The post Doing Macro-Management The Right Way appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.
]]>Most of us don’t like to be supervised on each and every task we do. That’s quite natural. We all want some degree of autonomy and liberty in the way we work. This leads us to a new terminology – macro-management.
In this article, we delve into what macro-management is, effective ways to macro-manage, and more.
So, let’s get started.
Macro-management refers to the practice wherein managers provide a broad outline of the strategic goals to their co-workers instead of giving directive feedback on each task. The concept underpinning macro-management is teaching how to do rather than telling what to do.
Once the leaders or managers provide a high-level overview of the objectives, the co-workers and teammates have great autonomy and control over their work, making them feel empowered. They choose the ways or methods to adopt to accomplish the objectives.
Some of the best ways you could carry out macro-management include:
All said, the final objective is to accomplish the larger organizational goals. That means the individual and team-level goals must align with the broader enterprise-level objectives. Make sure you, as a macro-manager, define the context clearly to the teammates. State clearly to your co-workers what needs to be achieved, what work is required to be completed, timelines to be met, and more.
Managers are the key drivers of projects or organizational initiatives. It is, therefore, imperative on your part to clarify the roles and responsibilities of all the teammates. In a usual scenario, you would be assigning tasks to them. But as a macro-manager, you give them the autonomy and control to decide.
However, ensure that each teammate knows who is doing what and whom to approach for any concerns or issues. A RACI matrix would serve as an awesome tool.
To achieve goals within the set timelines, it is essential that your teammates use their time judiciously. Teach them how to do this by using time blocks for focused work and disabling their notifications when they are completely engrossed in their tasks. By doing so, you can implement macro-management and ensure they remain productive.
While macro-management grants autonomy in work to your co-workers, you as a manager must always be present to support, coach, and encourage. Besides, it helps when there is visibility on who is doing what, by when, and such. An example to achieve this is by deploying work management and collaboration tools so that all teammates work in tandem. (https://www.finnable.com/)
As a macro-manager, your core responsibility is ensuring your teammates don’t suffer from extreme stress or burnout. Encourage them to take time to relax, revive and ensure they don’t overwork. One way to achieve this is by ensuring they don’t procrastinate and complete the most urgent and important tasks first. You can use a tool like the Eisenhower matrix to help.
Macro management is a must-have in the dynamic work environments of today. Granting autonomy and control while encouraging team members would foster motivation and drive better outcomes. The ways to effectively macro-manage are outlined in the article.
Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development, marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to joining BCJobs.ca, Simon was an advisor for several global blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. In the past, he also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space through SM Digital—a global marketing agency.
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]]>The post Success! 10 Tweaks To Ace Your Remote Job Interview appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.
]]>Being interviewed in a video call is daunting enough, and the last thing you want to do is make a bad impression simply because you didn’t put in the required effort upfront.
We’ve put together 10 tweaks that can help you avoid common mistakes and ace your remote job interview.
No matter what type of job you applied for, one of the most important things you can do before your interview is to prepare thoroughly. Do your homework and try to find out as much about the company as possible.
Many company websites have News pages or digital media/press rooms, which are excellent sources of the latest information about the business. You also should check the About Us page for more information about the brand, company, or institution, such as its history.
There was a time when the tools of working remotely were a cellphone, a computer with an internet connection, and email. Times have changed, and companies now use a range of tools including Zoom, Skype, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Slack, and Trello. Some companies even use Whatsapp groups, free live chat software, or Snapchat.
There’s a good chance that you’ll be asked about your familiarity with the tools the company uses. Learning about the various options is a great way to prepare for your interview. If you are unfamiliar with the video conferencing software that’s going to be used, give it a test run first and ensure you know how to use it properly.
If you have children, a partner, or pets these can all pose distractions during an interview. You’ll want to remain focused while talking to a prospective employer. Remove anything that may interfere with your concentration, this is crucial.
Take action well before the time and inform anyone in the house that you will need peace and quiet for the duration of your interview. If you have pets, rather limit them to one room so they don’t make an unwanted appearance midway, or cause noise or interference.
If you live in a different time zone to your prospective employers, be sure to factor that into your communications. Make sure that when you agree on the time of the interview, you are both sure of when that will be.
Mention your time zone to the interviewer, and double-check you know what time zone they’re in. If they suggest a time, check whether they are referring to their or to your zone.
Prepare the space in which you will have your remote job interview. This includes cleaning the area and checking the background is uncluttered and neutral. You also should check whether the surface of your desk or table is visible on screen. If so, make sure it’s clean and uncluttered too.
Try to avoid displaying political or religious sentiments, or anything else that offers too much information about your private life and personal beliefs. You want to convey a professional image in every way.
Try to anticipate and mitigate minor problems and glitches that could occur during your remote job interview. As integral as it is to your interview and to working remotely, technology can be your undoing.
Ensure your laptop or tablet battery is fully charged. Additionally, that your power cable/charger is available to plug into a power source. Make sure you have muted your Facebook and other notifications, and check that your webcam and microphone are working.
An important tweak to ace your remote job interview is to dress in a way that is appropriate for the interview and for the company. If the company has a strong corporate culture, respect that in the way you dress.
If it has a more casual approach, you can dress casually, but again, do so appropriately. Try to avoid heavily patterned clothing or garments with logos. Ensure that none of the clothing features offensive slogans or that it is shabby or soiled. Essentially, pretend you are going in for a face to face interview, and style yourself accordingly.
One of the keys to a successful interview is to be enthusiastic about the interview, the company, and the job you are applying for. Let your attitude convey how happy you would be to work for the company.
If your attitude conveys boredom or the feeling that you could be applying for any old job, it will not make a good impression. If it’s your first interview with a potential employer, be careful not to lead with questions about time off, wage expectations, or how long it will take before you’d be eligible for a raise. These topics may make you look enthusiastic about the wrong things; those are best left for when a relationship has been established, or a job offer is imminent.
You stand a better chance of acing your remote job interview if have a confident attitude but are not arrogant. There’s nothing wrong with talking about your achievements, whether in your education or in a previous job, but be careful that you don’t sound boastful.
It can help to talk about your contribution to your previous company in a way that emphasizes yourself as part of the team, rather than as the star of the show. Your prospective employers will also be impressed if you can convey some knowledge of their company. Try to do that in a way that does not make you sound like a know-it-all.
The people who will interview you remotely most likely are aware that working remotely can eat into personal time. For this reason, they will probably ask how you plan to manage the balance between work and personal life.
That is the perfect time to bring up your hobbies and interests. If you do not have a hobby, try to find one before you are interviewed. Speaking about your hobbies also helps to give the interviewers a better idea of your character and nature. It gives them a more personal insight into the person they may be hiring.
With an increased focus on working from home, interviewing remotely may well be the future. By following these 10 tips you’ll be better prepared and feel confident when facing a potential employer virtually.
Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development, marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to BC Jobs, he served as a marketing advisor for high-profile blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. He’s also worked with fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space.
The post Success! 10 Tweaks To Ace Your Remote Job Interview appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.
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