Encourage your team to draw during meetings

Brainstorming often involves sitting in a room and talking, which pushes people toward solutions that are easy to talk about. To expand the scope of your team’s thinking ask your team to draw their ideas. There are several reasons why drawing is helpful.

— First, it’s hard for people to describe spatial relationships, so any solution that requires a spatial layout is better described with pictures than with words.

— Second, a large amount of the brain is devoted to visual processing, so sketching and interpreting drawings involves those brain regions in idea generation.

— Third, it is often difficult to describe processes purely in words, so diagrams are helpful. Don’t worry if you lack artistic talent: Studies have shown that a misinterpreted drawing can lead to new ideas.

(Adapted from “Your Team Is Brainstorming All Wrong,” by Art Markman.)

How to lead a change effort

Change is hard. Most people have an inherent bias toward maintaining the status quo. If you’re leading a change effort, identify the employees most likely to undermine it, and help them get on board first. Plan two face-to-face conversations with each reluctant employee.

— Your goal in the first conversation is to listen and understand why your colleague is holding out.

— Your goal in the second is to show you have reflected on their input and to explain how and why your approach to organisational change will (or won’t) be different as a result.

Have these conversations two to seven days apart, so your employee feels you’ve given their ideas thoughtful consideration. And give each talk enough time — your discussion should be unhurried and allow you to focus on the person who’s resisting the change.

(Adapted from “Overcome Resistance to Change with Two Conversations,” by Sally Blount and Shana Carroll.)

Before a difficult conversation, vent a little

It’s not a good idea to go into a tense conversation when you’re full of negative emotions. Before you get into the room, find a trusted colleague or friend who can listen to you complain. Say everything you feel about the situation — the good, the bad and the ugly. Don’t hold back. It’s important to get this out so that you’re not suppressing your emotions, which could make the conversation even trickier. When you bottle up your feelings, you’re more likely to express them in unintended ways. Prevent your emotions from seeping out by voicing your frustrations ahead of time. Doing so will help you feel calm and centred when you’re having the discussion.

(Adapted from the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, by Amy Gallo.)

Connect the dots between your job title and the job you want

Our job titles don’t always reflect what we really do. So how do you make a career move — either to a new job or maybe to an entirely new field — if you’re worried that your current title might give a hiring manager the wrong idea? The key is to showcase how your skills and experience are relevant to the new job. Start by making a list of the five or six most important responsibilities in the job posting, and jot down your accomplishments in those areas. Based on these notes, write a brief description of yourself that shows you have the experience the new job requires. Add this summary to the top of your résumé — but don’t simply call the section “Summary.” That overused term won’t grab anyone’s attention or distinguish you from other candidates. Instead, give the section a headline that really captures the breadth of your experience.

(Adapted from “Writing Your Résumé When Your Job Title Doesn’t Reflect Your Responsibilities,” by Jane Heifetz.)

Praise someone the way they want to be praised

Recognition is one of the most powerful tools a manager has, but not everyone wants their good work to be called out in the same way. Acknowledging someone’s work is meant to make them feel special — and it’s hard to feel special if a corporate procedure treats everyone the same way. One person might appreciate public praise in front of their colleagues, whereas another might prize a professional or technical award. Tailor your approach to each employee’s preferences. And if you aren’t sure what those are, ask.

(Adapted from the HBR Guide to Performance Management.)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, November 12th, 2017