Page 134 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Eliminating Weeds from Your Departmental Garden 125

Discovery Lesson

There are weeds that come up in your conversations, messages, and
behaviors around your department. Note them in your manager’s jour-
nal for a week. Review the six “weed” types detailed in the preceding
section, and try to match each weed to a type.
The purpose of this activity is not to dwell on negative behaviors but
to be able to identify them when they arise. The more adept you are at
recognizing them, the better you will become at resolving them.

Questions to Consider

• What are some examples of weedlike behaviors in my
department?

• How will I promote my personal mission to be adopted by all
team members?

• How else can I deflect unwanted weeds from invading my
departmental garden?

• Given that many interactions take place through technology,
what productive templates can I create to discourage “weed-
inspired” communication?