Don't give feedback in HALT, when U R Hungry / Angry / Lonely / Tired

July 13, 2016

Yes, You Can Provide Feedback in a “Nice” Organization

Building candor and feedback into any culture is challenging, but it can be particularly difficult in “nice” organizations, where behavior is expected to be poised, respectful, and professional at all times. In general these are positive qualities, but learning a new skill (like giving feedback) is inherently messy. We learn by trying, getting it wrong, understanding our errors, and then trying again. Start with yourself: Show your team that you are making a serious effort to improve, and actively request feedback from your peers. Really listen to what you hear. And make sure to identify when feedback would not be helpful. Remember the acronym HALT—don’t give feedback if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Since candor and feedback involve other people, you’ll likely encounter misunderstandings, hurt feelings, or other conflict. Don’t expect feedback to always feel natural or easy. A little discomfort and a few mistakes means you’re on the right path.

Respond to Complicated Emails First Thing in the Morning

July 12, 2016

Respond to Complicated Emails First Thing in the Morning

We’ve been warned repeatedly that it’s a bad idea to start your day by checking email — it hurts your productivity and focus. But waiting until later in the day to tackle your inbox actually presents a different problem: Email that requires you to make difficult decisions often doesn’t get answered. Research has shown that our decision-making capacity is finite and declines throughout the day. So the longer you wait to respond to that tricky email, the harder it’s going to be. To counteract decision fatigue, try to tackle your most complicated emails first thing in the morning. Set aside 20–25 minutes when your mind is clearest. Doing so will allow you to finally respond to those emails that are languishing at the bottom of your inbox.

Identify your ideal work rhythm !

July 27, 2016 Identify Your Ideal Work Rhythm If you dislike having a structured work schedule but find it difficult to maximize productivity without one, it may be time to change the way you think about time management. Consider your unique creative rhythm: How do you work best on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis to help create order and flexibility? Most people have a natural rhythm in which they can accomplish about one major professional project per month. Projects, meetings, and commitments can vary week to week, but it’s helpful to have a general sense of the weekly cadence that’s right for you. For daily cadence, there’s no single formula. The trick is to be honest with yourself about when you do your best focused work, when you prefer to have meetings, and when you’ll make space for the processing and planning that keeps everything moving. Experiment with your own monthly, weekly, and daily rhythms to find the cadence that’s right for you.

Manage Stress by Focusing on Your Breath

July 28, 2016

Manage Stress by Focusing on Your Breath

Like any other leadership capacity, stress management requires self-awareness. Leaders who manage stress effectively are able to recognize signs that they’re approaching their tipping point and consciously, deliberately step back from the edge. The next time you notice your stress levels increasing, take a moment to notice your breath. Start with a couple of strong, long, and deep breaths. Notice the physical sensations that accompany each one.

 After taking a few of these initial breaths, switch to a technique called “resonant breathing.” Inhale for 10 seconds and exhale for 10 seconds, for a total of six breaths per minute. 

You may find it helpful to do this while walking; the pace of your steps can provide a regular tempo for each breath. Eventually the rhythm will continue on its own and you can stop timing. Continue to breathe in and out until your state of mind shifts and you feel a sense of control over your emotions.

How to give difficult feedback

July 26, 2016 Simple Steps for Giving Difficult Feedback Not all leaders are comfortable giving employees feedback — especially when it’s negative. The fear of hurting people’s feelings and dealing with potential drama holds too many managers back. But peoplethrive on feedback, which is why giving it early and often is so important. The next time you need to have a difficult feedback conversation with an employee, use these guidelines: Be direct but kind. Don’t beat around the bush. Include specific examples of desired behaviors to help illustrate what you mean. Listen. This provides a space in which both people feel respected. Don’t make it personal. Imagined slights and malice are toxic, but if you acknowledge the emotions being felt, you open a relief valve for the stress. Be present. Show up fully for the discussion, and don’t rush off once it’s over. Follow up later so afterthoughts don’t create imagined distance. Inspire greatness. Be sure to communicate your aspirations for the person you’re giving feedback to.

Handle employees who want promotion they are not ready for !

July 25, 2016

Manage Your Employees’ Expectations Around Promotions

A driven employee is every manager’s dream. But when you have a direct report whose ambition and desire are overmatched by their ability or experience, managing expectations isn’t easy. If the employee asks for a promotion they just aren’t ready for, here’s how to handle the situation.

• One of the most powerful things you can say in response is, “I believe in you.” (If you genuinely mean it.) After acknowledging their contributions, say, “You’re not yet ready for that promotion. Let’s talk about how you can get there.”
• Help your employee understand what they need to learn before a promotion is possible — and that you’re there to help. If, for example, they lack cross-functional skills, suggest they do a stint in another division or join a company-wide committee.
• Dig deeper. Learn what motivates your employee by asking open-ended questions like, “What does success look like for you?” If they want recognition or more autonomy, think about ways you can provide those things.

For Better Virtual Meetings, Focus on Relationships

July 20, 2016 For Better Virtual Meetings, Focus on Relationships As more and more employees work offsite, virtual meetings are becoming a necessity. Since it’s harder to “read the room” when you’re not actually in the same room as your team, these meetings can be tricky to navigate. The key is to focus on building relationships. Allow 10 minutes at the start of each meeting for people to connect and catch up with each other. Think of this as your virtual watercooler time, when you can engage in informal conversations. Ask questions about personal lives and families to get to know each other outside the context of work. Once you officially start the meeting, be sure to refer to each contributor by name so that everyone feels recognized and part of the community. When you can, meet face to face with team members. These techniques help lay the foundation for authentic conversation and connection, which ultimately lead to more-effective virtual meetings.

Ask ' big picture questions ' in problem solving

12 July 2015 Sun 

(management tip) " Ask the Right Questions to Put Problems in Context !" 

Being too immersed in a problem makes it harder for you to see the overall context behind it, which can lead to you feeling stuck. 
To expand your view of the problem, try asking elevating questions.
 These types of questions raise broader issues and highlight the bigger picture. 
For example, you can ask, “Taking a step back, what are the larger issues?” 
or “Are we even addressing the right issue?” 
Using this approach, a discussion on issues like margin decline and decreasing customer satisfaction could turn into a broader discussion of corporate strategy through an elevating question like,
 “Instead of talking about these issues separately, what are the larger trends we should be concerned about? How do they all tie together ? 

These questions take you to a higher playing field where you can better see connections between individual problems. 

" Make Quick, Direct Feedback a Part of Your Routine "

12 May 2015 Tue 
-------------------------

" Make Quick, Direct Feedback a Part of Your Routine " 

Many managers don’t give effective feedback because they’re simply pressed for time. There are 3 ways to make this easier – for you and your employee:

(1)     Create a standard way in. 
Reduce the time you spend mulling over each conversation by establishing a simple, routinized way to open feedback discussions. “I’m going to give you some feedback” or
 ”Are you open to my coaching on this?” gets immediate attention and sets the right tone.

(2)    Be blunt. 
If you’ve ever said “maybe you could...” or asked an employee to “think about” a performance issue, you’re likely not being blunt enough. 
Be honest, sincere, and personal while addressing the issue head-on.

(3)    Ask him to play it back. 

**

" Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job

" Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job

Many people don’t advance in their careers because they’re holding out for that perfect job.
 But perfection is an odd goal in career choice.
 We learn not to limit ourselves to perfect when it comes to choosing partners and houses.
 So why are we obsessed with the idea of a job that will fulfill all our fantasies about work?
 When we focus on the ideal role, we fall into an all-or-nothing trap — giving ourselves permission to do absolutely nothing.
 Holding out for perfect means hoping and waiting, but doing little. 
But actively reaching out for “good enough” can transform your career.
 Find work that inspires you and is reachable. 
If you have an idea about what your dream job might be, go find out what it feels like from the inside.
 Don’t allow employer branding or media portrayals to make you starry-eyed. Get firsthand information from those in the field.

Make Sure Your Next Big Meeting Actually Accomplishes Something

July 29, 2016

Make Sure Your Next Big Meeting Actually Accomplishes Something

How many times have you walked out of a theoretically important meeting and thought, “What did we accomplish?” More often than not, the problem isn’t with what did or didn’t happen at the meeting — nothing got done because the meeting’s goals were never firmly established. 

Whether it’s a 15-person executive team meeting or a 150-person leadership conference, the first step when planning an important meeting should be to draft an initial set of goals based on the answers to these two questions:

What do you want to have debated, decided, or discovered at the end of this session that you and the team haven’t already debated, decided, or discovered?

What do you want attendees to say when their team members ask, “What happened at the meeting?”
Answering both questions will give you a high-level understanding of what the meeting needs to accomplish.

CEOs Are Getting Fired Less Often ' os ot good or bad ? For who all ?

 CEOs Are Getting Fired Less Often ' os ot good or bad ? For who all ? 

Researched Fact : 
Of the CEOs who parted ways with the world’s 2,500 largest companies in 2014, only 14% were forced out – the remaining 86% of the departures were planned. 
Same  numbers stood at 35% and 65%, respectively, way in the year 2000. 

Conclusions . 
Wrong Conclusion : 
 Does this dramatic change suggest that boards are becoming more complacent about their chief executives? 
Right Conclusion : 
It shows that boards are getting better at selecting the RIGHT LEADERS ! 

Research conducted by :  " Strategy Magazine " &  Per-Ola Karlsson for  HBR.org.

Make the Audience a Priority During Your Next Presentation

28 july 2015 wed
Make the Audience a Priority During Your Next Presentation

When preparing a presentation, we think about what to say, the data we need, and which visuals to include.
But what about the audience?
 Your presentation has to be tailored to their goals and concerns in order to make an effective case.
To learn what makes them tick, consider the following 4 factors .

(1)     What roles do audience members play in the organization?
Knowing where they fall on the org chart helps you understand their responsibilities — and how you can help make their work easier.

(2)    Will some attendees’ goals conflict with others’?
 If so, acknowledge that up front and explain how what you have to offer may help.

(4)    What do people already know?
 You want to give people just enough background to understand what you’re saying and how it affects them.

(4)    How well does the audience know you?
 If you don’t have strong relationships with them, establish a rapport by opening with an amusing personal anecdote.
( courtesy : HBR )

How to elicit collaboration within teams

 (management tip) Don't Mistake Cooperation for Collaboration! 

Managers have to collaborate across functions.
 Yet despite being friendly and willing to share information, they often fail to do it.
 Priorities aren't aligned, so mis-communications slow down projects. 
This happens because managers mistake their cooperativeness for being collaborative ! 

 To start TRULY collaborating - 
(1) identify the goal, then
(2) map out the end-to-end work that’s needed. 

Consider the following questions .
(a) What will your team be responsible for? Division of accountability . 

(b) What will you need from other teams? Sketch out the sequencing of activities. 
When people know - 
(a)  what’s needed,  (b) in what form, and (c) by when, 
they can then tell you whether it’s possible—and then you can have a REAL dialogue about what can be done.

 Instead of going from one department to the next and trying to cobble together an agreement, get all the managers in a room together to work through the plans, make adjustments, and find ways to share resources and align incentives. 

.

"Being Busy Isn’t the Same as Being Productive ! "

From 03 Aug 2015


"Being Busy Isn’t the Same as Being Productive ! " 

Research has found that people have a natural aversion to idleness: we’ll go out of our way to stay busy, even if we have to invent things to do.
 But being too busy can be counterproductive.
 Studies have also shown that we have a bias toward action: when faced with a problem, we prefer to act, even if it would be best to pause first or do nothing.
 Together, both of these behaviors show that choosing to be busy is the easy choice.
 Being productive, by contrast, is much more challenging. 

What helps remedy this dilemma? 

Take time to step back and reflect on a regular basis.
 Reflection helps us understand the actions we’re considering and choose the ones that will make us productive.
 Even 15 minutes of planning each morning can help. 
So the next time you feel busy, stop and think about what you actually need to get done

Agree on Scope Before Launching a Project

Importance of project scope and its non-negotiability ( scope creep)

Agree on Scope Before Launching a Project

" Scope creep is all too common in projects of all sizes, in every industry and sector. 
Various stakeholders ask the team to produce more and more as work progresses, without understanding the effects on the project’s schedule or budget.
 Left unmanaged, scope creep will cause your project to fail.
 You’ll end up over budget, missing key deadlines, and delivering low-quality outcomes.
 To avoid this, you need to make an agreement with stakeholders about scope before launching your project.
 If you help them understand the project’s goals, you can work with them to list what’s in scope and what’s not. 
Things are out of scope if they don’t directly support the project goal, or if there’s not enough time or money to accomplish them. Create “in scope” and “out of scope” lists together, so once the project is rolling, you’ll know what to focus on and how to prioritize future requests.

***

Recognize Your Employees’ Achievements

25Sept 2015 

(management tip) Recognize Your Employees’ Achievements

One of the top complaints we have about executives is that they don’t recognize our achievements. Leaders have to actively build a sense of connectedness with their employees, and this starts with expressing appreciation.

(1)    Notice employees’ unique contributions.
 Say something that highlights something specific: “I appreciate the way you pull in people from other departments to reach your team goals – you’re a connector.”

(2)    Thank people personally and publicly. 
Daily interactions – from the elevator to the parking lot – are opportunities to show appreciation for your employees’ efforts. Public recognition at a staff meeting, or a thoughtful “thank you” in a newsletter or e-mail, are also meaningful.

(3)    Ask, “What do you think?” 
Give people the opportunity to express themselves and be recognized for their ideas. Proactively ask employees, “How do you think we could improve?” and “What is keeping us stuck?”
Courtesy : HBR

office politics

July 19, 2016

You Can’t Just Ignore Office Politics

Delivering consistently stellar results should be enough to get ahead at work. Keeping your head down and focusing on getting your work done should help you move up the ranks of a company. 
But, unfortunately, doing good work is only part of the success equation. If you want to prove your worth, you must embrace office politics. You have to “play the game” and navigate all of the tricky interpersonal relationships and sticky situations that go well beyond your actual job description. 

Observe how those who are rising through the ranks at your company communicate, network, and strategically manage their own careers, and try to replicate their techniques. Look for chances to talk to influential executives, and make sure your contributions are noticed by those above you. 

If it feels unnatural or uncomfortable at first, that’s okay. Professional growth often requires getting outside of your comfort zone.

July 2016 

Which Skill Do You Want to Develop Next?

Success requires continual growth and learning. 
But how do you know which development efforts will yield the best return? Here are 3 tips . 

(1) Look for the OVERLAP between what your organization needs and what will give you the most satisfaction. 
If you’re in operations, you might identify several business-critical areas for improvement — say, learning to better manage large custom client projects in order to significantly reduce cycle and delivery times. 
(2) Think about whether you can excel at the capabilities you want to develop. 
If you’re already very organized, that bodes well for being able to learn complex project management.
(3) Finally, honestly assess how interested you are in the capabilities.
The key is to focus on skills that will propel your organization forward, play to your strengths, and keep you passionate about learning.

Save everyone's time in office meetings

Management Tip : Office Meetings .

" The Right Way to Challenge How Meetings Are Run "

When meetings veer off track, everyone’s time gets wasted. 
But what if you’re not in charge and the meeting leader is the source of inefficiency?
It can be daunting to question a superior, but you can do it without challenging their authority.

First, think about the standard procedures for planning a meeting: inviting the right people, sending out pre-work, and developing an agenda.
Start your feedback there, since focusing on procedures won’t feel like a personal attack.
If you do need to address the way someone runs a meeting, tread with caution. You certainly can’t say, “This was a lousy meeting, and here’s how to make it better.”

But you can offer some quick assessment mechanisms to help the meeting leader reach their own conclusions:
(a) a meeting process checklist that people fill out anonymously,
(b) a survey that participants complete online, or
(c) quick questions that everyone discusses at the end of every meeting.
We all are ACCOUNTABLE for keeping meetings effective, whether we are leading them or simply participating !
Courtesy : Harvard Business Review

Use Interview Tactics That Keep Bias at Bay

July 21, 2016
Use Interview Tactics That Keep Bias at Bay

If you’re a hiring manager, you’re probably happiest getting a sense of a candidate through unstructured interviews, which allows you to explore details you think are interesting and relevant. 
This method of interviewing makes it easy to tailor the direction of the interview and may help you understand your applicant’s personality, but it’s fraught with unreliability. 
Individual biases end up creeping in; for example, research shows that hiring managers tend to look for someone SIMILAR TO THEM  in interviews !! 

 To make the best decision — one that’s impartial — standardize your interviewing process and ask the SAME questions of each applicant. 
Then score and compare all candidates’ responses horizontally. 
That is, if you interview five candidates, compare each of their answers on question one, then each answer on question two, and so on. 
Doing so will help eliminate subjectivity.
 The flow of conversation during the interview may be slightly more awkward, but the payoff is worth it.

Emotions and negotiation

July 15, 2016

Regulate Your Emotions During a Negotiation

You’re in the middle of a heated negotiation with your colleague. You want to come across as confident, but inside you feel timid. During these difficult situations, there are actually two conversations happening at the same time. One is obvious: It’s the conversation you’re having with someone else. The other is the conversation you’re having within yourself about how willing and able you are to stretch outside your comfort zone. To negotiate successfully, you need to question your position in both conversations. When you’re negotiating with someone else, look beyond your stated position to find commonalities. And when you’re negotiating with yourself, your “position” might be that you’re unwilling to be more assertive. Dig a little deeper and ask yourself why. Is it an emotional challenge? Are you afraid of being assertive? Or is it a skill-based challenge? Getting to the bottom of why you’re unwilling to step outside your comfort zone is the first step in becoming a better negotiator.

Adapted from “The Two Conversations You’re Having When You Negotiate,” by Andy Molinsky

Get Your Message Across in a Difficult Conversation

February 01, 2016 Get Your Message Across in a Difficult Conversation If you need to have a difficult conversation with someone, you’re unlikely to come to a resolution if you don’t hear the other person out. After you’ve listened to your counterpart, you can create a better understanding of your message by doing the following: Own your perspective. Treat your opinion like what it is: your opinion. Start sentences with “I,” not “you.” Explain what’s bothering you and follow up by identifying what you hope will happen. Pay attention to your words. Avoid name-calling and finger-pointing. Your language should be simple, clear, direct, and neutral. Watch your body language. Are you slumping your shoulders? Rolling your eyes? Take stock of the impression you’re giving. Change the tenor of the conversation. If things get heated, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and suggest a different approach, such as: “If we put our heads together, we could probably come up with a way to move past this. Do you have any ideas?”

Avoid Hiring a Toxic Employee

March 29, 2016

Avoid Hiring a Toxic Employee

Toxic employees are incredibly costly for organizations — they can lower employee morale, upset customers, and even bring on litigation fees. So it’s essential to weed them out before they join your company. When you’re interviewing a candidate, be on the lookout for signs of incivility. Consider asking questions such as:

What would your former employer say about you — positive and negative?
Tell me about a time when you’ve had to deal with stress or conflict at work. What did you do?
What about yourself would you like to improve most? How about a second thing? A third?

Also find out how the candidate treated your parking lot attendant, your receptionist, and your administrative assistant. Was he gracious and respectful or rude and condescending? Finally, conduct careful reference checks and investigate any hunches thoroughly.

Develop New Productivity Habits That Will Stick

June 28, 2016

Develop New Productivity Habits That Will Stick

Productivity systems are the behaviors we repeat consistently and methodically to get more done. People often change their systems in order to improve productivity but find themselves reverting back to old habits. It’s hard to change your productivity system without modifying your environment, since previous behaviors may have been mapped to certain spaces.

 And even when new behaviors make sense, it’s easy to remain convinced that old habits are more effective. However, you can change the way you think about your routine. Start by identifying parts of your daily routine (such as arriving at the office) that happen with relative consistency and use them as cues for new behaviors: “When I arrive at the office, I will let my task list dictate the morning’s priorities instead of checking email like I used to.” Just don’t overthink it — the whole point is to create new habits that become automatic.

When You’re Better Off Skipping a Difficult Conversation

July 08, 2016

When You’re Better Off Skipping a Difficult Conversation

Every leader needs to give negative feedback to their employees. But not every conversation needs to happen immediately — or at all.

 To determine whether you can avoid the conversation, ask yourself these 5 questions: 
(1) If I have this conversation, what will I realistically achieve?
(2) Do I tend to look for problems in this individual?
(3) How committed am I to being “right”? 
(4)Is there a reasonable solution that I can offer? 
(5)What is my role in this situation? 

If your answers indicate that .....
(a) the situation will likely be resolved on its own, that 
(b) you intervening is not necessary, that 
(c) you’re more focused on being right than listening, or that
(d)  it isn’t the right time to bring up the issue, then 
DO NOT  schedule the meeting ! 
By choosing which conversations not to have, you’re making sure the messages you do communicate are delivered for the right reasons and generate the desired results.

Courtesy : Harvard Business Review 

A Checklist to Help You Make Better Decisions Faster

May 04, 2016

A Checklist to Help You Make Better Decisions Faster

Decision-making overload is a common experience among managers. But you can process choices more efficiently and achieve better outcomes by using a checklist:

(1) Write down five company goals that will be impacted by the decision. This helps you avoid the rationalization trap of making up reasons for your choices later.

(2)Write down at least three realistic alternatives.

(3)Write down the most important information you are missing.

(4) Write down the impact your decision will have a year from now.

(5)Get buy-in from a team of at least two (but no more than six) stakeholders. Hearing different perspectives reduces your bias, but bigger groups have diminishing returns.

(6) Write down what was decided as well as why and how much the team supports the decision. This increases commitment and helps you measure results.

(7) Schedule a follow-up in a month or two to make course corrections.

How to recruit for start ups

Recruiting for Start-Ups 

April 12, 2016

Recruit Top Talent to Your New Team

Whether you’re a founder of a startup, a young CEO, or a veteran leader, if you have big plans, you have one job: Put together the strongest team possible. Here are three concrete ways to attract new top talent:

(1) Master the art of storytelling. 
Tell people what inspired you to start your business in the first place. Others will only follow you if you really leave them with the impression that you yourself are completely captivated by the opportunity you’re presenting.

(2)Don’t be a one-trick pony. 
Every potential employee is different, so the way you can best get your message across will vary. 
 Considering the candidate’s background and personality will give you insight into how you should deliver your message.

(3)Never compromise. 
If in doubt, don’t hire. Your first hires are benchmarks for future hires; new candidates need to set the bar even higher.

Adapted from “6 Ways to Recruit Superstar Talent to Your New Company,” by Bastian Bergmann

Set the Right Conditions for Creativity

March 01, 2016 Set the Right Conditions for Creativity There isn’t a magic formula for how to be more creative. But you can deliberately craft the right environment for optimal brain health, which in turn makes it more likely for you to experience artistic inspiration or have that “Eureka” moment. Start by taking better care of yourself, which means sleeping more (at least 7–9 hours), eating a well-balanced diet, and getting plenty of exercise — the basics for brain functioning. You should also force yourself to take time to think and reflect. Try a mindfulness course or some breathing exercises to reduce stress, stop fretting about your deficiencies and failures, and focus on what makes you happy at work. The positive emotions that are generated when you feel connected to your personal and organizational purpose will help you think more clearly — and more creatively.

Improve Your Team’s Productivity

March 25, 2016 Improve Your Team’s Productivity As a manager, you may already have learned how to plan, prioritize, and streamline your work. But how can you help your team members do the same? Start by setting a good example. Be smart about how you allocate the hours of your own workday — the meetings you attend, the emails you respond to, and the projects you sign on for — so your team can follow your lead. Help set boundaries for your team by outlining key goals and analyzing people’s capacity to execute on them. Then meet with your team members one on one to communicate your top priorities and expectations. Tell each person the top two or three areas you want them to focus on, and give them permission to eliminate or delegate unimportant tasks. Make sure that all meetings have a clearly defined purpose, and reserve plenty of downtime in shared calendars for getting actual work done.

Don’t Waste Your Time on Work Calls

Don’t Waste Your Time on Work Calls

While some might argue that phone calls are the most efficient way to get work done, there are plenty of reasons to eschew them. The most obvious is productivity. Almost nothing is more disruptive than an unplanned call when you’re trying to finish a task. It can also be hard to make good decisions in the moment if you’re surprised by a request. Should you accept that speaking engagement? What price should you quote? You may need time to reflect — or get your wording straight if you want to decline. To minimize disruptive calls, bundle them together and schedule them back-to-back — on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, for instance. And just because someone wants to call you, you don’t have to agree. Instead, say: “The best way to reach me is through email.” That way, they know you’re happy to talk to them — but through your preferred channel, not theirs.

Intrinsic motivation is in the middle of the project

People also seem to value intrinsic incentives more when they are in the middle of pursuing a goal than when they have not yet started. This is why when people are selecting a job, they often put relatively less emphasis on things such as interest in the task and employee morale, compared with extrinsic benefits like salary. But when going to the job each day, people care relatively more about these intrinsic incentives. Thus, tangible incentives should be emphasized in advance, while more intrinsic ones should be used to motivate employees already working toward something.

We underestimate intrinsic motivation in others !

Just as people fail to recognize the value of intrinsic incentives for themselves, they also underestimate its importance for others. People tend to believe interesting work tasks and morale are more important to them than to their colleagues. As a result, when motivating others, people may choose to use fewer intrinsic incentives than they would for themselves.

Ayelet Fishbach article on HBR 

People's motivation wavers throughout the project . A study . What can be done ?

People are also particularly conscientious of their work when they are just beginning to pursue a goal and when they’ve nearly reached it. Research has found that people are more likely to slack off or behave unethically around the middle of a project. Since people will produce their highest quality work as they’re getting started or about to wrap up, it might be useful to re-frame their goal pursuit—by setting smaller goals, for example—so that people don’t feel stuck in the middle.

Get the Crowd to Weigh In on Strategic Decision

July 04, 2016 Get the Crowd to Weigh In on Strategic Decisions In most organizations authority for the most important strategic decisions is left to the highest-paid person’s opinion (HiPPO). But relying on the judgement of one person or a few individuals is bound to lead to trouble. HiPPOs often are wrong, due to inherent biases, misinformation, and other types of noise that can cloud one person’s opinion. To cancel out much of that noise, companies should integrate crowd voting into their decision-making strategies. Crowd voting integrates the expertise, knowledge, and perspectives of many people. These opinions can help shape a more well-rounded frame of reference, and can vastly improve the chances that a strategic decision will lead to success. Crowd voting doesn’t render HiPPOs obsolete; rather, it encourages HiPPOs to work with the crowd in order to develop more-successful strategies.

"Read the Situation to Know How to Motivate People "

June 24, 2016

Project / People Management 

"Read the Situation to Know How to Motivate People " 

Keeping employees motivated is one of the most important responsibilities of a manager. 
To do this, make sure you’re using the right motivational tools at the right times. Keep these guidelines in mind:

(1) Feedback. 
To enhance commitment, offer positive feedback when an employee is just getting started on a project. Solicit negative feedback toward the finish line to highlight any slow progress.

(2)Goal setting. 
Focus on the work that’s been done at the beginning of the project. Focus on how much more work needs to be done near the end, to avoid frustration.

(3)Incentives. 
Immediate rewards (a bonus) are more effective in increasing motivation. Use extrinsic incentives (money) to motivate at the beginning of a project and use intrinsic incentives (job satisfaction) to help people persist toward the end of a project.

HBR

Learn While You’re on the Job

Learn While You’re on the Job

Too many of us relegate learning to formal, instructor-led programs. But, you can actually incorporate learning into what you already do every day.

 For example, you can use a team meeting to work on your communication skills. 

A morning of returning email can become a chance to apply a new organization system. An afternoon of customer interactions can become a chance to hone your business development pitch. Focus on a skill that you want to develop, and research it online — you can find blogs from subject matter experts on almost any topic, not to mention a generous supply of YouTube videos. Then, set a series of small, progressive goals and enlist a colleague to pay attention to your skill-building effort by offering periodic feedback along the way.

HBR March 16, 2016

How to Respond to a Raise Request

How to Respond to a Raise Request

One of your direct reports just asked for a raise. Whether or not you hold the purse strings for your team or organization, this is a tough situation. How should you respond? Your first reaction, regardless of whether you think the employee deserves the raise, should be curiosity. Say something like “Tell me more,” which indicates that you’re not dismissing the request and gets you more information about where the person is coming from. Remain neutral and explain that you will look into the matter. Say something like “Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I want to give it careful consideration. I’ll get back to you within two weeks.” To help make your decision, consider how important the person is to you, your team, and the company, and talk to your boss and HR to determine the fairness of the person’s current salary.

Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport

Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport

One key tenet of coaching professional sports is preparing people in the most realistic contexts possible. For example, a coach might pour water on practice balls to prepare a team for wet gameday weather. You can apply similar thinking to business situations. For example, you might work on rehearsing your pitch to potential VCs in front of colleagues you’ve asked to pepper you with difficult questions. You might create situations where a VC is late to the meeting — or is rushing you to finish your pitch. You might do the session in a setting that mimics what you’ll likely encounter in the real world, whether that’s a noisy coffee shop or an overheated conference room. By sensitizing yourself to the actual challenges you’ll face, you’ll become more adaptable and have a far greater chance of success.

Keep Encouraging Your Employees to Learn

Keep Encouraging Your Employees to Learn

The best way for organizations to drive the business forward is to make sure that employees are continually learning. What can managers do to encourage learning? When you’re hiring, look for people who have demonstrated that they’re lifelong learners. Then look for services that provide up-to-date, relevant content on a wide variety of topics. Don’t worry if your employees want to learn something that’s not directly related to their job. By learning something new, no matter what it is, they’re practicing the skill of learning, which is invaluable. Plus, you never know how learning an unrelated skill can help down the road. But do take an active role in partnering with your employees to figure out the skills they need to develop based on business goals. And don’t forget to encourage and reward people who demonstrate quick adaptive learning.

The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules

The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules

Amazing bosses try to make work meaningful and enjoyable for employees. They’re most successful when they adhere to a few best practices:

• Manage individuals, not just teams. When you’re under pressure, you can forget that employees have varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. But it’s important to understand what makes each person tick so that you can customize your interactions with them.
• Go big on meaning. Inspire people with a vision, set challenging goals, and articulate a clear purpose. Don’t rely on incentives like bonuses, stock options, or raises.
• Focus on feedback. Use regular (at least weekly) one-on-one conversations for coaching. Make the feedback clear, honest, and constructive.
• Don’t just talk — listen. Pose problems and challenges, and then ask questions to enlist the entire team in generating solutions.
• Be consistent. Be open to new ideas in your management style, vision, expectations, and feedback. If change becomes necessary, acknowledge it quickly.

If You’re Afraid to Confront Your Boss Alone, Get Help from Your Team

If You’re Afraid to Confront Your Boss Alone, Get Help from Your Team

It can feel risky or even futile to share certain concerns with your manager. Perhaps they’re about a business policy or process that your boss is wedded to, or maybe the problem is your manager’s behavior or performance. Too often, silence prevails because no one on the team wants to speak up. But if you and your coworkers band together, you may be able to solve the problem. Try to bring up the issue in a weekly team meeting. If getting everyone in the same room at the same time proves impossible, your team members can try to schedule one-on-one meetings with the boss instead. And if that doesn’t work, consider approaching a skip-level boss together. Be sure to use “we” language in each of these conversations. There’s strength in numbers, and you’ll be less likely to be written off as a disgruntled employee if people see that you’re raising a systemic issue.