How to RAP, or be on-PAR, with your Boss & Employees…

“What’s happening?…what’ve you been up to?”

Has your boss ever sprung this kind of question on you in an unsuspecting moment (…hallway, water cooler, telephone call, while traveling…)?

If you’re like me & some of those I coach, this is often a “deer-in-the-headlights-moment.” You know you’ve been diligent and very busy, but hadn’t organized your thoughts enough not to sound weak or completely random.

Keeping in mind that these touch-points between superiors & employees are often very brief but extremely important in building perception of your performance, how do you structure them be as effective as possible?

Here’s a simple outline using the acronym  “RAP” (or “PAR”) so you can easily & quickly remember it:

RESULTS – what are the 2-3 most important outcomes you’ve accomplished?– it says “I’m focused on producing outcomes that count” (what it sounds like:…I’ve written 6 out of 10 training modules and 80% of our salesforce has completed the first two…).

ACTIVITY – what have you been doing that gives color to the result? – it says “I’m working hard and am using my time wisely & effectively” (what it sounds like:…I’m benchmarking leading companies and am using that content to write the modules…I’m also in daily contact with regional managers about who needs training…)

PRIORITIES – what are the macro-priorities you’re focused on? – it says “I see the big picture and clearly understand where I need to focus & have impact” (what it sounds like:…so zooming out, my priorities are on getting the training curriculum completely finished by October and having 95% of the salesforce trained by the end of the year…)

A few practical tips in applying the above:

RAP or PAR – which one do you use? This can depend on the kind of boss you have. Outcome-/result- oriented (use RAP), or big-picture/strategic (use PAR). It can also depend on cultural orientation…some are more prone to need context before getting to conclusions (PAR), others more bottom-line oriented (RAP).

Boss to employee – can it be used going the other way? Of course! It can easily be adapted to expressing your expectations of people that work for you. In this case, I’ve often found PAR to be effective…starting with clear priorities (why), bringing to life with examples of potential activity (how), then clearly defining expected results (what).

Be proactive! – don’t wait for your boss (or employee) to ask…go to them…seek them out…regularly! In fact waiting until they ask can often mean they already have a seed of doubt in their mind about what you’re doing & how you’re spending time. Schedule regular & frequent updates (formal & informal), take control of your narrative & your story.

So why don’t you try it now…today…this week?!…Call your boss, checkin at the water cooler, send a quick email…your next 1-on-1. Start to RAP (or be on-PAR)…NOW!

I’d love to hear it!

Picture: www.itsdiscovery.com

Active Waiting!

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt stuck…you’re in a “holding pattern” have to wait, put in your time, or simply don’t know what to do next? Of course we’ve all been in these situations…sometimes for extended periods of time. It’s part of life.

….the question is….how do you respond? There’s a wide range of emotions & attitudes that come with these seasons of life, but I’d like to propose a response I heard in a talk on the subject – it’s “active waiting.”

What does it mean? Of course it’s waiting, perseverance, and patience…but not “passive-patience” – not sitting on your hands, not waiting for the apple to fall. It’s “active patience”, aka “active waiting” – planting seeds, searching and preparing the ground for the next season, shaking trees with apples in them…even if you don’t know exactly where the apples might be.

Here are practical tips that’ll help you focus the LENS on an “active-waiting” perspective:

1. L earn – educate yourself on options, read books, take courses, get certifications that could be valuable for the next steps
2. E xperience – find ways to experiment on a small scale – weekend activity, volunteering, shadowing…anything to truly experience your options firsthand
3. N etwork – seek out experts, mentors, associations, groups of like-minded individuals that can guide you, give feedback, share stories, provide contacts & leads
4. S tart – look for connecting points in your current work that give you an “excuse” to start from where you are…even if it’s a stretch. Keep in mind that an organic “bridge” to something new is typically better than an abrupt jump off of a cliff. (Example – if you’re thinking about being an author, volunteer to write for the department newsletter…keep doing it…people may notice…see what happens)

So what are you waiting for? Focus your lens. Begin the process of active waiting today…it’ll definitely increase your chances of moving forward.

Picture: www.gizmodo.com

 

What gives me energy?

Have you ever pondered this question? On the surface it seems quite simple, but in practice many people are unclear about the answer for themselves.

I believe one of the reasons for uncertainty is that the question is rarely asked this way in the real world. It typically comes in the form of “what job would you like to have?” or “what position are you aiming for?”

Notice how these versions contaminate the original question, introducing factors like job, status, level, ambition, promotion, etc. It’s less about what fits for the “true me”, and more about what fits within an existing construct/organization, or “how I compare versus other people.”

So how do you really know what gives you energy?

Here’s a simple technique I discovered (and applied to myself) while reading a book called Creative Confidence by David & Tom Kelley (founders of IDEO, dean of school of design at Stanford). Tom describes this technique in the context of Dave’s journey of recovery from cancer:

As David emerged from his cancer treatments at the end of 2007, he realized he had literally been given a second chance at life. On the advice of psychiatrist Dr. C. Barr Taylor, David began using a very simple method of examining what his days were like and finding ways to make them better. Every evening before bedtime, he would reflect briefly on the ups and downs of his waking hours. He would then score the day in terms of how much fun he had, on a scale from one to ten, and mark it on his calendar. After collecting a couple weeks’ worth of data, he went back and reflected over his calendar together with Barr to find what activities drove the number up or down. They discovered some surprising patterns. Days in which David had a solitary hour or two in his studio space…were more rewarding…He also noticed which ones dragged him down. And then he began gravitating toward activities that raised his score and away from things that lowered them.

In summary…At the end of every day, take time to reflect on what brought you energy, and what did not. Document it in a simple list, pluses on one side, minuses on the other, and an overall score for the day. Do this for 60-90 days, then look back, take inventory, identify patterns, themes, etc.

It seems really simple, but I can tell you from firsthand experience, it’s immensely valuable. You’ll likely find some surprises, but most importantly it’ll help you get crystal clear on what makes you “come alive”… and what does not (which can be equally surprising). Also, you’ll be confident in the results, since they’re entirely derived from observation of your own experience.

So what’s holding you back? Start your “observation list” today! I’d love to hear what you discover….about yourself!