#Followership tip of the week:
Write out your “How to work with me” Manual.
GIVE IT TO YOUR LEADER and ask to have a one on one about it.
It can include:
- Things you need to be able to do your best work.
- Most productive times.
- Communication preferences – best and worst ways to communicate with you.
- How you want to receive feedback – best ways to give you hard news or critique.
- What is your perspective on feedback.
- How you like to connect with your peers.
- How you deal with meetings.
- Single tasker or multitasker?
- Your learning style.
- How you deal with decision making
- What is your Personal Task System
- How do you deal with complexity
- How do you handle interruption or a busy environment
- What is your recovery period when you get out of flow?
- Do you need coffee to start your day?
- What do people need to know about you to get the best from you?
- What drives you crazy or irritates you?
- What are the core ideas and values that drive you?
- What are some things that help you re-center when you get thrown for a loop?
- If you were to leave a team tomorrow, what are some things you want the team and your leader to say about you?
- What are some things you are doing when you are in the zone?
- Pet peeves?
- Things you love from teammates.
Remove the burden of discovering how best to work with you from your leader and team.
Express your needs and let everyone know what helps you succeed.
Don’t leave it to #leadership to assume how to best interact. Be up front and tell your leader how you work and the best ways to work with you.
Seriously – Write out a a “how to work with me” manual and then discuss it with your leader.
Don’t be afraid to let them know what helps you be a strong independent contributor. The best way to communicate with you. Your preferred leadership style. How you deal with stress. How risk averse you are (your risk/criticism tolerance). How you best accept feedback. Your strengths, weaknesses, things you are working on shoring up. How you normally schedule your day and when you are most productive (try to set meetings outside the productivity times).
Really anything relevant to helping you bring your best self
#BeCourageous and help your leader and team members learn how best to work with you. Don’t leave the burden of discovery to others. Tell your leader what you need to be a better follower. Talk to them about it. Negotiate what is possible. The more you communicate the more they will know.
