June 2007             
Wisdom @ Work gives managers little management tips that make a big difference. (Skip to the first tip)

Let's get expectations clear right up front. You can expect Wisdom @ Work in your mailbox first thing, on the 1st Tuesday of every month.

Why first thing? Because there's nothing better than getting off to a strong start. Why Tuesday? Because Monday morning makes for a tough crowd. Why monthly? Because that's what you asked for.
 
If you have questions you want answered, let me know. If you have success stories to share, send them my way.

Hey, you know my philosophy, "If you feel it, say it!"

Chris  

Each month I'll share a question that made me stop and think. You might want to pause for a moment on this too, or write it on a white board and share it with your staff. 

Each month you can look here for tips to manage your people. 

3 Magic Words: 
"I Don't Know"  

Picture this, a direct report approaches you with a question. You scroll through your mental rollodex and shock, horror, you don't know the answer.

Some managers knee jerk an answer, any answer. You are actually in a better position to manage your people if you just say, "I don't know."

How it helps you to say, “I don’t know.”

• You build your credibility. By answering honestly, people know they can trust you.
• You give your direct reports the opportunity to self-discover.
• You create an opportunity to dig deeper and get at what is behind the question.

Why we don’t say “I don’t know”

• It makes me look / feel dumb.
• People will say, “Then why are you the boss?"
• I’m supposed to have all the answers.
  

Reality check

• Do you know everything?
• Could you possibly know everything?
• Have you ever had a manager who thought they knew everything? (pause to picture that manager)

Let me be clear, this is not about playing games with your staff. This is about a mindset that says:

I don’t know everything and I don’t have to know everything.  When I say, “I don’t know” I'm being real and I'm creating opportunities for me, and for those around me, to learn.

If you dodge questions, or make up answers, you put yourself on a very precarious ledge. A little shift in thinking can put you on a much stronger footing and people notice when you stand in a place of strength.       back up to top

Who Is This Guy? 

Chris Obst is a: 

• Management Coach
• Principal of Core Dynamics Group
• Human Performance Institute Canada Assocciate
• Husband and Father of 2 great kids!
  

Still asking "Who is this guy?" Call me  604.209.4988
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If You Feel It Say It 

I discovered new "management muscles".

Chris is an amazing coach with enviable communication skills.

It has been enlightening to realize I don't have to be perfect to be a successful manager!

Suzy Williamson
Production Manager
Canada Wide Media Limited

  Have you got a success story to share?
Send it to me

To learn how management coaching can help your business click here

Each month you can look here for tips to manage your energy.

Movement is one of the most powerful stimulators of energy production available to the body.

So get out of your chair. Walk down the hall. Raise your arms above your head. These simple movements create a cascade of physiological and chemical changes that really will boost your energy!

Targets you can achieve:

1. Every 30 - 40 minutes stretch your muscles or do some small movements like opening and closing your hands.
 
2. Every 90 to 120 minutes, incorporate larger movement. Walk up and down a flight of stairs, or find something you can do in your office to activate your major muscles.

Remember: the busier you are, the more stress you feel, the more important it is to move through it.

There's no one holding you down!      back up to top

 

Tools for the Tool Kit 

Recommended Reading
In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore

Core Dynamics Group Workshops  
 

  Words of Wisdom

In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. After all, if we do the wrong thing, at least we can learn.

    Theodore Roosevelt