The Best Leaders Question Everything It can be difficult for leaders (especially ones new to their roles) to pause before acting. But when was the last time you stopped to ask, “Why are we doing it that way?” Leaders must constantly explore new ideas and seek out new thinking from those around them. You need… Continue reading The Best Leaders Question Everything

Managing the Naysayer on Your Team Most teams have at least one “naysayer” — that person who always plays the devil’s advocate. The naysayer may be brilliant and driven, but their pattern of critiquing and disagreeing can wear a team down. And yet opposition is essential for effective, productive teams. So what can a manager do to… Continue reading Managing the Naysayer on Your Team

A Checklist to Help You Make Better Decisions Faster Decision-making overload is a common experience among managers. But you can process choices more efficiently and achieve better outcomes by using a checklist: Write down five company goals that will be impacted by the decision. This helps you avoid the trap of making up reasons for… Continue reading A Checklist to Help You Make Better Decisions Faster

Disagreeing with Someone More Powerful than You What should you do when you disagree with someone more powerful than you? It may be tempting to say nothing, but consider the risks (for example, a project could be derailed, or you could lose the team’s trust) and then weigh them against the potential consequences of deciding… Continue reading Disagreeing with Someone More Powerful than You

What to Do When a Colleague Is Annoying You   When you work closely with other people, tensions are bound to  arise. Many of us bite our tongues in these situations, worrying that speaking up will harm the relationship. But letting something simmer often makes things worse. Instead, address the situation in a productive way.… Continue reading What to Do When a Colleague Is Annoying You

Would You Know If You’re a Toxic Colleague? No one likes a toxic   coworker.  Even the most difficult people would probably be the first to agree.  Which raises a question: If you were “toxic,” would you know it? Here are three reasons you might  seem toxic, and strategies for changing your behavior if necessary: You seem cold.… Continue reading Would You Know If You’re a Toxic Colleague?

The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules Amazing bosses try to make work meaningful and enjoyable for employees. They’re most successful when they adhere to a few best practices: Manage individuals, not just teams. When you’re under pressure, you can forget that employees have varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. But it’s important to understand… Continue reading The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules

In an Argument, Validate Your Opponent’s Point of View When you’re in the middle of an argument, validating the person you’re arguing with is probably the last thing on your mind. But it should  actually be your top priority. If you validate your counterpart’s perspective, expertise, and feelings, you will keep the conflict focused on the issue. Use… Continue reading In an Argument, Validate Your Opponent’s Point of View

Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport One key tenet of coaching professional sports is preparing people in the most realistic contexts possible. For example, a coach might  wet practice balls to prepare a team for wet gameday weather. You can apply similar thinking to business situations. For example, you might work on rehearsing your… Continue reading Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport

Improve Your Team’s Productivity As a manager, you may already have learned how to plan, prioritize, and streamline your work. But how can you help your team members do the same? Start by setting a good example. Be smart about how you allocate the hours of your own workday — the meetings you attend, the emails… Continue reading Improve Your Team’s Productivity