Whatever you are working on, and whatever the meaning of good, cheap, and fast is in that context, it’s always important to remember that you can’t have them all at the same time.
Focus is key. And again, just like yesterday, the more people are involved in that project, the more important it is to give them clarity.
When you have a project that matters, it’s silly to keep it to yourself.
Much better to share it, to go over ideas and obstacles with other people, to celebrate successes with those involved and analyze failures with those you trust.
But you also have to keep mind that everyone has an opinion, and everyone has their own experience.
So, if you plan to try everything that comes up in these conversations, even when it is with somebody who clearly have something to contribute, you will soon be lost.
Note that the more people are involved in the project, the greater the confusion will be.
We need to reset the expectations when it comes to synchronous communication at work.
People feel the pressure to be on top of things, to answer messages, to be available, to participate, to socialise, to share, to comment, to leave a funny emoji. Unfortunately, none of that is productive, none of that delivers value to the customer, the shareholder, the community, and none of that is good for the long-term well-being of the individual employee.
We need to facilitate people to do work that matters, that they are proud of, that makes them feel accomplished. And as managers, we need to be able to keep in check our ego, our anxiety, our excitement, to accept that colleagues will get back to us when it makes sense to them.
It’s not only about turning notifications off, setting do-not-disturb time, removing apps when on holidays. It’s about changing the culture.
If you are on top, it’s for you to set the example.
Sometimes you get asked something that it is not possible to deliver or something that you do not know how to deliver. And then our natural inclination is to overdo, split hairs, change plans, stress us and others, look for additional information. Everything in the attempt to find the answer.
A good reminder is that “I don’t know” is always a viable starter in these cases. It builds credibility, it opens us to learning, it welcomes new possibilities, and it accepts the idea of failure.
Perhaps some people will not accept it as an answer.
Good luck trying to make them happy in one of the other ways.
When we feel pain, when we face a new crisis, when we are down and hopeless, everything becomes short term.
How will I wake up tomorrow? What will I do with this pain? How will I ever raise my head again? What is next for me?
Most of our thoughts deal with what is happening here and now. Either trying to push it away – how can I feel better? – or expanding it beyond its own boundaries – it will always be like this.
A different approach might be putting the moment in perspective. Looking at it and keeping it finite.
What am I feeling now? How likely is it that I will still feel the same next week, next month, next year? How many things will happen that will change how I feel? Was I feeling the same last week, last month, last year? Have I ever felt this way before? What did happen then?
Moments come and go, and it’s up to us for how long we want to hold onto them.
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