KGWorks

Publication 13, Issue 3

I love it when my clients call me because they’re self-aware enough to know they need to talk things through before they take action!  It makes my day and my client’s day too!

I got a call from a coaching client, Lou, late one afternoon.  He was tasked at his company’s annual conference to put together two workshops, 50 people each, on Day 2 – kind of on the fly, of course!  The topic:  Teamwork.  He was assigned this task with a co-facilitator, Tina. Here’s how the dialogue went:

Lou:  “Great, I’m excited, we can do this!  We know this stuff cold.”
Tina:  “Well, I think we should use a PowerPoint and put some structure to it.”
Lou:  “Let’s not use PowerPoint – let’s just wing it!”
Tina:  (Gasp!)
Lou:  “Oh.”  [Note to self, call Kathyg!]

Do you see how the miscommunication could end up—and over a PowerPoint?  Who’s who in this short scenario, from what you can gather?  Lou is a Revolutionary. He’s got lots of action in his comments.  The “just wing it” phrase is a “term of art” of a Revolutionary!  And who is Tina?  Yes, an Organizer, who has a nearly sleepless night because of her co-facilitator’s “Rambo” comments!  For Organizers, structure and order ground them; they can be spontaneous, as long as it’s scheduled!

So, what happened behind the scenes?  Lou is a very self-aware guy, Peacemaker/tie between Revolutionary and Steamroller, so he wasn’t going to challenge Tina, dismiss her comments or get into an argument with her over a PowerPoint; but he knew if they had too much structure in the workshops, they would lose the interest of the participants.  He knew, too, that he had to make this work with Tina.  So, Lou called me, not to complain about Tina, but to figure out how to lay-out the game plan by providing some structure so she didn’t feel like this was going to be a “free fall” event! Rock on, Lou, The Peacemaker!

Let’s recap what each Playground Personality needs in order to be able to function in any environment:

Peacemakers – need for communication, which usually smoothes over the rough spots, builds relationships and provides rewards and recognition; helps keep their universe in balance!

Organizers – need for defining things clearly, keeping on a schedule and having a solid plan; helps them to know that if something goes “sideways,” they’ll be able to regroup pretty quickly!

Revolutionaries – need for being able to think freely, react immediately and be impulsive; helps keep them engaged and in the moment!

Steamrollers – need to stay “above the fray”, explore ideas that haven’t been explored before and use their creativity and brilliance; helps keep them energized and ready to solve the next problem!

There was a happy ending to the story!  Lou sent a detailed email to Tina with steps 1-5 outlined, including time limits, numbers of groups and asking what other approaches she would like to add.

Tina sent back a resoundingly positive response admitting that she was in agreement about not using a PowerPoint, liked the flow of the workshop, and she confirmed the meeting logistics for the workshop—the furthest detail from Lou’s mind!  And, funny, even after Lou’s detailed (or what he thought was detailed) email to Tina, she asked “How many in each group?”  Lesson . . . for Organizers, there are never enough details!

P.S.  The workshops were a huge hit and they got rave reviews!

Publication 13, Issue 2

“We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.”
– Vince Lombardi

February is Time Management Month, and that got me thinking. Time is an interesting phenomenon. In some ways it’s our most precious commodity, yet for every person whose life is run by the clock, there’s another who considers time completely irrelevant.

I’m reminded of a story. Not too long ago I put together a list of tasks, uber-Organizer that I am, and at the end of a 12-hour workday, I was frustrated because I didn’t complete everything on my list! When I called Larry to vent (poor guy) I told him, “I had a list of things to do, didn’t accomplish everything because I ran out of time.” He replied, “Did you die?” Wow, talk about cold water to the face!

I may not be the queen of time management, but I’m a princess, for sure. I can fit more things into a day than most people, but there can be a cost. How you frame your relationship with time can make your life miserable or manageable. Think about how we talk about time. Do you have a ton of time or no time? Have you wasted time, lost time, run out of time, or don’t care at all about time?

With all of these contrary meanings of time – how do things get done? Let’s be honest. As managers, our time often is not our own. Managing your time usually means you can think clearly and manage distractions, increase your productivity, and hopefully be less stressed. When time is managing you, you probably feel a little out of control.

Somewhere between structure and chaos is a middle ground where most people can get the work done…and I know it’s hard to remember this when you’re stressed and deadlines are piling up! You’ll get the most out of your team if you develop an understanding that time doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone (where have you heard that before?!). As managers, I’m asking you to examine your relationship with time and how that affects the Playground Personalities©.

Peacemakers – feel that time is very precious, that people who require time throughout the day should get it no matter what’s going on in the workday; that somehow things just work out.

Organizers – sense they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. So, in order to survive the day, they think that there’s no real “choice” in the matter and they’ll work until the job is done.

Revolutionaries – manage time “on demand”; if they have too much time on their hands, they’ll figure out how to get something else done. Managing time to them seems like more work, so they just stay “on alert.”

Steamrollers – believe that time is complicated; they never feel quite finished with mulling things over. The juice for them is “taking their time” to think through issues. They don’t like to be rushed and they’ll tell you so.

Remember, we have to be self-aware about our relationship with time, own it, and somehow not project our definition of time on others. You now see how each of the Playground Personalities perceives time. These insights should help you evaluate your time management strategy to make it work for you and for the people who work with you.

Good luck!