The Best Leaders Know How to Really Listen In a world of instantaneous global connection, one of the most authentic modes of communication still is just listening to someone. But listening can be a challenging  skill to master. How can you build your ability? Start by creating space in your day. Block off time in… Continue reading The Best Leaders Know How to Really Listen

Simple Steps for Giving Difficult Feedback Not all leaders are comfortable giving employees feedback — especially when it’s negative. The fear of hurting people’s feelings and dealing with potential drama holds too many managers back. But people thrive on feedback, which is why giving it early and often is so important. The next time you… Continue reading Simple Steps for Giving Difficult Feedback

You Can’t Just Ignore Office Politics Delivering consistently great results should be enough to get ahead at work. Keeping your head down and focusing on getting your work done should help you move up the ranks of a company. But, unfortunately, doing good work is only part of the success equation. If you want to… Continue reading You Can’t Just Ignore Office Politics

Respond to Complicated Emails First Thing in the Morning We’ve been warned repeatedly that it’s a bad idea to start your day by checking email — it hurts your productivity and focus. But waiting until later in the day to tackle your inbox actually presents a different problem: Email that requires you to make difficult decisions… Continue reading Respond to Complicated Emails First Thing in the Morning

Which Skill Do You Want to Develop Next? Success requires continual growth and learning. But how do you know which development efforts will yield the best return? First, look for the overlap between what your organization needs and what will give you the most satisfaction. If you’re in operations, you might identify several business-critical areas… Continue reading Which Skill Do You Want to Develop Next?

How to Fake the Confidence You Need   When you’re feeling overwhelmed and in over your head, the best way to power through is to pretend you’ve got the confidence you need to get something done. These strategies can help you fake it ‘til you make it: Think positively. The more you focus on what’s… Continue reading How to Fake the Confidence You Need

A Safe Way to Cut People Off in Meetings When meeting participants veer off topic, important time is lost. But even when leaders or peers intervene, it’s often too late, and the normal response (“This is really interesting, but can I suggest we get back to the topic at hand?”) leaves everyone feeling awkward. Thankfully, there… Continue reading A Safe Way to Cut People Off in Meetings

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