jbancroftconnors's picture Submitted by jbancroftconnors on
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General Questions and Comments

BLUF- As a direct, what should you focus your 15 minutes on during your O3? 

Detail: My boss is doing weekly One on Ones. It's not the strict MT style but we do start with my talking and then we go over anything my manager has.

I find myself flipping through my notebook of past meetings and looking at my personal Task Board (I use a Scrum/Kanban style task system to track what I'm doing/done). Yet I often feel like I'm floundering and many times will remember things I should have talked about after the meeting.

Has Mark ever talked about being the direct in an O3? Any advice for how to prep and be the most professional possible in your O3? 

Thanks- Joel

mfculbert's picture
Submitted by mfculbert on Tuesday August 16th, 2011 10:55 pm

If you are working with a true MT manager then they will want to hear about what is important to YOU. It would help to watch how your boss communicates and fit that mode.

Of my 13 directs, some talk about their personal lives a lot. Others have a bulleted list of work activities. Still others offer little and need to be prompted before they will communicate. I am a flaming 'S' and love my team and have grown to like all these approaches. I love knowing about them and I also love organized communication my more business oriented folks use.

buhlerar's picture
Submitted by buhlerar on Tuesday August 16th, 2011 11:46 pm

There are a couple of casts that seem relevant.  First one should be exactly what you're looking for.

http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/02/one-on-ones-for-the-direct

And there may be some useful concepts here as well (specifically directed at directs with bosses who don't do one-on-ones, but some helpful advice on how to give an update, which could easily be part of your weekly agenda):

http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/11/boss-one-on-ones-professional-updates

 

 

jbancroftconnors's picture
Submitted by jbancroftconnors on Wednesday August 17th, 2011 11:49 am

Thanks, BUHLERAR. I'd forgotten about that second cast. I'll need to go back a review the show notes.

 

My boss isn't an MT boss and a strong High D, so I want to make sure I'm giving her the information that matters to her.

Best, Joel

naraa's picture
Training Badge
Submitted by naraa on Thursday August 18th, 2011 1:06 pm

 If your boos is a High D my recommendation is the 30 seconds rule.  You must make your point in 30 seconds.  You can develop the message further, but the first 30 seconds is what counts most.  If you don´t get the message you want in the first 30 seconds she may not even hear the rest, or will hear it distorted based on what she understood in the first 30 seconds.  Of course not all high D´s are like this, many have "evolved", but that is the natural tendency. I am a high D, high I, and my boss is a high D.  I have been working with him for 8 years I have figured some things along the way.

Go to the meeting knowing the one message you want to pass to her this week, the one think you want her to remember after you leave the room.  And think about the one think you need to leave the room with, the one thing you need her response.  Of course you can leave the room with a lot more accomplished.  But if you get one thing right, you can sort the next more important one the following week.