How to motivate an employee who has done a good job

September 27, 2018
Recognize an Employee’s Good Work by Asking How They Pulled It Off
Employees want to feel appreciated, but a simple “Great job!” isn’t always motivating — especially if you say it all the time. 
When you want to praise someone for their work on a project, try being curious about how they pulled it off. 
You might say something like, 
“That was really impressive. Will you tell me how you did it?” By showing interest in the story behind the accomplishment, you honor the results as well as the person who reached them. You also get a view into how the person solves problems, what parts of the work they love, and what makes them feel proud — insights that can be helpful when making assignments. 
And if the employee suffered any personal costs during the work, acknowledge the toll it took. 
Whether they gave up time with family or bore the political risks of a highly visible project, talking about the costs will encourage the person to be honest with you in the future.

Adapted from “What Not to Do When You’re Trying to Motivate Your Team,” by Ron Carucci

Who is the right manager for Coaching ? How do you select ?

September 25, 2018
Are You Wasting Your Company’s Coaching Budget?
Not every executive will benefit from working with a coach. And if you’re the person who decides which company leaders get to work with an outside expert, you want to spend your budget wisely. To assess whether a struggling leader is ready for coaching, watch for a few red flags. First, be wary of an executive who always has an excuse when things go wrong. Coaching requires self-awareness and introspection, so someone who consistently blames external factors for their problems may not be a great choice. Second, think carefully about a leader who favors quick-fix tactics. The best candidates for coaching are willing to challenge their assumptions and beliefs about how to get things done. And third, beware of managers who delay the start of coaching to “do more research” or “find the right person.” It may be a sign that they're just not ready to confront their issues.

Adapted from “4 Signs an Executive Isn’t Ready for Coaching,” by Matt Brubaker and Chris Mitchell

Schedule Time for Your Most Important Work

September 17, 2018
Schedule Time for Your Most Important Work
No one likes getting to the end of the day and feeling that, even though you’ve been frantically working for eight hours, you haven’t accomplished anything important. To avoid spending all your time answering emails and texts, try scheduling important tasks in your calendar. Block out an hour or two so that the task doesn’t get lost in the blur of the day. For something really important, block out most of the day (even if you won’t need that long). And if you habitually set goals so lofty that you end up putting them off, try this: When you consider a goal, also consider a half-size version. Mentally compare the two versions and ask yourself which is more realistic. If your task still feels intimidating, shrink it further until it seems doable. You might end up with a goal that’s one-fourth or one-tenth the size of what you initially considered — but it’ll feel much more achievable.

Adapted from “How to Focus on What’s Important, Not Just What’s Urgent,” by Alice Boyes

minimize memebers in office meetings

September 14, 2018
The Invite List for Your Next Meeting Is Probably Too Big
Most meetings have too many people in them. Deciding who to include can be tricky, but don’t default to inviting everyone on the team. To have the right people — and only the right people — in the room, you have to know specifically what you’re going to address. Create a clear agenda and then ask yourself: Who must be present for this discussion to yield results? Who would you cancel the meeting for if they could not attend? Start with this core group. Add more people only if you think they will add value to the conversation or gain value by being there. To avoid irking those who weren’t invited, share the criteria you used to decide. For example, perhaps you focused on who has the most knowledge about the topic or who will be involved with the implementation. If you still get complaints, let people ask to be included next time, and then err on the side of granting their request if they present a solid reason for attending.

Adapted from “The Most Productive Meetings Have Fewer Than 8 People,” by Paul Axtell

If You’re Speaking on a Conference Panel, Don’t Wing It

September 13, 2018

If You’re Speaking on a Conference Panel, Don’t Wing It

Being asked to speak on a panel can be an honor, but don’t think of it as a walk in the park. Sure, it’s less nerve-wracking than delivering a solo talk, but just showing up and answering the moderator’s questions is unlikely to make for an interesting discussion.

 Spend time preparing what you’ll say, and start by reaching out to the moderator well before the event. Ask how they intend to run the session. 
For instance, will they call on people to answer particular questions, or will it be a free-for-all where you’re expected to jump in?
 Do they have a list of questions already prepared, and if so, can they share it with you? 

That information will allow you to picture how the panel will go and steel yourself in advance if, for instance, you’re a bit shy and aren’t used to fighting for airtime.
 You’ll also want to plan out your talking points and try to speak up early on. 

The person who talks first often sets the tenor of the debate — plus you can ensure the person speaking before you doesn’t steal the key point you wanted to make.

Adapted from “How to Prepare for a Panel,” by Dorie Clark

After a Promotion, Recalibrate Your Work Relationships

September 12, 2018
After a Promotion, Recalibrate Your Work Relationships
When you're promoted to a new job, a lot of your relationships at work will change. People who used to outrank you may be your peers now, for example. Take some time to think about the new dynamics and how you should reset coworkers’ expectations. Then schedule a series of one-on-one meetings with your colleagues and ask how your role can help them. Your objective is to become a good partner to your peers. Asking for their input shows that you appreciate their counsel and value collaboration. And be patient in those early days: Colleagues may need time to adjust to your position on the team. Listen to and learn from others rather than charging ahead with your ideas. Project competence and confidence — along with a healthy dose of humility. You don’t want to be seen as too focused on your own success.

Adapted from “How to Prove Yourself After a Promotion,” by Rebecca Knight

Managers, Protect Your High Performers from Burnout

September 11, 2018
Managers, Protect Your High Performers from Burnout
When a high performer on your team burns out, you might think it’s their problem to solve. But as a manager, it’s your job to help employees keep their stress under control. You can protect your stars from burnout by giving them some autonomy in choosing their projects. Don’t just put them on your toughest tasks; letting them choose ensures they’re working on assignments that excite them. You can also pair the person with another high performer on a hard project, which will help the two employees challenge and push each other. (You may be tempted to group high performers with low performers, but that’s likely to increase the high performers’ workloads and sap their morale.) These pairs should consist of employees at similar levels. Placing a talented entry-level employee with a high-performing leader won’t have the same effect.

Adapted from “How Are You Protecting Your High Performers from Burnout?,” by Matt Plummer

Your Team Should Get Along Well — but Not Too Well

September 18, 2018
Your Team Should Get Along Well — but Not Too Well
It’s good if the people on your team like one another, but too much harmony can dampen creativity and innovation. Of course, you don’t want team members to be at each other’s throats, but when everyone always gets along, complacency can set in. To keep this from happening, encourage productive conflict — the kind where people express disagreements, negotiate different viewpoints, and work under a certain amount of pressure. Encourage people to speak honestly, even when it feels uncomfortable. If the team needs a little push, assign one or two people the role of devil’s advocate to get opposing views on the table. You can also disrupt complacency by setting bold but achievable goals for your team. People tend to perform at their best when tasks are moderately difficult, so create some tension between the skills your team has and those required to accomplish a certain task. Projects should be feasible — but it’s OK if the team struggles with them a little, too.

Adapted from “Too Much Team Harmony Can Kill Creativity,” by Darko Lovric and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

To Connect with Your Audience, Share Personal Stories

September 10, 2018
To Connect with Your Audience, Share Personal Stories

Leaders often shy away from sharing personal stories in their talks and presentations, because they’re afraid of revealing their struggles or appearing unprofessional. 

But this is a missed opportunity to connect with your audience: 
Stories that expose our human flaws and vulnerabilities are often what inspire people! 

 To unearth your inspiring stories, think through the nouns that are important to you — the people, places, and things that have shaped your life. 

Some of your experiences may be too personal to share, but you may uncover anecdotes that will become the basis of a great story.

 Write one-line summaries of your best anecdotes, and catalog them; you could sort them by situation, theme, mood, or moral. When you’re planning your next talk, look through your catalog of stories and consider who’s in your audience and what they care about. Choose a story that fits their values, goals, and interests, and that will send the message you want to convey.

Adapted from “How to Identify and Tell Your Most Powerful Stories,” by Nancy Duarte

If Your Boss Doesn’t Advocate for You, Find a Sponsor Who Will

September 7, 2018 A boss who doesn’t advocate for you can stunt your growth and limit your career opportunities. But rather than getting frustrated by the situation, take matters into your own hands. Start by letting go of whatever anger or hurt you feel toward your boss. You can’t shame someone into helping you, and it’s likely that your negative feelings will only make the situation worse. Then try to find a senior leader who will advocate for you. The ideal sponsor is a powerful, high-ranking person in your organization. Sponsors typically choose their protégés, so you’ll want to increase your visibility to help the person notice you. Raise your hand to participate in organization-wide task forces and cross-functional teams. By contributing to important strategic projects, you’ll build your skills and interact with new people. Working for a boss who doesn’t recognize your potential isn’t necessarily a career-killer — as long as you find others who do. Adapted from “What to Do When Your Boss Won’t Advocate for You,” by Nicholas Pearce

When Working Across Cultures, Understand What Silence Means

September 3, 2018

Cultural differences aren’t always obvious. Take silence, for example. At the end of a meeting, you might ask whether anyone has a question. But if your colleagues come from a culture where people tend not to ask questions in a public setting, they will keep quiet — but out of respect, not because they don’t have something to ask. That’s why it’s important to learn more about communication differences between your culture and your colleagues’: Do people shake their heads to mean yes (as they do in Bulgaria) rather than nodding their heads (as in the U.S.)? Do they defer to authority in public? Knowing these kinds of differences will help you understand what your coworkers are really saying — or aren’t saying. So instead of assuming that silence in the meeting means your colleagues don’t need clarification, you might say, “Many people new to projects like this one have a number of questions. What are some of the issues you want to know about?”

Adapted from “3 Ways to Identify Cultural Differences on a Global Team,” by Art Markman

How Working Parents Can Survive Back-to-School Season

September 4, 2018

For working parents with school-age children, this time of year is especially chaotic. But it is possible to manage the (often overwhelming) demands of back-to-school activities while still delivering at work. Start by thinking about what’s realistic for you. Even with a flexible job, it’s unlikely that you can make it to every bake sale, library fundraiser, and field trip. To do your fair share, try to do it all at once. For example, you can use a personal day entirely for school volunteering: Be the “reading helper” in your daughter’s second-grade class in the morning, walk with the school’s neighborhood safety patrol in the afternoon, and take the minutes during the PTA meeting in the evening. And don’t try to hide why you’ll be out of the office. Tell your colleagues what you’ll be doing and why it’s important to you. That will make it easier for them to understand, and to help if needed.

Adapted from “How Working Parents Can Manage the Demands of School-Age Kids,” by Daisy Wademan Dowling

Don’t Let One Person Dominate the Conversation in a Meeting

August 29, 2018
Don’t Let One Person Dominate the Conversation in a Meeting
You’ve probably led one of those meetings where someone talks, and talks, and talks — and no one else can get a word in edgewise. It’s annoying, and potentially damaging to team morale. Of course, you can’t always expect that everyone will contribute, but there are ways you can encourage broader participation. When you open the meeting, let the group know that you want everyone to speak up. If someone is speaking too often during the meeting, ask them to hold back: “Andre, let me get some others into this conversation, and then I’ll come back to you, OK?” Whenever someone is interrupted, double back and ask them to finish what they were saying. And if you’re the person interrupted, speak up: “Marie, I wasn’t quite finished. I’d like to complete my comment, and then I’d love to hear your thoughts."

Adapted from “5 Common Complaints About Meetings and What to Do About Them,” by Paul Axtell

Lead Confidently When You Aren’t Feeling Confident

August 31, 2018
Lead Confidently When You Aren’t Feeling Confident
When faced with a tough challenge, it’s normal to feel uncertain, and maybe even afraid. But it’s hard to inspire your team to rise to the occasion if they sense that you’re intimidated. You can project confidence by doing four things. 
(1)
First, demonstrate empathy for your team members. 
Why ? 
They want to know that you aren’t out of touch with what they’re feeling. 
Second, communicate your vision for the team — and that tough challenge. 
Why ? People need to have a clear sense of where they are headed. 

Third, set a direction for the team. 
Why ? Show them how you’ll reach the vision together. 

Fourth and Last, give people proof. They need a reason to buy in to what you’re telling them, so offer evidence for your direction and optimism. Be specific, be personal, and reference the work that the team is already doing. This will build your team’s confidence — and your own.

Adapted from “How to Lead When You're Feeling Afraid,” by Peter Bregman

When You Ask a Colleague for Help, Be Clear and Specific

August 30, 2018
When You Ask a Colleague for Help, Be Clear and Specific
Asking for help can be uncomfortable, so most of us avoid it, or do it awkwardly. But you can’t always tackle a full plate of work alone. To get support from your colleagues, figure out what you really need. What task can someone else do that will save you a ton of time and that doesn't take a lot of explaining? Next, identify the right person to hand it off to. Choose someone who actually can help in the way you need. Then make a clear request, being specific about what you want them to do, and when. This is where most of us bungle it: Because asking for help is awkward, we say something vague (“Would you like to…” or “If you have time…”), which undermines the request. Accept whatever help your colleague offers — even if it's not exactly what you asked for. And don’t forget to say thank you.

Adapted from “Drowning in Work? Here’s How to Ask a Colleague for Help,” by Heidi Grant