Month: March 2022

Seagull Management: 4 Ways to Stop Dumping on People

Seagull managers fly in, make lots of noise, dump on everyone, and fly away.* You might say a seagull manager is full of crap.

The seduction of problems makes you a seagull.

Stay away if all you’re going to do is dump on everyone.

Seagull management is seen when:

1. You only show up when there’s a problem.
2. People scatter like coach roaches when you walk in.
3. Heads automatically nod yes to every ‘brilliant’ suggestion you make.
4. Everything is going great when you ask how things are going.

4 ways to stop dumping on people:

#1. Take action after reflection.

When to spend time alone:

1. Before big decisions. Seek input and then grab solitude-time.
2. After major accomplishments. The last thing you need after major accomplishment is addiction to adulation, from yourself or others.
3. Prior to major change or big projects.

#2. Row-with.

Shouting instructions from the sidelines never feels good to people in the race. If you do anything from the sidelines, cheer but don’t correct.

Ask yourself if your intervention helps OTHERS get things done.

Focus on real-time development.

#3. Show up when things are going right.

It’s better to cheer success than complain about failure.

Momentum is a series of small wins. If you did more cheering, you might have less to complain about.

#4. Ask questions before giving instructions:

Open curiosity is welcome. Know-it-alls are seagulls.

Back off:

Successful people concern themselves with ‘getting er did’. But quick interventions often feel like painful meddling.

Back off when your team is competent, committed, and clear on their goals.

Intervene when people’s frustration turns to exasperation. A little frustration is motivation; too much is distracting.

How might managers stop dumping on people?

*Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson propagated the concept of seagull management in their classic book, “The One Minute Manager.”

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3 Surprising Quotes from Sir Edmund Hillary that Contradict Established Thinking

A quote that captures your imagination can change your life, or at least your day.

#1. Vision:

“I never had a vision to climb Mt. Everest, as with everything else it just grew.”

You may not know the long-term vision, but that’s no reason to sit in a recliner eating cookies and milk.

Self-reflection is necessary. Prolonged inaction exaggerates confusion.

Sir Edmund discovered that he loved climbing mountains, so he climbed mountains. The vision for climbing Everest grew out of love of climbing.

Love gives birth to vision.

#2. Confidence:

“I believe if someone starts out on a challenging activity completely confident that they’re going to succeed, why bother starting.”

My feeling was we would give it everything we had.”

Base confidence on effort, not outcome. There’s an element of luck to reaching the summit of Everest. The weather changes and you could be driven off the mountain. You can’t control outcomes; you can control effort.

Realize you can be confident and uncertain at the same time. Bravado is confident about everything.

Fools are confident where wisdom wonders.

If you need certainty to begin, the things you begin will be small.

#3. Energy:

“I never climbed up anything one step at a time.”

Choose enthusiasm.

Remarkable success calls for unshakable energy. Half-hearted effort is fully dissatisfying. If you can’t go all-in, go all out.

Dabblers insult opportunities.

Half-hearted effort devalues talent and insults teams.

1. Give your best even if you aren’t fully appreciated.
2. Make commitments based on your values, not other’s behaviors.
3. Express gratitude when you feel underappreciated.
4. Don’t perform poorly to punish lousy bosses.
5. Care when it feels safter to isolate.

You need a new destination if half-hearted commitment takes you where you want to go.

Do something where failure matters.

Which Sir Edmund Hillary quote catches your imagination?

Read what Sir Edmund Hillary did on top of Mt. Everest. The Obsession of Successful Leaders

Source for quotes:

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