Our conversations revolved around threekey questions:What are the most common mistakes people make at work?What would you do differently if you could Our conversations revolved around threekey questions:What are the most common mistakes people make at work?What would you do differently if you could redo the first years ofyour career?What separates top performers from mediocre ones?
Seeing the big picture: When joining a new team, research what the team does, what its objectives are, whom it serves, what it’s been up to recently, who its competitors are, who the most important people are, and how your role will help the team and organization achieve their goals. When taking on a new assignment, understand the broader objective, what success looks like, and how your work fits into the big picture. Stay up to date with what’s happening in your team, company, and industry. DO and show your homework: When you have a question, avoid immediately pulling others aside. Look through your emails and files and search online first. If you can’t find the answer, bundle and escalate: bundle your questions and then ask a coworker at your level for help, followed by the next most junior or relevant person, and so forth.
Know your internal and external narrative: Know why you do what you do. When introducing yourself, talk about your past, present, and future: share what you’ve done, what you’re working on, and, if relevant, what you’re trying to achieve. Consider framing your personal story as a Hero’s Journey: what
Mirror others: Mirror the urgency and seriousness of the people you are working with. Show more urgency and seriousness when interacting with someone who has leverage over you. When in doubt, let others go first.
Send the right signals: Be intentional about what others can see, hear, smell, and feel from you. Be mindful of cultural norms around eye contact, smiling, responding promptly, and single-tasking. When others give you instructions or advice, take notes in front of them. Do what you say you will do (or proactively explain yourself). Be mindful of when and how you arrive, speak up, send emails, and ask for help. When in doubt, show up early. Read between people- Be mindful of invisible chains of command, swimlanes (who does what and when), comfort zones, and loyalties. Know who reports to whom, who is responsible for what, and who has leverage (power) over whom. Identify who the influencers are. Be aware of behavior that people find acceptable and unacceptable. Keep people consulted and informed.
Engage, ask, repeat: Engage with what others have to say—listen, absorb, think. Then make a comment or ask an open-ended question. Let people ànish speaking. Balance your speaking time. Once you’ve interacted with someone, greet them when you encounter them again. Send thank you emails. Ask how things are going. Offer to help. Share relevant news. Broker introductions. Look for and call out commonalities between you and other people. Own up -Ask for feedback if you aren’t sure how well you are doing. Try asking, “What should I start doing, stop doing, and keep doing?” Or, “Am I on track?” Be mindful of when you should apologize and admit that you were wrong and when you should defend yourself. If you make a mistake, be prepared to apologize, explain what happened, offer a plan to mitigate the impact or àx the problem, and explain how you will avoid making the same mistake again. Push gently- When asking for help, frame it as a request, not a command. Give others a chance to decline. When you disagree with someone, use “I wonder …,” “What if …,” or “Pushing back …” to frame it as constructive feedback rather than as criticism. Before proposing an idea, try to understand whether a similar idea has been proposed before and, if so, why it failed. When you’re new and have little leverage, frame ideas as questions like “Have we considered …?” Show performance and potential - Know that you are being evaluated based on both your performance (how effective you are in your current role) and your potential (how effective you might be in your next role). To show your potential, claim an unclaimed swimlane: do what hasn’t been done, àx what hasn’t been àxed, bridge what hasn’t been bridged, know what others don’t know, and share what hasn’t been shared. Don’t let potential go unrecognized. Ask for what you want—and deserve.
3cs: Competence, Commitment and Capability “Can you do the job well?” (Are you competent?) “Are you excited to be here?” (Are you committed?) “Do you get along with us?” (Are you compatible?)
True competence can be difàcult to measure. It’s easy if you’re a baker or coder; one simply has to taste your cake or test your code. But for many jobs —where much of your day is spent interacting with people—measuring competence isn’t easy at all. In the absence of clearly measurable outputs, managers often rely on inputs—like how much progress it looks like you are making on a project, how conàdently you speak in meetings, and how well you promote yourself. It’s no surprise, then, that the people who get promoted or who get the highest-proàle assignments aren’t always the most competent—even within organizations that claim to be meritocracies Commitment- Commitment means you are fully present and eager to help your team achieve its goals—but not so eager that you put others on the defensive. This means not undershooting to the point of looking apathetic and not overshooting to the point of looking threatening.
Just because you are committed doesn’t mean people perceive you to be committed. Sometimes, little actions like showing up late, looking away on video chat, not volunteering for tasks, not speaking up enough, or not replying to emails as quickly as your coworkers do can be enough to cast doubt on how committed you are.
Don’t let the fact that you have less experience than others on a project deter you from volunteering for it. Don’t let the fact that someone doesn’t know you deter you from introducing yourself. Don’t let the fact that something isn’t the “usual process” deter you from trying it. When you join a company, you have the beneàt of being that eager new hire who is still learning. Expectations of you will never be lower, so you might as well set expectations on your terms. Know the rules. Then bend them. But a warning: Curiosity and entitlement are not the same thing. Asking for something genuinely without expecting it is always allowed. But expecting something—or demanding something or being overly disappointed if the answer is “no”—can be dangerous for your compatibility. If your reaction to “no” can be “No worries—just thought I’d ask” and not “How come?! That’s ridiculous!” then give it a shot. As
So, instead of just asking your question, try going with the structure of “Here’s my question, and here’s why I’m asking this question.” Or, “Here’s what I know, and here’s what I don’t know,” as If you have multiple supervisors and will be juggling projects for them simultaneously, it’s a good idea to ask, “How would you suggest I allocate my time between you and [my other manager]? Fifty-àfty? Sixty-forty?” And if you have a desk job, ask, “What’s the best way to keep you all in the loop? Would it be helpful for me to CC you on emails or share regular updates?”
Have I clarified expectations for my role ? Here are àve questions to consider asking: “Which tasks and deliverables are top priorities in my role? Which ones are secondary?” “What should I be able to do by the end of the àrst three months? Six months?” “What does success look like in my role? Are there any metrics I should keep in mind?” “Is there anyone else you’d suggest I introduce myself to?” “What should day-to-day and week-to-week collaboration look like between us? When should I be proactive and when should I be reactive?”
If your manager doesn’t mention one-on-one meetings, consider asking, “Would it be helpful for us to have some sort of regular check-in?” followed by “What’s most convenient: weekly, biweekly, monthly?”
Have I introduced myself to my coworkers? If you are working in person, consider walking around and saying, “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m _________. I’m the new _________” to those near you, on your team, and on any other teams you work with. If you are working remotely, consider sending your teammates a short email or instant message (depending on your team’s cultural norms) introducing yourself. Have I learned my team’s priorities ? As you meet your teammates, consider asking, “What are you currently working on?” or “What are your and the team’s top priorities these days?” If you are taking over for someone and haven’t been given access to their àles, consider asking your manager, “Did my predecessor leave behind any àles that I should go through?” If your team uses a shared drive and no one has invited you, ask a coworker at your level, “Would you please be able to grant me access?,” “Are there particular folders that I should familiarize myself with?,” and “Are there any templates you all use that I should keep handy?” While you are at it, make sure to ask, “Are there any upcoming meetings I should be looped in on?” Pay attention to what your manager and teammates are up to, and if you don’t already have an assignment, try asking, “Would it be helpful for me to join this meeting?” or “Mind if I observe how you do this?”
Starting a new role is stressful enough as it is. Managers who leave you to get set up yourself—what should be their responsibility—don’t make life any easier. But herein lies a key difference between school and work: school is about keeping up; work is about stepping up.
Your external narrative, on the other hand, is the story you tailor to your audience to convince others that you are competent, committed, and compatible. Your external narrative might sound like, “The company’s work in Alzheimer’s disease is especially interesting to me because neuroscience was one of my favorite classes in college. I also volunteered at an eldercare facility and saw the effects of Alzheimer’s on my grandfather, so I have a personal connection to it.”
If you don’t have much (or any) experience, that’s OK—focus on telling people what you want to learn. Resist the urge to remind people of any shortcomings: talking about how you’ve never handled numbers before makes it easy for people to question your competence. No one has to know. Focus on the positive.
What if others ask a forward-looking question like “What kind of work are you interested in?” Do your homework, then show your homework. And don’t just use ingredients from your fridge—include details from the online research you did
If others ask a backward-looking question like “What brought you to our company?” then consider framing your story using the structure of past, present, future. This past, present, future arc to storytelling is inspired by what’s called the Hero’s Journey
Make it clear that you have something to offer and are doing important work—without coming across as if you either know what’s best or have no idea what’s going on. This means saying “I’d like to think my experience with _________ translates to _________” or “I will be working on _________” and not “I’m an expert at this” or “I have no clue.
Demonstrate that you are eager to learn, help, and grow without coming across as power-hungry, trying to take anyone’s job, or looking to make anyone look bad. This means saying “I’m exploring a potential career in this area” or “I am curious about _________” and not “I will become CEO” or “I expect to get promoted.”
Intent is what you mean. Impact is how you come across to other people
Here are some questions to consider: When and how do you arrive at and leave work—and what does it say about your time management abilities and commitment? What do you leave on your desk, in your trash can, and in the printer —and what does it say about your priorities? How are your table manners when eating meals with others—and what does it say about how respectful you are of the culture you are in? How visible are you at work—and what does it say about how hard you are working? How loudly do you discuss conàdential information—and what does it say about your ability to keep secrets?
To understand the broader goal, consider asking questions like, “What is this for?” “What’s the broader objective?” “What does success look like?” or “Who is the audience?” Once you start working, keep reminding yourself of the broader goal.
Whenever you are assigned a task, there are three questions you need to answer with your manager: What do I need to do? How should I do it? And by when do I need to get it done? If you don’t have answers to all three questions, try to clarify immediately; otherwise, you will do the wrong work, do it the wrong way, or do it too late—and tarnish your image of competence.
If your manager isn’t clear on what or how, try asking them or a colleague what’s been tried before. Or look through internal àles or the internet to ànd templates or examples. Compare the options, pick the one you like best, and then show the options to your manager with a comment like, “We could try some version of _________, _________, or _________. I suggest we go with _________, but change _________ because of _________. Do you agree?” (
If your manager isn’t clear on by when, try assessing how polychronic or monochronic your coworkers are (see chapter 7 for what this is about) and mirroring their urgency, gauging how urgent and important the task is compared to other tasks that you’ve been assigned, identifying when colleagues will need to use your work
Behind every assignment is a hidden acronym that the professional world calls RACI (pronounced “racy”). Each letter stands for how someone relates to a project: responsible for doing the work, accountable for the success of the work, needs to be consulted on the work, and needs to be informed on the status of the work.
The key to using RACI is to clarify what each letter in the acronym refers to in your project before you start. To clarify who’s responsible, try asking, “Is there anyone else I should be working with?” and “Who is responsible for what?” To clarify who’s accountable, try asking, “Who needs to sign off on this work?” To clarify who needs to be consulted, try asking, “Is there anyone else whose perspective I should get?” To clarify who needs to be informed, try asking, “Is there anyone else I should keep up to date?”
What you think you heard may not always reáect what others said—or thought they said. To minimize the odds of misunderstanding, consider repeating back what you think you heard and giving others the chance to correct you. Here are a few options: “Just to play back what I think I heard: _________. Is that correct?” “In terms of next steps, I will _________, right?” “I will do _________ by _________ time and use _________ method. How does that sound?” “OK, I will _________ and then _________. Let me know if I am missing anything.” “I was thinking I would _________. Would that work?”
To boost your compatibility, it can be helpful to explain why you think someone is the most appropriate person for your question, so they don’t think you’re wasting their time. It could be as simple as saying, “I heard you’re the supply chain expert” or “I saw your name in the àle, so I thought I’d ask you àrst.” And to boost your competence, watch your patterns and don’t let history repeat itself: If others tell you something, repeat it back, repeat it to yourself, take notes—do whatever you need to do to remember what they said. Try not to make someone need to tell you the same thing twice—and try not to have to ask the same question twice. If you have to ask again (or if you keep relying on the same person), consider trying a different person. You can also offer an acknowledgment like, “Sorry, I know we talked about this, but I can’t seem to ànd it in my notes” or “I know I’ve been asking a lot of questions, but I have a few more if you wouldn’t mind.”
If you have any “What should I do next?” questions, resist the urge to ask for help immediately unless it is urgent. You want to send the right signal —that you can àgure it out and won’t stop what you’re doing in the face of ambiguity. Ask yourself, What would I do next if I “owned” this situation fully and didn’t have someone else to go to for help? Then, try taking these steps: 1. Look for examples of how others have approached similar issues or questions. 2. Brainstorm some solutions using prior examples as a starting point. 3. Compare the pros and cons of each option. 4. If you can’t decide between two options, try both (if doing so is quick and easy). 5. Bundle any other questions you may have. 6. Ask for help from your coworker or manager (or ask over email/IM). 7. Show your homework by framing your question as, “I’m not sure what to do next, but I was thinking of _________ or _________. I suggest _________ because _________. Do you feel differently?” Whenever possible, avoid open-ended questions like “What do you think?” because they can be time-consuming to answer. Instead, try a multiple-choice question (e.g., “Which do you prefer: A, B, or C?”), a yes-or-no question (e.g., “May I move ahead with this plan?”), a default (e.g., “I plan to do _________; let me know if you’d prefer a different approach”), a combination (e.g., “Which do you prefer: A, B, or C? I will do C unless you say otherwise”), or a combination with a deadline (e.g., “Which do you prefer: A, B, or C? I will plan to do C unless I hear from you before Monday, 8/23, at 12 p.m.”).
IF you see a problem, be proactive and flag it: If you spot an error in someone’s work, tell that person privately (when in doubt, praise publicly, but correct privately, unless it is not the culture of your team). It can be as simple as IMing your coworker and saying, “Hey, this might already be on your radar, but I noticed an issue with _________. Just wanted to let you know.” If you ànd a problem with your own work, correct it. The more signiàcant the problem is, the more hierarchical your team is, and the more standard operating procedures (typical ways of doing things) you have in your role, the more you’ll want to bring options to your manager and ask for their opinion, rather than make decisions on your own. For example, you could say, “I wanted to let you know that I noticed an issue with _________. After investigating, I discovered _________. Would it make sense for me to do _________ or _________? I’m leaning toward _________, but I wanted to check first.” ...more
Giving feedback is akin to a negotiation - it is a daunting task, which needs to be handled tactfully (and all of us intuitively believe that we are rGiving feedback is akin to a negotiation - it is a daunting task, which needs to be handled tactfully (and all of us intuitively believe that we are really good at it). Both parties need to be in consonance. One wrong move can impair the relation between the manager and the subordinate and both will end worse-off than they were before the feedback meeting.
Key insights:
• What makes a feedback effective? • It is shared frequently and in context. • It aims to achieve a specifi c outcome. • It is realistic in its expectations. • It shows respect for the recipient. • It is a two-way conversation. • It is expressed as a point of view, rather than an absolute truth. • It assumes an opportunity for follow-up. • Providing feedback is not merely a hoop to jump through when the time for performance reviews rolls around. It should be an ongoing process woven into the fabric of everyday work.
• Avoid giving feedback in these circum - stances: • When you do not have all the information about a given incident • When the only feedback you can offer concerns factors that the recipient cannot easily change or control • When the person who needs the feedback appears to be highly emotional or especially vulnerable immediately after a diffi cult event • When you do not have the time or the patience to deliver the feedback in a calm and thorough manner • When the feedback is based on your personal preference, not a need for more effective behavior Giving Eff ective Feedback 16 • When you have not yet formulated a possible solution to help the feedback recipient move forward • Giving feedback is to influence the following. The following is ranked in ascending order of difficulty to influence (easy to influence to difficult to influence) o Job Skills o Time & work management o Knowledge o Attitudes o Habits o Personality traits
Feedback is most likely to affect learning, growth, and change in areas that least threaten the recipient’s sense of self-worth. Feedback about attitudes, habits, and personality traits can hit close to home. Does that mean you should not try to infl uence the behavior of a person who, for instance, wholly dislikes collaboration? Of course not. But it will be more effective to direct your efforts toward, say, getting that person to follow clearly outlined steps in a collaboration protocol rather than making a blanket demand that she “learn to enjoy teamwork.”
• Difference between Feedback, Coaching and Performance Appraisals o Feedback – to reinforce or change behavior o Coaching – to improve skills o Performance appraisals – to evaluate past work
• Feedback session checklist o One-line overview – eg. – your subordinate Mr. X was rude to the customer o Objective report of the behavior – customer screamed at Mr. X. He retaliated o Objective report of the effect on the team or project – others sitting beside Mr.X were disturbed. Reputation of the company will be tarnished o Potential objections to the objection report & how you will address them – mr. X may deny that he spoke rudely. If he does, tell him about the corroborative evidence of the witnesses o Discussion plan – provide facts, listen to Mr. X’s version of events, make clear that rude behavior will not be tolerated, ruminate & decide way forward o Possible barriers to the feedback – he may get angry with this feedback point o Ways to overcome the barrier – don’t judge. Listen to his point of view o What questions do you have – what really transpired? How can he avoid losing control in the future if such situations arise o What questions might you be asked – he may ask “what to do in the future”, “what sort of behavior qualified as rudeness” o Desired short-term results – have him committed & friendly to the customer o Desired long-term results – find a way to make the job for him less frustrating
• Tip for giving positive feedback
When you’re giving positive feedback, sending good early signals is usually not diffi cult. The very context—that you want to say something complimentary— is often enough. Identify what you’re praising in specifi c terms. For example, “Maria, you did a great job on the Simmons project this past week. I was particularly impressed with how you handled the client’s concerns about deadlines and the action plan you developed in response. I’d like to show what you did to the rest of the team.” Don’t end there. Ask Maria what allowed her to do such a great job. You may discover gems you didn’t anticipate.
• Tip for giving corrective feedback
Let’s return to the example with Judy. You might be tempted to begin the conversation by summarizing what you’ve heard and laying down the law: “Judy, I’ve heard from a customer that you were rude to him last week, and a few other team members overheard and agreed. You just can’t speak that way to a customer. What do you have to say for yourself?” This sort of approach is likely to make Judy defensive and isn’t going to make her any less angry and anxious than she may already be (as you will have identified in your prep work). Instead, you might start the conversation in the following way to remove some of the barriers you identified: “Judy, you know we’re here to discuss what happened on your customer call earlier this week. I’d first like to share the information I have about the situation, and then I want to hear your point of view. After that, we can discuss what to do next. How does that sound to you?” Because you opened the discussion in this way, Judy can immediately see it as a two-sided conversation and understand that you aim to work with her to find the right solution to the problem. She’ll know that she will have a chance to be heard, and that may make her feel less angry and anxious and more respected. You can then describe your understanding of the incident and encourage her to share her point of view.
• Listen actively, monitor non-verbal cues & your own reaction, PARAPHRASE WHAT SHE SAID
• Paraphrase what the recipient says. By restating her response in different words, you show the other person that you have understood her point. If anything is unclear, ask more questions until both of you are on the same page.
• For eg- if employee comes late everyday, ask her, see if alternative time schedule can be arranged/ if she can work from home for 2-3 days a week • Check-in regularly, ask her to describe her progress, be explicit about the improvements you are noticing – offer praise and reinforcement to bolster her progress,
• How to evaluate feedback process – 3 stages – Process, Relationship & Results
Process Planning the feedback Initiating the meeting Discussing pertinent points Listening to the recipient Developing an action plan Relationship Communication style Recipient’s reaction Level of mutual trust and respect Results Impact of changes Timeliness of changes Expectations and progress...more
1. Chapter 1 – reaching your potential by Robert Kaplan • Know yourself – write down 2-3 strengths/ weakness • Put company’s interests ahead oTakeaways:
1. Chapter 1 – reaching your potential by Robert Kaplan • Know yourself – write down 2-3 strengths/ weakness • Put company’s interests ahead of your own/ colleagues’ • Adopt an owner’s mindset 2. Chapter 2 – Developing a Strategy for a Life of Meaningful Labor by Brian Fetherstonhaugh • Stage 1 – start of career through mid-thirties – take up special assignments at work, online courses, join an NGO • Stage 2 - late 30s to early 50s – build on strengths • Stage 3 – beyond 50s – reverse mentoring, stay relevant, research • Career fuel – transportable skills, meaningful experiences & enduring relationships 3. Chapter 3 - Think strategically about your career development by Donnie Clark • Make time for strategic reflection • Pre-write your resume – put yourself 5 years into the future, write your resume as you envision it including new title, responsibilities • Invest in Deep work, build external reputation - blogging for industry journals, speak at conferences
4. Chapter 4 – career self assessment worksheet 5. Chapter 5 - Self awareness by tasha eurich • Internal & external self awareness • Introspection done is generally incorrect i.e. people focus on “why” eg. “why” do I feel terrible. Instead, focus on “what” i.e. what are the situations that made me feel “terrible” 6. Chapter 6 - Make time for self-reflection by Jennifer porter
7. Chapter 7 – make yourself indispensable – john zenger • Non-linear development – i.e. work on complementary skills
8. Chapter 8 – play your strengths – laura morgan Roberts • Paradox of human psychology – people remember criticism but respond to praise. Hence, criticism makes them defensive & unlikely to change, while praise produces confidence • RBS Test (Reflected Best Self) – available on University of michigan’s site • Format of feedback letter to be sent to colleagues: Dear Colleague, I’m currently working on creating a personal development plan. As part of that process, I’m gathering feedback from a variety of people I work with closely to help me develop a broader understanding of the strengths I bring to our work. I’m hoping you’ll be willing to share your thoughts with me. From your perspective, what would you say my professional strengths are? Just two or three would be helpful, and if you could cite a specific example of situations where I used those in ways that were meaningful to you, that would be great. Your candid feedback and examples will help me shape my development plan. Thank you for taking the time to help me.
9. Chapter 9 – get the feedback you need – Carolyn O hara • Do it in real time i.e. don’t wait for performance reviews • Pose specific questions – do not ask “any feedback for me?” Ask “how” or “what” i.e. what’s one thing I could have done better in the meeting • Press for details i.e. if you get “you are not assertive”, ask “how can I be more assertive” • In virtual environment, it gets hard to seek feedback, so pick up the phone. Don’t rely on emails
10. Chapter 10 – actionable feedback to get your promoted - Sabina Nawaz
11. Chapter 11 – 9 things successful people do differently • Get specific – lose 5 pounds v/s lose weight • Seize the moment i.e. plan specifics • Know exactly how far you have left to go i.e. track progress • Be a realistic optimist • Focus on getting better rather than being good • Have grit • Build “will-power” muscle • Don’t multi-task • Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do – thought suppression reinforces the thoughts! 12. Chapter 12 – setting goals you don’t actually care about by Elizabeth Saunders
13. Chapter 19 – make yourself an expert • Observation, Practice, partnering, taking responsibility 14. Chapter 26 – having the “here’s what I want” conversation with the boss • For eg. if you are targeting for a promotion, you could ask “now that I’ve been in this role for 2 years, what actions would it take to advance to the next level” • Assuming things are different 6 months from now (say promotion freeze lifted off), what are the chances of getting a promotion • What specifically do I need to do to achieve it • If no to salary hike, then ask for an extra week of paid leave, continuous education payment 15. Chapter 27 – how to ask for a promotion • Reflect – be ready for a “what have you done for me” question; prepare a one pager to convey your “track record” • Examples – “I’m excited to be here and make an impact, here is the impact I’ve already made. I would like to have ongoing discussions with you about what it would take to get to the next level. ...more
An assortment of articles of moderate quality, serving as a one-time read.
Key points: 1. Managing your boss by linda hill • Boss plays a conflicting rolAn assortment of articles of moderate quality, serving as a one-time read.
Key points: 1. Managing your boss by linda hill • Boss plays a conflicting role of an evaluator and supporter • Your boss expects you to collaborate, lead initiatives, develop your own people, stay current, drive your own growth and demonstrate positive behavior even during hard times • Take stock of your relationship – are you meeting expectations – results (are you meeting targets), information (do you keep your boss informed – does he like high level information or details)
2. Winning over your new boss by lew Mcreary • Never bring a problem to a boss without a proposed solution; explain the Problem, Possible Solutions, Implications thereof and Benefits
3. Manage up with your mentor’s guidance by Jeanne Meister • Identify the thought leaders in the company, get to know them personally and show them how your ideas can drive their business agendas • Understand your boss’ priorities; for instance put his top 3 subjects of interest on google alerts & update her on the same
4. Change the way your persuade by gary Williams • 5 common decision making styles – Charismatic, thinker, sceptic, follower and controller
5. Get to know your boss’ boss by Priscilla claman • Interact with her – hi/ hello, don’t be intimidated by the fact that he is a “powerful” person • Reach out – send any articles of her interest • Tap him for advice BUT ENSURE YOUR BOSS IS OK, ELSE IT WILL APPEAR THAT YOU ARE BYPASSING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND 6. How to make your boss look good without becoming a sycophant by Michael Schrage
7. Stop being micromanaged by amy gallo • Micromanagement is due to boss’ high internal level of anxiety • Don’t fight it; build trust • Make upfront agreements about deadlines; Schedule regular check-ins 8. Dealing with an incompetent boss • Find a way to make it work • Step up, do what he is weak at
9. Coping with a conflict-averse boss • Pose “what-if” questions, problem solving (do some menial tasks on her behalf), ease in – engage in casual talk
10. Give your boss feedback • If boss is open-minded, then only share your thoughts • Wait to be invited, don’t launch an unsolicited feedback • When in doubt, hold your tongue! 11. Managing multiple bosses • Ascertain who the ultimate boss is • Keep your calendar transparent for all bosses to see • Establish protected times for instance, no interruptions for 3 days a week • Get sneaky IF YOU HAVE TO i.e. figure out which bosses have more power, prioritize his assignments • Create a to-do list and share it with every boss
12. What defines a leader • EI – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill • 3 categories of capabilities – Technical Skills, Cognitive Abilities and COMPETENCIES DEMONSTRATING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE • EI is in the limbic system of the brain (which governs feelings, impulses); the neocortex deals with concepts and logic • Self awareness – 1 hallmark is having a self-deprecating sense of humour, be hungry for constructive criticism • Self regulation – being stoic; being open to change • The first 3 components of EI relate to oneself; last 2 relate to ability to manage relationship with others
13. Discipline of teams
14. Remote working • Err on the side of overcommunicating
15. Office politics • Dealing with negative forces – use 3Rs • Redirection – eg. the company put us in this position, I Didn’t. it may be overly transparent & that’s the point • Reciprocity – invited in C-suite meetings • Rationality...more
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