Weekly Reflection 3.0

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

I learned so much about myself this week - I mean fo' real!  First off, I can't expect employees to read my mind.  I also should not expect for employees to give the same effort I do--or do it like I would have done.

This week, I gave a member of my team a task and wanted to see how he would go about it--this little task, I barely gave him instruction (yet, he knew the urgency).  Thinking he would roll with it, and put 110% effort in it was my first mistake.

When the task did not get done as quickly as I wanted it to--I re-evaluated my approach.  First, I wasn't clear in the expectations of the task, assignment.  I loomed over him like a hawk--asking him if he needed assistance.  He insisted no.  With each no, I was getting more impatient.

So, yes - people need guidance.  Clear guidance.  Instead of providing him an assignment, if I wanted it done a certain way or done a specific time--I should have spoke the truth and told him.

I also did not take into account that this employee worked late the night before doing school work (I can't fault him for that)...I didn't listen--I 'heard' it.  But--I didn't listen.

For once, I know I failed.  I wasn't clear AT ALL and here I was being agitated when, in all honesty, he should have been agitated with me.

I took the brunt of the work home last night to work on it - because--in all honesty, we are a team and I will pick up where my team left off.

Note to Self - if you want specific results, be specific.

We are still working on this huge daunting task.--we are working on a team and are communicating more than what we did earlier.

The results of the survey can be found here