I have been placed into an IT Manager role from a technical role. I have been learning the new things that this leadership role entails. I work fine with the people under me, however I have been advised that I have lost credibility with other managers, and their subordinates. It has been explained that 2 very visible factors have caused this, among others. First are the people under me are not technically skilled to make me successful. Second, I have a temper that leads me to arrogance. How did I miss this? Why did this hit me blindsided? I almost didnBt hire someone that could have helped my credibility. If it were not for a boss that wants to show me how to be a manager, I would have really messed up again. Is there something I should be looking at, reading or trying to understand that right now really escapes me?

-- William Mannion (wmannion@viridien.com), November 04, 2000

Answers

William, the original meaning of branding is to burn with fire, IMHO a temper is a fire without control. In our soceity we are more often apt to drug someone to change their behavior than have the time to accomdodate that behaviour, our society gives drugs to 2 year olds that change their brain chemistry. Do you try to control your temper with drugs. I don't think that arrogance qualifies as something that needs to be artificially subdued. Further, all you can try to do is to minimize your temper and the best way to do that is to focus on channelling rather than just controlling that fire. So at work you have to start thinking more about your brand and use that fire constructively rather than destructively.

As for being blindsided, the good news is that you have acknowledged that you need to install a radar. I for one dont' think you are going to find the blips you are looking for in some book, my opinion is that you accept that the blips on your radar are something you have to learn to anticipate. Moreover if an incoming missile hits you whether that is am emotional one or a corporate one, you need to learn two fundamental things

1. Damage Control and Repair 2. Learning from the mistake

Only you can teach yourself to learn from mistakes and only you can develop the habit of installing your radar. That doesn't mean that your radar should turn into paranoia, though in the workplace, paranoia can be an advanatage.

The only physical two thing you need is an imaginary mirror and observing what successful people do. There is nothing more powerful than to be able to see yourself, sometimes we can cringe looking at a video of ourselves for that very same reason.

You don't lose crediblity at work because did something today, you lose credibilty because you have failed to learn from previous interactions. You don't credibility back in one day, or by reading a particular book, you get it back by constructing it one day at time by proving to yourself that you can learn from your mistakes and benefit from advice.

Above all, relax. The more you get wound up by this thing, the more fuel you supply to your temper. Go outside and talk a walk, breath some fresh air, clear your mind, then come back home and consider that you have given yourself the greatest gift of all, the acknowledgement you have made that you need to change.

I won't point you towards God, I won't point you towards an Author, I won't tell you what direction to take. These are things that you must find since you and only you have the intelligence to find them.

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), November 05, 2000.

The first thing you can fix easily. Start hiring people who can do what you need them to do. Perhaps do a skills and performance assessment to see who you might need to reconsider in terms of their current assignment -- if they can be placed elsewhere in the organization... or trained to do what they need to do... all the better. But don't blame the folks working with you if you've not done what you can to get them where you need them to be.

The second thing will be harder. But you've taken an enormous first step by recognizing that you have a temper and that you might be arrogant.

You might find the following articles useful: http://www.fastcompany.com/career/DIA/OneCore/001.html http://www.fastcompany.com/online/22/toolbox.html http://www.fastcompany.com/online/08/naylor.html http://www.fastcompany.com/feature/00/act_blazer.html http://www.fastcompany.com/online/21/flores.html

Read all of those from two sides -- your side... and from the side of the folks you're working with. Temper your temper. Talk to everyone you work with about how they're working, feeling, seeing you.

Heath

-- Heath Row (heath@fastcompany.com), November 06, 2000.