Don’t tell others what you think they feel about you.
Do not second guess them.
Do not assign to them hidden motives.
Do not make yourself the main character in their own masterpiece.
Tell them what you feel about them instead.
Tag: team work
Don’t ruin the break
If you are about to go on holiday, keep in mind that the job is still going to be there when you are back. That there are very few things that need to happen before you leave, that there are no things that need to happen when you are away, and that there are, again, very few things that need to happen as soon as you are back. In general, businesses move slow. And all the pressure we feel is often self-imposed. Don’t let that ruin your break.
If a colleague is about to go on holiday, keep in mind that the job they are doing will still be meaningful when they are back. That there are very few things that need to happen before they leave, that there are no things that need to happen when they are away, and that there is no reason in the world why it should be a good idea to send their way just a little more pressure, a tiny sudden deadline, an anxiety-inducing and unrequested meeting invite on their last day. Don’t let this ruin their break.
I am going on holiday. And I’ll probably won’t be writing for a while.
That’s ok.
Simple things
Do not complain about your privilege. As in, “I am busy”, “I have to deal with too much politics”, “I worked over the weekend”, and so on.
Do not bitch about peers and subordinates. As in, “This person is driving me mad”, “That guy is never doing their job”, “I never wanted to work with them”, and so on.
Do not undermine a plan that is not your favourite one. As in, “That was not my idea”, “We are going to do this instead”, “We will do it, but..”, and so on.
Simple things that every manager should be aware of.
The number
If the main goal of your job is a number. If there’s no larger purpose, no higher ambition, no bigger system. If when the goal is hit, the counter resets and you start from scratch. If you can do it all on your own, from anywhere, at anytime. If you not doing it, simply means that someone else will take over trying to reach the number.
Then, how long can it last?
Distinction
There are two ways to build awareness.
One is top down. It’s about putting your face (your logo) in as many places as possible. It’s about press releases, awards, events, ads. It takes money.
One is bottom up. It’s about engaging with a niche audience wherever they are. It’s about commenting, posting, liking, and sharing common experiences. It takes time.
It’s an important distinction, because the tactics and resources that refer to one strategy cannot be employed for the other.
It’s an important distinction, because most don’t understand it.
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