We often talk about the importance of knowing when to say “no”, especially if you’re someone who says “yes” almost indiscriminately.
When you focus on when to say “no” your decision is tactical. You’re typically managing your time – and yourself – so that you don’t over commit.
Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a project that you completely lost track of time? It feels great when that happens – you’re working “in the zone” and are usually in a peak productive state.
But how can you replicate that feeling on a regular basis? You need to learn to create your own momentum. What you’ll find is that although it’s a little different for each person, certain factors are universal.
Have you ever faced a problem that was so complex that you found it difficult to solve?
Of course, you have. Everyone goes through this from time to time. I’ve noticed that people go into a state of spin as they try to solve them. This is because typically they only address the issues on the surface. They don’t take that “deeper dive” to get to the core issue.
I had just settled into my seat on a crowded Amtrak train, when I realized that the public address speaker was uncomfortably close to my head. I discovered this because it was sputtering an annoying static sound.
It seemed like a long time before a conductor appeared, and of course, for every moment that passed, the noise seemed to get louder. Eventually, someone responded to my request and took care of the problem.
Fast. Faster. Fastest. We live in a world where speed is valued highly. If you’re not going fast enough, how can you stay in the race?
I’m all for speed; in fact, if you don’t pay attention to it, you can be left behind in a heartbeat. I also know that you need to manage speed, because if you whiz along constantly at high speed without taking a breath, someone else or something else will slow you down.
Even though many schools return to the fall semester in August, traditionally, the week after Labor Day in the U.S. signifies the return to school. It’s an exciting time for students: fresh school supplies, seeing old friends, making new ones, and return to the business of learning.
It’s a little different in the workplace. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, after which people return to business as usual. Goodbye to the more relaxed office environment and early Friday departures.
Our world has morphed into one where the need for speed has overtaken much of our lives. So many activities are rushed and sometimes it feels like we’ll in a whirlwind.
Unfortunately, one of the casualties of this pace is taking time to think. Thinking has been all but dropped from our rosters and has been replaced by cramming as much as we can in the shortest period.
In the past few weeks, several clients shared stories of gaffes that occurred when they made important presentations. The stories had different types of audiences: one was a speech at an industry meeting, another was a board presentation, and the third was a sales presentation to a prospective client.
All these people are experienced professionals. In each case, though, too much was left to chance. Simply put, they weren’t prepared.
Sometimes when you focus on improving skills to get better at your job, you neglect thinking about whether there is something that you ought to eliminate.
This is especially important as a leader, since your behavior is being observed by your employees and may be adopted as their own.
Everyone believes that they create value for their clients, and if you focus on value creation on some kind of regular basis, you probably are providing it.
It’s important, though, to take time periodically to determine whether your assessment of value is the same as the perception in the eyes of the beholder.