Promote! Managing Your Monkeys in 2010
Amy Dlugokecki, Duke Energy

Welcome to 2010, the start of a new year and a new decade. So what are you going to do this year to improve your skills, make yourself more valuable to your organization, and be a better leader? Your company cannot answer these questions for you nor can your families or friends. Only you can determine what you want to change and grow to make you a better person at work and home.

So you ask, since I’m the only one able to change me, how can Energetic Women support me in this endeavor? Well one way is to join our 3rd annual conference in Charlotte, NC, June 15-17, 2010. The leadership team is putting the final touches on the agenda January 25 and 26 at our annual planning meeting and will be sharing it with all Energetic Women shortly thereafter.

The other way Energetic Women can support your change is through reading recommendations. My recommendation and thoughts are on a book I read over the holidays, One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, by Kenneth H. Blanchard, William Oncken, and Hal Burrows. Whether you are a seasoned leader or early in your utility operations career as an individual contributor there is much everyone can gain from this quick read.

The gist of the book is how to manage projects or tasks (called monkeys) more effectively as a leader and with your staff. This caused me to pause and reflect on how I work with my staff on their tasks and at times I found I was managing their monkeys, my monkeys and my boss’s monkeys. By working and managing everyone’s monkeys including my own, gave me very little time to do key strategic thinking for the organization.

I’ve made a resolution in 2010, to work more effectively with my staff to help them manage their monkeys, instead of me working their monkeys. This is a key shift, subtle, but very key. By allowing them more autonomy over their monkeys not only frees up my time, but should give them more freedom and in the end higher job satisfaction because they are fully engaged in managing their monkeys. This approach will also stretch my staff and help them to develop new skill sets and grow existing skill sets. It might push them to their limits, but in the end it will benefit them personally through additional skills and will benefit the organization through more skilled employees and higher job satisfaction.

A couple of quotes from the book sums up this thought quite well. “The leaders we remember most appreciatively are those who knew that in the long run other people, despite their apparent resistance, will respect you – even love you – if you help bring out the best in them.”

…”Which teachers do you remember most fondly? The ones I remember best were a few taskmasters who pushed me to the limit to do my best. And did I ever resist the pressure! At times I thought I hated them. (I think I sometimes prayed for their deaths!) But I did my best for them because deep down I knew they had my best interests at heart…In fact, I have found myself at times resenting those people who let me waste part of my life even though it was my own fault.”

2010 is a new year and a new decade, is there a new you that your organization wants to see? Take the time now to map out how you want to grow your skills in 2010. Utilize Energetic Women and remember only you can change you. DO IT! - Develop your skills, Own your success, Increase your role, and Take action in leadership.

Support! Conference Discounts– Register Early, Register Often!

Once again we’ll be offering multiple registration discounts for companies wanting to send multiple attendees. Below is an outline of the savings available for your organization:

• Early Bird Discount – register by April 3 and save $25 per person
• Take Five Discount – register 5 or more from the same organization, save an additional 5% per person
• Perfect Ten Discount – register 10 or more from the same organization, save an additional 10% per person
• NEW! 20/20 Vision Discount – register 20 or more from the same organization, save an additional 20%!

Mark your calendars now for the 3rd Annual Energetic Women’s Conference, June 15-17, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Registration is now open! Visit us on-line at www.energeticwomen.org for more information. If you have registration questions, need to set up an administrative contact to access the multiple registrations or need the codes for the above discounts, please contact Larissa Presho, Database Administrator, larissap@midwestenergy.org.

Connect! All Work and No Play Makes Jill a Dull Girl

As we start the new year, full of resolutions, goals and hopes in accomplishing great things for ourselves and others, I'd like to offer a gentle reminder (especially for women), that all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. Keeping a few well-chosen items on your desktop can actually help your productivity and increase your creative problem-solving skills. I'm talking about toys and playtime!

But how and why, you ask? Taking a few minutes to get distracted with a simple toy provides several benefits.

• Nervous before a big meeting or performance review? Give the Yo-Yo a few rounds.
• Need to contemplate a decision or focus on a solution? The Executive Slinky works well for this.
• Just had a tough conversation or frustrated with an outcome? Try juggling, a squish ball or whirly bird.

The goal is to relieve tension, allow yourself time to process your thoughts and emotions, and perhaps discover solutions to problems. There are many relaxation techniques, and we all know that women are especially vulnerable to the "nose to the grindstone" syndrome at work and at home. Be sure to take a little time for yourself – every day this year. I guarantee playtime will lower your stress levels, activate your endorphins and get those synapses and neural connections firing.

We don’t stop playing because we get old…we grow old because we stop playing. What’s on your desktop?

New Connection Tools

Announcing Energetic Women on Twitter or join us on LinkedIn!

http://twitter.com/EnergeticWomen

@LinkedIn

Share your successes, follow your community, and connect with your peers! A special gift will be sent to the first 10 Energetic Women tweeters!

Recognize! Calling All Mavericks

The 3rd Annual Energetic Women’s Conference will feature the 2nd Maverick Award presentation. This special recognition will be awarded to any leader (male or female) who has set the standard in promoting, connecting and strengthening female leaders in energy operations and engineering. To nominate your candidate, submit a 500 word document outlining their contributions in leadership, mentoring and advocacy on behalf of women specifically in energy operations and engineering. Complete details on how to submit your candidate can be found on the Energetic Women website. I've got someone to nominate!