When You Just About to Snap

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=angry+woman&iid=296176″ src=”0292/c47ff305-10a8-4751-8aba-045430184868.jpg?adImageId=12480100&imageId=296176″ width=”234″ height=”353″ /]Are you familiar with those moments when you just about to snap, scream out loud, or even punch someone at the face? Maybe because of a ridicules email you just received, a stupid remark raised in a meeting, or a comment that got you really irritated. If you ever reacted to such catalysts right away without much of  a thinking like responding to that email with overly heated language or start screaming at your colleague because of his or her really stupid comment in the meeting, then you should be really careful because such reactions could mark your decision making abilities for a long time.

I know that you might argue that it really feels good to respond to those fools who usually send meaningless emails and how amazing it is to confront those show-off-know-it-all kinda of people in meetings. And you might also think that the whole heat of the moment would vanish in a matter of minuets or hours after that. Actually, Andrade and Ariely (2009)* have something else to say; they are arguing that ‘the influence of mild incidental emotions on decision making can live longer than the emotional experience itself.’ In simpler words, spontaneous reactions could be part of your decision making process on the long run. The mind usually travels back in time looking for similar experiences whenever confronted with a situation, this unconscious journey could leads the mind to take the same decisions that have been made in those moments of anger and irrationality. So you could end up repeating your mistakes and attitudes again and again without even noticing.

This could explain the behavior of many managers who are repeating themselves over and over again dealing with different situations in a similar attitude and narrow minded approaches. Such repetitions would eventually  kill innovation and creativity and will lead the whole team working with such managers and leaders to frustration and demotivation.

So the next time you are faced with such situation, you better think it over, weight your response, and if you can, sleep on it. No matter how satisfying the immediate responses might feel, their consequences could be damaging on many levels.

* Andrade, E. & Ariely, D., 2009. The Enduring Impact of Emotions on Decision Making. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Vol. 109, p. 1-8.

Read Full Post »

First Things First

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=leader&iid=74172″ src=”0071/af3cbdd5-68bc-4ad7-bbb3-2e9b07cbc41b.jpg?adImageId=8938887&imageId=74172″ width=”234″ height=”350″ /]No matter if you are a manager taking the lead of a big or a small company, a leader taking the charge of a new team, or even a student taking the leading position in a class project team. What should you do once you take the lead and on which points should you focus?

I am not implying that there should be a one, fixed, and easy path that all those in leadership positions should follow to a readymade, guaranteed success. Of course different situations would require different initiatives. But still, what is the main theme that should underlay your strategy in your first days as a leader?

Allow me to tell you my opinion; the culture. It is not about the structure, rearranging responsibilities, creating or demolishing work processes; it is about the culture that governs all these important factors in a successful team or organization.

And let’s admit it; creating a culture with all its implied values and practices is a challenging task. That’s why we rarely hear or witness such transformation or encounter leaders who understand and value such management approach. Most if not all newly appointed leaders always attempt to change the structure of their teams or organization, define new rules, and present new processes. All this is OK as long as it derives its soul out of the culture of the team or the organization. Positions and processes are subject to change, but the values and beliefs of teams and organizations stay longer and guide their success even in difficult times.

Check out this interesting interview and tell me what do you think?

Read Full Post »