Today’s Thought – Bucking the System

Found this one sitting in my drafts… Was something that must have slipped my mind.. Enjoy!

Some people want you to think “outside the box” or radically do something different. Do they really want you to do that? All the years that I was working in corporate America – most managers asked for it, but when you actually did it – they called you a maverick or you are bucking the system.

After getting my marching orders a couple of times, I learned to make sure that I asked quite a few questions. Need to understand the perimeters that were acceptable. Focus on how far we were allowed to step to get to the end result.

Some of the questions that I found helpful working with my managers were –

• What are your priorities? What wins do you need? (Uncover your manager’s goals and priorities, which could be different than yours.)
• What parts of my work are most important for you to be up to date on often? Where do you trust my work and I can be more autonomous?
• What causes you to feel stressed about my work? What gives you confidence?
• What have team members that frustrated you or were challenging to work with done or failed to do? (Avoid these things to keep your manager happy with your work.)
• Would X be helpful for you? How would you change it? (Great if you have an idea to help you or the team)
• What do you recommend I do when I get stuck on [area you’re weaker in]? (What do they want you to do when you get stuck? Also, a great way to get them to coach you)
• If I need help with something, what’s the best way to get your input or support? (Useful if they have a hands-off management style and for finding out how they want you to go about getting input/support from them)

Being safe and meeting expectations are the best defense for “bucking the system.” Many managers will not point out that you are bucking the system – if you are doing great work and exceeding expectations. Just does not happen!