Why Wait?
Folks are always asking, "If One On Ones are the most important thing I can do as a boss, why should I wait three weeks? Why not get started NOW being better?" [If you want to start, here is the email link: http://www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/Sample-1-on-1-email.txt]
There are two reasons for waiting.
1. Scheduling. Many of your folks will tell you they don't have time to spend half an hour with you each week. (The irony that these are often the same people who complain about their voices not being heard is lost on them.) They will tell you, "look at my calendar! It's full!" And they're right – for the next two weeks. That's the way so many folks' calendars are: full of meetings that get scheduled about a week in advance, maybe two weeks out. But THREE weeks out, nobody has much of anything on their calendars, perhaps 1-2 standing meetings (and for those who travel, travel).
Even if there isn't THAT much on folks' calendars, we STILL recommend you wait the three weeks to schedule. Why? Because we've learned that directs make poor choices about when to schedule their one on one with you based even on a partly full calendar. Lots of folks forget to distinguish between one-time and recurring meetings. When they look three weeks out, they make better choices about what works best for them.
2. Time To Brief. You need time to brief everyone on what the purpose one on ones is, how they're going to work, and what to expect. This is part of a larger Manager Tools principle: never introduce managerial change without letting directs know what's coming. To be effective, changes you make have to be accepted. To be accepted, they have to be understood. Those of us whose directs have pushed back at new managerial efforts can tell you: it's no fun to have a good idea fail because the team is afraid of it, having no real idea what it even IS yet. But fear of power causes directs to do so, we promise.
So, take your time. Brief them, following our guidance in the Rolling Out The Trinity podcasts. Three more weeks won't hurt you, and it WILL help your directs.
Meetup
In Melbourne, Australia, 18th February
A
Manager Tools meetup has been organised for Melbourne on Friday
February 18th. Mark will be calling in via Skype to share his thoughts
on the Australian scene and to answer any questions the group has about
Manager/Career Tools. If you're interested, please follow the
conversation in the forums for all the meeting details (http://manager-tools.com/forums-5506).
Contact the organisers - either Peter Westley (Peter.Westley) or Dale
Ipsen (dipsen) via PM and let them know you're coming.
Meetups
happen all over the world. If you're not in Australia, but would like
to join or start a meetup, get started at the Meetups section of the
forums: http://www.manager-tools.com/forums/manager-tools-forums/meet-ups.
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