Things come and go. They come again and they go again. Other things will come and go.
And so on.
The only aspect you can really affect is the way things impact you. A rainy day can be a disaster or an opportunity. An argument with a friend can be a deal-breaker or a change in perspective. A rejection can get you down or give renewed energy.
You need intention when interacting with the world.
There are two ways organizations promote employees.
One is by tenure. The employee has been in one role for long enough that they kind of outgrew it. The promotion is often formal and comes at the end of a process. It is about dues and achievement.
The other is by stretch. The employee is given enough space that they can grow into it. The promotion is often informal and comes at the beginning of a process. It is about responsibility and potential.
The way your organization does this has much to do with whether the general belief is that trust should be earned or that trust should be given. And it says a lot about many other aspects of the culture.
Asking questions is more important than answering them.
You should ask questions when you know everything and when you know nothing. When you are alone and when you are in good company. When things go just as you planned and when nothing seems to fit in the right place.
We tend to think that confidence equals having few doubts and that experience means you are finally in a position to dispense answers.
In reality, confidence if feeling ok with not knowing and experience means you are faster at figuring out the questions to ask.
The world is upside down.
The stories we are told about what leaders have done and what peers have done have a strong impact on the way we will behave.
What leaders have done shape our view of what is acceptable.
What peers have done make the acceptable desirable (and achievable) for us too.
Instead of leaving your organization in the arbitrary hands of internal gossiping and politicking, use stories strategically to guide behavior.
It’s not that the ideas for ways to keep your team engaged are scarce – in fact here are 37 of them.
The point is that managers struggle to understand that these days – perhaps most of the time, but these days in particular -, people do not get excited for a new work project, for the last quarter extraordinary results, or for the announcement of the new CTO.
People seek meaning, and enabling connection with peers and colleagues is one sure way to give it to them.
The fact that with remote work the task is more difficult should merely be an incentive to explore new and creative ways.
You've got this 