Sometimes the simplest solution is the best course of action. Source: INC, February 16, 2023. Link. …sometimes tiny changes really do seem to significantly improve how we think about things, leading to more and better solutions.” INSIGHT: Challenges may come dressed differently today but at their core they have changed little over the years. … [Read more...]
The right stuff for success
The right stuff works across industries, professions and occupations. Source: Veterinary Advantage, February 2023. Link. Their focus is on the problem, not the person involved. INSIGHTS: High performance attitudes, characteristics and skills are universal. … [Read more...]
Added value
Think like a product manager and act like you are the product. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 17, 2023. Link. Know your value and highlight it in the right way so you are clear on what sets you apart from competition. INSIGHT: Continuous improvement will ensure your value never expires. … [Read more...]
Feedback as a gift
Annual performance reviews are controversial. Some people praise them in public, but most hate them in private. Source: Fearless Culture, April 25, 2018. Link. Regardless of how much training they receive, some managers don’t like telling people the truth.” INSIGHT: When people get used to ongoing feedback, it feels more human, less threatening, and dialogue becomes part … [Read more...]
Attitude, teamwork and resiliency
Characteristics of success for a world champion football team or in a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar corporation also apply to a two-doctor practice in South Carolina. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 8, 2023. Link. Whether we think we can or think we can’t, we’re right.” – Scott Bormann, Merck Animal Health INSIGHTS: Add in a culture of continual improvement and … [Read more...]
Dos and don’ts of recognition
Recognition, celebration and appreciation are powerful and renewable energy sources. It starts with valuing people. The next step is how you express this appreciation. Source: The Clemmer Group, January 18, 2023. Link. Don’t make promotions a reward. You’re creating the Peter Principle. INSIGHTS: Spend more time looking for what’s right and recognize that. … [Read more...]
People, power and burnout
Recognizing burnout and taking the steps needed to address it is difficult, especially for leaders. Realizing and acting on our individual mental and emotional limitations is a strength, not a weakness. Source: LinkedIn, January 20, 2023. Link. All too often we see politicians and chief executives who are unwilling to loosen their grasp on power, even when it may well be … [Read more...]
Mental health and productivity
Recent research reveals 40 percent of U.S. workers report their job has had a negative impact on their mental health in the prior six months. Source: Gallup, December 16, 2022. Link. The foundation for improving mental health among workers is employee engagement.” INSIGHTS: Building trust is key. … [Read more...]
Being happy at work
If you find yourself longing for greener work pastures, try these 10 tips. Source: Monster.com, December 2022. Link. You're in charge of your own mindset. Steering yourself toward the positives can help make your job more enjoyable. INSIGHTS: 24/7/365 happiness would be boring. Remember pearls come from irritants and diamonds come from pressure. … [Read more...]
Important small talk
"How are you," are the three most useless words in the world of communication. The person asking doesn't really want to know, and the person responding doesn't tell the truth. Be interested instead of trying to be interesting.” – Patrick T. Malone Source: CNBC, November 11, 2020. Link. The key to making the most out of small talk, according to Harvard researchers, is to … [Read more...]
Successful manager traits
Becoming a successful manager is not easy; it requires their developing trust with their team members and continuous development to become better. Source: Inc, December 12, 2022. Link. When micromanagers do not let go and trust their team members to perform their work the employee experience is demoralizing. INSIGHT: Clear, concise and measurable expectations is a great … [Read more...]
Take a break
A well-timed and well-planned break can get us back on track — and boost productivity. Source: AXIOS, December 13, 2022. Link. Use breaks to boost your mental and physical health no matter what you're doing. INSIGHTS: Managers: encourage your people to take micro-breaks. … [Read more...]
Creating an honest workplace
When leaders are confident enough to solicit and reward feedback, it encourages employees to say what they really think and to be willing to hear the opinions of others in return. Source: Fast Company, November 22, 2022. Link. Workplace candor is open and honest dialogue." INSIGHTS: When leaders are proactive and set the stage ,people feel psychologically safe to recover … [Read more...]
Happiness and meetings
One of the more straightforward paths to happiness at work is to fight against the scourge of time-consuming, unproductive meetings at every opportunity. Source: The Atlantic, November 17, 2022. Link. The average full-time white-collar professional in the United States spends 21.5 hours a week in meetings. INSIGHTS: Set a goal (desired outcome) for every meeting. By the … [Read more...]
Thank you!
Gratitude at work has been linked to higher rates of employee satisfaction, motivation and engagement. Source: Gratitude in the workplace, Turknett Leadership Group. Link. Turknett leaders share what gratitude looks like in the workplace and how leaders can develop and leverage it to benefit all stakeholders. In an APA study 93 percent of employees who reported feeling … [Read more...]
Hire a misfit
Culture fit is the idea of recruiting individuals whose value systems, beliefs and everyday behaviors align well with the hiring organization. Source: Gallup, October 11, 2022. Link. While this might seem reasonable and harmless, hiring decisions based on an individual's perception of culture fit can be unfair and influenced by unconscious bias. INSIGHTS: Remember … [Read more...]
The power of questions
One of the most effective ways to make others happy is simple and easy: ask questions. Source: AXIOS, November 8, 2022. Link. We don't realize just how powerful questions can be.” INSIGHTS: Be interested instead of trying to be interesting. NOTE: Listening skills are referenced in these AHD archive posts by Patrick T Malone: The hard conversation. Link. Be … [Read more...]
5 ways to demonstrate leadership
Repeat after me. “Leadership is not a job title. Leadership is the skill to influence people to a common course of action.” Dan Hopmans shares five ways you can demonstrate your leadership. Source: Massaro Consulting, April 5, 2019. Link. Managing expectations shows your ability to see the big picture, that you understand the outside forces and complexities of even simple … [Read more...]
Thank you notes help you and the recipient
Sending a thank-you note expresses gratitude for a person's time and effort. Source: AXIOS, October 30, 2022. Link. Thank you notes are appropriate for many business occasions and should not be limited to just interviews.” INSIGHTS: While email thanks are okay, a handwritten note will help you stand out. … [Read more...]
Managing negative responses
No matter how skillful you are, in today’s environment you are likely to encounter negative reactions. Source: Vet-Advantage, October 2022. Link. Switching pronouns from you to it, that or this may seem like a small thing now, but in a leadership conversation this simple act is extremely powerful in helping your customers separate themselves from the problem at … [Read more...]
Consider it a commitment
Committing too early is one of the first pitfalls we fall into when managing our word and reputation. We all want to make the people that we know and love happy. As a result, we may get in the habit of saying “yes” too soon. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, September 30, 2022. Link. You’ll begin to see your time and energy as precious, and people will start to respect you at greater … [Read more...]
The hard conversation
All of us have had to, or will, deal with a frustrating work situation at some point in our careers. SOURCE: CNBC, September 18, 2022. Link. Being curious and asking questions can help defuse negative emotion and keep tensions from rising. INSIGHT: The person is never the problem. Their behavior, their performance etc. may be. Separate that from the person and focus on the … [Read more...]
Short, not shallow
It is self-indulgent to force us to sort through hundreds of words to figure out what you are trying to tell us. Source: AXIOS.com, September 29, 2022. Link. The first sentence of anything you write should include the most essential info, using as few words as possible. INSIGHTS: Think about your audience, not yourself. Editor’s note: This post and others like it should … [Read more...]
The big picture
Specialists are valuable but, in the future, it is likely they will be led by a generalist who can see around the corners and connect the dots. Source: CNBC, June 15, 2020. Link. Breadth of perspective and the ability to connect the proverbial dots is likely to be as important as depth of expertise and the ability to generate dots.” - Vikram Mansharamani, PhD INSIGHT: In … [Read more...]
The elevator pitch
Earlier this month I shared the importance of opening a conversation effectively <Link>. Once that is accomplished, you have less than a minute to engage your audience and Carmine Gallo has excellent tips to help you to do just that. Source: Harvard Business Review, October 3, 2018. Link. What is your idea? If you can answer in one compelling sentence, you can hook … [Read more...]
Need to vent?
With the right balance and a few self-checks, you can maintain the right to complain (occasionally)—but you can also do it in a way that doesn’t disrupt the rest of your team. Source: The Muse, June 19, 2020. Link. You can vent all you want, but nothing is going to get better unless you also come up with solutions. INSIGHT: As with many challenges, an outside sounding … [Read more...]
YOU define your self-worth
Your job is one of the first aspects you share when introducing yourself. This ties our identities to what we do for a living. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, August 4, 2022. Link. Make sure you have a life outside of your job. INSIGHTS: Most people have multiple dimensions, and their career is just one of them. … [Read more...]
Get to the point
And by the way, the point is the benefit that is important to your customer, not you.” Source: Vet Advantage, August 2022. Link. Avoid a data dump instead of an invitation to look at data is important to this practice. This behavior hopes something will resonate because the rep has no idea what is important in this practice INSIGHTS: In addition to reps, this applies to the … [Read more...]
The road to fulfilment can be curvy (podcast)
The road to leadership often is murky instead of straight. Often open and light instead of intense and full of hustle. However, it is always focused on meaningful relationships instead of the next rung on the ladder. Source: Linked In, August 12, 2022. Link. You’ve got to figure out your recipe for fulfillment. It’s not the same as anyone else’s. So, it’s your job to … [Read more...]
Mandatory vacations may be in order
Despite their elevated stress levels, more than 50 percent of American workers end up leaving paid vacation days unused. Source: BBC, July 31, 2022. Link. The goal of mandatory time off is to foster a working culture that encourages rest, removing barriers – both perceived and overt – that prevent workers from leaving the office. In this way, companies hope they can … [Read more...]