Managing in an Era of Uncertainty - Part III

What do you need to do to manage yourself in this era of uncertainty? Ask yourself some hard questions:

WHO ARE YOU?
1. Get in touch with your uniqueness: If you've always wondered where you fit in, not quite fitting in with the crowd may turn out to be your special niche. 2. Examine your priorities: Once you clarify what matters most to you, make sure those things come first in every decision you make. 3. Grow: Whenever we try to exceed our current level of ability or experience, we move out of our comfort zone. Embrace the unknown, work through mistakes, and tolerate pain.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?
1. Start every endeavor with clear goals: What are the tangible results you should be holding in your hands when you are done? 2. Hold yourself to strict deadlines: Long-term deadlines are only wishes. The real trick is to use short-term deadlines to measure progress every step of the way. 3. Take action and keep moving forward: Break down larger goals into small components--concrete actions--and tackle one concrete action at a time. 4. Use your time wisely: There are 168 hours in a week, 1,440 minutes in a day. Are you keeping track of your time and using it with purpose? 5. Fail, fail, fail, but never give up: Let's say you have a 1% chance of success. All that means is that you have to fail 99 times for every 1 time you succeed. So you'd better hurry up and start failing.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE?
1. Be high quality: Always hold yourself the highest standard attainable (99 percent) and then go for it: Speak, write, create, and do. Don't be paralyzed by the myth of perfection. 2. Be full of integrity: No matter what, don't get involved in unethical dealings. But remember, the hard part is breaking your back to deliver when people are counting on you; helping others, even when nobody is there to give you credit; intervening when others are being treated unfairly; and speaking out for unpopular causes you believe in. 3. Be adaptable: Be ready to go, on any given day, from one boss to another; from one team to another; from one organization to another; from one set of tasks to another.

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN EACH SITUATION?
1. Learn to evaluate context: What is the nature of the relationships between and among the other people involved? What are the factors defining these relationships? 2. Now figure out where you fit in this picture: Why are you here? What is at stake for you? When did you get here? What is your role in relation to the other people? What is your role in relation to the mission of the group? 3. Play your role well before you try to build on it: What expectations and hopes are reasonable for you here and now? What expressions and actions are reasonable for you here and now? Be patient, and the best ways to build on your role will become apparent over time.  

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Managing in an Era of Uncertainty

One of Bruce Tulgan's latest presentations, Managing in an Era of Uncertainty, offers management solutions based on seven years of research inside dozens of world-class organizations. For more information, please contact Mark Kurber via phone (203.772.2002 x110) or email.