Beth SchaeferMay 2, 2025Most Recent Blog, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Middle Manager Dilemma #1 – Delegation | Middle Management Blog

Delegation: Take It Up A Level

By Beth Schaefer

Delegation is tough. To delegate is to entrust another to represent you by assigning them responsibility and authority. And, raise your hand if you have ever been taught how to delegate your work. Anyone?

A few reasons that delegation is difficult for me include:

Ultimately, I am responsible for what happens in my department/on my team.
I know exactly how I want things done and/or how they should be done because I have done almost all the tasks for my department at one time or another for the past 10 years.
I am an achiever: one of my strengths identified from the Gallup Assessment (have your managers take our course Leading with your Strengths to learn theirs). I know that all strengths can become a weakness if taken to an extreme, and the weakness of the achiever strength is that you can have perfectionist tendencies (see item #2).

Those 3 characteristics are what earned me my leadership role. Why would I abandon what has helped me to succeed? Therefore, as a Middle Manager, I struggle with how much to delegate and if/when to pull work back if results become an issue.

Realistically, as a Middle Manager, you cannot do all the work; hence, the reason you have a team. You need to delegate work and balance letting go with keeping an eye on the situation. Ultimately, you are responsible for the work that your team produces. And this is tricky; in fact, entire training courses do exist on delegating: IPD has one for your leaders called Adopt a Coaching Attitude.

Recently, I heard a conversation that provided some insight that is helping me shape my day-to-day view on delegation. And, the insight comes from the sports world. I know, I seldom use sports analogies but stick with me on this because this example will use minimal sports jargon to transfer my observation from sports to the workplace.

My sporty source is Mike Conely, a Minnesota Wolves Timberwolves point guard. Mike, at age 37, is considered the wise old sage of the team. On a recent KFAN interview*, he was discussing younger players who lose their composure on the court and are flagged for penalties that can hurt the team. He said that those younger players need to learn how to “play up a level.”

Play up a level means to look at the bigger picture, the bigger goal, the long-term or even short-term goal, but not at any one single moment. In a moment on any given day, your people may not be at their best; they may make a mistake; they may make an inefficient choice; they may forget a detail, but it’s a moment – it’s not the whole game; it’s not the whole series; and it’s not the whole season.

This “Play up a Level” view helps me to suppress my micromanaging tendencies and be better at delegating and using “mistake moments” to coach rather than pull work back onto my own plate. Because we are at work, and not at play, I will change the phrase to “Take it up a level.” This lens will remind me to coach through the moment with a view to the bigger picture rather than trying to keep doing everything myself.

Since I have been honest about my struggle with delegating, you have already guessed that I am not a delegation expert. I offered one observation for managing delegation, but I would love to hear from you. Please fill out the form and share your best tip for delegating work. IPD will select some delegation strategies to publish in next month’s newsletter.

Also, fill out our standard customized training form to indicate your interest in bringing any of IPD’s workshops to the leaders in your organization.

Please note: At the time of writing this article, the Wolves are playing the LA Lakers in the 2025 play-offs, and I am staying up late to watch games on West Coast time. This may not have a positive effect on my writing, but it is making me a lot more willing to delegate work!

*Apologies to Mike Conley from the Wolves and Dan Barreiro from KFAN as I was unable to locate the conversation analysis in the podcast bank for a proper citation.

Please fill out this form and share your best tip for delegating work:

Name

First Last

Organization / Type of Organization

Role

What is your delegation strategy?(Required)

Beth SchaeferApril 1, 2025Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Support Middle Management | Middle Management Blog

6 Key Activities That Support Middle Management

By Beth Schaefer

6 key activities that support middle managemnt april 25 blog

My research from Forbes suggests, “Middle Managers have the potential to drive growth specifically because of their unique position with a company… middle management binds purpose with execution.”

In the second article in the Middle Management Series, I discussed the research supporting the importance of middle managers to an organization. Because of this role’s importance, organizations should intentionally and directly support the people in those roles rather than view them as a “layover” position.

Here are 6 Key Activities organizations can take to build up middle managers and build up their organization’s potential:

Listen to them

And, even better, empower them. Daily, middle managers observe who and what is working… and who and what is not working. Ask them to weigh in on decisions and listen to what they say. Provide them with some latitude to make decisions or execute the organizational goals in a manner that makes sense for their team. Provide them with training beyond the check-off-the-box meant to save the organization insurance and legal costs and instead pay for professional development that helps them lead their team.

2. Give them credit and respect

Recognize that there isn’t anything wrong with someone who loves their job and does not want to move into C-Suite. The best leaders are sometimes followers; the best followers are sometimes leaders. This appears to be a relatively easy concept on the surface, but one that is difficult to juggle within the power dynamic or political climate of an organization. Middle Managers do this every day. The best middle managers have the confidence to listen to their team members and to challenge their superiors. Knowing how and when to do both is a nuanced skill that should be respected.

3. Quit measuring success by the number of direct reports

In America, we tend to be about big and bigger: “Value price meals” with extra-large servings; Gawdy stats of individual athletic achievements over the team success; giant SUV’s to transport 1 or 2 people. It is hard to escape that in America, more equals better, and that quality is often an afterthought. The bigger is better concept is often applied to how middle managers are rewarded. Someone who has 55 direct reports is paid more than someone who has 34 direct reports who is paid more than someone who has 12 direct reports. Of course, the natural reaction is, but the 55-report person is doing more work. The question to ask is, what kind of work? “Paperwork” and reporting could take most of the time for someone who has 55 direct reports with very little time spent on the actual managing – coaching, communicating, and collaborating. And, most would agree, it’s the “people work” that requires the greater skill. Put in success measurements that are more than the number of boxes on an organizational chart.

4. Pay for expertise and experience – not organizational chart status

In article 1, I talked about how much I enjoy middle management. With several years left to work, I have reached my financial peak as a middle manager. So, unless I choose to move up the organizational chart, my salary will stay the same even as my experience and contributions to the organization grows. The next layer of leadership shifts into strategy. While I enjoy using value streams, capability mapping, and the SIPOC to solve problems, I do not want to do hypothetical risk cases and projections all the time. Reward middle managers for the work they love to do and for their experience of doing it well.

5. Find ways to reward outstanding employees instead of promoting them to management

Most organizations provide one path of financial reward, and it goes through official leadership roles. This causes people who are experts in research, or selling, or creativity, or coordinating, or engineering, or accounting, or (fill-in-the-black) to leave behind the work they love to do and become a middle manager. Contrary to this career pathway, being an experienced expert in a specific skill does not necessarily make you good at leadership. Being a good leader is about collaboration, coaching, and communication and often has very little to do with the actual skill and expertise that is valued in the current role. Every day, somewhere in America, an organization is promoting people into leadership roles as a “reward” when, in fact, they are setting up many of those people for failure, and, indirectly, their teams and organizations for failure too. Do not use Middle Management as a reward for those who do not really want to be leaders.

6. Pay for Professional Development

I know; I work for an organization that sells professional development. The reason I do this work is because l believe in its value, but you do not need to go by me – plenty of research will tell you the same thing. Providing professional development for leaders is critical because leadership challenges are not static. While some challenges, such as team collaboration, remain perennially relevant, new leadership issues do surface. For instance, most workplaces now have 4 generations of workers. Or the latest leadership challenge of when and how to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and train your team to use it effectively and ethically. Learning about leadership is not just “one and done.”

Ideally, organizations will look at how they structure and support middle management roles so that they can contribute to growing the organization. However, judging from the number of people I have heard from since starting this series (Middle Managers Part 1), it appears that middle managers find themselves in situations with difficult choices. The next set of articles will explore common middle managers’ dilemmas and some action suggestions that middle managers can take to navigate them.

Middle Managers Are Like Oreos | Middle Management Blog

Importance of Middle Managers

Middle Managers are the crème in the Oreos® of the workplace. They are the delightful, yet functional, filling that connects the two cookie wafers: workers and leadership.

Think about that classic cookie without the filling. That is what an organization is without Middle Management – two cookies that are disconnected. You can press them together, but… they will not stick, and might even crumble.

Here are the Top 6 benefits your organization receives through middle managers:

1. Middle Managers Drive Growth.

Middle managers provide purpose to their team. Feeling connected to the purpose of the organization is one of the best ways to engage a productive workforce. Middle Managers pace work for consistent production that builds resiliency against stress and prevents burnout. A respected Middle Manger can request extra from their team when needed and get it. Middle Managers can foster worker relationships and create high-performing teams, or teach employees how to slack off and not get caught, or be a jerk and create a disenfranchised workforce that results in mediocre products and customer service. That is why it is important to support Middle Managers (strategies to do this in the next article).

2. Middle Managers Set the Tone of the Work Environment.

Some organizational culture trickles down from the top, but it can be reinforced or undermined by a savvy Middle Manager. They set the expectations. The best Middle Managers model respect, kindness, and grace. They coach their teams to do the same. They find the right time and place to address bad behaviors that can infect the team, nipping them in the bud. Ultimately, their treatment of employees makes the organization either a desirable place to work or one that workers want to leave.

3.Middle Managers Provide Reality Checks.

Timelines, projects, and processes often look good on paper, but they do not tell the tale of the unintended consequence: the fallout when someone who makes a decision is unaware of all the stakeholders or processes affected. An unintended consequence could result in a process hiccup or an epic fail. An effective Middle Manager can diplomatically push back on the organization when administrative decisions come with unintended consequences, keeping their organizations on track and running smoothly.

4.Middle Managers are the Organization’s Moral Compass.

While organizations often hire consultants to facilitate leadership’s writing of mission, vision, and values statements, it is the Middle Managers who live it and model it for all employees. The true culture of the organization is not in the written words, but in the everyday living. Employees watch middle management for how closely their behaviors align with the espoused values. They listen to Middle Managers explain how the administration’s decisions are connected to (or disconnected from) their mission statement. Middle Manager’s actions can reveal their feelings about the organization. Are they trusted leaders or a bunch of phonies who say one thing but do another? Middle Managers guide the moral and ethical decisions of their entire team.

5.Middle Managers Put the Human in Human Resources

Administration writes policies about human resources or human capital. These policies provide necessary governance of humans in the workplace, but it is the Middle Managers who put the humanity into the workplace. Effective Middle Managers take time to listen to individual workers and address their challenges. They are the ones aware of workers who are sick or grieving or struggling for any number of reasons. They know which resources to offer and provide assistance at the moment it is needed.

6.Middle Managers Build Succession and Loyalty.

Middle Managers coach, mentor, and nurture the next generation of leaders. Through the delegation of work, they can provide low-risk opportunities for their workers to practice leadership. They can model decision-making, using clear communication, and accepting responsibility for their actions. They can give credit to their teams instead of making themselves look good. They can build trust with the workforce by being authentic with problems and not being trite or flippant when work is challenging.

The daily decisions and interactions of Middle Managers are the brushstrokes and colors that compose an organization’s painting.

Provide Leading Teams Through Change to your organization to support your Middle Managers.

Stuck In the Middle

Hello, My name is Beth Schaefer, and I am in middle management.

This may not seem like a terrible admission, but… for those of us who find our passion in middle management, we can also find ourselves on the receiving end of sideways glances and whispers…

What is wrong with her? She has been in that same role for 10 years!
Why haven’t they been promoted?
I thought he was going to apply for the next level once his kids were in school, but he still hasn’t made a move.
Why would anyone want to stay in that job instead of going for more money?

I cannot answer that last question for everyone, but for me, I like the combination of leading and mentoring still mixed with project work and task completion alongside regular communication and relationships with the people who benefit from our products and services.

And, I believe, there are others like me.

For those of us in the American Middle Management role who say, I like what I do. I do not want to be constantly pursuing the next level, there is a danger of being labeled a “slacker” or an underachiever. Middle Management is often viewed as a bridge from beginning supervision to Leadership. It is not considered a career goal; it is seen as a means to an end. So, when I, and others like me, make no attempt to apply for the next rung on the ladder, it raises eyebrows… and suspicions.

The question Stuck in the Middle? is not self-help to move out of middle management, but rather questions if we need to see being in Middle Management as being stuck at all.

I say Nay. (Cue your own patriotic or inspirational music here).

I say it is time for Middle Managers to stand proud and be respected. Because, frankly, we are important to our organizations, and we navigate really difficult and complex situations that benefit the organizations we work for. This past week, I have mentioned this topic and the challenges I believe middle managers face to my neighbor and walking partner, my bar trivia partner, my friend who is a high school department chair, and one of my IPD instructors. They each gave me additional challenges they thought should be addressed based on their personal experiences with managing in the middle! It seems the complexities of middle management are a shared experience – as I suspected (based on this small anecdotal sampling).

This series, Stuck in the Middle? will focus on the specific dilemmas faced by middle management with strategies to navigate them and will wrap up with what upper management can do to support the essential work of middle managers.

When will this series wrap up? Who knows? It depends on how many more middle management challenges pour in.

And Kudos to all you middle managers out there. You have my respect.

Beth SchaeferJanuary 14, 2025Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Stop the World #3 | I Want to Catch Up

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Catch Up

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

This series on Stop the World has been about taking time to do Important and Innovative work.

I know, easier said than done. Time is a limited resource. Even if you work overtime, you still only have 24 hours in a day. You cannot create time, but you can control how you spend your time. This is what is meant by time management.

You may already do some of these time management strategies, but maybe you will be sparked by a new idea or two. I am presenting these in “David Letterman countdown style” – starting with most difficult for me to practice on a consistent basis and ending with the one I do the most.

#8 – Write Down Process

I find it is easier to delegate tasks or ask for help if the process I use is written down. It allows me to easily hand off work knowing the person has direction/instructions. I will not lie; documenting process takes time to do. Because it takes time, this makes it the most challenging way for me to manage time. However, once you get some processes defined, it really allows for teamwork. Others can help you when work piles up, and you can help them when their work piles up. As an added bonus, documented processes used by more than one person have a better chance being streamlined, and that streamlining absolutely helps you manage time.

#7 – Prioritize

Prioritizing does not help you complete all your work; it just helps you kick some of the work cans down the road, but they are still down there waiting for you. This is why prioritizing work does not always feel like a time management win. However, it can be a win because when you keep kicking the work can down the road, these things can happen before you see that can again:

Someone else has completed the work
The initiative stalls out, and the project manager moves all the due dates to later
A new leader comes in, and the whole initiative goes away

Kicking the can is effective if you choose wisely.

#6 – Be Realistic With Your Time

The first step to being realistic with your time is to actually think through how much time it takes you to do tasks.

Does this scenario sound familiar?:

You make a list of things you want to get done that day.
You do not calculate how long the tasks will take and make the assumption they will all get done.
You do not allow time for any “fires” that may occur that day.
As the clock ticks towards 5, you start to panic and decide “what needs to get done” that day.

To combat the end-of-day panic, take a beat to think about how much time a task will take. For instance, when I facilitate a meeting, I do not just schedule time to run the meeting, but time to prep the meeting, and time to do the meeting follow-up actions. This technique really emphasizes how much time meetings actually take. It also makes sure that when you take people’s time for meetings, you are prepared which respects their busyness, and it causes you to think twice about the usefulness of your meetings.

#5 – Get Rid of Meetings

Because meetings are more than the meeting time — they are the prep time, the follow-up communications, the time to get to the meeting (or logged into the virtual meetings), and time for the meeting-after-the-meeting meetings — meetings eat more time than you may realize. If you attend meetings that are not useful, consider asking your supervisor to let you skip those meetings stating what work you would be able to complete during that time. If you are the one scheduling all the meetings that have no purpose, well… you know the answer already.

The reason this time-saver is not higher on the list in terms of easy-to-do is because meetings can be more about work completion. For my remote team, the meeting is about connection that fuels collaboration and support for one another. The better you understand the purpose of a meeting, the more you can determine the value of the time. Balance efficiency with relationships.

#4 – Limit Your Time

Time blocking – setting aside a pre-designated block of time for a specific task – can be quite effective for time management on some tasks. Time-blocking a task can help you focus and work more efficiently. (This is your reminder that most research indicates that multi-tasking is a fallacy). The time pressure can motivate you to persist on challenging tasks. Time-blocking can be especially helpful on “black hole” activities such as research, cleaning out email, or innovation and idea-generation. If you reach the end of the time without sufficient progress, then schedule another time-block for another day and move onto other work.

#3 – Do NOT Be a Perfectionist

Those of you who know me well are saying, “Really?” Yes, I am definitely a recovering perfectionist. The pandemic taught me to let go of perfection. We needed to punt all the time during the pandemic, and people were really gracious when things did not go as planned. This showed me that perfectionism is overrated. I have learned to embrace the concept of “good enough.”

Let’s be clear – you cannot approach your work with a “whatever” attitude all of the time. That is just being a slacker. Good enough is about picking and choosing moments to accept good instead of great. In a Reddit thread, someone suggested prioritizing tasks by thinking about what adds value to customers and what does not. If a task does not add value to a customer, figure out how to “half-ass” it. This should be used judiciously, but it can still be an effective time management strategy.

#2 – Work From Home When Needed

Working without meetings or messages or interruptions or chit chat at the water cooler is a great way to get more work done, so stay home and spend the day focusing on the work that needs your deepest concentration. This is easy for me as part of a remote office; however, I started this practice prior to working remotely. This technique is very similar to time-blocking because you are dedicated to getting specific tasks completed while at home. For me, the tasks that I get the most value in tackling from my kitchen counter are the ones that take large chunks of time and complex thinking to complete. Researching and writing these articles are in that category, along with annual budgeting. High-concentration tasks can vary depending on your aptitudes.

Some tips to make this work. Put on your out-of-office, silence your phone, and log out of pop-up Teams messages. If you must be in the office, try closing the office door or finding an alcove in the lunchroom and put on your headphones. Also practice a do-not-bother-me face so that just a glance can deter interruptions.

And the easiest way for me to manage time…

#1 – Use a To-Do List

This seems basic but many people do not use lists to organize and prioritize work tasks. I started making lists as soon as I could hold a crayon in my hand, so I have nearly perfected my method. I end each week with my to-do list for the next week.

While this takes 1 – 2 hours of my time, I also take this time to:

Complete any task that I can do in less time than it takes me to write down on my to-do list.
Tap coworkers or clients who owe me completed tasks for my projects to move forward.
Determine if a project needs a status meeting to move forward and get it on the project team’s calendar for the next week.

I know that using my own brain to generate my to-do list each week is old-school; however, my language arts teacher background tells me that writing is one of the best ways to create order out of chaos. Organizing information (whether handwritten or typed, whether essay or table or list) is thinking. Creating the to-do list is my own way of taking time each week to think holistically about the work/goals/purpose of IPD.

For me, not enough time is one of my biggest stressors at work. I am always balancing time in terms of what I need to complete for my team and clients with what I need to check off my list to feel less stress about my job to the time I should spend away from work for a healthy life.

While this Top 8 list provides some strategies for managing time, you may still feel guilty about the steps you take to balance your work time and your personal time. Here are a couple of statistics that can ease your guilt:

Research indicates that once you put it more than 50 hours a week, your production decreases to the point of being pointless to work.
Americans are towards the top of the list for working more hours in comparison with other countries with an advanced economy. Americans also suffer more health issues and higher insurance costs related to work than any other country with an advanced economy. So, save your organization insurance costs and work less.

Sidebar

As part of my research, I was curious about the phrase, Stop the world – I want to get off. Turns out it is the title of a musical from the 60’s. Set in a circus, it is the life journey of a young boy, who stops the show to have sidebar conversations with the audience every time something disastrous happens in his life. As an intelligent reading audience, I will leave you to draw your own connections between the workplace and the circus and add your own sidebar comments.

Stop the World Series Resource List
The 7 Habits
Encouraging Creative Thinking in the Workplace
Falling Behind on Work? Take These Steps to Get Back on Track
Finding Your Innovation Sweet Spot
The Hidden Tactic Overloaded Workers Are Using to Catch Up
How CEO’s Make Time to Create That Unexpected Lead Forward
How to Catch up on Work When You’ve Fallen Behind
How to Give Busy People the Time to Innovate
How to Gossip Strategically to Get Ahead at Work
Systematic Innovative Thinking
Top 10 Productivity Killers in the Workplace

Beth SchaeferDecember 5, 2024Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Stop the World #2 | I Want to Be Innovative

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Be Innovative

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

In the first Stop the World article, I discussed making room for important work. Read Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Do Important Things to set the stage to engage or re-engage with your work and your coworkers. While that article discussed important work, some readers may have noted that it left out Innovation.

This month’s article focuses on making time to be innovative, which – because it’s so important – gets its own article. 60% of CEO’s rate innovation as important to the organization. Innovation is what allows an organization to flex, adapt, grow, and offer unique solutions to customers. Some might say innovate or disappear.

Take a look at your calendar for this week; how much time have you set aside to be innovative?

Innovation Culture Killers

In the first article, being physically (but not mentally) present and looking busy were called out as an enemy to productivity; they are also the enemy of innovation. The brain will not spend time on creativity when it is overworked or when pretending to do work.

Avoid these innovation culture killers:

1. Overloading people with operational tasks.

Those who lack time to complete their work are 3 times more likely to struggle with innovation. The trend to eliminate workers and “do more with less” continues. While I agree that a reduced workforce saves money in the short-term; in the long-term, the burnout will:

Reduce workers’ ability to find process efficiencies
Delay the development of new products or product improvements
Negatively affect quality customer service (which research consistently tells us is closely correlated to how individuals feel about their jobs)
Diminish the ability of workers to problem-solve

2. Encouraging only Quadrant 1 activities.

The first article in the series introduced The Covey quadrant model that categorizes workplace activity. Quadrant 1 activities are necessary and important, but having your head down, checking off task after task kills “aha moments”–those moments where you and your team discover a process improvement or a brilliant new way to suit customer needs. Constantly moving to the next thing does not allow the space for the brain to think creatively.

10 Strategies to Balance Necessity with Innovation

1. Improve processes so that mundane tasks don’t take so long!

Find out what rules and protocols are soaking up work time and fix them. “Process debt” can build up in small pieces without being noticed. Innovative people will be innovative if you remove the routines that prevent innovativeness. Ask your people. They will tell you which processes are overburdened and can be easily streamlined. Create an agile or flexible list and reorder each month based on current needs and new suggestions. Pick one cumbersome process each month and fix it.

2. Add innovation to performance goals.

Established goals are green lights that allow people to schedule innovation time. Host regularly scheduled “innovation sprints” every 2 weeks or once a month to help your team meet those goals. Consider inviting other departments to your sprint to create/revise a process you share.

3. Grant permission to turn off the world.

Encourage your team members to occasionally ignore the phone and turn on an Out of Office message to create blocks of time for activities that promote creativity. Set the example by blocking off time on your own calendar and pointing that out to your team.

4. Be Attuned.

Do not schedule or expect innovation during busy times. Most organizations have hectic periods where business is brisk or times when holidays or vacations are more frequent and fewer workers are in the office. Do not squeeze innovation into time when people are scrambling to serve customers.

5. Allow reading and viewing.

Reading leads to learning. Learning leads to innovation. Learning can also happen when viewing a Ted Talk or listening to a scientific podcast, or similar program. “I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think.” -Warren Buffet.

6. Subtract something old before adding something new.

Innovation equals projects. Projects equal work. More work equals tough choices. Encouraging innovation may generate more ideas than can be simultaneously executed and sustained. If you continue to launch the new without removing the old, you have a recipe for overwhelming your team, and they will circle back to innovation stagnation.

7. Reward subtraction.

Addition is visible. Subtraction is invisible. Leidy Klotz addresses this in Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less where he calls this Shiny New Object Syndrome. Organizations tend to reward new things – additions – but they seldom recognize when someone is able to subtract an underperforming project or streamline steps to a process. Hold meetings focused on subtraction. Create a guideline to complete or subtract a priority or project before adding a new one. Openly celebrate subtractions; do not limit innovation to additions.

8. Make a path to submit new ideas.

If you ask your team how and when they submit innovative ideas, would they know? Provide many venues and modes for sharing. Let your team know that innovative ideas can be communicated through a sketch, a paragraph, a one-page document such as an SBAR, or a conversation. Make it easy to be innovative.

9. Teach innovation and creativity.

While some of your team members may just need time or permission to be more innovative, others will need specific tools, guidance, or established patterns for how to be innovative. See Innovation Tips and Tricks for more ideas on how to encourage innovation from your team.

10. Model

Ensure that your team sees you taking time to be innovative.

Sidebar

I know… All of this is easier said than done, so next month we will tackle, Stop the World, I Want to Get Off Find More Time

Beth SchaeferOctober 30, 2024Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Stop the World | I Want to Accomplish Something Important

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Accomplish Something Important

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

Explaining Stop the World Logic

I had a conversation with a colleague last week who was lamenting the lack of time to complete all their work. This led me to think about time management and a phrase I often use in both my work and personal life, Stop the world; I want to catch up. I need everyone else to freeze in time so that I have a few days to keep working and get caught up.

And, as often happens, real life generates an article idea. In this case: time management. Yes, this is an old topic, but a perennial favorite because so many of us still feel the time crunch. Add it to the list of other topics we can never seem to get consistently right: change management, process improvement, onboarding, (add your own topic here). These are topics that we are constantly revisiting and learning more about because the gap between doing it, and doing it well, is so large.

Researching innovative time management ideas turned this one article into the Stop the World collection of articles. Because, as research tells me, time management is about more than just catching up.

What Am I Doing All Day?

Thinking about time management reminded me of Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. I most recently used Covey in teaching a college course on effective supervision. Covey divides your time into four quadrants based on importance and urgency.

Necessity: Important and Urgent
Effectiveness: Important and Not Urgent
Distraction: Not Important and Urgent
Waste: Not Important and Not Urgent

The Stop the World collection will focus on reducing Distraction and Waste so that you have more time for the Necessary and Effective. This may seem an obvious solution; however, the latest workplace trend is “Present-ness.”

Looking Busy

While “being present” is a good thing; present-ness is about appearing busy. Present-ness is the response to the return-to-office movement. Recent research has shown that people sitting at their desks in their offices are more likely to be seen as a quality worker, a dedicated worker, an engaged worker and are, therefore, more likely to receive promotions. However, that same research reveals that the traditional thinking of “desk = productivity” is not accurate.

Sitting at a desk in the office does not mean those workers are more productive. When it comes to perception vs. reality, perception is 9/10^th of the law, so workers are willing to sacrifice productivity in favor of appearing busy. What are those “busy” people actually doing?

Answering emails (average of 9 hours a week)
Sitting in meetings (average of 7.5 hours a week)
Gossiping (average of 2-12 hours a week depending on your source)
Texting friends and family (average of 5 hours per week)
Surfing the internet/social media (average of 5 hours per week)

“Busy” is, not necessarily, productive. “Busy” can happen at the office (gossiping even more so) just as easily as at home.

Accomplishing Something Important

With that new trend in mind, let’s take a look at the Effectiveness Quadrant. The Effectiveness Quadrant (Important, Not Urgent) includes proactive activities that can be done in an office located at work or at home:

Setting important goals
Planning
Relationship Building
Learning
Thinking Creatively

Just thinking about doing these things at work makes me feel guilty because I am not crossing tasks off my to-do list; however, what strikes me about this list is that it correlates quite strongly to items leaders should do to promote employee engagement. (See our Employee Engagement series.) I firmly believe in cultivating intentional employee engagement. Maybe that will help me make time for important, not urgent items.

I also read this list and find that these items could fuel my own work engagement. I can proactively incorporate important, not urgent items into my own schedule to keep myself invested and model the importance of that quadrant to my team. You can too. What parts of your job do you love but do not take time to do because it feels like a guilty pleasure? Do them. If you do not have anything you like about your job, consider referencing the articles on The Great Resignation to find a new job.

For me, I love writing curriculum. It is no longer the main part of my role, but finding pockets of projects that allow me to write curriculum sparks creativity, keeps me engaged in my work, and gives me joy. For you, these activities could be taking some training, having a conversation with a mentor, or researching a topic you are passionate about. Clearly finding joy in your work can only be a good thing for both you and your employer.

Hopefully, the Stop the World collection of articles will help you to step off the busy-ness and step into what is important.

Next article in the collection coming next month: Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Be Innovative.

Sidebar

Stop the World Series Resource List
The 7 Habits
Encouraging Creative Thinking in the Workplace
Falling Behind on Work? Take These Steps to Get Back on Track
Finding Your Innovation Sweet Spot
The Hidden Tactic Overloaded Workers Are Using to Catch Up
How CEO’s Make Time to Create That Unexpected Lead Forward
How to Catch up on Work When You’ve Fallen Behind
How to Give Busy People the Time to Innovate
How to Gossip Strategically to Get Ahead at Work
Systematic Innovative Thinking
Top 10 Productivity Killers in the Workplace

Beth SchaeferOctober 4, 2024Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Politics in the Office: Part 3

Top 10 List for Leaders

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director

Despite your best efforts for a creating a respectful workplace for civil discourse (See Part 1 and Part 2 of Politics in the Office), the day after the election, there will be winners and losers. Do not assume everyone on your team will share your own response to the election results.

And…as the first 2 parts discussed, it is not just about red and blue, but about policies that will affect people’s families, economic status, religious beliefs, and healthcare. Regardless of who wins, the people on your team will face an unknown future. And, the unknown can bring fear, and fear can bring stress.

Consider these 10 strategies to assist your team through the most-intense weeks before and after the election:

Accept a decrease in productivity. Just like the December holidays or a warm sunny summer afternoon in Minnesota, the pace of work will slow down. Plan for it rather than fight it.
Plan your schedule and deadlines. If you know that your team will be especially distracted during the weeks before and after the election, avoid creating deadlines for your most critical projects or project pieces during that time.
Focus on work. While productivity may decrease, you are still in the workplace. You can direct people to focus on work rather than half-day discussions at the water cooler. Consider tasks that are easy to complete. Perhaps that will be a good week to do some “housekeeping” work (updating files, cleaning emails) that improves productivity overall but is easy to do.
Model respectful discourse. If you set political discussion boundaries, remind your team that they are still in effect after the election too. If you did not set boundaries, consider doing so. Be ready to respectfully end political discussions that are too long or are disrespectful.
Be consistent. Treat all your team members the same even if their politics are different than yours. Make sure the guidelines you put in place are evenly enforced. If someone’s political discourse is disrespectful or harassing, as the leader, you need to address it. See Part 2 for strategies. When your team sees that you are serious about a safe space at work, it can reduce their stress.
Schedule check-ins. If you do not currently do 1:1 check-in with your team members, this may be a good time to start. Use check-in time to see if they are feeling extra stress in general. You can do this without asking about political preferences. If they are having trouble focusing, suggest work that needs to be completed, but is not too challenging. This is also a good time to address any political talk that is not following the guidelines.
Listen with empathy and seek to understand. Even if your politics are different, you can still listen to why people are disheartened by the results and provide empathy. See the article Heard! for a review of empathetic listening strategies.
Suggest a media break. If the elections seem to be stressing out members of your team, suggest they step away from media and social media for a few days. Research is clear that social media can compound stress.
Be ready with resources. Have your organization’s Employee Assistance Program links at the ready. Share them with individuals as needed or proactively share them with your team.
Care. While this article is framed through the lens of workplace productivity, genuinely caring about your individual team members is one of the best ways to help them avoid burnout– whether it is due to the election or any other endless factors that contribute to life and work stressors.

Follow Up Note: In the Part 2 article, I failed the beginning assessment for leaders. I am happy to report that since I wrote that article, my organization provided training to staff and leaders on what types of political activity are acceptable in our workplace. The session was informative and clarified several guidelines for me. Since I work in education, our workplace guidelines are probably a bit trickier than most, and that made the training all the more helpful.

Resource List

7 Ways Employers Can Help Combat Election Anxiety in Their Workforce

How HR Can Guide a Workplace Through the Fraught 2024 Election Season

Navigating Pre- and Post- Elections Tensions in the Workplace

Polarizing Politics: How Leaders Can Protect and Support Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Beth SchaeferSeptember 3, 2024Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Politics in the Office: Part 2

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director

Quick Quiz

Does your workplace have a policy about discussing politics in the workplace?
Does your workplace have policies on political ads in your office window, on your desk, on a button for your lapel or a T-shirt you wear?
Do you know what those polices allow and prohibit?
Do you know how to enforce it as a leader or how to diplomatically inform a coworker?

Here are the answers that I had before I did the research for this article:

Maybe
Maybe
No
No

Yes, it’s a Problem.

In Politics in the Office: Part 1, I wrote about my personal uncomfortable experience with political discussions in the workplace; however, research shows that I am not alone.

60% of American workers find political discussions in the workplace UNACCEPTABLE, yet 50% of us admit to engaging in them.
42% of American workers report that “political disagreements” with coworkers affect their work production.

Yes, it’s more of a problem now than in the past.

Elections are not new, but our political discourse has evolved along with our workplace behaviors.

Lines between work and personal life have blurred – driven by remote workers, but also by the American workplace becoming more flexible with families (like many other countries). In the past, your coworkers’ personal lives and political views may not have been integrated into workplace discussions.
Political discourse has become more divisive. Many political leaders themselves model rudeness and cancel culture instead of conversation and collaboration. Where you maybe once just disagreed with someone’s vote, now you feel pressure to be suspicious of their character for a differing political view.
Federal policies have a larger impact on our family lives from the taxes we pay, to the cars, appliances, and windows we purchase, to the healthcare we can receive, to our families immigrating and joining us. Almost 50% of Americans fear changes brought by political elections – regardless of which side wins. This fear makes it difficult to ignore the sidebar of the national election going on outside work.
In addition, the stress and fear of the election can affect workers’ mental health – which in turn affects your team.

All of these add up to politics being more intrusive to work production now than in the past.

You have options as coworkers and leaders.

Both coworkers and leaders should resist using politics as a reason to demonize people. This affects workplace relationships and contributes to a disrespectful culture that almost all workers agree they do not want as part of their workplace.

Here are some things you can do or say over the next two months to navigate politics in the office:

As a Coworker

Be aware of others.

You may enjoy a good political debate, but others may find your conversations draining and time-consuming, so much so that their work performance can suffer, adding stress they do not need.
Look at body language and listen to coworker statements to gage who may be interested in a political discussion at the water cooler or lunch room, and those who are not.
Do not assume your coworkers have the same political views that you do, putting them in the uncomfortable place of debating you or dodging you (see Part 1).
If you are passionate about a topic, consider constructive ways to share your political views and influence policy outside your workday.

Be aware of yourself.

Know your own specific triggers to help you regulate your emotions at work. For instance, if you have a family member affected by immigration policy, have a statement ready, such as, “This topic frustrates me. While I know there are two or more sides to every issue, I have family directly impacted which makes it difficult for me to have a neutral conversation with you.”
If you know that you do not want to discuss politics at work, be ready to dodge engagement. Have some phrases at the ready such as:
- “I have put myself on a newsbreak, so I would prefer we discuss something else.”
- “I have too much work to get done right now to do justice to discussing this important topic.”

Be aware of workplace culture.

- Know your organization’s policy on political discussions. What does the employee handbook say? Can you wear a political T-shirt or button? Or hang a poster in your office window? In most states, employers are allowed to make rules about political affiliation.
- Be aware of social capital. While you may not get fired for discussing politics in the workplace, being aggressive on your viewpoints could affect how others work with you (or not) beyond the election results.
- If it’s your boss making political statements that are racist or sexist in nature or your boss is not taking actions to squelch inappropriate comments from others, consider submitting a confidential complaint to human resources.
- Mind your social media. If your social media promotes racism, harassment, discrimination, or threats, employers will need to address it due to liability issues.

Be ready if you engage.

- If you choose to engage rather than deflect or avoid, view it as a learning opportunity not as the chance to change a vote or change a mind. A sidebar office conversation is unlikely to change anyone’s vote.
- To open a conversation where you aim to understand another’s point of view, you can try, “I know how I feel about minimum wage law, but I am curious to hear why you feel so differently than I do about it.”
- If confronted with political viewpoints that you do not want to agree to, have some phrases at the ready based on how much you want to engage in discussion:
  - “I have not had time to research that issue yet. It appears to be quite complex. I will need to discuss it another time.”
  - “I have a different perspective. I do not want to change your mind, but maybe we could schedule time outside of work to discuss our differing perspectives to better understand each other.”
- Have an out. At some point, you cannot spend the whole work day in the deep conversations necessary to truly understand someone else’s viewpoint on human culture or freedoms. Be ready to agree to disagree and return to work. Try a phrase such as, “I appreciate this discussion, but clearly we will not reach agreement today, and I have items in my inbox to get to.”

As a Leader

Know the rules.

Know the written policies of your workplace for political discussions. Educate your team on them as needed.
Know the unwritten rules of your workplace when it comes to political discussions. Help your team, especially new members, navigate the culture.
If you are a leader with no guidance from your organization…well, it may be too late for this election cycle, but suggest they tackle this topic before the next one.

Know your staff.

- If political discussions are polarizing and disruptive to the team’s work, consider having 1:1 conversations to raise your concerns on unintended consequences and suggest alternative times and places for political discussions to take place.
- Note the effect on your individual team members. Even if a team member does not speak up, if you are aware that an election outcome will drastically change their life, handle the emotional situation the same way you would handle other factors that affect mental health.

Set the example.

Be ready to pivot the team conversation when it interferes with work production. “While I do not think we will agree on gun laws today, I think we can all agree that we need a new strategy to streamline the invoice process. Tell me the latest barriers you are experiencing.”
Be ready to squelch conversations that are against workplace policy, “The tone of this conversation is not appropriate for our workplace culture and goes against our policy on (fill in the blank). It is time to end this discussion and focus on our work.”
Be ready to privately follow up with individuals whose comments violate HR policy. “You can state beliefs on gender outside the workplace, but when you are at work, our organization believes (fill in the blank), and you need to follow our policy.”

Hopefully, having some strategies and phrases at the ready will help you navigate this election and keep the workplace productive and respectful.

Part 3 of Politics in the Office will discuss the legalities of politics in the workplace along with supporting your coworkers post-election.

Resources for Political Discourse in the Workplace

Discussing Politics in the Workplace

6 Dos and Don’ts of Talking Politics at Work

Dos and Don’ts of Politics at Work

Career Advice for Politics at Work

Talking Politics in the Office

Beth SchaeferAugust 6, 2024Most Recent Blog, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Politics in the Office: Part 1

Many of us are familiar with office politics – advocating for power in the workplace.

Increasingly, the angst created by office politics is taking second place to angst generated by politics in the office.

The 2024 Presidential election is being touted as “high-stakes.” This sense of urgency makes it almost impossible to keep political discussions out of the workplace. And, with all that comes with high-stakes election rhetoric, it seems almost impossible to maintain a welcoming workplace culture that is inclusive to all points of view.

During my career, I have played many roles in workplace political discussions. Here are some roles I have tried out over the years.

The Observer

The Observer listens to what is being said, but remains silent. The Observer may (or may not) have a viewpoint, but attempts to appear neutral or mysterious on political views. Never weighing in has several advantages:

You never reveal your ignorance of politics or your lack of attention to current events.
You never reveal your apathy of politics and risk having someone tell you that you NEED to care and take a stand. It is your FUTURE!
You never offend anyone because you have never said anything.
You never get lectured by someone who follows you down the hall or catches you in the parking lot trying to convince you of how wrong you are about your beliefs or vote.

The Apathetic

The Apathetic does not care. And they are vocal about it so that all who work with them know that they find politics to be a waste of time. This allows them the freedom to disengage from any political discussion. While we may find it easy to make presumptions about The Apathetic, there could be several reasons for political apathy:

Perhaps they do not feel that either side can fix anything.
Perhaps they are embarrassed by the behavior of political leaders and wish to avoid association with any side.
Perhaps they are young and free and having too much fun to worry about THE FUTURE.
Perhaps, they are too busy working 2 jobs or caring for 3 children or caretaking parents or fighting a medical illness to take the time needed to truly study the issues for an informed opinion.

The Apathetic can present as The Observer IF they do not ever voice their apathy. Once you take a pronounced Apathetic stance, you will be immersed in workplace political discussions: See #4 from The Observer.

The Worker

The Worker has definite opinions on the state of the country and is current in their knowledge of the political landscape. The Worker may even agree with most of the political rhetoric being heard in the workplace. However, The Worker wants time spent at work to be about working. They want workplace harmony so that they can get things done. If and when progress is derailed, The Worker wants those challenges to be related to the work. I am often The Worker, and I use similar techniques to The Marginal (see below) to manage political conversations in the workplace. Because The Worker is head-down productive, the Worker might be mistaken for The Observer or The Apathetic.

The Marginal

The Marginal believes their opinion is the opposite of most of the people they work with. As our politics become more combative, more us vs them, more we’re right and you’re wrong, and more all or nothing, I can often find myself in the margins. Even if I want some of the same outcomes as the majority, the approach and rhetoric being used makes me uncomfortable. I do not want to nod my head in agreement nor do I want to find myself facilitating a political discussion. The Marginal role is difficult and uncomfortable; you can feel limited on options:

Go along to get along. You pretend to agree with political platforms touted by others to avoid an argument, but you may feel like a fraud.
Speak up. You can speak up and spark a discussion, but you risk isolation and see (again) #4 of The Observer about people following you to your car. And, do you risk promotion if you disagree with the wrong people?
Divert. The weather is always a good option. This option, while a safe route, can make you feel shallow because it avoids important life topics- at least at work.
Avoid. You take steps to avoid certain coworkers or even workplace gatherings and meetings to avoid having to navigate this political situation. This option can also limit your workplace productivity.

The Majority

The Majority believes that their opinion is the opinion of everyone in the office. As a young teacher, I firmly believed that those I worked with were on the left. This appeared to make workplace political discussions easy to navigate because I thought I could predict which statements would be acceptable and which statements would generate animosity. The environment felt safe because even if I never said a word, I could nod in agreement. As I spend more time in the workplace, I realize that I am probably never in the majority, but more likely, surrounded by:

Observers
Apathetics
Workers
Marginals

When in the role of The Majority, I was making a lot of assumptions about the people in my workplace. And, most likely, I was making many coworkers uncomfortable with my “I have all the answers” political statements.

Perhaps, you have also played (or play) these same roles. In reflecting on these roles, I realize that I do not think I have ever received any guidance for how to handle politics in the office. September’s article: Politics in the Office: Part 2 will provide some resources that we might all find helpful to navigate the workplace during this 2024 election season.

Sources Cited

No resources were used in the writing of this article – just my own experiences, observations, and reflections of XX years of being a part of the American workplace.

Author Archives: Beth Schaefer

Delegation: Take It Up A Level

6 Key Activities That Support Middle Management

Read more about Middle Management

Importance of Middle Managers

Read more about Middle Management

Stuck In the Middle

Hello, My name is Beth Schaefer, and I am in middle management.

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Catch Up

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

#8 – Write Down Process

#7 – Prioritize

#6 – Be Realistic With Your Time

#5 – Get Rid of Meetings

#4 – Limit Your Time

#3 – Do NOT Be a Perfectionist

#2 – Work From Home When Needed

And the easiest way for me to manage time…

#1 – Use a To-Do List

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Be Innovative

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

Innovation Culture Killers

1. Overloading people with operational tasks.

2. Encouraging only Quadrant 1 activities.

10 Strategies to Balance Necessity with Innovation

1. Improve processes so that mundane tasks don’t take so long!

2. Add innovation to performance goals.

3. Grant permission to turn off the world.

4. Be Attuned.

5. Allow reading and viewing.

6. Subtract something old before adding something new.

7. Reward subtraction.

8. Make a path to submit new ideas.

9. Teach innovation and creativity.

10. Model

Stop the World; I Want to Get Off Accomplish Something Important

Beth Schaefer IPD Director

Top 10 List for Leaders

By Beth Schaefer IPD Director

Quick Quiz

As a Coworker

As a Leader

Sources Cited

No resources were used in the writing of this article – just my own experiences, observations, and reflections of XX years of being a part of the American workplace.

By Beth Schaefer
IPD Director