Block out time for solitude and thinking

The volume of information and stimuli coming at us every day makes it more difficult to focus than ever. To do the careful thinking that decision making and leadership require, you must step back from the noise of the world. Schedule 15-minute breaks at least once or twice a day to sit quietly in your office or take a walk. Commit to these breaks as you would any meeting or appointment; if you don’t schedule moments of quiet, something else will fill the time. Use them to think about your to-do list, especially the tasks you should stop doing. Solitude gives you the space to reflect on where your time is best spent. Try to get clarity on which meetings you should stop attending, which committees you should step down from, and which invitations you should politely decline.

(Adapted from “In a Distracted World, Solitude Is a Competitive Advantage,” by Mike Erwin.)

Be thoughtful about tasks you say yes to

New managers are often tempted to hold onto the work that keeps them close to their team’s everyday operations. But now that you have a wider set of responsibilities, you need to be discerning about your time and selective about the tasks you take on. Carefully assess every demand that comes your way, and ask whether it aligns with your highest-value contributions. To those requests that draw on your particular talents, say yes and carve out the necessary time and attention. To those that don’t align but are important, identify other people on your team who can take them on: “Yes, we can do that, but Tomoko on my team will be the main contact.” You can still consult on, motivate and lead your team’s work — but you should be a catalyst, not the one doing the heavy lifting.

(Adapted from “To Be a Great Leader, You Have to Learn How to Delegate Well,” by Jesse Sostrin.)

Be tactful when you provide feedback

There are times when you have to provide input through email, text message, or even instant message, and in these cases it’s important to be careful about tone. Written criticism can easily lead to misunderstandings, since it’s missing the natural empathy that comes from talking to someone in person. And once it’s typed, it’s harder to take back than a spoken comment. Generally, your written feedback should stick to descriptive, rather than evaluative, language. People are usually more receptive to, for example, “This is what I see happening” than to “This is what I think you should do differently.” The latter can be read as harsh and uncaring, whereas the former is more objective. You’ll have more latitude if you have a strong relationship with the recipient, because the person is less likely to perceive the criticism as an attack. Still, the extra effort you put into thinking through what to say and how to say it will help the person hear your message (even if they’re reading it).

(Adapted from “What I Learned About Coaching After Losing the Ability to Speak,” by Mark Rosen.)

Be respectful to departing employees

When one of your employees quits, you may take it personally. But keep in mind that their decision may have little to do with you: Most people leave because their opportunities for growth are limited. Encourage all your employees to openly discuss with you their goals and plans for the future, even if those plans don’t involve staying with the company. Honest conversations like these will help you plan for the future if an employee doesn’t intend to stay over the long term. And don’t try to convince employees to stay if they aren’t getting the opportunities they need; they’ll just end up bored and unmotivated. If you accept that it’s time for someone to move on, they will leave feeling positive — and you’ll have a stronger pool of alumni advocating for your company in the marketplace.

(Adapted from “As Your Company Evolves, What Happens to Employees Who Don’t?” by Robert Glazer.)

Own your perspective

When you and a co-worker are discussing a conflict you’ve been having, you might be tempted to launch into your account of the events, assuming that your counterpart should see things exactly the way you do. But that approach is unlikely to go over well. Instead, treat your opinion of what’s happened as what it is: your perspective. Start sentences with “I,” not “you.” Say “I’m annoyed that this project is six months behind schedule,” rather than “You’ve missed every deadline we’ve set.” Even if you have valid criticisms of the other person, blaming or cornering them will shut down the conversation. Acknowledging your role in the conflict will set a tone of accountability for both of you, making your counterpart more likely to own up to their missteps as well.

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

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, May 14th, 2018