4 Things All Remarkable Managers Learn to Notice
The skill of noticing moves you from a victim of circumstances to focused and directed.
You walk past people without noticing them. You’re so lost in your head you don’t remember walking to your meeting.
Not noticing is one reason you go home from work unfulfilled and frustrated.
The skill of noticing:
#1. Notice yourself:
- How do you feel about your team members? (Worried, frustrated, encouraged, intimidated, appreciative?)
- What drains you?
- What lights you up?
- When are you at your best? Morning, afternoon, or evening?
#2. Notice others:
- What’s their story? Every leader needs to know the formative stories of the people on their team.
- How did they happen to choose their career?
- What aspirations drive them?
- What do they love about work? Hate?
- When are they at their best? (Time of day?)
#3. Notice impact:
- How does the way you feel about an employee subtly impact your relationship with them?
- What shifts for others when you walk in?
- How do people feel when you show up?
- How do people feel after spending time with you?
#4. Notice environments:
- What does your office feel like? How do you want it to feel? How will you create the environment you desire? What will you stop doing that’s blocking the environment you desire?
- What’s working? Bird-dogging problems all day makes you an ugly person.
Tip: Spend part of your day asking, “What’s working?”
How to use noticing:
Do deep work between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. if that’s when you’re at your best.
Address nagging frustrations. Don’t live with them.
When someone lights up, ask, “What’s going on for you? How can you do more of that?”
Which aspect of noticing is most important for you today?
What might you add to the above lists?
Notice the gap between what people say and do.
Also, notice what people aren’t saying or doing.
Thanks Paul. It’s useful to root out “smoke-blowers,” the people who love talking about things they’re going to do, but don’t actually do it.
Drucker agrees with you on hearing what isn’t said. “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”
Hear intent, assumptions, and non-verbals.
Dan–regarding the say-do gap. One of my students told me that every time she goes to the gym, there is this one guy who is always telling whoever will listen what exercises he is going to do. She said that she has never seen him do any exercise.
Maybe he thinks talking is exercising!
Love it, Paul. Perfect illustration of what I was talking about.
I’ve also noticed that “talkers” also are great at getting other people to do their work for them.
…except for working out. Can’t delegate that one–unfortunately.
On board with Paul!
Don’t say if your not going to do! Paying attention to what others need to be doing and concentrating on end results is what managers need to do, “not micro managing”, yet setting a clear path to the finish line with everyone being on board.
Learn to be clear and concise, leaving no stones unturned!
Understanding everyone has a different or same reason for being there, “mostly for survival” we all need to eat!
Life expectation changes daily circumstance we control and those we don’t, understand what we have control over outweighs what we don’t! We have to learn to change course! It’s the path we walk and how we chose to walk it!
Thanks Tim. I think one difference between successful managers and those who struggle is a focus on things within our control.
Focusing on things outside our control creates frustration, helplessness, and blame.
Absolutely Dan,
If we don’t control it we don’t on it, although in some peoples eyes they think we do! Grant me the strength to controls the things I can!
Tim, I think you have a lot more to share on this subject!!
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” ~ John Wooden
A visual reminder in front of my eyeballs every day – for myself, and for those I lead.
Thanks HThom. Yes! Yes! It’s too easy to fall into busyness and forget to actually think about what’s important and what we’re trying to achieve.
Guess I’ve got to do more with noticing people. Especially knowing their background stories and why they decided to do what they’re currently doing.
Dan, This is an excellent post and a message not talked about. “Noticing”. We spend so much time as leaders rushing from one fire to the next! I tell everyone I coach to “stop..take deep breaths, because we don’t “notice” that we aren’t even breathing well.
I might add: Notice how you feel about an employee and what impact does your feelings (goo or bad) have on the team dynamics?