What Are You Willing to Tolerate?

It’s that time of the year when people make resolutions with the best of intentions for the year ahead. If you do this, good for you! If you can’t quite get to resolutions, though, there are other ways to reflect on the past and envision the future.

2020 has likely been among the most challenging you have experienced. Throughout the year, you’ve undoubtedly learned more about yourself than in other years. As such, you know more about what you’re willing to tolerate.

Do You Really Know What You Want?

As you set your goals for 2021, ask yourself what seems to be an obvious question: Do you really know what you want?

I see this every year. People set goals based on their perceptions of what they think should be the right initiatives, when in fact, these ideas may be inappropriate. They aren’t considering what would work best for them and has a greater chance of success.

How Are You Being Heard?

Isn’t it fascinating when you perceive that you couldn’t be clearer in how you communicated something and your co-worker doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about?

Communication snafus like this happen every day, and sadly, some people think that the way to resolve it is to say the same thing over and over (remember the definition of insanity…). Instead, consider how you can rephrase or use an example to make your point.

“Reboot” Your Mindset

Remember the strategies and goals that you started the year with back in January? It seems impossible to believe that we have barely three weeks left in 2020. Clearly, many of the hopes, plans, and aspirations with which we began the year were dashed and sucker punched.

But remember, it’s not what happens to you that matters, rather it’s what you do about what happens to you.

Remember To Laugh

We’ve all heard the expression that laughter is the best medicine. This may be more important than ever in our current environment. When tension builds, your sense of humor can be a lifesaver.

The benefits of humor are being extolled by more than psychologists. Last year, for example, the World Economic Forum published a paper on why a sense of humor is an essential life skill. Humor can greatly improve your quality of life, which does not differentiate work vs. leisure time.

Give Thanks

Next week is the quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving. I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving because the celebration centers around food, family, and friends. What’s not to love?

This year’s Thanksgiving will be different because of the pandemic. Modifications in your traditional routines, especially the number of people around your table, may be disappointing.

You Never Know Who’s Paying Attention

An uplifting article appeared recently in The Washington Post. An elderly resident of an assisted living facility had been religiously watching exercise classes held on the roof of a gym across the street from her. When the gym found out, they painted her a mural.

This story made me think about who’s paying attention. What are you doing in your daily routine that someone might be watching? And, if someone is watching, what are they seeing?

Mind Your Time

No matter what your political leaning, I’m sure you’ll agree that this week’s U.S. presidential election has been a gigantic distraction. I wonder how much productivity has tanked as a result of election watch.

As this disruption is likely to continue for the time being, it’s a good time to review tips to stay focused during times of major distraction.

Facilitating Resilience

People are getting wobblier. Perceptions of adversity are increasing, particularly with the expectation of the pandemic lingering on for months ahead.

As a result, vulnerability is popping up more frequently. The more vulnerable the employee, the harder it may be for them to get the job done.

While it is not the leader’s job to evaluate and “fix” wobbly employees, understanding some of the principles of resilience may help you help them.

Management By Walking Around….Virtually

Just because many companies are working remotely doesn’t mean that your staff isn’t experiencing strife. “He said” this and “she did” that and “I don’t know anything about this” are expressions that pop up, whether you’re remote or physically in the office.

When you hear these types of phrases occasionally, it’s normal and controllable. But if these expressions occur regularly, you need to investigate what’s going on.

Leadership is a Mindset

Category: Leadership