Here’s the number 1 thing managers should do with their team members. It’s common sense, but not common practice. What is it? Set quarterly goals with each team member. It’s a straightforward exercise, but rarely done well. Usually because managers simply haven’t been taught how…
Most managers have one on ones with their teams. But here’s what separates the best from the worst 👇. Average managers organise one on ones from time to time. Highly effective managers schedule them in advance. And stick to them. The least effective don’t have…
What’s the number 1 reason that most people can’t find the time to get organised? Because they’re too busy being disorganised! Many people can’t get organised, simply because they’re too busy being disorganised. As author Patrick Lencioni says in his book The Advantage, sometimes we…
It’s impossible to engage your team overnight. But here’s what’s possible today… It’ll only take you 30 minutes. But, in one year’s time you’ll have a team with boosted engagement, because they: And highly engaged teams are 3x more productive than merely satisfied teams. Talk…
Turkish Olympic shooter Yusuf Dekic reminds me of a common problem in management. So many of us overcomplicate things, because of sophistication bias… This is when we ignore simple solutions in search of something more complex, innovative or clever. As a result, we – wrongly…
I think we each operate in an envelope of leadership competence. When we’re calm and composed, we rise to the heights of our competence. But, when we’re under extreme pressure, we lose our leadership composure and fall to the baseline of our incompetence. Our envelope…
Modern leaders focus on authenticity. While old school managers are too busy obsessing about not looking weak. But, you can be a strong, authentic leader and: Modern leadership sees authenticity as the key to connection. And connection as a key lever of leadership.
The book in a paragraph The most successful individuals and organisations communicate and operate from their core purpose, cause or belief, inspiring others and achieving remarkable loyalty and engagement. They “start with why”. And then they align their how – processes and values – and…
70% of us suffer imposter syndrome. If you do, here’s 3 strategies for overcoming it… Harvard Business Review says that imposter syndrome usually involves: Most of us experience it. But it can be hard to shake. So, here’s four research-backed ways to overcome it, according…
Very polite leaders tend to be less effective. Whereas highly respectful leaders perform better. Here’s why… Imagine a situation where someone isn’t doing a good job. Now, imagine it was you. What would you want your manager to do? Be polite and say nothing, in…
Strong cultures flourish when organisations do three things. And weak ones prevail when they don’t. Values are a powerful tool for defining culture. Many organisations have them. But they can be little more than dusty, faded wall decorations. Here’s how to use your values to…
There are three kinds of feedback great leaders use every day. But good managers don’t. Here they are 👇 The best leaders create a psychologically safe environment where there is a lot feedback. In all directions. Between peers. To the boss. And from the boss.…
The best team members demonstrate these behaviours. But other people don’t. What are they? Have you ever noticed that some people are very good at what they do AND easy to work with at the same time? They’re a manager’s dream. Because we spend more…
What we learn at work about relationships often helps in our personal lives too. And vice versa. Leadership is fundamentally about developing strong and healthy relationships with other people. Because, organisations are social structures. At their core, they’re a collection of interpersonal relationships. Both in…
One of my favourite questions to ask in one-on-ones is: “What’s one thing I could do differently to better support you?”. Or you can unpack it further by asking, “What’s one thing I could stop or start doing? Or change how I do it?”. The…
Need a straightforward strategic plan for your team or organisation? All it takes is six simple questions… In @Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Advantage, he says that the best performing teams have extremely clear answers to six questions: We’ve developed a simple tool to capture and…
Have things gone M-A-D between your workers and management? (mutually assured demonisation) It’s a sad trend in many organisations. Workers assume the worst of management. Management assumes the worst of workers. If workers are unproductive, managers think they’re lazy. If they ask for better work…
The book in a paragraph ReWork makes the case that many of the traditional approaches to work and entrepreneurship are wrong. In traditional workplaces it is common to see overplanning, excessive meetings, growth for growth’s sake, and entrenched bureaucracy. This can all be avoided through…
If you must e-mail your team after hours, add this footnote. (Because e-mailing people after hours is a bad habit) A friend sent me this meme recently, which I thought was great. It’s an elegant Band Aid to a bad habit that many people have.…
The more senior we get, the quieter it gets. (so push people to yell and we just might hear them) In my last executive role, I said to someone trusted how little gossip there was in my group. She said I was crazy. There was…