December, 2010 | It's Worth Noting

Do the difficult work first

December 29, 2010

Think about all the things you need to get done, whether at work, home or another context. Now think about the things on that list that are quick or easy and the things that are time consuming or challenging. Compare the two lists. Consider which is populated with tasks that are more transformational for you and others, will have a bigger impact or will help you leap, rather than simply step, ahead. Inevitably, the list with time consuming or challenging tasks stands out, but it’s not where most of us spend our time. The gravitational pull when we awake each morning is to be attentive to the quick or easy stuff. As the day goes on, we struggle to fit in anything else. If you want to consistently leap ahead, have an impact and be transformative, start your day doing the difficult work first.

Leadership

Lead your team with stories, not rules

December 22, 2010

Stories inspire. Rules constrict. Stories are memorable. Rules are very forgettable. You’ve seen them, or maybe you’re part of or are leading one now – an organization that is managed by rules. Do this and don’t do that, binary instructions that assume people operate like computers. Better organizations and leaders use stories to guide their people. Sure, a few rules may be needed here or there, but stories about a wowed customer, a loyal employee or someone or something you want to emulate are far more effective. Leading by telling more stories plants memorable reference points that provide inspiration and guidance for how to behave, in everyday situations and in ones never contemplated by a set of rules. So stop looking for bigger binders for that ever expanding book of rules, policies or procedures that everyone wants to burn. Start looking for and telling stories. Agree?

Leadership

Do you know how? A thought from Bill Clinton.

December 9, 2010

Yesterday evening I gathered with about thirty thousand of my closest friends at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco to hear a speech by Bill Clinton. He touched on one point that stood out to me: the importance of how. Lot’s of people, governments and companies know what they want to accomplish. Few know how to get it done, day in, day out, in a way that accomplishes their goal. Knowing how to execute a grand or complex idea that has lots of moving parts or requires an extended period of time to put in place is the key to success today. Reflect on what you aspire to accomplish and ask yourself if you know how to get it done. If you do not, you need to either find people to help you, learn quickly or drop the idea to focus on what you know how to do. The real…

Leadership

Ten things you can do today to express appreciation to your team

December 1, 2010

1. Go around and say thank you for the work that is routine and rarely praised 2. Deliver a handwritten note of appreciation for who someone is, not what they do 3. Grab someone’s favorite coffee or sonic drink on your way back from lunch 4. Email out a first come, first serve offer to help someone with any task of their choosing for 30 minutes 5. Take a 20 minute walk with your most stressed and overworked team member 6. Find a recent email or doc sent to a client by a team member that was especially good, mark up what you liked and email it to the rest of team as an example of great work 7. Share with someone how you’ve seen them grow in a particular area over six months or more 8. Circulate a recent story of a client significantly impacted by a team member…

December 2010