Being a company boss is no different than someone running for public office; a lot of promises are made but never kept nor are most of the employees they began the journey with.
To pursue the role of a department head or higher entails ambition, a strong need to communicate in ways that seem grounded but fly over people’s heads, don’t instantly forgive someone for a common mistake and without a shadow of a doubt embrace the fine art of doing everything possible to stop coworkers from wasting company time and money talking to each other about nothing.
“But I never started the conversation!”
One of my radio heroes was the extremely classy yet corporate firm Gary Brobst who fueled teamwork by participating with the dirty work. A Texas gentleman who understood radio requirements without having to rip from the promotions closet large whips and heavy chains to put his people back to work. In a calm soothing inner office memo he’d write, “Please stop the lobby-gagging.”
“But I never started the conversation!”
My method of bringing a conversation to an instant halt isn’t so warm and fuzzy; I turn things off by disconnecting from being interested in what you’ve brought to the party. I physically turn my back and tune out. Maybe not such a good idea because every three to six months I’m visited by the evil lords of the dark side who claim people have invented new fowl words to shout and it includes my name.
But am I wrong?
I took my case to workplace morals expert Anne Marie Sabbath who teaches, “Be cordial by encouraging the conversation to come to an end. The best tool in the box is to make sure you don’t add to what the person just said.”
Guilty! Setting down my earphones I turn back to the conversation and add to it believing it’s best to make everyone feel like a winner by supporting their view and weight of the world.
I use Charlie Sheen as a great example; because the media has given him so much attention he sprouted wings and began to fly using thoughts and phrases we’d all like to say to bosses but he got fired instead.
To help reignite the interest he's taken the rants and raves on a national tour where he was badly booed and hissed at. Personally I think he hired innocent people to make the noise so he’d be invited to live within the realms of the Hollywood media over and over again. And now he’s trying to trademark his expressions? This is what happens when you take spanking out the school system.
Anna continues to explain, “The goal should be to tactfully throw a hint that offers a clear connection to your reasons for wanting to disconnect; even if it means (according to the expert) pulling out a book, paperwork or displaying visible evidence that you are currently in need of time for yourself.”
So go ahead and use my name in vein just make sure you spell it right! Arroe!
Let’s turn things toward a more inviting situation; a gathering of people; a long drawn out boring meeting hosted by the weird long haired poet guy from the radio station production room with the nifty cool dirty words firmly attached to his identity. I don’t think hanging out with my creative peeps should go without food. But these are extremely tough times…who should fork out the monkey money for the center ring food display me or the company?
Back to Anna Marie we go, “Its ok to ask for support but be prepared to pay out of pocket for the overindulgence. The last thing you want to do is be perceived as being wasteful of their money.”
If financed through the bank of Arroe, am I a jerk for wanting to take the pizza with me after the freak quiets his beak? Not only did I take it but quickly gave it to co-creators who are never invited to free food destinations. I love watching people’s eyes when hot fresh free pizza comes walking through their office door.
Being a company boss is no different than someone running for public office. I sure can’t win in the radio ratings race as an on-air talent so I might as well hoist a bone around my neck and buy a vote for my lagging confidence.
What did we learn today? Rather than ordering coworkers to stop talking…use smart tactics in drawing things to a quick conclusion. If people come to you expect them to stay. Take your needs to them then get out.
Water cooler and coffee pot conversation is wasting money. Stop and think about your pay raise and why you didn’t get a Christmas bonus…oh you got it…all those times you hung out talking about nothing.
Don’t hate me for turning my back; it’s a black belt martial arts rule…how I teach is how you will teach. Understand? I may not write eloquently like my hero Gary but he’d be proud of the fact that lobby-gagging doesn’t take place on my dime.
As for taking food to meetings and not having the bucks to back it up…pot luck it. People are custom to believe there has to be something in it for them so take notes on what their food weakness is and spring it on them at the meeting. Make workplace gatherings fun so that inner circle secret conversations can stop being filled with I hate, I don’t like, I fear, I blah, blah, blah and bleep, bleep, bleep.
Be you without over doing it or expect to have a lot of new first and middle names that would make your momma blush.
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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