Tech Manager
by: Mark Kiker
Eight Messages Tech Managers Should NOT be Sending
I
send messages all the time. I am not talking about emails, texting or posting. I am talking about those subtle and not so subtle messages I send with my words or my gestures. It may not be Morse code or semaphore as many may not be able to decipher those anymore. These are messages I do not intend to send and sometimes I do. They are caught by others and the message lets others know what is on my mind. You may not know it, but you are sending signals and others are receiving them loud and clear. Let’s start with the negative messages I might be sending. Some are saying “you are wrong” or “I am right” and others may be interpreted as overly cautious or that I am throwing caution to the wind. Either way, what you say matters and others are watching for the messages that you send. “It won’t work.” I may have sent this message in the past without even knowing it, and I may have even
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AUGIWorld Magazine | February 2022
said exactly those words. In my confidence, I may telegraph this when I say things like, “I have not seen that done before,” or, “This will only frustrate people and delay our progress”. Try not to wave off solutions or plans that are not yours, or that you think are futile. Others may have some insight that you do not. Be willing to let others take the lead. “How hard can it be?” On the flip side of thinking it will never work, is underestimating the time and effort it will take to complete a project. I may not have finished by homework and want to move on something that others know more about. They tell you and others that we should do more research and I just want to plow ahead. Others may take your confidence as a signal to trust your decisions, even if they are not fully informed. Make sure you are right! “We don’t have time.” Another way of throwing negative vibes is to think that you don’t have time to do something. When something is a good idea augi.com
