Tag: trust

The bane

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Busy is the bane.

And sometimes, you are busy. So much so that being busy becomes a description of your permanent self, more than a temporary state.

To get out of it, make a list of the things that are making you busy. And ask yourself two questions.

  1. Are those things my responsibility? Because if they are not, you are doing somebody else’s job.
  2. Could those things be somebody else’s responsibility? Perhaps a colleague who is looking for an advancement, or a freelancer who is looking for more work.

Once you unlock that conversation with yourself, you are ready to start setting boundaries and delegating.

Dreams

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If your dream is something you are 100% sure you will be achieving, something you are comfortable with, something you have already done before, that’s not a dream.

If your project is something that no one else has ever achieved, something that is not well defined, something that will take years to complete, that’s not a project.

Using the right definitions and assumptions for the right thing will bring you close to success.

Everyone has an experience

Fabrizio1 Comment

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.

A culture of focus

FabrizioLeave a comment

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.

When it’s not possible

FabrizioLeave a comment

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.