We are attracted to something difficult to get. The grass is always greener on the other side.
While this is good for growth it biases us for things that may not be good for us but since it’s difficult, we want to get it. It’s more of an ego thing than a need.
So beware of something that is not so easy to catch, and still you want to catch it.
Leaders who don’t trust their employees are often more anxious, hesitant to delegate, and prone to micromanaging. A lack of trust can also diminish innovation, morale, and team performance. Here are five steps to take if you’re in the uncomfortable position of not trusting one of your employees. First, separate facts from assumptions and focus on specific problematic behaviors. What exactly did this person do or not do that has led to your distrust? Next, make a list of the areas in which you do trust your employee, and consider how you might incrementally build on these areas in low-risk ways.
Focus on clear and frequent communication—checking in regularly one-on-one—as you delegate and add to their responsibilities. It’s crucial to provide feedback on the behaviors that are leading to your distrust. Be specific; is it their competency, consistency, or character that’s degrading your trust? Ask for their feedback too, and honestly reflect on what you might be doing (or not doing) to contribute to the situation. And finally, ask yourself if the breach of trust is repairable. If it isn’t, it might be time to part ways.
Sometimes it feels that the whole world is against us, all your chips are down and you feel dejected by the system.
But there cannot be any conspiracy against someone who doesn’t exist and for the system, we do not exist. We are so miniscule, that we are non-existent for the whole world.
Hence the “System is out to get me” attitude doesn’t help.
When things are not working, one productive strategy is to do what best you can do with it, do not dwell on why but act on what you have.
How curious is your team? When you build a culture of curiosity at work—where employees are encouraged to ask tough questions, challenge the status quo, and explore their interests—people feel more seen, heard, and motivated. Here are some statements you can say more often to promote this kind of culture on your team.
Are you a strategic thinker? And more importantly, do your boss and senior leaders see you that way? Here are some ways to show key people in your organization that you’re leadership material.
First, communicate your perspective. When talking to your manager and other leaders, demonstrate that you’re forward-looking and well-informed. For example, instead of focusing on short-term specifics, look for opportunities to offer observations about the big picture. Using language such as “Considering our organization’s three-year vision…” or “Reflecting on the trajectory of innovation in our industry…” shows a strategic vision.
Next, showcase your critical thinking. Being strategic is often about anticipating possible outcomes or unintended consequences—and connecting the dots not everyone sees. For example, “This product has the potential to…” or “Beyond the immediate benefits, our long-term gains include…” If you regularly position yourself as an analytical voice of reason, decision-makers will begin to trust your input over time.
Finally, simplify the complicated. Strategic thinkers can break down complex situations in simple yet powerful terms. To distill complicated issues down to their essentials, use explanations like “In essence, this technology can…” or “At its core, our strategy rests on three pillars…” Analogies and metaphors can also bring your comprehension to life—and make it relatable to a broader audience.
Our jobs often offer a sense of purpose, growth, and community. But when we’re invested in our work, it’s easy for us to take interactions, decisions, or feedback personally, which impacts our emotions, self-worth, and identity. If your professional role has become too intertwined with your sense of self, here’s how to put things in perspective.
First, practice de-identifying from your feelings with statements like “I am observing this feeling, but I am not this feeling,” or “I can notice this thought without letting it consume me.” By recognizing your reaction, you can create a space between the triggering event and your response.
Next, before you spiral, pause and ask yourself: “What am I interpreting this situation to mean about me?” Through this pattern of interruption, you can examine your assumptions and look at the situation more objectively. You can also challenge yourself to consider alternative explanations for someone’s behavior or words.
Finally, instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” focus on more constructive inquiries. Asking “What can be done?” will shift you into a problem-solving mindset. And asking “What can I learn from this?” will encourage you to extract wisdom from your experiences.
All you have to do is give your best whatever it is for, wherever it is, whenever it is. Give your best possible to the present and you will become the best!
It’s disruptive when a team member quits—especially one who’s beloved by their colleagues. Here’s how to reallocate their responsibilities, rebuild the team’s workflow, and rejuvenate morale.
Acknowledge their departure promptly. Be sure to speak positively about the person who’s leaving. Recognize their contributions and acknowledge the challenges you expect to face in their absence.
Ask people to share their feelings about the changes on the team. This is good to do in both group and one-on-one settings. Answer any questions as transparently as you can, without revealing any confidential details about your colleague’s departure.
Then affirm what isn’t changing—namely, the team’s collective strengths and shared values. This will reassure people that while change is coming, the foundation of what you do will remain consistent.
Next, reassess priorities. Moving too quickly to reassign the departing employee’s responsibilities may cause more harm than good. Take some time to review your team’s overall priorities, then determine which parts of their work fit into the big picture and which don’t. You may find a few tasks you can drop temporarily or discontinue altogether.
Finally, focus on strengthening the sense of community on your team. This could mean celebrating milestones or planning team gatherings that allow people to connect offline.
Talking about your accomplishments can make you appear more competent, but it can also make you seem colder, less friendly, and more selfish. In contrast, self-deprecation, deflecting credit, or sharing setbacks can make you seem more approachable—but less competent.
Researchers found that you can walk this tightrope by practicing “dual promotion,” or pairing a self-promotional statement with one that highlights or compliments someone else.
Start by identifying whom you want to promote alongside yourself. At the office, praise your colleagues’ work before you mention your own. If you compete in some kind, compliment your competitor. If you’re engaged in a more individual endeavor—for example, writing a novel—compliment a colleague whom you admire. Be sure that your compliments of others are genuine and specific. Overly general praise lands as disingenuous and fake.
Then, focus on yourself. Share your meaningful achievements—and don’t be shy about claiming the credit you deserve.
A key part of your job as a leader is to keep your team motivated and on track when things start to go sideways. Here are some strategies to try if a project is failing and you need to boost your team’s morale.
Your team’s project might not be going well because the organization’s goals and vision aren’t clear, so get the team together to re-establish or re-define these goals. This can breathe a second life into the project and allow you to troubleshoot, locate pain points, and define a path forward as a team.
Then, to remove obstacles, reprioritize people’s work, reassign work altogether, and reallocate project resources (including budget) as necessary. These sorts of interventions will help reduce redundancy and clear bottlenecks that are getting in the way.
Next, recognize that different people are motivated by different things—for example, career-development opportunities or monetary incentives—and tailor your leadership approach accordingly. And schedule a weekly project meeting to create regular feedback loops about what’s working (and what’s not) so you can course-correct quickly.
Finally, celebrate small wins. Recognition boosts morale and promotes optimism—both of which lead to a sense of forward momentum on your team.