Want to produce better results?  Well get interested in how people see the world.

In this 3 min video, one of our key contributors, Simon Marshall from WhyNotPartnering explains a simple model that can be used to release new performance.  Get interested in how you ’see’ the world and who you relate to it.  As he says, ‘we don’t describe the world we see, we see the world we describe’, so we might as well describe a positive and optimistic one!

I must admit I don’t have an answer to today’s post, nor do I have a goal to reach one. It is a topic, however, that merely consumes my every waking thought. Let me try to explain…

I had this one job with an employee who was so eager to succeed. (Let’s call this employee “Andy.”) Andy worked endless hours and made what seemed like the silliest mistakes—I chalked it up to lack of sleep, as he was very smart and extremely capable—and he lost weight daily. After observing this for several months, I shared my concern with Andy. All I got was strong pushback. Then, one evening, he invited our management team to his house for dinner. A lovely idea. During the meal, things finally started to make sense. Andy’s kids were all over him, hugging him, tugging his leg, looking for attention. They missed their daddy! I found myself smiling the whole evening, relieved to understand Andy’s dilemma. And yet I still remember coming home feeling very sad inside. As a manager, it seemed like I failed my job.

“I will always argue that you have to take care of your people.”

Another time, in a completely different part of the world and in a different job, I, myself, was that employee. I was working in an environment that was so unauthentic. It had several process and complexity issues, combined with several leadership capability issues, and I was determined to make things right for our people. After trying traditional ways to influence and make small leads, I decided one day we were not going fast enough. I gave in to a bad temptation, to cover for all areas – mine and everyone else’s! A monumental mistake, but…that’s how you learn. Fast forward 18 months. I put on weight, I was very sad and lonely, I missed my husband (that guy I barely saw anymore) a lot, and I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Most embarrassingly, I experienced ‘stink syndrome.’ No, really, I would break a sweat and smell like dead skunks. Gross, right?! Went to the doctor, he told me it was stress related. Yikes! Long story short, through personal awareness and peer support I confronted my demons and rotated out of that job.

The funny (well, not funny ha ha) thing is, once I got out of the role I realized there is no possible way my plight wasn’t obvious to others. I mean, I felt loved and appreciated. So why in the world didn’t any management members or my direct manager ever say boo? Did I not develop a trusting environment where people could offer me feedback? Maybe they did offer and I ignored it? What could I have done differently, then and after? You get the point?

So now I’m struggling to figure out: What is our responsibility as management to monitor our people’s health and well-being? Should we make it our business to butt into theirs? You know, what if the employee doesn’t seek our help? Do we interfere?

Being in human resources, you learn to deal with delicate topics. This, I believe, is one of them. I just don’t have the right answer for it. Yet. Do you?

Hello Everyone! Today, we are featuring a short video, sharing tips for workplace adjustment. 

Don’t let the wording fool you! 🙂 We are not talking about actual law around ‘workplace adjustment’; rather, we are referring to the cultural adjustment one may go through within the initial 90 days of joining a new organization.

The initial 90 days is a critical time of ‘adjustment’ and ‘mutual learning’ between an organization and the newly joined individual. Here, we share some tips we have found work really well for many colleagues.

Thank you very much for watching, enjoy!

The PewResearch Center published a wonderful article in 2010 about Millennials, “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.”¹ (Full report here.)

Now, I know many of the older generation – including my parents 🙂 – sometimes thinks the new generation has lost certain values and are ‘different’ or ‘difficult to understand’ at times. I can appreciate their point of view. In all fairness, the new generation is less traditional, less religious, more diverse, more expressive, and may appear to be ‘always connected’.

There are, however, wonderful qualities Millennials share that no one ever talks about and, for the record, I wouldn’t be willing to exchange for with any other generation. Millennials do understand human nature more than any generation before them¹, they follow politics closely¹, they’re way less critical than earlier generations, and they respect the elderly, kids, and different life choices – all this regardless of their geography and levels of income. And…they are the most educated generation (on average) to date¹.

It is also true that they demand more transparency, better work-life balance, higher equality, less formality and more technology. I couldn’t agree more with these sentiments. Bravo, Millennials!

“What I do love about this all – is that millennials are going to undoubtedly push us, ‘the chiefs of something or other’ to give ‘a care’.”

The difficulty with the Millennial identity, of course, is the demand required to manage it. Let’s be honest: This group is ever curious, looks for transparency and rationale before reaching an agreement, seeks creative ways to collaborate, and demands communication channels to stay open, which puts them two steps ahead of the current management practices.

What I do love about all this is that Millennials are going to undoubtedly push us, the “chiefs of something or other,” to give ‘a care’ over time. Yup. No more top down management techniques, totalitarian voice of communication, or formal measurement processes are required. If we want to manage this new era effectively, we need to create an environment that cherishes the balance between the older generation and younger generations’ values, and brings out the best in all of us. How? Here are a few ideas:

• Embrace differences: We all have different strengths we bring to the workplace. Matching experience with new skills is often the path to discovery and innovation. Why not consider embracing our individuality and stay open to learning from others?
• Assign tasks on a knowledge base: I love the idea of strengths-based management. People coming from different generations and backgrounds are going to have a different knowledge base. Why not manage to that and turn it into an organizational advantage? Consider a nursing home in Netherlands, which has allowed university students to live in for free…in exchange for their support of the elderly². What a beautiful reciprocation of resources and support!
• Create meaning: No matter what generation one is from, people want to know their skills and contribution matter for the greater good. Why not show our employees how their individual contribution is making an impact on the broader vision?
• Nurture intergroup relationships: Any time two individuals from different backgrounds come together to work on a mutual goal, trust building is necessary to create a stable foundation. Why not consider creating social groups that bring those from different generations together to build relationships? Having trust as a base can help decrease the likelihood of miscommunication and fear.
• Allow for ‘life’ to be: Times are different and evolving. Many of us care to have a certain balance in our lives – whatever that balance may look like to us. It’s time we give up trying to set boundaries around how people should live their lives or behave at the work place, and instead shift our focus on the outcomes and the intellectual property people bring. For this, why not keep a focus on life itself?

² uk.businessinsider.com

We are starting the week with a million-dollar question: What is the best performance model you ever worked with?

Recently one of our clients emailed me, “… I am looking for an innovative way of managing employee performance. Every company that I have ever worked for, had laborious and lousy performance management policies. I have not heard of any company that is happy and has an exemplar PM process…”

And you know, he had a fair point. Over my professional career, I’ve worked with companies that had very well-documented, well-processed performance management systems. On the flip side, I’ve worked with organizations whose systems were nothing but an uphill battle for their people and HR. I have also seen everything else in between… ☺

A handful of companies – including GE, Deloitte, and Accenture – have built momentum by abandoning traditional performance management systems to work with technology and people, which makes us wonder: Is there a better way for us to connect people through technology and innovation?

That’s where you come in, dear readers. We’re dying to know what you consider a “good” model. C’mon, let’s put it on record – give us a review of the best performance management model you experienced over the years, and why? Can’t wait to hear!

Hello Everyone!

We have launched our YouTube Channel with a motivational video yesterday. Here is a personal welcome from our Founder, Sesil Pir to our viewers.

Please remember to subscribe to be notified of newly posted videos.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

The Whirling Chief Team

Innovation is triggered by a thought and a tiny step by an individual; however, it takes an army to go into production.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my army: a lean, mean team of six, taking care of all things Whirling Chief, from A to Z.

First is Sebnem Kabadayi, our executive and team assistant, based in Basel, Switzerland, working with me in our offices. Her nickname is ‘klalice,’ which comes from a Turkish word ‘kralice’ with a twisted tongue, meaning ‘the queen.’ She is the queen of everything, all right. Not only does she manage me and organize my insane calendar, but she keeps us all in straight line. So, there it goes… Long live klalice!!

Next is Cenk Kara Erlevent, who is our photographer (and at times, videographer). He is the co-founder of Aterlier 61 in Basel, Switzerland. Cenk is one of the most hardworking, quality-oriented people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. His humility for perfection of work, combined with his passion for equality, diversity and inclusion, is a hard combination to find. Thank you, Cenk, for all your patience and hard work on Whirling Chief.

Then, there is Gary Colen,  our copy-editor. Aside from God, Gary knows best how I make up words jumping between four languages, and how impatient I can be with my very own thoughts. Thank you, Gary, for helping me keep my thoughts straight and for being our eyes, ears, and voice through all the material.

Friederike Sommer, based out of Zurich, Switzerland, was first a colleague, then a dear friend, and now a strong collaborator. She helps publish blog posts for Whirling Chief and adds color to my at-times-insane, other-times-passionate voice, all while making everything around her even more beautiful with her touch. Thank you for all your support and love, Friederike!

Last but not least, there is Hulya Akca. Hulya is a designer, based in Barcelona, Spain. Not only is she one of the most balanced women I have ever met in my life, but also provides a truly amazing customer experience every time. We had previously worked on several projects together, and I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with her again. Hulya, you do know I want to be you when I grow up, right? Thanks for always being there.

With that, let me say: If I’ve learned only one thing professionally in this lifetime, it is that you need to do what you are good at, with love, and with the people you love. So, cheers to my army! Whirling Chief would not have happened without you.

Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart!

We are excited to launch our YouTube Channel with a motivational video on ‘Fulfillment at Workplace’. 

Whirling Chief is a platform where a growing circle of business leaders comes to share, learn, and inspire organizations to put people first. Our sole mission is to provide a safe and fun environment, where people can come to learn about a wide range of organizational effectiveness topics.

Needless to say, the values of ‘sharing’ and ‘caring for another’ we feel very strongly about at Whirling Chief. We’d like to thank amazing Simon Sinek for being the inspiration voice, Electrik.co for their production, to Simon Marshall for making the connection. 

We hope you enjoy our first video, share with others, and subscribe to our channel for being notified of upcoming videos.

Thank you for watching!

Some of us secretly call those managers who ‘pretend’ to know everything, and who do not bother to acknowledge they might have made a mistake, “King Managers.” Why a king? Because a king is the chief ruler, who has supreme authority. And if you think of it in chess terms, s/he is the most important player. That’s right. Those managers who cannot say, “I’m sorry, I made a bad call,” or, “I don’t know, let’s find out together,” often truly believe they are the ultimate power holders – the most important piece that holds a group together. It is this belief that convinces them it is wrong to show any signs of weaknesses. Sounds logical at first: If the most important player is the group’s ‘glue,’ and s/he is weak, what does that say about the rest of the group? They must be so weak that they would come apart overnight, right? NOOO!!

Over the years, I have occasionally coached this kind of manager. They are most concerned, it seems, with their group image, of not painting a picture of themselves as a failure as a leader. In fact, if one asks a few amplifying questions, one would quickly learn these managers actually have a very caring place in their heart for the quality of their work, and for the brand of their organization. It is exactly for that reason they try very hard to not show any signs of weakness – to protect what s/he believes that strong picture needs to be. (And many times, trust me, it takes a lot out of them physically to do just that…) Believe it or not, many of the King Managers I have known had a significant problem trying to stand tall at all times. It is actually very sad.

Needless to say, it is far from the truth that we’d expect managers to know everything. In fact, think of the best managers you ever worked with. What made them so ‘good’ in your perspective? Was it their ability to answer all your questions at any given time? Or was it their ability to involve you in the discovery process and make you feel heard? I’m guessing the latter…

I know many of my colleagues are going to challenge me for saying this, but we’re all human, people! We are not programmed machinery, designed to spit out information when someone Googles our minds. We are here to learn, grow, and enjoy life together.

Being a manager requires us to set direction, lead the way, drive and monitor work, and provide coaching to others. It really does. It does not, however, require us to know everything, nor does it mean we have to ‘protect’ anyone. Solving business problems should not demand we forget that reality.

So, here is my challenge to you: Next time you screw up something, take a moment to say, “I’m sorry.” I promise you no one likes to work for a King Manager. After all, you don’t want to be the one piece everybody’s goal is to knock over, talking in chess terms, of course… ☺

If you have not yet had the misfortune to work for an ineffective manager, I sincerely hope you do soon. Not because I’m mean. Rather, I’d really like you to experience what it means to have the wrong kind of support.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to work with some amazing employers and extremely mature direct managers. And I have also been less-than-fortunate to have had one or two ineffective managers for shorter periods of time. For the record, I would not exchange those experiences for anything different.

That said, having the wrong kind of support really does make you think twice about what you experienced in the past, and what you can have in the future.

Let me share one memorable experience I had with an ineffective manager, and what I learned from it: This leader (who shall not be named) had been promoted because they were very successful as an individual contributor. Their ideal work day was well planned and executed precisely. Well, when you become a manager people look to you for direction and decision making. That means they will knock on your door, hmmm, pretty much all the time. Yes, I was one of those door-knockers. I was a curious young professional and wanted to have an emotional connection with my boss. So…with reasonable frequency, I would swing by now and then for direction and clarity. Boy, did I irritate that manager. Every single time! Usually, their first response was to sigh, followed by a cold, “Yes?” or, “How can I help you?” Over time, it became clear that this person saw me and others reaching out as an ‘interruption’ which, for me at least, created a sad and lonely feeling inside. Not good.

Being a manager is not an easy task. That said, being a manager, by definition, requires us to get results through others. For that, employees need to reach out. And let’s be clear: if you see that as an interruption, you are probably in the wrong job! ☺

The beauty of life, though, is that it allows us to gain perspective over time. If you consider yourself a people manager, or are interested in becoming a people manager, and you’re willing to learn to be as effective as possible in your role, I strongly recommend you learn the following skills first and foremost:

1. To say, “I’m sorry,” when you make a mistake or touch someone’s heart in the wrong way,
2. To admit, “I don’t know,” early on. This behavior, this ability to be honest with your co-workers to show vulnerability, if not learned early enough, can easily derail a career over time,
3. To be available when people have a question or need further clarity,
4. To listen, even at the expense of occasional work slowdowns. It’s always better to make time for your people.

You know, the name of this blog post – “King Managers” – comes from a kitchen talk. It’s what some of us call those managers who never admit to their mistakes. Want to know why? I’ll tell you more on Wednesday…