The Management Tip of the Day

  When you have to communicate a difficult organizational decision, it’s hard to know how much information to provide, particularly when you can’t be fully transparent yet. Saying nothing can undermine people’s trust, and saying too much can leave people feeling overwhelmed. You can strike   the   balance by being candid—up to a point.   Frame   the   situation’s context clearly so people understand why   the   organization is considering big changes. Explain that you’ll be as transparent as possible, use plain language (not corporate-speak), and respond to questions. People appreciate honesty, even if   the   message is incomplete or not what   the y want to hear. Be precise about what you can say now and when you’ll say more, providing an overall timeline for   the   process. But avoid giving people running commentary as developments unfold; it can lead to unhelpful distractions and take up considerable   management...

  Your business can’t improve operations without honest and substantive feedback from your customers. But customers can   of ten be reluctant to provide it. Here are three ways to get   the input you need.   Reframe customer feedback requests.   When following up with customers after   the y’ve interacted with your company, make it clear that   the   organization is seeking to improve—not to be told it’s doing well. Instead   of   asking “How did I do?” ask “What’s one thing I could do to have served you better to day ?” Ask good second and third questions to encourage customers to generate ideas.   Focus on customer actions, not   the ir words.   Instead   of tracking “sentiment,” which can be misleading, track and observe customer behavior. How   of ten are customers repeating purchases? How frequently do   the y come to your store or site? What do   the y do when   the y’re   the re?  ...

  When things are going wrong and work feels chaotic, it seems obvious that   the   team or company needs to try something new. But committing to a new direction during times   of   change can feel overwhelming and risky. So actively encourage small experiments, test runs, or pilot programs instead.   The se may be more fruitful ways to surface fresh ideas while alleviating people’s anxiety about   the   future.   For example, if your team needs more space in   the ir   day s to adapt to all   the   changes coming   the ir way, brainstorm a number   of   experiments to try to add hours (and energy) back to all   of the ir schedules. This might include canceling a weekly status meeting, using countdown timers in scheduled meetings to keep people from running over, or pausing efforts on a weekly report to test if it can be done less frequently. .   Make   the   experiments small, specific, ...

  It’s human nature to procrastinate—we all occasionally drag our feet on projects. But putting   of f a project that’s important (and perhaps not urgent) can be damaging to your career. If you find yourself repeatedly ignoring a particular item on your to-do list, here are five things you can do.   Get clear on   the   vision.   Ask yourself or your manager: What, precisely, are you being asked to do? What is   the desired output, and how long do you estimate it will take? Getting specific will help you move forward.   Identify concrete steps.   Speak with colleagues who have done something similar in   the   past to find out what it took to get   the   project done.   Take (small) action.   Identify a task you can accomplish, even if it’s not   the   most strategic (such as sending an email or fixing   the   layout on a presentation deck). This can help disrupt your inertia and make it feel ...

  The re’s lots   of   career advice to let your purpose guide your career aspirations. But what if you don’t actually know what your purpose is? Here are steps you can take to sort out what your overarching intention in life should be.   Seek out new experiences.   Explore your interests by trying out new things. Look for opportunities to meaningfully connect with individuals and communities with different backgrounds, beliefs, and values than yours so you can reflect on what matters to you.   Reflect on your experiences.   Find positive meaning in   the things you do. Ask yourself: How did this experience shape who I am? How did it impact my values and worldviews?   The   goal here is to gain insight into   the aspects   of   the   experiences you’ve most enjoyed, derived meaning from, and want to continue pursuing.   Discuss your life goals and ga the r feedback.   Once you’ve done some personal self-refl...

  The   culture   of   a team— the   habits and behavioral norms among its members—has a big impact on its performance. Every leader knows   the y need to build a strong team culture, but what does that actually entail?   The re are three key elements you need to develop and protect, according to research.   Psychological safety.   Do team members feel safe expressing   the mselves, speaking up when   the y have questions or concerns, disagreeing with each o the r, and making mistakes? When   the y do, diverse perspectives emerge and people are more likely to intervene and state   the ir opinions or concerns before errors occur.   Common goals.   Everyone should understand how   the ir own expertise and responsibilities contribute to   the   team’s overall performance and its place within   the   broader organizational context.   Prosocial purpose.   Knowing   the   pu...

  Mental health is an increasingly pressing priority for new workers—and as an employer, you need to be prepared to   of fer support. Here’s how to show new hires you value mental health:   Integrate mental health into recruiting, hiring, and onboarding.   When recruiting, create an employee well-being statement that clearly defines what mental health means to your organization. In job postings, be transparent about   the   mental health resources you   of fer, and include in-depth guides for navigating mental health benefits in onboarding materials (especially for incoming people managers).   Create a sustainable, mentally healthy work culture.   This entails being upfront about workplace norms—both “hard norms” like roles, timelines, and deadlines and “s of t norms” around urgency, responsiveness, and how people communicate. It also means establishing collaborative, flexible expectations around when, where, and how people work.   Make ...

  A well-crafted corporate purpose statement is impactful on two fronts: It articulates your organization’s mission and aspirations to external stakeholders and sends a signal to your employees about what   the   company stands for. As a leader, how can you write a corporate purpose statement that’s actually believable, au the ntic, and inspiring (without vague, grandiose platitudes)?   First, tie your organization to a broader societal context. Explicitly reference   the   societal or environmental problems   the organization seeks to address or alleviate—and how your products or services advance   the   common good in that specific context.   Remember to be specific and realistic. L of ty goals like “improving   the   world” may be laudable, but people will ask: How, exactly? Be detailed about   the   impact you hope to have, and who or what will benefit as a result.   It’s also essential that your purpose stat...

  Too many teams overvalue busyness, fostering cultures   of   long work hours, meeting overload, and chronic multitasking. But our obsession with staying busy is misguided—and it can actually come at   the   expense   of   productivity. Here’s how to reverse   the   destructive trend.   Reward output, not just activity.   Recognize and promote employees who work efficiently and produce   the   highest-quality work—not just those who log   the   most hours.   Eliminate low-value work and foster deep work.   Conduct an audit on your team to determine how much time per week   the y spend on shallow tasks versus   the   time   the y spend deeply focused on high-value tasks. If   the results are skewed toward low-value work, help   the m reprioritize, delegate, and eliminate   the   busy work that’s getting in   the   way   of   real productivity. ...

  Time   of f doesn’t always go as planned. So, what can you do when you come back to work more exhausted than when you left—especially when everyone assumes you’re well rested and recharged?   First, take stock   of   your health and energy. It’s possible that you’ve veered away from your healthy routines, maybe skipping physical activity, indulging more than you typically do in your daily life, or spending more time around challenging family dynamics. When you return, assess your sleep, movement, interpersonal connections, time spent outdoors, and relaxation, and determine what you need.   The n ease back into work. Resist   the   temptation to dive into work headfirst by building in a   day   of   transition and recovery before returning to normal. You might even extend your auto-response by a   day   or two.   Be sure to reflect on   the   positives   of   your vacation and reframe and learn fr...

  After taking a vacation, it can be tempting to overwork to try to make up for “lost” time, get back up to speed, or relieve team members   of   the   extra work   the y were covering for you. Whatever your motivation, resist that urge. Boomeranging from one extreme to   the   o the r can increase your stress and actually undermine your ability to catch up. Here are some strategies to help you ease back into your routine. First, shift your mindset about rest and recovery. Ra the r than treating time   of f as a last resort only after you’re depleted and unproductive, or as a special reward when your to-do list is finally done, take a cue from top athletes and think about recovery as an essential element   of   performance.   The n create buffers upon your return, like setting a no-meeting policy on your first   day   back, or waiting a few   day s before working on any high-stress assignments. It’s also important to ...

  Pay transparency empowers you with information about what kind   of   compensation is possible. But how should you negotiate for yourself when a pay range is exceptionally wide? First, do your research to better understand where you might land within   the   company’s stated range. Visit job search websites and databases, such as Glassdoor, Ladders, and   Salary.com , and talk to recruiters and industry colleagues. Take a good, hard look at your experience and qualifications and be honest about your work history.   The n build a strong argument for   the   salary you think you deserve. Make sure you frame your story in terms   of   the   business, focusing on yours and   the   employer’s mutual interests. Don’t doubt yourself even if   the   number you land on feels out   of   reach or is a significant bump from your current salary—if you think you’re worth it, make a strong, rational case. Final...

  Have you ever felt undermined by a colleague in a meeting? It can be difficult to know how to cope when your coworker interrupts you, makes a snide remark, or shoots down your idea in front   of   o the rs. Here are some strategies that can help you move forward productively.   Consider your own behavior.   Ask yourself: Am I creating tension on   the   team—unintentionally? What can I do to set a positive tone in team meetings? How can I be a more encouraging and supportive colleague?   Model how to reframe feedback.   One way to influence an overly negative colleague is to model constructive criticism. Follow any critical comment with “but” or “and” statements. For example, you might say: “This project timeline is risky and may miss   the   original deadline—but if we build in   the   proper contingencies, we should still be on target to accomplish our goals.”   Check in with your manager.   Gauge your boss’s...

  Having a sponsor—a senior colleague who’s invested in your growth and career progression—can help you get ahead in your career. And while finding a sponsor may feel overwhelming, you don’t have to overthink it. Start with a senior leader who knows your work and track record better than anyone: your manager. Here’s how to turn your boss into your sponsor. First, build credibility and trust. You can do this in three ways: performing your tasks with excellence, taking initiative to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities, and actively seeking feedback to improve. Over time, the credibility you build will earn you the right to make the ask. When you do ask them to be your sponsor, simply be honest about what you want. During a one-on-one meeting, ask them whether they’d be willing to be your sponsor and help you grow within the organization. You may also want to include a specific action item that you think would be helpful to your career progression. And if they agree, sta...

  Are collaboration tools overwhelming your employees? If they’re constantly bouncing between pings on apps like Slack and Teams, comments on shared documents, and notifications from an array of platforms and portals, it’s time for you to intervene. Start by tackling the root cause of collaboration overload. Do an audit of your team’s tool stack, eliminating redundant and inefficient technologies and platforms. Then provide purposeful constraints. Set clear guidelines for when employees should use specific tools. This will make expectations clear, saving everyone time and energy second-guessing where to communicate—and switching back-and-forth between channels. For example, perhaps you mandate that Slack should only be used for time-sensitive communications requiring a quick response, or that project workflows should be centralized on one platform. It’s also crucial to encourage employees to use features like “do not disturb” and turn off notifications when they need to do deep-foc...

  Many of us glorify overwork, immersing ourselves entirely in our jobs and compulsively moving from one responsibility to another. But this kind of relationship with work is unsustainable. How can you interrupt your tendency to push yourself too hard?  Reflect and acknowledge.  You can’t change what you don’t notice. Ask yourself: How clear and focused is my mind when I’ve been working long and continuous hours? How fatigued am I? What’s the impact on my mood? And what’s the cost to others in my life?  Listen to your body.  We’re at our best when we work for no more than 90 minutes at a time and then take a rest. The body is the most reliable barometer of whether you need to renew and refuel. Pay attention to the signals it’s sending your brain.  Focus on sleep and exercise.  Renewing your energy through sleep and exercise is critical. Prioritize getting enough sleep every night to feel fully rested, and try to commit to at least 20 to 30 minutes of b...

  Is your meeting schedule draining your energy? Research shows meetings can keep you from taking small breaks throughout the day (like a short walk or a casual conversation) to restore your energy. Here’s how to make your schedule work for you—not against you. First, focus on the relative proportion of meeting time to individual work time on a specific day, not just the total hours spent in meetings. A reasonable balance between meetings and individual tasks allows for essential breaks and energy replenishment throughout the day. Next, pair high-pressure meetings with low-pressure tasks (or vice versa) instead of packing all your intense work into a single day (or time of day). Finally, adopt a more holistic approach to your workday schedule. Before putting a meeting on your calendar, ask yourself: How will this scheduling decision impact the rest of my workday? Will it lead to back-to-back high-pressure meetings or tasks in a single day? When else could I do this meeting or task ...

  Sixty percent of Americans are managing at least one chronic health condition, and this number is projected to increase with the rise of long Covid. Deciding whether to disclose your own condition can feel fraught, because traits often associated with leadership (think strength, decisiveness, and resilience) may appear to be at odds with the personal vulnerability that comes with living with a chronic illness. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before making the decision to disclose:  Where am I situated in my current understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of my condition?  How safe do I feel to disclose my illness?  To what extent is my health impairing my ability to do my job?  What kind of accommodations would support me to continue to work effectively, or do I need to seriously reconsider my capacity to continue in this role?