Own up to your mistake

No matter how hard you try, you’re likely to disappoint a colleague at some point. But what should you do if you’ve let something really important slip? Instead of hiding, address the problem right away, face to face, and preferably while the other person can still make a Plan B. If you’re supposed to deliver a report that you can’t get done, say something like, “I think I’m in over my head. Do you want me to keep plugging along? Are there other people who can help? Is there any flexibility with the deadline?” Don’t wait until your counterpart has no other options. Take ownership by admitting you made a mistake. Then provide an explanation, but don’t belabour it; a heartfelt ‘I’m sorry’ can go a long way. Lay out a plan for how you’re going to make the situation right, and in the future be upfront about what you can and can’t do.

(Adapted from How to Tell Your Colleague You Dropped the Ball, by Amy Gallo)

Taking a risk is safer than the status quo

Most of us consider ourselves to be risk averse, but what we consider ‘safe’ behaviour often contains much more uncertainty than we suspect. That’s because safety generally involves consistency of a condition — whether that’s job security, a stable marriage or the value of a currency. The challenge is that there are very few environments that remain static. ‘Safe’ investments like gold can lose value. You could be fired from your ‘safe’ job. And yet we behave as if the current state will persist in perpetuity. While no one can predict the future, there are a few tactics you can use to get better at evaluating risk. Before you make a decision, do your research on all of the potential avenues of action. Ask credible experts to weigh in. And don’t forget to evaluate the inherent risk of doing nothing. Sometimes the status quo is actually riskier than taking a leap into the unknown.

(Adapted from Why That Risky Career Move Could Be a Safer Bet Than You Think, by Karen Firestone)

At your next meeting, use a shot clock

Tired of being in meetings that drag on and on? It may sound unusual, but the answer is a shot clock, much like the ones used in professional basketball. Here’s how it works: Before a meeting, explain that you want to devote a certain amount of time to each agenda item. If you’re leading an annual budget review and have 40 investment proposals on the table, say, “We’re going to spend exactly 10 minutes discussing each topic. Speakers will have three minutes to present, followed by seven minutes of discussion.” If different topics warrant different amounts of time, try to determine that in advance. Then set up the shot clock — a smartphone timer works nicely. It should buzz (loudly) when time runs out and keep buzzing until people stop talking.

(Adapted from Meetings Need a Shot Clock, by Bob Frisch and Cary Greene)

Disagreeing with the powerful

What should you do when you disagree with someone more powerful than you? It may be tempting to say nothing, but consider the risks (say, a project could be derailed, or you could lose the team’s trust) and then realistically weigh them against the potential consequences of taking action. Before you share your thoughts, think about what the powerful person cares about — it may be the credibility of his team or getting a project done on time. When you do speak up, connect your disagreement to a higher, shared purpose. It’s smart to give the powerful person ‘psychological safety’ by asking permission, as in, “I know we seem to be moving toward a first-quarter commitment here. I have reasons to think that won’t work. I’d like to lay out my reasoning. Would that be OK?” Watch your language carefully. Show respect while maintaining your own self-respect.

(Adapted from How to Disagree With Someone More Powerful Than You, by Amy Gallo)

Reference checks

You think you’ve found the perfect candidate for your team, but there’s one more step you need to take before officially offering her the job: reference checks. Instead of seeing them as one final hurdle, take reference checks as an opportunity to get a sense of who a candidate really is. Start by asking how the reference knows the candidate. He might have managed your candidate for five years — or just be the candidate’s brother-in-law; you don’t know until you ask. And never show any negativity or skepticism toward the candidate. The reference might clam up. Instead, collect input from everyone who interviewed the candidate and focus on one or two concerns. Try open-ended questions like, “Tell me about the team Christine worked on.” Ask for specific examples and don’t interrupt — sometimes the reference will give you important information. Then match what the reference says to what the candidate said.

(Adapted from How to Get the Most Out of Reference Checks, by Priscilla Claman)

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, May 30th, 2016