Page 65 - EDM Today Winter 2025

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Once you’ve pinpointed the areas for growth, make a commitment to yourself to address them. Whether it’s learning
new strategies, seeking guidance, or building better habits, taking action is key to overcoming the “Yes, but” mindset
and improving your self-management skills.
Self-management skills are important for everyone. However, they are imperative for those who manage others.
Whether you are the supervisor of a small three-person toolroom or the plant manager of a large facility, the same
skills are needed to manage your team effectively. Your behavior and actions are a model for your team. If you
demonstrate a calm and focused approach to your work, you will inspire others to adopt a similar behavior.
A manager who demonstrates consistent organization and sound decision-making will earn the trust and respect of
the team. It is extremely important to be consistent. Once you make the decision to change and adopt the mindset
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and practices that are part of good self-management, you must stay the course and continue to improve, resisting
slipping into old habits.
Over fi fty years ago, Kurt Lewin, one of the pioneers of organizational and applied psychology, introduced the ideas
of unfreezing and freezing as part of his change management model. This is a great way to visualize the process of
change. As humans, we all develop habits and ways of doing things and are resistant to change. Lewin suggests that
people need to visualize unfreezing the old habits, instituting the changes, then freezing the new habits so that they
become routine and permanent. For this visualization process to work, it involves monitoring the change to be certain
the desired effect is achieved.
EDM Today would like to suggest fi ve key steps to help you become a better self-manager. Think of these as
actionable goals that will help you achieve success.

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EDM Today Magazine and focus. • Be fl exible to respond to change.
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Goal: Gain a better understanding
Goal: Improve adaptability.
Goal: Improve concentration
of your self-management
Actions:
strengths and weaknesses.
Actions:
Actions:
• Avoid multitasking. Focus on one
• Be open-minded about new ideas
• Regularly refl ect on your own
task at a time; understanding, of
and processes.
performance.
course, that this is not always
• Consider problems that arise as
possible.
• Get feedback from others.
challenges and opportunities.
• Differentiate between personal
and work time. When off work, try and demeanor.
EDM Today Magazine distractions. • Force yourself to maintain a calm,
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Goal: Keep yourself healthy.
not to think about it.
Goal: Improve your emotional state
Actions:
• If possible, do things to reduce
Actions:
• Get regular exercise and
enough sleep.
• If allowed, shut down your email
system while focusing on a
• Maintain a nutritious diet and keep
cool demeanor.
specifi c task.
yourself at a healthy weight.
• Pause and think before responding
• Silence your cell phone.
to a stressful situation.
• Take breaks throughout the day to
• Set a time limit for focus. You can
recharge yourself.
check email, respond to messages,
triggers that could get you off track.
and return calls at time intervals that • Identify potential psychological
Once you know what it is that could
make sense. Cumulatively, you will
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EDM Today Magazine your time, eliminating distractions, before you might say or do some-
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impact your professional demeanor,
get far more done by better managing
you can recognize it and intervene
and focusing on the task at hand.
thing that you will regret.
Putting the skills in place to be a better self-manager will make you a better overall manager and will no doubt
help you advance your career.
EDM Today would like to thank Corey Dissin for participating in this issue of Management Minute. Corey Dissin
can be reached at: https://coreydissin.com/.
Corey is the owner of The Dissin Design Team. He is the author of GOING THE DISS-TANCE: 10 Rounds
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to a Championship Life and Career: Life Lessons Inside a Tribute Wrapped in a Memoir.
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EDM Today, Winter 2025 Issue