Are you one of those managers who has been keeping your head down for fear that if you look up, you'll be the next to go? Are you playing it safe, rather than taking risks? Are you working harder, rather than smarter just to prove your commitment to senior management? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you may be doing yourself and your company a huge disservice.

What will people remember about you when the recovery arrives? Will they describe you as someone who was always on the front-lines? Innovative? A person who takes charge and leads? Or will they be hard pressed to even recall your name? If it's the latter, you're in trouble.

As we move out of this recession, executives will need the strength of their "A" players to rally the troops. Face time will be secondary to the results achieved. No one will care that you put in over 60 hours a week for the past two years. All they will want to know is what you've done to help the organization move forward.

It's hard to lead, when fear is leading you. But that is exactly what you must do when you are in a position of management. Your staff is depending on you to lead them in the right direction. They are hopeful that you are giving them credit, where credit is due. You're their role model so be sure to model the right behavior.

Here are some tips to help you get out of your own way.

• Get out from behind your cube. Become visible. If you have a question, walk into someone's office, rather than hiding behind e-mail.
• Volunteer for the jobs that no one else wants.
• Work smarter, not harder. Is everything that you are doing really necessary? Is there a more efficient way to get tasks accomplished? Can you free yourself up so you can take on higher level work?
• Toot your own horn more. It's great that your department has decreased the amount of time it takes to collect accounts receivables. It's even better when the executive team knows this has happened because you are a leader who gets results.

Some people say the recovery is here, while others believe it's around the corner. The one thing we can all agree upon is that eventually it will be here. Where are you?

Roberta

Roberta Chinsky Matuson

President

Human Resource Solutions

413-582-1840

Roberta@yourhrexperts.com

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