Business travel isn’t nearly as straightforward as it once was. In addition to packing efficiently, adjusting to time zone changes, and modifying your meeting schedule, you also need to stay on top of travel restrictions in the places you’re visiting. It makes sense to be thoughtful in how you transition back into this more complicated world of work travel. First, evaluate the benefit. Of course, there are still upsides in terms of connecting with people, negotiating deals, and building team camaraderie in person, but think carefully about where you believe travel would add the greatest value. For example, do you really need to fly to the other side of the country for that conference? If meeting face-to-face would be beneficial, think about whether it may make more sense for your colleagues or client to come to you if there are drastic differences in restrictions or risk levels. And pace yourself as much as possible. Start with small, short-distance trips, and then see how you feel. It’s also a good idea to give yourself more margin than you used to. For example, schedule your flight for the night before an important meeting, rather than taking an early morning flight, in case of last-minute cancellations. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past two years, it’s that things don’t always go according to plan and can change quickly.
Tag: Kalikajaros
When things are uncertain, it’s easy to lose hope. But allowing yourself to sink into a funk can affect you professionally and personally. To build and sustain optimism, envision a plausible, positive future. First, write out what you are currently imagining about the future and the emotions these images provoke. Describe exactly what you are anticipating (for example, “still working from my bedroom next year”) instead of generalities (like “working from home”). Specific images, not general ideas, have the greatest impact on our internal state. Second, imagine things have gone well for you over the next two years and write a letter to yourself from that future. Describe your life. What is going on in your work world? Personal life? The key question is: “Where will I be if things have gone well for me?” Crucially, it needs to feel optimistic but realistic. Third, stand in that future. Vividly imagine yourself in the future you’ve described. Imagine the conversations you’re having with people around you. Imagine your sensory experiences. This thought exercise will help you clarify what exactly to hope for — the first step toward actually realising that life for yourself.
If your team has experienced a lot of turnover in the past two years, you might be left leading two distinct camps of employees: the old guard and new arrivals. How can you integrate your new employees in a way that reduces this kind of fracturing? Start by focusing on and investing in onboarding early — especially if your new employees are starting remotely. A robust process should cover at least six to nine months to help people feel fully integrated and should focus on helping newcomers build relationships with colleagues who’ve been around a long time and others who are also new. Reduce resistance to new ideas. Rather than interpreting new thinking as a critique of how you’ve done things, view it as an opportunity to learn and stretch. Avoid saying things like, “We’ve tried that before, and it didn’t work” or “You don’t really understand how we do things here.” Instead, welcome new ideas and give your new hires a chance to shake things up and rack up quick wins. Show your enthusiasm and support for new ways of doing things, especially those that can help your company be more competitive. If the suggestions new leaders offer aren’t appropriate, offer suggestions for how their ideas can fit within — and push — the existing environment.
If you’re serious about retaining the people on your team (as you should be), consider conducting “stay” interviews. These are discussions where you ask loyal employees key questions to understand how engaged they are. The information you gather can help you tackle common retention issues. Here are four questions to try:
- What’s your frame of mind today? No matter what the response is — positive or negative — don’t negate their experience or move too quickly to solving a problem. Just listen, thank them for being honest, and ask for more information before moving toward a solution.
- Who do you feel connected to at work? Based on their response, explore what you can do to help them deepen those connections. Perhaps people from different departments can work on a company-wide event, a cross-division initiative, or take part in virtual discussion groups.
- What do you want to learn that will excite you and help you grow? This question signals that you care about their development and want to help them achieve their aspirations.
- What barriers can I remove for you to help you do your job better? Then brainstorm with your colleague how you can be most helpful. Ensuring people can do their jobs well is just as important as praise and rewards.
Intuition is frequently dismissed as mystical or unreliable. In reality, it’s one of the most powerful decision-making tools at your disposal. Here are a few ways to learn to go with your gut:
- Distinguish your gut feeling from fear. Ask yourself: Am I tempted to make this decision to avoid a threat, rejection, or punishment? Or do I feel excited, at ease, and content with the choice at hand?
- Practice. Find small ways to take quick, decisive actions. Raise your hand and speak up in a meeting without censoring yourself. Choose an outfit that calls to you without weighing too many variables. By starting small, you mitigate feelings of overwhelm and can gradually step your way up to larger, higher pressure decisions with greater self-trust.
- Try the snap judgment test. On a piece of paper, write a question you’re struggling with, such as, “Will accepting the promotion make me happy?” Then write “yes or no” below the question and walk away. After a few hours, or the next morning, come back to the paper and immediately circle the answer that feels right to you.
- Fall back on your values. The next time you find yourself unable to make a decision, ask yourself, “Which action brings me closer to my core values?” You can avoid mental loops by aligning your choices with what most matters to you.
Reflection — looking back on your day (without bias or regret) to contemplate your behavior and its consequences — helps develop your emotional intelligence. If you want to build a regular habit of reflecting, keep a journal. Whenever you are surprised or frustrated, pause and note the feeling. Then, as soon as you are able — perhaps for fifteen minutes at the end of each workday — jot down what happened. Try to identify the “why” behind the emotion. What about the event triggered these feelings in you? Did things not go your way? Did you make a mistake? Next, set an hour aside each week to review your notes. Block out the time on your calendar and take an honest and rigorous look at where you’ve been mentally and emotionally. Finally, don’t just re-read your journal entry; add to it. In retrospect, are there things about the situation that you’re able to see differently? Press yourself. What went wrong? Were your initial observations correct or do they reveal something else that may have been going on, something you couldn’t see in the heat of the moment? Try to think of yourself as a neutral observer. And go easy on yourself. Reflection can be ego-bruising. Always remember that excellence is achieved by stumbling, standing up, dusting yourself off, then stumbling again. If you study those stumbles, you’re much less likely to stumble the same way again.
When giving a presentation, your most important responsibility is to establish trust with your audience. How can you do this? Focus on four key areas.
- Competency. Demonstrate expert knowledge of your topic by sharing current trends in your industry and by using specific anecdotes.
- Clarity. Clear communication lets expertise shine through. Identify the goal of your presentation in advance and use a clear structure with logical transitions to achieve that goal. Then, read your presentation out loud and refine as needed.
- Compassion. Speak directly to your audience’s needs, highlight what’s relevant to them, and make them feel heard and understood.
- Connection. Weave personal examples into your presentation — particularly examples that demonstrate vulnerability and transparency — to connect emotionally with your audience.
- Check in with your employees individually. Talk to each person on your team to get a sense of who is affected — and how. Ask if there’s anything they need or any way you can support them. A simple question at the beginning of a one-on-one meeting such as, “Have you been following the news? Do you know anyone impacted?” can reveal an unexpected connection that someone might not have thought they could share.
- Make space to address the news during a meeting. You might start your weekly huddle by saying, “I’d like to take a quick minute to acknowledge what’s happening. I’ve certainly been distracted and concerned by it. Who else feels the same way?” Your goal is to be compassionate and understanding, not to wade into politics, put people on the spot, or force anyone to speak.
- Give people the opportunity to take action. Research ways to help that are in line with your organization’s values and provide credible sources for employees to get involved. If possible, let them use a portion of their working hours for volunteer activities.
Groupthink — when a team reaches a quick agreement on a solution with little discussion or deliberation — is one of the surest ways to stifle innovation. How can you help your team steer clear of this trap and keep fresh ideas alive? First, it’s imperative that everyone knows it’s OK, and even encouraged, to challenge the status quo. People have a tendency to believe that existing solutions must be good. But when one person expresses discomfort or skepticism, it opens the door for others to do the same. So give your team members early opportunities to reveal how they really view the problem at hand. Next, adopt a placeholder solution. This doesn’t have to be a final answer. It simply has to function as a transitional placeholder. Knowing that there’s a backup plan will relieve some of the pressure people feel to sell their idea. Finally, celebrate any progress toward final agreement. Part of the reason that groupthink occurs is that it feels good to agree. Rather than rushing the process though, highlight moments of progress in the discussion. This will build morale and momentum and will help your employees feel better about working toward a creative, outside-the-box solution.
If you’re having trouble staying focused at work, you might benefit from a technique called “body doubling” where you work alongside someone else, either in person or even virtually. Here’s how to get started. Block off time for you and a colleague (or colleagues) to work simultaneously. You don’t have to be working on the same task. In fact, you don’t even need to be working on anything related at all. The idea is simply to work alongside a peer, at the same time. Next, establish some guidelines to make this a positive experience for everyone. Consider: Is it OK to ask one another for advice, help, resources, or even a pep-talk if needed? Should you mention when you notice your peer losing focus? When will there be breaks? Are you working silently or is polite chatting permitted? Before you begin your session, share what you each intend to accomplish and how you hope to feel by the end of the time block. Then, at the end of the session, share what you accomplished, what went well, and what didn’t. Finally, thank each other for being present, and decide if and when to do this again.