No one does it alone

Here’s a great post by Phil Gerbyshak about seeking feedback to be more effective in how you deal with people at work. I particularly like the emphasis on asking direct reports these questions — that can be a vulnerable thing for a manager, but trust me, it’s so much easier to manage people well when you don’t have to read their minds. I also like the specificity of asking “What is one thing I need to know about working with you?” The answer to that question might open a door to a much more effective relationship. Ask it with a smile, be open to the answer, and then use the information — and watch how much richer your interactions become.

Phil posted this article as a guest-blogger on Terry Seamon’s blog (and I’m looking forward to guest-blogging for Terry later this month as part of his series “Leading in the Crisis”).

And there’s a great example of the importance of relationship to business success. Terry and Phil have connected and made the choice to support each other — and in doing so, they’re also making their own work more effective, and opening doors to new relationships as visitors flow back and forth through their blogs. Old-school values tell us to “protect” our resources — our audience, our clients, our secret techniques for making managers better. But most of us don’t go that school anymore because we realize that success comes through sharing and supporting others. That way, we all get stronger.

Have you heard the saying, “Hell is other people”? Well, I think success is other people. That’s certainly where our success as managers begins.

You’ll find more of my ideas about work relationships in the Humans At Work Session 1 curriculum.

You’ll find lots of great ideas, tips and tools for managing at Phil Gerbyshak’s blog Slacker Manager, and a wealth of inspiration and conversation about leadership, courage and spirit at Terry’s blog Here We Are. Now What? I highly recommend both.