If I don’t have a good grasp on the why of what I’m doing, I need to be told a lot of things at every step: how to adapt to new inputs and circumstances, if my output is any good. I don’t have the tools to adapt on my own or to judge my own work. All of that becomes someone else’s work, which is an exhausting burden.
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When you’ve been in the trenches with the same people for a long time, it can feel awkward to move to a new trench with a better view and more vacation time. You don’t actually need to explain your decision to move on. At best, you’ll sound defensive. At worst, you’ll be rubbing it in everyone’s face.
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In this edition of Write Better Emails, five key things to include when you’re trying to schedule something, plus our advice on keeping your email signature boring and utterly unremarkable.
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A conversation about Steady Eddies and why having people who aren’t overachievers on your team is a good thing.
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Newsflash: Doing it yourself doesn’t make you a Bad Boss. This week, the 3 things to say when you’re going to dramatically change someones work, breaking up feedback into digestible chunks, and 8 on-the-fly coaching strategies we use.
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The big problem is that everyone thinks November and December are special months where you get to relax a little bit and recharge. Everyone: C-level senior management all the way on down. ‘Tis the season! But on paper, November and December are just months — and if you work in any sort of retail business, they are the Most Important Months of All. We answer four questions about balancing the holidays with all the working you’re supposed to be doing too.
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There’s a difference between favoritism and having favorites. Of course we all have favorites. Favoritism is when that unspoken stuff that makes someone your favorite is your primary measuring stick. When that happens, the praise, the promotions, the opportunities you’re doling out detach from the reality everyone’s living in. The outputs don’t match the inputs because no one is actually sure what the inputs are.
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Our second installment of Write Better Emails: What to say instead of “just checking in,” plus how you know it’s time to send that follow-up email.
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Rallying your wits when you’re scared of doing it wrong, scared of being wrong, or just plain not feeling qualified. Plus, our 5 Rules of Good Feedback.
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