Indirect Management
Submitted by Malcolm on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 16:56.
Building and maintaining ongoing dialogue and relationships with people with who I work, but who don't directly report to me, has always been an issue.
If someone isn't a person who I have to manage, I tend to only interact with them when there is a specific need.
Invariably this leads to distance between me and fellow workers developing. When I want something such as feedback or information, it usually then becomes harder to gain.
I would be interested in hearing people's views on how to manage people indirectly proactively. In other words: how to maintain control and support going forward.
Can anyone suggest any appropriate techniques?
Indirect Encouragement
One of the guys in the office is somewhat negative towards me.
I think I have sussed an angle that may help. I am not going to ignore or criticise his suggestions to me; I am going to repsond positively and try to manage him proactively.
Compliments are the order of the day - and encouragement: acknowledge his skills and enthusiasm whilst gently building in suggetsions that address areas where he challeneges me.
A method to consider
This method sounds like a good idea. Sometimes if you handle something like this in a positive way rather than a negative way or avoiding it then things should become more comfortable. From my experience it's a 50 50 shot. Sometimes it works sometimes it does not and sometimes it gets worse. Good luck!
I experience this myself from time to time
I also experience something like this in my place also. Even though I'm not the highest man on the totem pole, I'm not that low either. I'm at a professional level job so there's occasionally certain expectations.
I don't like supervising people who are lower than me from other areas. Even though it seems like other higher up folks don't mind this to some extent, there seems to be a expectation that I still need to jump in when needed even if they're not from my area.
It would be interesting to hear any suggestions about this.
At my job, it is common only
At my job, it is common only to interact with someone once you need support or have to interact with them regarding work. This has not seemed odd to me, nor has it made me feel like less of a team player. It just must be different work environments.
Checking in with the other
Checking in with the other person every other day might give you that feeling that you are involved. It will also make you seem more open to approach to the other people that you work with. It's also nice to exchange casual niceties as the days starts. Even though it's not work related, it will make you seem more like a NT.