Doesn't it amaze you that ...

• rainbows exist?
• we can create human life?
  
• we can fly?
• we can travel across the world?
• there are pyramids?
• we can go spelunking?
• animals can learn and communicate?
• the sun can shine while it snows?
• we can do anything we want to?
  

Do you ever wonder ....

what's the point?

why people don't follow their hearts and go for their dreams?

if this is it?

why some people fear success?

why people sabotage their world or their themselves?

why some people are their own worst enemy?

why security is appreciated or desired more than happiness?

why people turn a blind eye or deaf ear to the truth?

why people don't question more?

why people don't say thank you more often?

why people don't say more by saying less?

why we have to label and put people into boxes or categories?

how we live through each day?

how wonderful it is to be able to ponder, wonder and reflect? 

With the dearth of research, leadership books, conferences, training programs, articles and blogs dedicated to this topic, it astounds me that there are still bad managers in people-manager positions or members of senior leadership.  Just astounds me.

My belief, heart and soul belongs to whoever I work with and who works with me.  I am a true servant leader to the core and felt like Robert Greenleaf's book was my salvation.  My style of leading is recognized, is valued, and has value in the workplace.  Believe me, there have been many a boss who thought my style was frivolous, foolhardy, too lighthearted and fluffy; despite my team's results, successes and productivity.

What I do not understand is how some managers get into a position in which they are responsible for the growth and development of people who clearly have NO people skills.  This is extremely detrimental to each team member's career, but is also a loss for the organization.  These team members become more disengaged, distrustful, demoralized, demotivated and disgruntled.  This greatly reduces creativity, morale, effectiveness, concentration and focus.

Why? Why? Why don't executives see the extensive cost of a bad manager and take action? This question has plagued me in every organization I have worked or been a part.  How can you tell if you are in the presence of a bad manager, or might be one yourself?  

• Address the masses, never the individual
• Email negative news
• Yell in a meeting and 'dress down' others in public
• Send an invitation at the end of the week for a meeting the following Monday at 8am, with no description of why.  Just hand them the pink slip now instead of ruining their weekend with worry and fear.
• Having a team meeting late in the day on Friday in which the manager berates the team for bad outcomes, unsuccessful goal attainment, etc.
• Manage via their desk, blackberry, email or voice mail
• Provide feedback rarely if at all
• Figuratively smack a team member's hand for doing something you don't want them to, but you never shared your expectations so they had no way of knowing
• If you share feedback with a team member, you add "oh we all do it" afterwards, leading your team member to wonder if this is an issue of concern or not
• Your team seems actually disappointed when you show up for work on a day you had planned to be out.  In fact, they are disappointed and count any day you're not in as a vacation. A vacation from fear, ambiguity, confusion, frustration, and workplace depression.

Does this describe someone you work for? Or know? Does this describe you?  This condition can be altered. We all don't have to live like this.   Contact me and I will tell you how! Anissa

I was zooming around the Amazon.com site the other day, as this site is the closest thing to being like a kid in the candy store to me!  I came across the title of a book called Get Weird by John Putzier.  Now, for someone like me, this caught my eye immediately and stopped me in my tracks.  The basic premise is to embrace your inner child and let the oddity of you come out at work to create a more fun and engaging place to be.

For me, this is a very natural idea.  I just facilitated a week-long new hire training and orientation class at LinkedIn.com, my day job (and what a fun day job it is!!).  The entire week is filled with me being one big dork, injecting humor, fun, and silliness throughout the week and ensuring the new recruits get to know everyone in the company and not just how to do their jobs.  

How do you inject yourself into your work environment?  I would love to hear how you do it instead of reading how Mr. Putzier believes we should do it.  Anissa