The first thinking trap I wrote about was the Black and White trap. Today, it’s about the Filtering Thinking Trap. This cognitive distortion can become part of our nature because of the way we have been conditioned to process our experiences in a negative way. Sometimes, it’s also a defense mechanism to reject taking action.
Continue reading
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father-figures. Today is a special day to remember and honour your contributions as the father.
Today, I remember my own father.
Continue reading
Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to a Facebook post (someone else’s) that talked about how his company micro-manages them now during the lockdowns. I was amazed at the extreme this company went to micro-manage.
The company had installed a screen activity tracker on the computers that are used by the employees. The system sits in the background and tracks if there are any mouse movement or typing activity on the computer. After a certain period, if they detect that there are none, a window will pop up to verify why they have been idle. The system will ask if they are still on the break or if they want to continue working. And the system will screenshot everything that is displayed on the computer. (Alert: this may have broken some privacy laws if personal data was displayed.)
When I wrote about the invisible leader being visible, this is certainly not what I was referring to. LOL!
Micro-management involves the close supervision of an employee by a manager. The term has a negative connotation because it stems from distrust and does not promote autonomy. Many are clock-watchers as in the case of using the screen tracker.
There are many reasons employers micro-manage their team members. Fear drives many of the behaviors they exhibit. Here are some common reasons why people micro-manage:
This distrust damages relationships with your staff. According to Brigette Hyacinth, the long term negative effects on the business are:
If you think you have a tendency to micro-manage, take time to do self assessment. What is the real fear, deep down? Perhaps, it’s not fear but you need to learn how to teach, not tell.
fmco = Full Movement Control Order
About the Author: Gina Phan is a consultant and trainer with Zinfinity Consulting. She currently conducts courses in workplace performance skills. Click here to contact her, follow her on Facebook or connect with her on Linkedin.
#micromanage #micromanager #fear #leadership #management
#trainergina #ginaphan #gp
(Feature Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)
18th March 2020 – the first day Malaysia went into the lock-down for the first time as a response to the spread Covid-19 virus. There was a lot of uncertainties as people prepared to start the work-from-home (wfh) regime. For a few, this is what wfh may have looked like – a nice, quiet corner in the house, away from human traffic, where you can set up your computer, sit down with a cup of coffee and your favourite pastry. No phone calls. No interruptions from office mates. And no traffic jams. Just peace and quiet.
WAKE UP!
Continue reading
Some leaders want to build the organisation and community centred on them and their abilities. While others prefer to truly serve his people from behind. A few days ago, I wrote about the Lion Dance troupe. One of the major roles in the community is its invisible leader.
In most lion dance troupe, the sifu is the owner/founder/guru. Nobody knows more than him. He is respected by his students and by his peers. (cue Wong Fei Hong theme song) And yet, most times, he is not seen and does not seem to take up any role in the performance. People know his abilities through the work of his students. His presence is felt.
Continue reading
Have you ever felt certain about something – like someone doesn’t like you – but you don’t ever try to find out for real? Or you are anxious about the future? Perhaps you worry about how other people are thinking or you seem to think disaster is inevitable. These are thinking traps that sometimes take over our rational mind. Also known as cognitive distortions, thinking traps are deeply ingrained in our psyche.
Continue reading
Who am I?
Back in 1979, one of my favourite songs was Supertramp’s Logical Song. There’s one part in which they sing “I know it sounds absurd, Please tell me who I am….” Self-awareness can be rare.
A holistic understanding of the various approaches in servant leadership requires self-awareness in the leader.
Often, people in positions of authority and power are blissfully ignorant of their own strengths, as well as their shortcomings. We need to be conscious of how our own behavior, the expression of our values and emotions, and our psychological biases affect those around us. This becomes even more essential during critical moments. It is key to establishing trust and openness in your team.
Continue reading
Today, I return to the upside-down org chart and explore another aspect of leaders in such an organisation. So far, I have written about stewardship, vision and foresight, passion, compassion, and commitment to others. This time, it’s about the ability to build strong communities.
Continue reading
Lion dances are noisy affairs. The entire troupe will come in a small lorry or two. You can hear them from pretty far because they will beat their drums even before they reach their place of performance.
Continue reading
Wolves are interesting animals. The wolf has these indispensable qualities: sociability, and a capacity for learning, communication, and expression. According to Living with Wolves blog, they live in well-coordinated and collaborative packs. They form unique bonds and care for each other individually, which is the foundation of their cooperative living. In short, they are devoted and committed to the pack.
What great leadership lessons we can derive from them?
Today, I take a break from the upside-down org chart series to talk about being authentic in communication. This applies to leaders as well as anyone else in the organisation.
The business landscape has changed and will carry on changing. Authentic communication is now required in all levels of conversations – whether it’s between government officials with the people, an employer with an employee, or between a business and its customers.
Continue reading
The upside down organisation chart and how a compassionate leader can inspire people to new heights.
My friend, Jasmine shared her experience to me. She used to head the smaller Malaysian office for a US-based company and had been working there for about 8 years when it happened. I am sure you agree that her boss showed what compassion at the workplace means in real terms.
Continue reading
Many of us are so used to the organisation being top-centric where authority lives and directives are flowed down. The upside-down organisation chart is something that we need to consciously adopt and adapt to.
If you visualise the upside-down org chart, you will see that the leader literally is supporting and holding up the entire structure. What drives this leader?
Continue reading
[8 June 2021] Day 8 of the fmco* in Malaysia.
I wrote about Stewardship in an upside-down org chart yesterday.
There is more to leadership than our decision-making skills. One of the services a leader must provide is the capacity of vision and foresight. Without this, the whole organisation will either go in different directions or in the wrong direction.
Continue reading
[7 June 2021] Day 7 of the fmco* in Malaysia.
We’ve seen this kind of organisation chart being drawn all the time. The leader is always at the top. Yeah, I’ve used it too. But in practise, it should be upside-down. What sort of leadership will put themselves at the bottom?
Continue reading
[6 June 2021] Day 6 of the fmco* in Malaysia.
Everyone is selling happiness. Everyday, we are overloaded on social media with well-intentioned messages. If we follow their advise, you’ll be a better at what you do or you’ll live better, and hence there’s a promise of achieving happiness at the end of the journey.
“Buy my product. Follow my plan. Invest.”
You can do it! See, I’ve done it! If I can do it, you can do it! Aim high.
What if I cannot? What if I cannot make it to my goal? Should I give up? This is not for me.
Recently, I read a comment on social media. The commenter says she feels so much better on a channel with dysfunctional folks than on the channel with lots of polished experts. She was more depressed after spending time on the latter. For her, the former was more authentic. (More on this in another musing.) Everyone could laugh at themselves.
I believe some of us are too harsh on ourselves A few years ago, I came about this realisation. I now aim for progress in my journey, not perfection in my goal. Often, we confuse perfectionism with striving for excellence.
Here are some examples of what perfectionism sounds like:
This sounds really stressful. Be kind to yourself.
Compare this to how progress sounds like:
I visualise progress as taking a drive along country roads – taking simple joys in the pace, in the scenery, and if we are lucky, friends we make along the way. And with each stop, we are a better version of ourselves than in the previous stop.
To me, happiness is not a destination. It’s the journey itself. Take joy in your successes, and also in your setbacks. Progress is what fills the gap between your abilities and your aspirations.
About the Author: Gina Phan is a consultant and trainer with Zinfinity Consulting. She currently conducts courses in workplace performance skills. Click here to contact her, follow her on Facebook or connect with her on Linkedin.
#progress #kaizen #bekindtoyourself #acceptance #openmindset #happiness #growthmindset
#trainergina #ginaphan #gp
(Feature Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay)
*fmco stands for Full Movement Control Order.
I got my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine yesterday evening! I am so happy! I have done a small part to help achieve herd immunity and to protect my family and myself.
The process was very smooth. Everyone we met was friendly, patient, polite, accommodating, and mindful. We got done in 25 minutes plus 15-minutes in the observation area and another 10 minutes queuing at the photo booths. I started timing from the elevator at the car park.
At every stop, the people in charge were professional, carefully checking our IDs, the MySejahtera tracing app, our forms, and our health condition. The whole process worked like a well-oiled machine. I applaud the logistics and operations managers for this massive national vaccination programme. They have done a really good job.
At each point, I asked the staff if they were volunteers. Many are. Malaysia, we owe these volunteers big time. They don’t have to do this. They could have spent their days either tending to their business, studies or jobs, or spending time at home with their family during this lockdown. And yet, they stepped up to the plate to do this for us.
We still need more volunteers – both healthcare and non-healthcare. Learn more about MyVAC (Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers) . The FAQ page is pretty comprehensive. The more volunteers we have, the more vaccination centres we can operate. Sign up as one if you wish to contribute.
What about me? My most recent experience as a volunteer was for #WLIC2018 international conference that Malaysia hosted. It was a very rewarding experience. I am considering to sign up as a MyVac volunteer after my second dose. Wanna join me?
About the Author: Gina Phan is a consultant and trainer with Zinfinity Consulting. She currently conducts courses in workplace performance skills. Click here to contact her, follow her on Facebook or connect with her on Linkedin.
#gratitude #covid-19 #vaccine #volunteering
#trainergina #ginaphan #gp
*fmco stands for Full Movement Control Order.
A young child with missing front teeth is cute. It’s so adorable when kids flash their wide toothless grin.
Today, I am sharing something more personal. A few days ago, a friend posted this question on Linkedin. What if it’s an adult? Will missing front teeth hurt his/her image?
Continue reading
Zoom fatigue. Screen fatigue.
Many people have gone online for more than a year now since the pandemic start early last year. For many of us, we are doing almost everything staring at the screen — emails, texting, as well as reading for work and for pleasure.
I used to watch TV (remember that box?) or videos on the computer as a break. But recently, I found that I have very little patience to watch even a 2-minute video. I keep forwarding the video to see if there’s really anything that will interest me. Does this happen to you?
Continue reading
Last night, I was making a comment in a friend’s Facebook post when the question hit me. Since the pandemic started, we are so used to the wfh (work-from-home) acronym. Why do we say ‘work from home‘, but never ‘work from office‘?
Continue reading
