Five Management Styles of Women Who Try too Hard
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Whether you’re a manager in an organization or need to more effectively manage your own business as an entrepreneur, these styles of management can get in the way if you’re not aware you’re doing them. Here’s what I’ve discovered with my clients that doesn’t work and how to fix them.
1. Go along, get along
. Are you still trying too hard to be accepted and gain recognition for the work you do? You may find that rather than trust your instincts and ideas you’re trying to fit in and prove your value. In Lois P. Frankel’s book, Women Who Don’t Get the Corner Office A Good Man Is Hard to Find film Someone Like You… dvd Dark Matter rip Wishmaster divx The Karate Dog psp , you may still be acting more like a “girl” and not like a “woman.” It’s time to leave your comfort cloak behind, step up and try on being more of the woman you are.
2. Overcompensating. If you feel you have a tendency to be agreeable too quickly to other people’s ideas or plans, or you tend to change your already crammed schedule to accommodate someone else who neglected to give you advance notice, you’re ignoring your own value. Maybe you feel you’ve underserved someone or been less than cooperative and now you’re overcompensating. Listen to your heart and not just your head. Give yourself time before adding more to your plate by stepping away for a minute to think it through before replying.
3. Not doing your homework. Do your homework on a project or idea before launching yourself into it. If you’re too busy for the upfront preparation needed, get others on your team to help you do it so you don’t rush ideas through and end up somewhere you don’t want to be, or even worse, backpaddling. You may quickly decide you’ll handle something without all the facts in front of you, and then wonder later why you’re having to put in overtime on the project.
Most successful entrepreneurs and women in management can’t afford to waste time during their work hours. But they often don’t know what causes them to lose time in their day. As both an Entrepreneur and one who manages my business, plus the service consultants and vendors who work for me, I know what you’re up against. Here are some tips I’ve learned:
Time can slip away from you due to unsuspected projects that arise – even for those of us who are good planners – yes, even a Career Strategist. We’ve all experienced how you set a day and time to do something, and something more pressing unexpectedly pops up and takes you away from your original work. Today I had a useful reminder because typically the day before I leave for a trip (I’m heading off to a week-long coach conference tomorrow), I try to finish too much. Sound familiar?
The comment, Haste Makes Waste (an excerpt from Robinson Jeffers 1929 poem, “Shine, Perishing Republic”), points up an inescapable truism. How often have you rushed to get something done only to have to backstep and redo it? Even with this knowledge, I still find myself addicted to the concept that “more is better” and I’m pleased with myself on those days when I have kept up a hasty pace and got more things done, likewise admonishing myself when it seems as if I let the day slip though my fingers. When caught in this illusion, I not only miss the greater benefit of enjoying the day as it was, but am upset when my efforts to get things under more control, fail.
