Quit your job

Quitting your job, no matter the reason, requires sensitivity and planning. Once you’ve decided to resign, the first person you should tell is your manager. Collaborate with her on the timing and on how to tie up loose ends, so you don’t leave anyone in a bind. Be transparent. While there’s no obligation to reveal your next career move, people are going to know about your new role and company the minute you update your LinkedIn profile. If you’re honest about your plans, you own the narrative and are more likely to preserve the relationships you’ve built. Former co-workers are a crucial part of your network and you want to keep those relationships intact. Don’t give different reasons for your departure to different groups. Express gratitude (consider modest farewell gifts or thoughtful notes to your supervisor and colleagues), and don’t use the exit interview to air grievances.

(Adapted from How to Quit Your Job Without Burning Bridges, by Rebecca Knight)

Set goals to innovate

Sometimes leaders fail to establish guidelines for innovation because they believe that creativity is all about giving people freedom. But if you don’t specify what kind of ideas the business will actually invest in, you’ll end up with a lot of ideas to reject. For better results — and fewer disgruntled employees — direct your employees toward problems that are relevant to the business and tell them what kind of ideas are most likely to receive management’s support. Explain the type of outcome people should aim for. For example, are you looking to increase market share or improve quality or simplify a process? And give people an indication of what a ‘good enough’ idea is — e.g., a target year-one revenue number or a required minimum percentage for improvements. Don’t forget to go over any limitations and no-go areas, and provide a time frame for creating results.

(Adapted from Get More Actionable Ideas From Your Employees, by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg and Paddy Miller)

Add social fluency

Leaders are increasingly expected to have a strong social media presence. Yet many still view social media as a broadcast channel, not as a way to connect. To become a truly social leader, start using it to listen to your customers. Social monitoring and engaging with followers is the best way to collect real-time market intelligence. Focus on connecting instead of promoting. You want to be spreading the good word about your company while also interacting with others and answering questions from concerned stakeholders. So put down the digital megaphone and think about building relationships. You’re also building your personal brand whenever you engage on social media, and, as the company’s No. 1 brand ambassador, you can also improve the company’s image. Be authentic and generous.

(Adapted from The 7 Attributes of CEOs Who Get Social Media, by Ted Coiné and Mark Babbitt)

Keep experimenting with leadership styles

To grow as a leader you must dive into projects and activities, interact with different kinds of people, experiment with new ways of getting things done — and try out various leadership styles. Most learning involves some form of imitation. So stop viewing authenticity as an intrinsic state. It’s really an ability to take elements you have learned from others’ styles and behaviours and make them your own. But don’t copy just one person’s leadership style; tap many diverse role models. There is a big difference between totally imitating someone and borrowing selectively from various people to create, modify and improve your own leadership style. It’s OK to be inconsistent from one day to the next.

(Adapted from The Authenticity Paradox, by Herminia Ibarra)

Boost morale

Struggling companies have a hard time keeping employees engaged because leaders are often more focused on cost-cutting and shifting strategy. But there’s a way to revitalise a business while simultaneously energising its people: create a shared culture of purpose. When a company communicates its purpose and demonstrates a strong commitment, it becomes a force for good and a creator of value for all stakeholders, especially employees. Think about any social initiatives you could pursue that align with your mission — something that would both inspire employees and improve results. For example, American Standard, the 136-year-old sanitation company, was able to get back on its feet after bankruptcy partly by launching a campaign to help combat disease in the developing world.

(Adapted from A Company’s Good Deeds Can Energise Employees, by Christoph Lueneburger)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, March 23rd , 2015

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