The Management Tip of the Day

  Transitioning into management for the first time is a significant career milestone. To identify which skills you might need to develop before making the leap, ask yourself these five questions:  What’s my leadership style?  Reflect on your strengths, personality, and values, then decide what you want to be known for. Remember, you can adapt your approach over time as you continue to learn and advance.  How will I help my team grow?  Understanding how to measure performance and assess gaps and growth opportunities on your team will be essential in your role as a manager. Take time to think about how your promotion may impact team structures and dynamics.  How will I prioritize and delegate work effectively?  Ask yourself what you’d need to stop doing, keep doing, and do more of—and how you’ll provide oversight and accountability for the work you assign to others.  Am I a good public speaker, and can I lead meetings?  Do an honest appraisal o...

  Whether it’s inflation, rising interest rates, supply-chain disruptions, or geopolitical tensions—there is a lot happening in the global economy. How can you make sure you’re successful as a leader through uncertain times? Here are some strategies.  Create a humble, “company-first” culture.  This entails leading by example and doing what’s right for the business and your people, instead of driving individual agendas or objectives. It also means recognizing that your role extends beyond the individual unit you manage and requires communicating across teams and units.  Focus on reinventing the business.  When things aren’t “business-as-usual,” it’s time to look for opportunities to innovate. Be sure that the right minds are assigned to this reinvention—and that the more routine, day-to-day work is delegated to employees you trust to execute it. Be more inclusive.  This means prioritizing not only the diversity of your team in terms of gender and ethnicity, ...

  A new survey found that professional women face ageism at work no matter how old they are, being deemed either “too young” or “too old” to be leaders. How can you combat this kind of gendered ageism in your organization? Start by training your team to recognize ageism the same way they recognize other forms of discrimination. This entails including ageism in your DEI efforts and challenging harmful age-related assumptions. Younger women are often limited by the assumption that they lack experience. Middle-aged women may be thought of as having too many family responsibilities. And women who are older are often constrained by the perception that they’re no longer invested in the organization. It’s also important to include “lookism” in DEI training to ensure that women’s appearance isn’t a hidden factor in your hiring, promotion, or performance-evaluation processes. Focus your attention—and your team’s—on proven skills and performance. And finally, cultivate creative collaboration...

  When your company takes cost-cutting measures, it can feel devastating—but it doesn’t have to stall your career. In fact, a downsizing company can even be a springboard for your growth. Here’s how to continue advancing in the face of spending freezes or job cuts. First, reframe your thinking. Experiencing a range of emotions—sadness, anger, self-doubt—is natural during times of organizational turmoil. But don’t shut down. Instead, look for opportunities to fill gaps in work, demonstrate leadership, and prove your value. Ask yourself: Where can I fill the vacuum? Align your efforts with the company’s new priorities, looking for ways to make a tangible impact quickly. Finally, even if advancement isn’t possible in the short term, you can still open negotiations with your boss about your long-term growth. To do this, you might say something like, “While I understand that major changes might not be possible right now, I wanted to discuss the possibility of revisiting my position down...

  Are you frustrated with your team’s ability to solve problems? If you consistently feel like your team isn’t working together effectively as decision-makers and problem-solvers, it could be because you don’t understand their various problem-solving styles. To set your employees up for success, start by categorizing them into five profiles, recognizing their unique strengths and weaknesses. Then you can pair them accordingly to optimize their performance.  The adventurer.  This employee confidently and optimistically follows their intuition, making decisions quickly—sometimes too quickly.  The detective.  This thorough coworker is methodical, driven by data and evidence. As such, they may undervalue intuition and collaboration. The listener.  This collaborative and trusting decision-maker works well with their colleagues. However, they often find it difficult to tune into their own opinions or express viewpoints that might be at odds with others’.  Th...

  If training budgets have come under pressure in your organization, you’ll need to find cheaper, more targeted ways to address skills gaps on your team. Here are a few ways to ensure your employees get the learning and development they need to grow. First, consider launching a digital apprenticeship program. This approach will allow your employees to learn new skills from expert colleagues on the job. If you have the budget for it, you might also implement a tuition-assistance program aimed at frontline workers and encourage them to take online classes. Be sure to also look into whether your company has access to a learning management system (LMS) or a learning experience platform (LXP). These are software designed to help train employees on a variety of skills. Similarly, digital coaching services can connect your employees with remote coaches who can help them hone skills in certain areas. Finally, encourage your team to take cohort-based online courses. This will give them the ...

  Employing people with disabilities is usually seen as a social cause—one best suited to nonprofits or the public sector. That’s a mistake—and more important, a missed opportunity. Proactively including people with disabilities in your DEI efforts can lead to real competitive advantage in a few key areas. Talent.  Disabilities often confer unique talents that make people better at particular jobs. Identify these opportunities and recruit people with disabilities accordingly. What’s more, hiring people with disabilities makes a company more likely to be seen as an attractive employer for people without disabilities. Culture.  The presence of employees with disabilities elevates the culture of your entire organization, making it more collaborative and boosting productivity. Colleagues of people with disabilities don’t learn just to be more accepting of one another’s limitations—seeing coworkers with disabilities succeed can inspire other employees and make them realize tha...

  Are you prepared to make the leap from individual contributor to company leader? Here are some ways to demonstrate to yourself—and your colleagues—that you’re ready to rise. Be clear about what you stand for.  In other words, identify your leadership brand. Ask yourself: What three values are most important to you as a leader and colleague? How have you lived them in your career? Why are they important for driving success? How would you describe your leadership philosophy in an interview, or to someone junior? Hone your decision-making skills.  As you move up the ladder, the problems you encounter will become harder and more complicated, and you’ll be more accountable for your decisions. To become a master decision-maker, practice seeking out input from your team, being brutally honest with yourself and others (even when the truth is hard), and constantly challenging your assumptions. Build self-awareness.  As a leader, everything you say and do has an outsize impa...

  For many of us, asking for help is hard. Whether you’re afraid of feeling vulnerable, being rejected, or you just prefer to do things independently, you can take steps to overcome your reluctance to ask for help. Seek out resources.  Investigate your blockages and recognize the importance of getting over them. (Reading this tip could be a great first step!) But if you find you need further encouragement, technology has made it easier than ever to find the right coach or therapist. Reframe your perception of help.  Consider that asking someone for help isn’t burdening them, but giving them an opportunity to step up. Contributing to the success of the team is a win-win proposition. Craft your request carefully.  Make sure the help you ask for is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will increase the likelihood that your needs get met. Communicate openly and authentically.  The more people understand the problems you’re facing, the mor...

  Tough feedback can be hard to process, especially when it’s delivered poorly. Whether you receive feedback from your boss, peer, or employee that’s way too harsh, suspiciously nice, or somehow dishonest, how can you navigate your own emotions and respond productively? Start by figuring out how you’re feeling—and don’t judge yourself. Then take a step back to reconsider the substance of the feedback. Identify something helpful or constructive, even if it wasn’t communicated well. Then, reward the person’s candor. You might thank them for their honesty and, if you agree with their assessment, commit to an action plan that incorporates their perspective. Or, if you disagree with their feedback, respectfully explain why. Then, offer feedback on feedback: Communicate the impact of their delivery and how they might improve on it next time. Finally, take a step back and assess your relationship with this person. If they are unwilling to change the way they communicate next time, the rel...

  Treating everyone with respect is the foundation of good leadership. But what does respectful leadership actually look like in practice? Here are some behaviors to prioritize.  Build trust.  This requires three factors: developing positive relationships, sharing knowledge and expertise, and being consistent in how you treat people.  Value diversity.  Hire team members from diverse backgrounds, check your unconscious biases, encourage perspectives that challenge the status quo, and, of course, treat everyone equally. Stay attuned to your employees’ emotions.  You can’t be aware of everything your team members are going through in their personal and professional lives. But you can—and should—convey that you’re there for them should they want to discuss sensitive issues or concerns.  Balance compassion and accountability.  Establish a culture that supports work-life balance, and make it clear that productivity shouldn’t come at the cost of your emp...

  Difficult people exist in every workplace. Here are three common types of problematic coworkers—and how to deal with them.  The pessimist.  This is the meeting-goer who can’t seem to find anything positive to say (ever) and even seems to enjoy coming up with all the different ways a project or initiative could fail. To handle this type of naysayer, acknowledge their complaints—then reframe them. You could present an alternative, more positive interpretation; ask them if they have any constructive ideas; or even formalize their role as “devil’s advocate” in team brainstorms.  The passive-aggressive peer.  This is the colleague who says one thing but does another, displays negative body language but insists everything is “fine,” and makes back-handed compliments that stick with you. To manage your working relationship, avoid calling them out. Instead, work to understand where they’re coming from. Focus on the underlying message and create a safe environment for ...

  Should you ask ChatGPT to write your resume for you? While the technology isn’t advanced enough to create this critical document for you entirely, it can help you get started. Here’s how to use the tool responsibly. Start by writing a simple prompt describing your past roles and accomplishments as well as the job you’re applying to. This will generate a (very rough) first draft that you can edit and add to. Next, screen the draft for inaccuracies. It’s likely that the AI has made a few false assumptions based on your inputs. Manually cut that information or edit it for accuracy. Then, adjust the wording to make your resume sound like you. The ultimate goal here is not to replace your own sensibility, but rather to speed up your efforts. Think of ChatGPT as a collaborator—it may not have all the facts, but it can help you by providing some ideas and a place to start. Finally, ask an experienced friend or a mentor to review your AI-assisted resume after you’ve edited it. A second s...

  No job title or level of expertise is enough to make you a legitimate leader in the eyes of your employees—you need to earn that distinction through your actions. Here’s how.  Communicate clearly.  Tell a compelling story about where your team (or organization) is coming from, where it’s going, and why. Crucially, you need to be able to convey how your employees fit into that plan.  Demonstrate fairness.  “That’s not fair” are words that will swiftly undermine your legitimacy. As the person who sets the tone, you need to proactively communicate care and respect for the people you lead with transparency and consistency. Favoritism and opaque decision-making will demotivate your employees and lead to a culture of self-protective and political behavior. Behave with integrity.  Do you act in accordance with your espoused values, especially when doing so is costly?  Be authentic.  Authentic leaders are as honest about their successes and strengths as...

  To build a high-performing team, you don’t have to expect 100% effort from your employees all the time. In fact, asking them for less-than-maximum effort can actually lead to increased productivity over time. Here’s how to lead a high-performing team without burning people out. First, create a “done for the day” time. This means setting a reasonable and realistic hard stop for the workday—a collective expectation that it’s time to leave work unless there’s an emergency. If you notice team members online or at the office after that time, you can say something like: “Why are you still here? We don’t stay late here unless there is an absolute emergency. We want you to be fresh tomorrow morning. Please go home.” Next, emphasize that the most effort doesn’t always lead to the best results. To help coach employees to get to and stay in this sweet spot, ask, “What does it feel like to be at 100% intensity?” Then follow up with: “How can you keep this closer to the 85% level to avoid fat...

  Exercise isn't only good for your physical wellbeing—research finds that it can also vastly improve your ability to perform at work over time. If you're finding yourself sitting more and moving less, as many of us are in this era of hybrid and remote work, how can you become more physically active throughout your workweek? Start by making exercise a daily habit. Remember that some activity is better than none—even just 20 minutes of moderately intense exercise, like a jog or short bike ride, can improve your quality of sleep and lead to cognitive benefits the next day. The WHO recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 years engage in at least 2.5 hours of moderately intense or at least 1.25 hours of highly intense physical activity each week. Finally, make it fun! Try out different classes and routines until you discover the one that works for you. Maybe even consider making exercise a social activity you do with a friend or a partner. When you enjoy exercising, you'll be more...

  Do you have a hard time disconnecting from work—like, completely disconnecting—while you’re on vacation? Here are five things to do in advance to protect your precious time off.  Provide a plan.  Prepare a document outlining how your work will get done. Who is the emergency contact for each issue that could arise in your absence? Who will manage any ongoing projects?  Block your calendar.  This way, your manager, colleagues, and clients will remember that you're out-of-office (OOO) any time they try to send you a meeting invite. Send pre-notices for standing meetings.  Don’t just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know that you won’t be there—and ask if there's anything they need from you before you depart.  Optimize your OOO message.  State that you will not be reachable until the date you return. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other impo...

  You have a great idea—but you’re lacking resources to execute it. How can you persuade a client, a colleague, or a senior executive to spend money—especially when budgets are tight? Start by conducting a stakeholder analysis. Do your research, and talk to the people you're trying to influence before making your case. Ask questions to understand what challenges they’re facing and what their current priorities are. Next, clarify the benefits of your proposed investment. Outline a coherent case based on your analysis. It's key to demonstrate the cost-reducing or revenue-driving impact of your pitch—and to emphasize its timeliness. Your pitch should answer the questions: Why now? What costs will your audience incur by failing to take action? To bolster your case, you might also allude to competitors and other organizations who are making similar investments to the one you're suggesting. People tend to be influenced by the behavior of others who are in a similar situation. Fin...

  Running great meetings means limiting distractions—whether they’re questions that are outside the scope of the conversation, overly negative, counterproductive comments, or unrelated tangents. Here’s how to keep your meetings tighter and more focused. First, determine the primary objective. Is the group’s goal to make a decision, brainstorm ideas, get people aligned, or something else? Next, reframe each agenda item as an inquiry for each team member to consider. For example, instead of listing “project X” as a topic, frame the agenda item as, “What are our deliverables for project X?” This allows team members to start thinking about potential solutions in advance. When sending out the invitation, be sure to only include people who have a direct role in achieving the meeting’s stated objective; distractions are more likely to surface in crowded, noisy environments. Finally, at the top of the meeting, remind everyone of the group’s objective and emphasize your intention to keep th...

  Taking breaks throughout the workday can boost both your well-being and performance, but far too few of us take them regularly—or use them effectively. Research suggests you consider the following factors to get the most out of your pause from work.  Length.  A longer break isn’t always better. Disengaging from work for a few minutes but on a regular basis (micro-breaks) can be sufficient for preventing exhaustion and boosting performance.  Location.  Changing locations will help you recharge. If you can get outside, even for a short walk, all the better. Activity.  Browsing social media is a popular, but not necessarily effective way to take a short break. Instead, choose to do something that enriches you, brings you joy, and gives you energy.  Pets!  Research shows that interacting with a dog can lower levels of cortisol hormone, an objective indicator of stress. So if it’s possible to spend some time with a furry companion during the workday,...

  Allies support diversity and want to learn about communities and identities outside of their own. Activists, on the other hand, engage in the causes they support. Creating an equitable work environment requires both types of people. Here’s how to move from allyship to activism in the workplace.  Identify where you can offer value.  Think about your strengths. How can you support people in a way that leverages your expertise? Educate yourself on the specific community you want to help, and identify which of their projects or initiatives could benefit from your time and attention.  Participate in employee resource groups.  ERGs often organize activities to help connect and build community around shared identities or life experiences. Volunteer to help organize those events so that the participants can focus on the programming. Be a sponsor.  You don’t need to be a tenured employee to help empower a colleague and boost their visibility. Help break down knowl...

  If your organization or team is experimenting with AI, you need to be asking yourself an essential question: How can we ensure that the dataset we use to train AI models is representative and doesn’t include harmful biases? First, consider the size of your dataset and understand the tradeoffs. Big datasets can train AI to be more effective at certain tasks, such as keeping a human-seeming conversation going. But if a model is too large, it’s nearly impossible to rid it of potential biases. Second, assemble diverse teams—including members of underrepresented groups—to collect and produce the data used to train your model. Your goal is to ensure that people with a variety of perspectives and identities are represented and that they have a chance to identify biases or oversights in the data. AI will only be trustworthy once it works equitably—and that will only happen if you prioritize diversifying the data and development teams that make the technology possible.