Frances Horibe's

Confronting a Suggestion Stealer In the last post, you developed a game for pre-kindergarten. Wesley, who is senior to you but not your boss, had been very helpful in brainstorming solutions to problems. But when both of you were asked to present the suggestion to management, Wesley took all the airtime, making you look like a hanger-on. After the meeting, you are steaming at the dirty trick. You’re gonna get him on it. The letting-off-steam approach You: Why did you do it? Wesley: Hey, Nick, they liked the idea! You: Yeah, with you hogging all the credit. Wesley: What? I was showing the product in the best light. You: And where do you get off giving it a name? Wesley: It just came to me. But good, no? You: That’s not the point. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Wesley: What are you talking about? I saved your ass when you clammed up. You: I didn’t—you didn’t let me have any air time. Wesley: Let you? I wasn’t stopping you—I was covering for you. You: And took all the credit. Wesley: Oh, grow up, Nick. I’m not your babysitter—if you want air time, you gotta take it. You: So…

My Colleague is Grabbing the Glory for My Work Note: some got an error message on this post so here it is again. You are looking forward to getting some glory for a new, and even innovative, product you’re developed for your employer, a very large children’s toy manufacturer. It fills a niche for pre-kindergarten in your company’s line. The game doesn’t require as much manual dexterity as those for older children but is more challenging mentally then the regular pre-kindergarten stuff. This could be a great selling feature. You’ve put a lot of sweat equity into this and felt that there has been real team work with Wesley, a more senior designer. He is not your supervisor but he’s been a big help, throwing around ideas. You two are ready to present the prototype to your management. The presentation meeting Manager: So Wesley and Nick want to give us an update on the smart pre-kindergarten game. Who’s gonna start? You and Wesley look at each other. Before You can say anything: Wesley: Why don’t I? I’m really happy with the progress on what I’m thinking of calling the Baby Einstein game. This is news to you! Manager: Hey, I…

The Talkative -Silent Sweet Spot In the previous posts, I’ve discussed how introverts and extroverts can operate successfully in a work environment. But I think that the most successful people find the talkative -introverted sweet spot. That is, they can call on either set of skills as the situation warrants. So, I’m doing one final example of a meeting. If you tend to extroversion, you should pay most attention to the left-hand column for tips on being effective. The introverts have a similar column on the right. Starting the Talkative –Extroverted conversation right Extroverted Philippa People Dialog Introverted Andrew Prep for meeting: Remember to: · Ask opinions of others · Confirm agreement to solution · Build on suggestions Topic of Meeting: How to coordinate use of 3D printer given recent complaints from both Philippa’s and Andrew’s units Prep for meeting: · Prepare argument · Practice delivery · Identify possible objections You’ve signaled you want to work cooperatively. Philippa: I’ve got an idea of how this might work. Mind if I start things off? Andrew: Sure, but I have a proposal, too. You created a space to come back to your idea. You’re asking for feedback rather than assuming agreement. Philippa:…

Self-confidence Done Right In the previous post, your self-confidence blind-sided you when trying to solve a problem with your colleagues. You thought you had a solution but nobody would implement. What went wrong? Well, there were a couple of things: You assumed leadership: Normally, it’s a good thing to have someone in the group who wants to take ownership of the problem and come up with a solution. But because you are all peers, your automatic assumption that you were the leader (implied: the boss) was unwarranted. Didn’t ask others’ opinions: With Ken’s objections (church commitments and babysitting), you handled them on their face value—that is, problems to be solved on the way to your solution. You didn’t consider whether his objections possibly reflected a more general feeling of discomfort with your proposed approach. You didn’t check for level of support for your idea: I think it is evident that at least some in the group didn’t buy your idea because they refused to implement it. If you’d surfaced these objections in the meeting, things might have gone better. Self-confidence done right Let’s replay the meeting from the last post to get a better outcome. You: So, guys, I’ve been…

When Being Outgoing Can Do You In As I have discussed previously, extroverts rule the roost in most work places. They earn more, get more promotions, and are generally more valued than introverts because of their willingness to lead and sometimes even their charisma. So, if you’re outgoing, you’ve got it made at work. Or so you might think. But before we get going, let’s agree on our terms. What is an extrovert? It is generally agreed that the definition of an extrovert is related to the source of his/her energy. Introverts get their energy from being alone; extroverts from being with people. A person who is outgoing tends to: Which confers advantages at work because: Like talking You’re more likely to keep everybody in the loop Enjoy being at the center of attention You’re more likely to take on leadership roles Act first before thinking You can be great in a crisis Enjoy group work You thrive in and are committed to team endeavors So, all to the good, right? And generally that is the case. However, extroversion can come with its own set of pitfalls. When being outgoing can get you into trouble Here’s an example of when…