Comments on: Consultants, Beware Of Procrastinators, Disengaged, And Distracters!

By: alik levin

alik levin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:05:10 +0000

Barbara,
Thanks for good words.
The observation is JD’s – i just put it in practice

As for me, there are two types of managers that get our of your way when you don’t need them – procrastinators and purposeful

By: Barbara Swafford

Barbara Swafford — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:38:07 +0000

Hi Alik – What a great observation. When we learn to read our superiors, peers and/or clients, we end up ahead of the competition.

I love what JD said in his comment, especially “getting out of your way when you don’t need them.”

By: alik levin

alik levin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:40:32 +0000

Jannie,
This is good point. What makes me feel good about it is that it is universal practice – it seems to work for any area. It works in computers consulting that I am involved with and music like yourself
Cool,

By: Consultant Deceive The Heavens To Cross The Ocean. And Wins. — Practice This

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:32:52 +0000

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By: Jannie Funster

Jannie Funster — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:25:04 +0000

This is so thorough, there’s not much I could add. But just to say that this is so what I am going through when I practice my guitar. If I eliminate distractions and really work with purpose-driven intentional chunks of time – I totally get where I am going.

By: alik levin

alik levin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:34:38 +0000

Jimmy,
That is very precise description of what witness myself in the field and with managers

JD,
Good frame. I am about to use it very soon ….

tom,
Good to hear you liked it. It is also good to step back and take a look at myself and categorize myself too
Am I purposeful?

By: tom

tom — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:28:26 +0000

Great article and nice identified. It makes sense for us to take a step back and observe the people around us and determine what type they are and how to manage the situation.

By: Jimmy May, Aspiring Geek

Jimmy May, Aspiring Geek — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:32:38 +0000

J.D., effective management is all too rare–at least in my experience. Perhaps that’s why I’m so grateful for good management.

By: J.D. Meier

J.D. Meier — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:30:59 +0000

I like to think of managers using the situational leadership frame …

… Effective managers are directing you when you need it, motivating it when you need it, and getting out of your way when you don’t need them.

By: Jimmy May, Aspiring Geek

Jimmy May, Aspiring Geek — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:52:50 +0000

Purposeful management & customers are great–yet that’s only a part of the success story!

You may have had 12 managers in 14 years, but last fiscal year I had 5 managers–& they ran the gamut. Though I take full responsibility for managing my career, it sure is a lot easier with a purposeful manager, eh?

And I propose that for a team such as I have now, the management type can reflect the team culture. My current management team, for example, is deeply engaged from top to bottom.

It’s interesting to me that the need for management of expectations is inversely proportional from procrastinators to disengaged to distractors to purposeful. On the low hand we must methodically enumerate bullet points in the Statement of Work, it might take days to get credentials or access, & multiple meetings to get essential information. With purposeful customers, the engagement can take a life of its own in which doors are open, roadblocks are non-existent, & as we say at the jump zone, “Blue skies, baby!”