Pause, Breathe, and Then Act

Whether you replied to all when you should have forwarded, or you sent an email with a silly typo, most people have wished for an Undo Send button on at least one occasion. Google installed a five-second hold time on emails to allow users to reconsider and undo send. But what about when you say or do something in person that you immediately regret? Instead of regretting, take five seconds before you speak or act, especially in high-stress or emotional situations. Brain research has shown that by pausing, regulating your breathing, and taking just a few seconds, you are more likely to act rationally instead of foolishly.

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Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Undo Send in Real Life" by Peter Bregman.

Develop a Growth Mindset

We spend a lot of time and energy at work trying not to fail. However, most people describe their failures as an important part of learning and growing. Adapt a growth mindset and accept that failure is part of the process of skill development. People with a growth mindset feel smart when they're learning, not just when they're succeeding. Don't limit yourself to doing things that you know you can do — you won't grow that way. Instead, try things that are above your ability, set high goals that you aren't sure you can reach. You might surprise yourself and succeed — and if you don't, you'll learn something new.

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www.chestateerivergroup.com

3 Strategies for Demonstrating Humility

Effective leaders need to be mindful not only of their accomplishments, but of their character as well. Humility is a key aspect of character. Here are three ways to step out of the limelight and let others shine:

1. Temper authority. Don't use authority just because you have it. Encourage your people to make decisions, set their own goals, and take responsibility as often as possible.

2. Promote others often. Grooming talent is good for your organization and for you as a leader. Promote people around you, giving them opportunities to match or even surpass your success.

3. Acknowledge the accomplishments of others. If things go well, give away the credit. If things go poorly, take the fall. This humble approach will ensure your team rallies behind you.

These strategies were adapted from "Humility as a Leadership Trait" by John Baldoni.

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www.chestateerivergroup.com

Do More Than Communicate - Explain

Good communicators know they need to use energy and enthusiasm to persuade their audience. Great communicators know they also need to explain what all the excitement is about. Next time you need to share something important, be sure you convey enthusiasm, but also clearly explain what is at stake and answer the question "What does it mean?" Lay out what the issue, initiative, or problem is — and be clear about what it isn't. Use metaphors only if they are helpful to your point and share details that support your claims. Then, define what you want people to do by establishing clear expectations. Don't lose or confuse your audience with too many details, though — save those for written communications.

3 Ways to Instill Passion in Your People

Passionate employees produce better results. The best way to spark passion in your people is to demonstrate your own passion — but you needn't be a cheerleader. Here are three ways to authentically show your enthusiasm and inspire others:

• Focus on the positive. Employees know when a leader truly cares about a company or a project. Passionate leaders can't help but talk about what's working well and try to find ways to fix what isn't.
• Don't ignore the negative. Passionate leaders aren't all about sunny skies — they address negatives in a realistic way and help people solve problems.
• Set high expectations. This doesn't mean unattainable workloads. Passionate leaders should inspire and challenge people to do their best, without overloading them.

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Tips provided by HBP

The Tao of Nice: How Being Nice is the Key to Success

While the world economy continues to reshape itself, a new philosophy of “Nice” and “Kind” are beginning to permeate companies who have begun to realize that niceness is a key to successful growth, profit, productivity and reduced turnover.

As we know, behavior follows behavior, in the same way that a smile follows a smile. Acts of compassion, kindness, respect, patience and tolerance, lead to positive responses from others. In addition to these truisms, research into kindness, happiness and productivity are revealing many benefits to the power of being nice.

• There is a direct correlation between employee moral and the bottom line where increases in cheerfulness and helpfulness have been correlated to 50% increases in revenue.

• Acts of compassion have been found to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which is the neurochemical most closely associated to mood. Acts of compassion will not only raise your serotonin level, but will also raise the level in those you help and also in anyone who witnesses the act of compassion.

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason that Americans quit their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. When you consider that the average cost to a company for a manager or professional who leaves is eighteen months’ worth of salary, the cost and effort to demonstrate an employee’s worth would seem to be a good investment.

• It is scientifically incorrect to say that we as humans have an innate predisposition towards aggression and violence. Even though we have the capacity to make war, aggression is not an automatic response. In fact, our need as humans to work together is more likely to be the foundation of our survival instinct than our capacity for aggression.

The days of the cutthroat “me vs. you” philosophy of business now give way to emotionally intelligent leadership that understands how being nice does not mean that you are naïve or weak.

www.charliecummins.com

The Powerful Nature of Candor

More and more I find that candor is becoming increasingly rare in the business environment. Perhaps it is the economic downturn that has made candor a risky behavior? While I might be underestimating its rarity, the fact remains that candor is a huge part of successful leadership. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, calls candor the “biggest dirty little secret in business.”

While some people might perceive a lack of candor as job security, this lack of frankness can cause huge problems. Lack of candor inhibits the influx of new and creative ideas and slows down decision making. Without candor, truly talented people struggle to flourish.

In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a team, Patrick Lencioni emphasizes the need for healthy conflict as a foundational element that influences team’s commitment, accountability and results. When Lencioni speaks of healthy conflict, he is speaking about candor. When speaking about candor, I am talking about honest, straight forward communication, not malicious, hurtful intent.

Speaking with candor requires a desire to stimulate in-depth discussion and the courage to put forth and receive new ideas. What I frequently see is individuals and teams that withhold their honest comments or criticism and fail to engage in a real debate on issues.

People keep their mouths shut for a variety of reasons; to avoid conflict, protect others’ feelings, soften the blow of bad news or to keep information to them selves thinking that this will give them power or an advantage. In many cases, people fail to speak their minds because it is much easier not to. What a disservice! Teams that engage in this lack of candor succeed in only one area, becoming their own worst enemy.

Candor contributes to team success in three main ways.

First, candor creates energy that gets other people involved in the conversation. It is through this conversation that new ideas surface and get knocked around, probed and dissected. In this type of environment everyone contributes and everyone learns.

Second, candor leads to action and generates speed. When a team generates new ideas, they own them. This feeling of ownership compels teams forward, in to action and towards the completion of tasks.

Third, candor reduces costs and improves the bottom line. Candor reduces the need for redundant meetings, reports and e-mail chains that suck the productivity from everyone.

In upcoming blogs, I will discuss how creating candor can be accomplished.

www.coreperformanceconsulting.com