Don’t ask ‘what do you do?’ when networking

We’ve all been in the situation of meeting someone and having to find something to talk about. Many people break the silence with a standard question: “So, what do you do?” But talking about work, even at networking events, isn’t always the best way to build rapport. Instead, ask people about their hobbies, the charities they support, where they grew up, or even who their favourite superhero is. If steering away from work doesn’t feel comfortable, you can ask a question like “What excites you right now?” or “What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?” These kinds of queries invite a range of answers and let the other person talk whatever they want. Asking open-ended questions can lead to a more interesting conversation, and you might even make a new friend.

(Adapted from “8 Questions to Ask Someone Other Than ‘What Do You Do?’” by David Burkus.)

Be available to your remote employees

One of the most challenging parts of working remotely is feeling shunned and left out. Managers can counter this problem by proactively making sure distant workers feel included. How? First, check in frequently and consistently. Just because someone works remotely doesn’t mean you can leave them alone. Stay in touch with them often, and clearly communicate your expectations for projects, roles and deadlines. Second, and most important, be available to remote employees no matter what time zone they’re in. This doesn’t mean you have to respond to emails at all hours of the night, but be reachable at designated times and in multiple ways. Remote employees should always be able to count on you to respond to pressing concerns, no matter where they work.

(Adapted from “A Study of 1,100 Employees Found That Remote Workers Feel Shunned and Left Out,” by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield.)

Establish norms for teamwork

Is your team struggling to work well together? Perhaps a few people dominate your meetings, or team members constantly revisit past decisions. If so, create norms about how you’ll work with one another. Start by looking at past team experiences to identify norms that have made the team more productive and effective, and then break down the norms into specific behaviours. For example, a norm might be equal participation in meetings, and the behaviour might be going around the room and soliciting input from everyone on key issues, starting with the person who’s spoken the least. Discuss how team members will hold one another accountable if someone violates the norm.

(Adapted from “How to Create Executive Team Norms — and Make Them Stick,” by Sabina Nawaz.)

Going on vacation? Try somewhere new

It’s tempting to default to the same vacation each year: a familiar beach town, your favourite city, that resort the kids loved. But travelling can be an opportunity for personal growth, especially when you venture outside your comfort zone. By spending time in unfamiliar cities or countries, you become more comfortable with feelings of discomfort and more confident in your ability to navigate ambiguous situations, which enhances your emotional agility. Research has shown that people who travel to other countries develop a greater tolerance and trust of strangers, which alters their attitudes toward colleagues and friends, resulting in greater empathy. Experiencing other cultures, having international friendships and studying languages are all linked to unconventional problem-solving.

(Adapted from “The Mental Benefits of Vacationing Somewhere New,” by Todd B. Kashdan.)

Two rules for making better decisions

There are many ways to improve your decision-making, but two simple rules can be particularly helpful. First, be less certain — about every part of your decision-making process. Think choice A will lead to outcome B? It’s probably less likely than you believe. Think outcome B is preferable to outcome C? You’re probably too confident about that as well. What else would you think about if you were less sure that A causes B, or that B is preferable to C? Second, always ask yourself, “How often does that typically happen?” For example, if you were considering funding a start-up, you might ask: What percentage of start-ups fail? Accepting that you know less than you think you do is one of the best ways to start making better decisions.

(Adapted from “3 Ways to Improve Your Decision Making,” by Walter Frick.)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 19th, 2018