Learn how to say no to new assignments

Most of us say yes to requests and assignments without filtering them by what’s urgent, let alone what’s possible. We like saying yes to our superiors, but agreeing to do too many things leaves us overstressed and overworked. A better approach is to remember that saying no is critical to your, and the company’s, success. So remember that it’s OK to raise questions and push back on assignments, even if it’s scary to do so. You can ask senior leaders whether a new assignment takes precedence over your other projects, or how a new task fits with the company’s priorities.

(Adapted from Stop Trying to Please Everyone, by Ron Ashkenas and Matthew McCreight)

Make your presentation a conversation

When giving a presentation, structuring your talk around the great unveil — i.e., saving key findings for the end — is tempting. But the last-minute nature of the unveil means your audience doesn’t have time to fully understand the information, so they won’t be prepared to discuss it. Instead, structure your presentation to invite discussion and participation. Draft your talk in partnership with important members of the audience. Getting people involved early helps identify problems that need solving and solutions that have been tried. Send out pre-reading materials so people aren’t absorbing your findings as you say them.

(Adapted from Create a Conversation, Not a Presentation, by John Coleman)

10-minute performance reviews

There’s growing evidence that conventional performance reviews are not working. One major issue is the time commitment they require. When many employees already get feedback regularly, formal reviews just take too long. A faster, but still effective, method is the 10-minute ‘Tough Love Review’:

Create a spreadsheet with two columns. ‘Tough’, a few phrases about where the employee is falling short, and ‘Love’, a few phrases about what she’s doing well.

During the review, explain that your goal is to identify both positive traits and areas for improvement. Ask the employee how he prefers feedback: kind and nurturing? Pointed and direct? Use their answer to decide whether to start with ‘Tough’ or ‘Love’.

After talking through the points on your spreadsheet, use the last few minutes to let the employee respond to what you’ve said.

(Adapted from Tough Love Performance Reviews, in 10 Minutes, by Mona Patel)

Hand-written notes are the most effective

Few people bring a pen and notebook to meetings anymore. Instead of taking notes by hand, more and more of us take them on a laptop or tablet. This change makes sense: digital devices just seem more convenient. But research has found that there are real benefits to taking notes by hand. Studies have shown that typing encourages mindless, verbatim transcription of what you’re hearing, but writing by hand helps us take both fewer and better notes. Longhand’s slower pace forces us to record ideas more succinctly and in our own words, which boosts our ability to recall those ideas later. So try bringing a pen and notebook to your next meeting — your memory will thank you.

(Adapted from What You Miss When You Take Notes on Your Laptop, by Maggy McGloin)

Get the full benefits of walking meetings

Walking meetings are a growing trend, replacing a traditional sitting meeting in a coffee shop or boardroom with a little exercise. The benefits are plentiful. Research has found that walking leads to increases in creative thinking, and anecdotal evidence suggests that walking meetings spur more productive, honest conversations. Here are some tips to help your next walking meeting go well:

Include an ‘extracurricular’ destination. Passing a point of interest provides more rationale and incentive for the walk.

Don’t add unneeded calories. A meeting that ends with a 400-calorie beverage undermines its health goal.

Stick to small groups. Walking meetings work best with two or three people.

Don’t surprise colleagues or clients with walking meetings. Notify people in advance so they can dress appropriately.

(Adapted from How to Do Walking Meetings Right, by Russell Clayton et al)

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, November 23rd, 2015