticizing the character of the person. (more…)