Be kind and respectful to others, but don’t ever allow anyone to mistake that empathy for a weakness. People should be treated with respect, professionalism and common courtesy, but none of those gestures should be mistaken as a “free pass” by select individuals to perform outside standards, policies and processes that apply to all others.
Why are we doing it this way?
?That question mark can mean many different things, so use it carefully. As you come across areas that may need some attention and care, start with a simple question, why are we doing it this way? Do your best not to attack or offend people, but rather focus on the solutions and better ways of achieving desired outcomes. Your new …
If you are the smartest person in the room, leave that room
Smarts and intelligence can be seen attributed to different aspects and behaviors, but we all generally agree and know when someone is smart and when they are not. If you have observed that you are frequently the smartest person in meetings and on projects (assuming a great degree of self-awareness here) the time may have come to consider finding a …
Major accomplishments are marathons, not sprints
Accomplishments require effort, commitment, focus and skill. Major accomplishments require more of each of those attributes and then some. Keep focusing on making progress each day even if that progress are small steps, as one day, all of those small steps will be added together into a successfully completed marathon. Now, that I have reminded myself of that as well, …
Who should you include in e-mails
E-mails are a staple of the business world and whether we like them or not, they are here to stay a while longer. When writing e-mails you should focus on being both efficient (no War and Peace novels, please) and effective (get your point across and go for the desired outcome). Focus on actionable items or knowledge sharing and exclude …
Don’t hold grudges, they limit your success
Holding grudges will hurt you as much as the other side. At times, some actions or words can’t (and probably shouldn’t) be forgotten, but in business it is nearly pointless to hold grudges. Disagreements of the past should not determine your partnerships, collaboration and mutual success of the future. Put egos aside and work together towards achieving your organizational vision …
You will grow and you will learn, but you will never “make it”
Each of has has our own goals that we want to accomplish and those goals are frequently modified before they are actually realized. As we achieve our goals, we set news ones and that process never ends for most people. There is always something we want to accomplish, whether professionally or personally and as such one rarely even reaches the …
Be mindful of the present, but staff for the future
Build your teams thoughtfully. As opportunities open up to add new staff, carefully consider both your team’s and organizational needs then staff accordingly. Don’t simply replace “like for like”, but rather focus on both current needs as well as your future strategic direction you are planning to take. Each member of your team has a role to play and is …
Control and own your life
Life! You only have one and it is yours to live, so please take ownership and control of it. The overwhelming majority of your life is (or should be) within your control and as such let’s drop excuses, finger-pointing and blame. Be cognizant, mindful and aware of the feelings and needs of your family, friends, coworkers and others, but ultimately, …
Refuse to be ignored
Say it with me: “I refuse to be ignored!” Your future is in your hands so please take necessary actions to ensure your success. You need to be proactive and step out of your comfort zone in order to be noticed and achieve greatness you deserve. At times, these actions might include volunteering to new projects, taking on new challenges, …