Thankful for feedback
How to become more thankful for the feedback in our lives. With feedback, there seems to be an expectation of thanks. We’re told over and over that feedback is a gift – how could we not be thankful? But feedback doesn’t always feel like a gift. And depending on how feedback is shared, we might not be feeling very thankful after receiving it. When others approach us with feedback, we may even shake our heads and think to ourselves, “Thanks, but no thanks.” I’ve been thinking about thanks this week for all… Read More
Bad feedback? Blame the question.
Asking the right question can improve the feedback you get. At its core, feedback is designed to help us do better. But what if we don’t feel better off after getting it? There can be many reasons why feedback falls flat — poor timing, sloppy form, hazy intent, to name just a few. But over the years, I’ve noticed that a fatal flaw in many feedback conversations isn’t the response. It’s the question. The way we phrase our questions can greatly influence the quality and usefulness of the feedback we receive. If… Read More
Recognition requires “just because” feedback
Recognition doesn’t have to cost something to mean something. Employee recognition is always a hot topic, especially in this age of high attrition and mobility. But the surest, simplest way to show appreciation to people is through positive feedback. For individuals, positive feedback boosts motivation, enhances productivity, and improves overall job satisfaction. For teams, it lifts overall effectiveness: High-performers share nearly six times more positive feedback than average teams, while low-performers experience nearly twice as much negative feedback than average teams. It also makes a difference in how we feel. Positive feedback broadens and builds our confidence, determination… Read More
Jerks at Work: A Better Approach
Before you blame and shame, try to name the cause of jerky behavior. Jerks at work: A sad but stubborn fact of office life. Office jerks cause all sorts of havoc, from minor annoyances to full-blown office showdowns. These experiences slowly deplete our energy, drain our emotional well-being, and make it downright unpleasant to show up for our jobs. It doesn’t have to be that way. Tessa West, a social psychologist at NYU, joined me on I Wish They Knew to provide some insights and instructions on how to handle office jerks — without… Read More
How to “AIM” for better goals
Setting goals is good. Supporting and delivering on them is better. Here’s how. The only thing more cliché than setting New Year’s resolutions? Breaking them. According to a recent study, less than 20% of us actually manage to follow through. More than one-third of our resolutions are abandoned by February. And after falling off the wagon a few times, we tend to further weaken our willpower with self-limiting thoughts. It’s no wonder why so many people have decided to quit making resolutions altogether and set goals instead. But even then, we need… Read More
How To Show Appreciation To Your Remote Team
Offer personalized thanks, work flexibility and career-advancing support. While good leaders routinely look for ways to show appreciation to their employees, current conditions have made it harder – and perhaps even more important – to recognize the contributions of others. A prolonged work-from-home order or staggered return to the office means less visibility for some workers who may already fear they’re being overlooked. For others, receiving positive feedback or other forms of validation can provide a momentary and much-needed boost at a time when job-related stress and uncertainty remain high. A little appreciation goes a long way…. Read More
How Young Leaders Level Up
This article originally appeared in Inc. For young workers, moving into a leadership role is an exciting and fulfilling step, but not without its share of complications. Whether managing distractions or delivering valuable feedback, new leaders can feel overwhelmed by the demands of their new position. As new leaders learn to level up and begin to engage their teams, it’s important not to overlook basic principles like these: 1. When you ask for advice, mean it. Bringing others into the decision-making process is smart practice: Not only does it improve the quality of decisions, it also motivates others… Read More
How One Post-It Note Reshaped A Culture
This article originally appeared at Inc. Culture is the stealth force of organizational behavior. Positive cultures can lift people to higher levels of performance, while negative cultures can deflate even high-performing people. There’s little doubt that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” as Peter Drucker famously put it. But what can leaders do to create a culture that doesn’t eat its own people? According to a 2013 study on motivation and culture by the American Psychological Association, it starts with just 19 words: That was the key finding by a research team at Stanford, Yale and Columbia after analyzing two different sets… Read More
4 Simple Ways Leaders Can Energize Their Teams
This article originally appeared at Inc. As leaders fend off Zoom fatigue and other work-from-home challenges, a host of familiar problems are starting to resurface. Hiring challenges, workplace conflicts, productivity drags — these time-sucking traps can distract leaders from becoming a source of energy and inspiration for the people they lead. Without requiring significant time or resources, here are four ways leaders can supercharge their teams in the year ahead — and boost the way employees feel, grow, work and create, whether they’re working from home or back in the office. Develop a gratitude habit. Research shows that the simple act… Read More
Giving Feedback That’s Radically Transparent
Honest feedback is a gift. Here’s how you can start delivering it. Giving transparent feedback is a challenge for most people. Want to know what radically transparent feedback looks like? Here’s an actual email sent to Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, by an employee named Jim Haskel: Ray – You deserve a “D-” for your performance today in the meeting. You did not prepare at all, because there is no way you could have and been that disorganized. In the future, I/we would ask you to take some… Read More