National Ask a Stupid Question Day

Now I know for sure that there is day for everything!  Who knew there’s a National Ask a Stupid Question Day?  It’s celebrated on September 28 or, if that date is a weekend like in 2019, it is officially on the last Friday of September.

Ask A Stupid Question Day was created by teachers in the 1980’s to get kids to ask more questions in school. It started in the United States, but is now celebrated in lots of other countries including India and Britain.

I have to admit that this day might have been started by those who taught me in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. As a student, I thought that it was better not to ask questions for fear of sounding stupid—and I hate the word stupid.  Now I know that was not a good learning strategy!

These days, I love asking questions, and I really love answering them.  As you may know, Cornelia Gamlem and I co-authored The Manager’s Answer Book in 2018. The tag line of that book is “Powerful Tools to Build Trust and Teams, Maximize Your Impact and Influence, and Respond to Challenges.”

In our book, we respond to questions around these topics:

• You’re a new manager, now what?
• Developing your management skills
• Building and managing your team
• Creating your personal brand
• Managing up, down, and around
• Avoiding potential land mines
• Recognizing legal pitfalls

When we were working on this book and collecting questions to answer, we never considered a question too stupid to include in our book. If something is one your mind or if there is something you don’t understand, odds are many other people have the same question and they may be like me in school—not brave enough to ask it.

So, ask as many questions you want. Don’t worry about what other people think and don’t wait until September 27, 2019 to ask them. We’d love to answer more of your questions anytime you’d like to ask.

The Manager’s Answer Book, along with our other books, is available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, or you can order it through your local bookstore.

Present With Confidence: Tips From The Manager’s Answer Book

Recently I attended a presentation about historical events in my community. It was interesting and informative and the presenter was very knowledgeable about the subject. However, as someone who has attended and given numerous presentations in my career, I couldn't help but be distracted by certain things he said and did. If he had asked for feedback, this is what I would share.

1. Know your audience.  Don't say things like "if you'll recall" or "I'm sure you'll remember" when you're talking about events that happened before most audience members were born. 
2. If technology is involved, know how to use it.  For example, know how to advance the slides.
3. If you are using slides, make sure they are engaging for the audience. 

• Use color and a clear, crisp font that's easy and large enough for all audience members to read. 
• Avoid putting too much information on a single slide. 

Manager’s Tips: Barbara and I recognize that presentation skills can be critical for a manager’s success and we discuss it in The Manager’s Answer Book.  These are some of the tips we offer:

• Be clear about your objective.  Is the presentation to inform or is it a call to action?  
• Lay out you key points. Keep it simple so your audience can easily grasp the message. 
• Organize your material so it’s easy for the audience to follow.
• A strong opening will make a big impression, so get right to the point of your presentation stating it clearly at the beginning 
• Know your material and rehearse it as needed so that you can deliver it comfortably. 
• Do a dry run, if possible, to be sure your slides can be read from anywhere in the room. 
• Spend some time in the meeting room beforehand to get a sense of where people will be sitting and the best spot for you to stand. 
• Practice with the technology you will be using so that when you’re ready to speak, you can move right into your presentation.
• Anticipate questions you may get at the end of your presentation.

You can find more information about presentations on page 50 of The Manager's Answer Book. 

Developing Your Management Skills: A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book

I was interviewed earlier this month for the radio show “Thank God for Mondays” which broadcasts on WSOU in the New York City metropolitan area. The occasion was National Bosses Day. We talked about several areas that new managers need to prepare and develop. In particular, I was asked: What are one or two skills that new managers needs to develop quickly, and how can they go about doing this?  

Manager’s Tip:  One of the things that is particularly hard for a new manager to do is give up favorite tasks and projects – those things your good at doing.  Delegation is the number one management skill and not learning how to delegate can derail your career. As you let go of your pet projects, think carefully about which staff member is right for each one. Once you’ve chosen someone, describe the task, the timeline and the expected outcome. Be available to answer their questions. Delegating frees up your time to work on strategic items and develops your employees’ skills.

Time management is another challenge – and not just for managers.  Try using a to-do list to keep track of what you’re doing. You may also want to start an accomplishments list so you can see that you’re making progress. Don’t forget to prioritize tasks on that to-do list, and manage distractions and interruptions – but do so gracefully. Finally, don’t take on too much. 

You can read more about delegation and time management on pages 53 and 54 of The Manager’s Answer Book, which is available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.