Free Article By Paul Glen of C2
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What Not to Do in the New Year
(This article originally appeared in
Computerworld USA)
Those of you who are regular readers of
this column probably already know that I’m not a big fan of New Year’s
resolutions. They set people up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations
that only lead to disappointment and depression. But I am an advocate of
managerial reflection, of taking a little time on a regular basis to think
carefully about your role and how you fill it.
So this year, I’d like to suggest a different approach to your New Year’s
reflection. Instead of thinking about all the goals you want to achieve and
things you want to do over the next year, spend a little time thinking about the
things that you want to quit doing.
I’ve noticed that what holds many people back is not what they are failing to do
but what they are doing. Sometimes we find success not by doing something new so
much as by ceasing to do what blocks it.
Here are a few common things that I suggest people quit doing:
Stop judging your current performance by past standards. Most managers got to be
managers by being successful producers. We all start out as individual
contributors, and those who eventually become managers are those with a good
track record of individual contributions. So experience teaches us to measure
ourselves, our value, our self-worth, by how much we produce. And as long as we
are individual contributors, this continues to serve us well. But once we become
managers, we are no longer measured based on the product of our own hands. We
are measured based on how much we help others produce.
I’m often startled by the number of managers who, even after years in leadership
roles, still cling to their old ways of measuring themselves. It’s not an easy
transition to make, but measuring yourself by outdated standards is a setup for
failure.
Stop conflating what’s comfortable with what’s best. Everyone has a comfort zone
— those things we like to do that we find fulfilling and that don’t cause undue
stress or anxiety. I would hazard a guess that most of us have had a boss at
some time or another who seemed unable or unwilling to do things that fell
outside of his comfort zone. Think about how frustrating it was to try to get
him to make a decision he was uncomfortable with or to confront a user who
intimidated him. Usually, in my experience, that boss would come up with all
sorts of reasons why doing what needed to be done was a bad idea. But they
always struck me as phony justifications for remaining in his comfort zone.
So, what’s your comfort zone? Have you been sticking to it and finding reasons
why what’s comfortable for you is what’s best for everyone?
Stop following routine blindly. Although most leadership literature seems to
focus on great change, great events or heroic efforts, it seems to me that
everyday life for most managers is more mundane and routine. The drumbeat of
everyday life goes on. We attend our status meetings. We read our reports. We
write summaries and updates for our customers and bosses. But which of these are
truly value- added activities? Which of these could be jettisoned without the
organization grinding to a halt or anyone even noticing?
It’s worth doing a spring cleaning of your schedule to be sure you’re focusing
your energy on what will have the best effect on the organization, on your group
and on your own career.
So before you decide what you are going to do next year, give a little thought
to what you’re not going to do.
© Copyright 2008 by Computerworld Inc., One Speen Street, Framingham, MA, 01701. Reprinted by permission of
Computerworld. All Rights Reserved.
