Information Gathering

Forty years ago, from when this was written, phones were just making their way out of houses and into cars. Thirty years ago, They were making their way into purses and briefcases. Twenty years ago, they were getting thinner and their newly-colorized screens were getting bigger. Ten years ago, mobile phones were common worldwide, the ability to grow a business became increasingly dependent on mobile accessibility, and people were well on their way to viewing their phones as an extension of their bodies and brains as they do today. Within fifty years, the meaning of “phone” has come from a lightning-fast talking device to the world at our fingertips, literally.

Mainstream acceptance of circumstance affects the thoughts and attitudes toward shifting norms within a culture. Phones happen to be a visible, tangible example of the shift in our culture. It used to be that communication was face to face or written and carried. It was deliberate and had value because it took effort. Phones have connected people in a faster way. With the rise of easy communication came an acceleration of our life paces that has not been reigned-in since. As industry and commerce called for both parents to work, the school systems were given increasingly more of the parenting roles, and with the availability of computers and phones, children were given more and more screen time. Over the years, there has been less and less effort required to gather information. I’m not getting onto a soap-box about this; I’m just stating the facts.

We see things in short bursts. Just enough time to have an emotional reaction, but not enough time to really think about the situation or product that we just saw and reflect on the implications of the information that we were given. News has become glorified headlines as companies seek emotional reaction to clips while spinning their perspective.

So why the history lesson about phones, culture, and information gathering? I’m calling attention to the fact that from a very young age, our culture now accepts people seeking answers outside of their own thought processes. Communication and information gathering are now fast and free; consequently, they carry much less meaning and value. Thinking has become reactionary instead of reflectionary. An extreme example of this is the fact that we have some youth who believe that the earth is flat, that farming is bad, and that the universe just happened to pop into existence out of true nothingness.

I’m not blaming phones for this; I love having a computer in my pocket! The point is that without training in logic, people tend to take on the perspectives that are fed to them through the information at the top of the search results put there by the company that paid more to the search engine.

I thought this was supposed to be about being a manager; why are we talking about social media and news? Work was the original social media, and you receive news at work all the time. What do you do with the gossip you may hear? What do you do with the corporate information that’s shared with you? Do you quickly share your reaction with your coworkers like a social media post? Your personal life habits and your work habits concerning information gathering should be the same. This is a skill you should incorporate in your personal life.

How often do you really, consciously think about what you’re seeing, who is showing it to you, why they’re showing it to you, your initial reaction to it, and what you should do with the information? As a manager, you must develop a filter for your information processing and sharing. We must refuse to be reactionary. We must reclaim the thought processes for when we receive information.

These are the different aspects of information gathering and good questions to ask yourself as you begin to process your work world.
  Reality: Does what I am being told align with what I have witnessed firsthand?
  Source: Who is sharing information with me? Is the source relevant to the information shared? For example, is word about policy change coming from your friends or from HR? Is it office gossip or corporate communication? Is it office rumors or from someone who knows the truth?
  Motivation: Why is this information being shared? Is this relevant to something happening in the company? Does this information have the potential for changing aspects of the workplace or culture? If it’s from your peers, it’s either for your benefit or to your detriment. It may be “just gossip,” but gossip always has an effect on the work environment, and there may be unconscious motivations.
  My Immediate Reaction: How am I feeling about this information? How are people around me reacting to it? Is my immediate reaction appropriate? How might my reaction affect the situation?
  Reflection: How does this information affect me or my work? What are my options? What would be the best course of action for my personal integrity? Which action would have the best long-term effect? How do each of my potential actions affect those around me, the company, or the company’s opinion of me?

These reflections give us a better picture of our standing. There may be a lot of gray areas left in the situation, but we will better navigate the future changes if we are mentally prepared and sure of our current footing. The ability to plan and process the possible results of one’s actions has become an art form instead of a foundational life skill. Seeing different aspects will allow your plans to have contingencies. This will help you stand out. As things change, you will be ready.

We must also reflect on which parts of the information need to be shared with those around us. Practice thinking of the possible outcomes before you share information. What should be shared and who needs the information? Your discretion will lessen any potential drama or drama that you may be experiencing. If you filter and reflect on information and only pass on that which you know to be true, you will be known for telling the truth. Telling your subordinates, “I don’t know.” is better than sharing an opinion. If you decide that some information should be shared, prefacing statements with, “These are some possibilities,” will show that you have thought about the situation objectively, and it shows that you are willing to share what you do know without committing yourself to something that might change.

The less we say, the more weight our words will have.

Behavior

Responsibility is rewarded to managers as they grow. Whether we feel like it or not, more and more self-reflection is required as more scrutiny is placed upon the behavioral expectations that are silently laid upon us. The store manager’s scandal doesn’t get in the national news, the corporate executive’s does. For a more successful and less stressful career, there are behaviors that you must commit to making standard or unacceptable within yourself.

Obviously, behaviors like larceny, harassment, and other forms of abuse are not acceptable. To have those as your boundary only makes you legal. You want to be exceptional. Those boundaries are external. Your behavior should show that your personal boundaries would never allow you to come close to those things.

Setting internal boundaries takes confronting your past self and determining to be different. I struggle with this in that I tend to reflect and see only the negative, which brings on guilt, and then I let the guilt sit there and bring me down. Don’t get me wrong, initial guilt is healthy because it is an internal indicator that your moral compass is working properly. Guilt has its purpose and time, but it should not become a state of being; it should propel us into action or self-control not to repeat the actions that led to the guilt.

There is a gray area before your actions cross into the place where peoples’ opinion of you and your job may be affected. Your goal should be to avoid this area. You will never win the approval of everyone, but you are free to navigate your career in a path that does show everyone that you have the best intentions, and the skill to back it up. Your actions, and what you say, will determine others’ opinion of you.

It is impossible to be happy and unflustered all the time. If that is your impression of some people, then you may want to reflect upon your view of humanity and how you think other people live their lives. Everyone has their struggles, from rich to poor, newborn to a hundred, fast-food to Musk. People are people, and we must treat them as such. Good behavior must stem from a foundational belief and understanding that everyone around us matters.

This is a good time to pause and truly ask yourself if you hold this belief. I have to come back to this basic question often. “Am I treating people like people?” It’s an easy question, but it uncovers realities and feelings that we may be tempted to avoid. When we work with people we don’t see everyday, it becomes easy to objectify them. To avoid tendencies toward tyranny, we must have compassion for the humanity and respect for the dignity of everyone around us.

Next we must understand and accept that we have an effect on people and the environment around us. Management comes with several elements of power. We have the power to make decisions that affect our company, our workspace, and the careers of the employees around us. These are the obvious areas where our decisions show themselves. The power that we may forget about is that which we hold over the mood and general outlook of the people around us. We must reflect and contemplate how our words and attitude change the workplace.

A trap that I must often fight off is cynicism. I often find myself expecting the worst of people as a way of being prepared for potentially bad situations. Herein lies the danger of pessimism masquerading as “being realistic.” While it is healthy to have contingency plans, voicing skepticism or doubts about fellow coworkers has an unconscious effect that brings the morale of the workplace down. There are times to share concerns about employees with your boss, but a constant barrage of your negative opinion of any subordinates may cause a change in your boss or their opinion of you.

How do we get better at addressing our issues and concerns? We must refuse to allow our personal outlooks or feelings to dictate how we treat individuals. We may completely expect a certain employee to do something wrong or that we don’t agree with. At this point, it is the perfect time to step back and look at the whole situation. The first question should be internal, “Why do I not like the actions of this employee?” “What have I done to curb the behavior?” “Is the behavior worth curbing?” Those are the questions that will set you up to understand the situation and make decisions on how to go forward and how to speak about the situation and that employee.

The personal responsibility you take for your behavior is a critical factor of the impression others have of you. Are you admitting mistakes and fixing them? Are you throwing your coworkers “under the bus” when you face adversity? Are you protecting your team when needed? Are you giving your subordinates tasks that you simply don’t want to do? Are you delegating uncomfortable situations? These behaviors are noticed and remembered by those around you. Your behaviors should show that you are open to growing and learning and are actively working for the benefit of those around you.

Honesty is rewarded. I have experienced this more than I can remember. It may not feel like it at the time. It even got me fired once, but my next job was with a better company and it led more quickly to a much better position than I would ever have had with the previous company. The behaviors that companies encourage should not induce that guilt or anxiety when we contemplate our actions. They should reward truth and show their understanding of the humanity of the employees. If you are having trouble navigating your current company while holding to your commitment to integrity, then you may want to look for another company. Your behavior is yours to own, to control, and to take pride in because of your consistency and integrity.

Conformity vs. Professionalism

Why does Professionalism matter? People want to feel comfortable at work. Why should they change their style at work? Aren’t we supposed to be accepting of people’s “true self” in the workplace.

Although we will be focusing on these concepts in business and the workplace, they reach much further and deeper into our country’s culture. The common misconception is that societal standards are debilitating and hinder freedom. The fact is that the more laws that are made, the more law-breakers there will be. Certain standards must be held by all the individuals involved in order for freedom to thrive. When individuals stop or refuse to hold certain standards by themselves (without being told through a rule), a law must be created and enforced. This changes the culture and impedes advancement.

For example, corporate credit cards are issued with mountains of paperwork spelling out what can and cannot be done with the card. This is necessary because of abuses in the past. But it wasn’t everyone who abused the cards, it was those lacking the standard of honesty in themselves. This example is very black and white, obvious in its implications. Now apply that concept to the way we dress, the way we speak, the way we drive, the way we live. This is why we feel drowned in legislation and paperwork and why you probably broke fifty laws this week.

We must maintain an individually-driven set of standards as a culture. Having standards instilled at a young age is crucial to ensure the stability of a healthy society. If we encourage children to do whatever they want, the boundaries we know to be healthy and necessary will not be developed. They must be taught to consider the perspectives and feelings of others because interacting with people will always be a part of life. When someone is too easily offended or demands certain actions from strangers, it is a form of selfishness that ignores the perspectives of others, focusing only on the individual’s feelings instead of the whole situation. This leads to more rules and laws for more people to break.

Without the ability to see ourselves as a part of a whole in society, we are led to selfish behaviors and a refusal to be a productive part of society whether this is conscious or unconscious. If societal standards break down, the ability to have a free-market, growing businesses, and healthy workplace culture is killed.

Conformity is the forced alignment to a rigid set of standards enforced by a set of rules. Professionalism is an unspoken, culturally derived set of self-driven standards for how to act in business situations.

There can be some confusion, and we need to be careful not to confuse Professionalism with Conformity. Younger people come into their fields with new ideas and fresh outlooks, and this can be great, if not life-saving, for businesses and business culture. Wise businesses do not ask for conformity, they ask for uniformity and organization, a base standard of professionalism, not a million rules. Your baristas may have 10 different hair colors and the entire spectrum of heights and weights, but they are all expected to be wearing the same clothes, following the same cleaning protocols, and making each drink by a specific recipe. These company standards have to do with quality, branding, and work-culture, but they allow for non-conformity in the space around them. Letting someone come to work in sleep attire, ignore cleaning standards, or make and serve whatever they want is silly. Your business would shut down quickly and you’d invite fines and lawsuits.

Every business is not the same, but every industry has a threshold of standards. The food industry has different standards than the transportation industry, but each is a professional environment. When everyone is able to hold themselves to a certain standard, there do not have to be as many rules because people will do the right thing by their own motivation. This is professionalism at work in the individual. When people do not hold themselves to professional standards, they cause conformity to be forced in the workplace. For example, OSHA was created because some businesses refused to hold themselves to an acceptable, even obvious, standard of workplace safety. This was not all businesses, but we have thousands of rules and laws now because of the refusal of a few individuals to respect and look out for the well-being of those around them.

One of your roles as a manager is to protect the Professional work culture from turning Conformist. You may be tempted to hold yourself to a different standard in the workplace because your role is different, such as not being in the public eye or not working in quite the same environment. Perhaps you don’t feel that you need the same protective equipment because you’re just walking through. While some people can handle this difference and exception-making, it would take everyone being of the same mindset, and when have you ever known ALL the people you work with to be of the same mindset?

Hold yourself to a higher standard. Be cognizant of the effect your actions have on your coworkers. Express yourself within those boundaries, and patiently correct others when they threaten the professional environment. This will help to create and maintain an environment of Professionalism and thus, freedom. It will help prevent turning yourself or others around you into the workplace police. It will avoid the forced hand of Conformity.

Communication – The ABCs

Every Managerial position will have situations arise that force us to decide how much of the information that we possess should be shared with others, either our managers, peers or our subordinates. This is something that happens on a daily basis whether we are aware of it or not, and it is a critical part of our reputation in the workplace. As managers, and as our positions increase in responsibility, we must be more and more aware of how the information we share affects the people and business around us.

So many different aspects bleed into communication, your mood, your knowledge base, your opinion, your professional and personal experience, your religion or spiritual beliefs, your endorphin levels, and the list goes on. Our words tell others what is in our mind and heart. The more careful we are with words, the better chance we have of the most people having a favorable opinion of us. This is not to say we should hide bad news and negative information, but the way we present it will portray our comprehension and tact concerning its communication.

Much of the tone of our communication also stems from our opinion of the person we’re addressing. If we’re talking with the office gossip, we may be more shielded with our words and topics. If we’re talking with a close friend, we may say more than we really should.

As your responsibilities grow, so must your active decision to evaluate the information that you’re sharing with those around you. There are a vast number of topics and situations that arise in business, but all of the decisions you have to make about communication can be boiled down to these ABCs: Appropriate, Beneficial, Consistent.

On a corporate level, you can see these ABCs in the decisions made in all situations. Decisions that are made usually have to travel through different channels and departments answering these questions: Is the change or idea being proposed Appropriate under the law and ethical standards of the company? Does it Benefit the company and/or employees? Is it Consistent with the direction of the company and other decisions that have been made? These questions are a good foundation and framework to be aware of as you formulate your own ideas while navigating corporate mandates, directives, and higher-level interactions.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, we answer these same questions on a smaller scale as we work every day. When we are confronted with a challenge, we develop a solution, and at some point we are, or we should be, distinctly aware of addressing each of these concepts.

Appropriate
We all have a general sense of what is legal and ethical. This is evidenced in the simple fact that our society has laws. We all know that there are right and wrong ways of doing things, and if we’re unsure, we should ask. So when you begin formulating a solution or response to a work situation, you are sending the decision formulation through your internal filter of what you believe falls within legal and ethical boundaries. Or you may consider something that falls outside of those boundaries, in which case your conscience is supposed to inform you that it’s wrong.
The basic questions you may find it helpful to ask are: Is what I’m proposing legally allowed? Can what I want to say be legally disclosed? Has what I’m contemplating been expressly forbidden by upper management or company policy? Is my communication suitable for the work environment?

Beneficial
This is the most familiar of the ABCs, though it can still be tricky to answer. This concept can be seen in every arena of communication in life. These same questions cross our minds when talking to friends and family, doctors, mechanics, law officers, etc. Is the information I’m sharing going to make the situation better or more bearable? Will my sharing this information have an effect on the end result of this situation? Do I want to communicate this for the benefit of others or just because I want to talk about it? Could the information that I want to share change again soon? Does the effect of the information encourage or discourage the hearer? How much will it impact the hearer on an emotional level?
These questions are crucial in maintaining healthy work morale. By being thorough in evaluating the benefits, we can more decisively choose the best time and amount of information to share. Our goal is not to hide bad news, but to always be truthful and not keep our employees guessing. Telling an employee, “Don’t worry about it,” or “Just get it done,” conveys secrecy and objectifies the employee. It leads to a poor work culture and lower productivity. There are times when the beneficial information is, “I don’t know,” or, “I’ll let you know as soon as I can.” These statements communicate truth, openness, and the fact that you’re willing, and even have a desire, to keep the employee updated.

Consistent
This is where emotional control and self-reflection are critical. We sometimes segregate information based on who we’re talking to. It’s understandable when talking to different departments, but if we share something with one subordinate and not another, we may be showing favoritism. Likewise, when similar situations arise, do we handle them based on how we’re feeling that day, or are we handling things consistently? Those whom our decisions affect notice our inconsistencies and this can affect the work environment and morale.
These are some of the questions to ask to evaluate your consistency. Is the information that I share going to be shared the same across all the affected employees? Am I able to treat this situation the same way next time it arises? Is what I’m divulging consistent with what I have divulged in the past? If I share this information, will I be expected to give more information next time? Am I able to deliver on what I say in the future? Will what I say be seen as gossiping? Am I giving everyone the same information?

Your ability to discern whether or not your communication is Appropriate, Beneficial, and Consistent will have a profound effect on how you are perceived by upper-management. The more successful decisions you make by yourself, the more valuable and favorable you become to the people around you. There will surely come times when you need guidance, but navigating those times will be made easier by asking questions grounded in these ABCs.

Communication – Encouraging Response

We are inundated with words everywhere, and honestly, we tend to ignore much of what’s put before us personally and in the workplace. Most of us have trained our eyes to look for the “important” emails or the “facts that matter.” We have thousands of pages of legal documents that we signed a paper claiming we read, and it seems that the only time we really contemplate our response is when we’re communicating an issue to the boss or the angry customer. I touched on good practices in responding to written communications in my last article. Now, how do we get our communications responded-to? And how do we do this more efficiently, completely, and precisely while keeping out of trouble?

One of the best things we can do throughout our lives is to realize that the people around us are humans just like us. They are all dealing with something. Billionaires have problems too. Fear and anxiety and a lack of time are universal concepts. So to help improve your work environment and make it the best it can be, remember that your frustrations are probably shared by most of the people around you. Choose not to lower your standards of self-expression because of your feelings.

Why am I talking about feelings here in an article about emails and reports? Because all communication flows from our foundational ability to empathize. If you wouldn’t want to get a long, wordy email like the one you just composed, don’t send it. If you don’t want to hear an excuse about something not getting done, then don’t make excuses about your mistakes. This concept is called the Golden Rule for a reason. Treat others as you would like to be treated, and conversely, don’t treat others the way you don’t want to be treated.

Always ask yourself what your reaction would be to your communication. Would you say the email was written properly? Was it concise? Did it address what was needed? Was it opinionated? Did it answer any and all of the questions that were yours to answer? And if you doubt, or have questions about these points, ask someone you respect for help.

I worked with a lady who was a real go-getter. If you wanted something done, she would do it. Operationally, she was always on it. However, when it came to emails, she had a very obvious tendency to glance at, or skim the email and respond. She would only respond to one of several points of the email, or give a response that seemed out of left field. This would slow things down and was incredibly frustrating. It took some time to gently train her to slow down and read things, but this situation really encouraged me to make a better habit of consolidating my emails.

Wherever possible, emails and any other office communication should be short, concise, and use bullet-points. I have found that these three things will encourage a quicker and more precise response from everyone.
1. Bullet Points – They give an immediate visual cue when opening the email. They convey that this email will be well-organized and to the point.
2. Length – Keep things short. The perception of the reader will be that responding will be quick, thus they are encouraged to address your matters quickly.
3. Conciseness – Just spit it out! Spare your reader from sifting through paragraphs looking for what they are being asked or told.
4. Just the Facts – You are not responsible for the emotional reaction of the reader, though you should use discretion with some topics. Don’t over-explain, and don’t try to put your spin on things. Your opinion, even with good intentions, can be seen as manipulative.

These good practices carry-over into many areas. When writing narrative reports, such as those for workplace incidents, though you won’t bullet-point them, they should be concise and void of opinion. Your observation is not an opinion, and your opinion is not an observation. Report writing should seek to minimize the conversation. Give descriptive, non-vague facts so that there will be minimal clarification. When opinion is added, validity is questioned.

The same is true for disciplinary documentation. As a manager, you will have to do this at some point. I’ve only met one person in five companies who liked writing people up. It’s a pain, it’s uncomfortable, and for the vast majority, we only do it because it is necessary for the health of the work environment. We won’t get into that here, but when writing the disciplinary documentation, all opinions should be left out. When you put opinion into these types of reports, you open yourself to criticism, and you might create loopholes for further action. Simply state what you saw, who you saw, what they were doing, what you did, and state the outcome.

This same simple thought process works in so many situations. Thinking this way helps take the emotion out of whatever you’re facing. This is what happened. This is where you are. Now, what will you do about it. No blame, just forward thinking to correct any lingering results of the problem and moving-on. People will respond more readily to this attitude and mindset. Don’t get held-up in the blame if you’re not the one distributing the punishment.

Always seek to be in forward motion. Stream-lining communication helps build that momentum. Be the one that others like responding to by clear, concise, factual communication. Read everything, and you can even respond with the bullet points, showing your comprehension and organization. Be the inspiration around you by respecting others’ time as you would like them to respect yours.

Communication – Written Word

The written word is largely taken for granted in the workplace because it is so common and has become the convenient alternative to vocal communication. Even contracts can be changed and updated. We churn things out to get the job done quickly. It is better not to waste time walking down the hall or half-way across the building for a “yes” or “no” when you can type the question quickly and get a response almost instantly. Office communication is truly streamlined with chat programs and email. It truly does make life easier… until you send that one angry email or accidentally send that one employee’s personal information to the entire office. I have seen these both, and thankfully they weren’t my stories. But the aftermath of both included discipline.

The thing about what you write is that it can’t be taken back. It has been thrust out there, undeniable, and there is usually no chance to explain yourself if something was said wrong. There is no tone of voice or “oh, that sounds wrong when I say it out loud.” This is why whenever communication is made, we should aim for it to be absolutely un-regrettable. We all have a basic understanding of what is appropriate and inappropriate, but when we get too comfortable flipping back and forth from formal to informal, professional to personal, we run the risk of being informal when more professionalism is called for.

Emotion in the workplace is always expected, we’re dealing with humans. And as long as we remember that fact, we can navigate those emotions. I have gotten those emails blaming my shift or department for stuff that was clearly not our fault. I have had emails from other managers claiming their shift did the work that my subordinates had done. My first instinct is to annihilate the offender’s job in front of everyone and spit as they are escorted out, but quite honestly, it may not have been that supervisor’s fault. Their subordinates may have lied and claimed the work with the supervisor being none-the-wiser. How do you address that affront? What needs to be said? Who should you include? These are tough questions that may land you seeking help from your Human Resources staff. The point that I want to drive home here is that you cannot afford to make assumptions and let your emotions dictate your actions.

Don’t worry, I’m not getting sidetracked from written communication. I simply want to show you where your mind should go before you respond in ways that cannot be taken back. I want you to put down the shovel before you even start digging yourself a hole. In the example, the offending manager has already lied. Whether they know it or not doesn’t matter. Their email claim cannot be taken back. If you fire back an email calling them a liar and accusing them, now you’re both in the wrong and your case will be weakened with your superiors. But if you respond with evidence and fact, then you will be vindicated. And before doing anything, ask yourself if it’s really worth the effort. I have written angry email responses, but I have always let them sit for a few hours, then I’ll come back and see what really needs to be said, if anything, in a neutral tone.

There are certainly times to stand up and defend yourself, but the Human Resources and legal departments will tell you, tracking communication is key. Don’t open yourself up to criticism or claims of aggression or wrongdoing. Before any written confrontation, consider the necessity and core of what you are communicating. You cannot take your words back once they are sent.

As a manager, your goal should be to maintain professionalism in all aspects of the workplace. Work documents are never sacred. Everything is open for investigation under certain circumstances. If you want to write a friendly note about work stuff, a personal congrats for a new position or something, great! But set your boundaries between your private and professional communication carefully.

You are in control of what you say and what you send. The great thing about electronic communication is that you have to hit that send button. So make it a habit to pause, reread what you’ve written, and ask yourself if what you’ve written is professional, unbiased and if it will convey the truth.