International management is hands on – more accurately it might be described as “full body”! I mean, you can sometimes find “how-to” management articles from the school where you got your training, or other international organization related to what you do, but chances are that they are dry, boring, and they don’t really match who you are very well and what you are actually facing.
In the past month, I have gotten a few people asking advice on how to manage their team. Advice I do not have --- there is already a lot of abstract advice out there on how to manage more “effectively” -- meanwhile the concrete “problems” pile up on your desk!
The post “Got a Bad case of Supervisor Syndrome” – generated passionate responses. If you missed the post, click here to read it.
Since my clients seem to get stuck in what I call the
"web of bad" -- a strong focus on (if not obsession with) the CONTENT of their circumstances and their REACTION to it, I want to write about one theme in this “web of bad” in case you are stuck in the “Supervisor Sydrome”
If you have ONLY had competent, inspiring and supportive supervisors then there is no need to read this.
However, if you have had a supervisor who displays one or more of these characteristics…
For those of you who feel far away from toilet training – this is a breakdown: Around 2 years old, a child begins a transition from diapers to using the toilet. This moment is often erroneously referred to as “toilet training”. However, a child does not need to be trained to use the toilet, rather the caretaker needs to be trained on how to create the enabling “toilet-transition” environment for the child to teach him/herself and thrive.
Let’s just say it – the international workspace can be a lonely one.
Is loneliness part of the organizational fabric of international work?
Here is a recent NY Times article "Building a Bridge to a Lonely Colleague" - workplace loneliness and its impact on individuals, teams and organizations:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/jobs/building-a-bridge-to-a-lonely-colleague-workstation.html
If you don’t have time to read the article, read the below direct excerpts:
In a shared tuk-tuk in Phnom Penh, I met two experienced international workers. Without intending to, our triad’s superficial conversation veered towards Hillary Clinton and the health consequences we face.
Our health: it turns out all of us are dealing with work related conditions – digestion issues, respiratory issues, physical and emotional stress, etc.
Hillary Clinton: People cannot stop talking about how her intense and demanding work (like yours!) seems to be taking a visible toll on her. And then people talk about Bill Clinton who is living the happy vegan life and looking a bit too good?
I never enjoyed being a part of a “bad” team with negative vibes. Rather, I always thrived when I was part of great teams. And you?
One elephant in the international workspace: the lack of effective teamwork hampers humanitarian and development efforts.
The second elephant in the same room: all of us play victims to this reality because we think there is nothing we can do about it!
Why?
I’ll be the first to admit that while I was working in the UN- “work-life balance” seemed more like “work – life imbalance”.
I’ll say three things for the record:
1. I’ve almost never heard an international worker talk positively about work-life balance;
2. Most international workers settle for work-life imbalance because they think it is the normal price to pay to be in the game and there are no other options;
3. Most international workers feel their achievement is a reflection of their self-worth; this fans the misconception that the more you work the more you will achieve AND the better you will feel about yourself.
Recently, a coaching client asked a powerful question that has been on my mind:
“Why do I feel that that what I do is not meaningful when supposedly I am working on ‘important’ world issues?”
If you are an international worker – you might be asking yourself this same question, as I have.
Do you ever wonder why certain colleagues seem to:
- Lose their passion;
- Seem to be sick all the time;
- Sacrifice their personal relationships;
- Lose their self-confidence;
- Get more and more cynical and bitter with each assignment;
- Have a life that no longer resonates with them the way it once did.
In the international workspace (and in our personal lives) – people are often affected by lack of effective communication – a.k.a. “missed-communication”- spending time and energy complaining about it and suffering because of it.
Does it ever feel like people are speaking about different issues than the one at hand, and/or they want to win rather than come to the best solution, stay stuck in their point of view or opinion, and sort of (or completely!) miss each other and the subject?
DO YOU ALWAYS BENEFIT FROM FEEDBACK?
Can you relate to the following:
- How many times do you work on a project and wish that someone would provide REAL feedback?
- Wouldn't it be great if one person would relate to the content of your work and respond to you with valuable written or oral feedback?
- Do you dream that you can continuously learn from your work?
- Do you strive to have your work be valuable to your colleagues and your organization?
- Is making an impact an aspiration for you?
Following the launch of DPPD, we heard back from many of you with positive remarks about the need for this service. We also heard one prevailing inquiry - -
“Can you tell me more about coaching?"
