No one can stop micromanaging overnight. That’s like getting a swimmer to switch which side they’re breathing on in the middle of a race — even if they physically can do the motions, their immediate performance will suffer. It takes time and training to break micromanage-y habits, and to develop systems that build trust and transparency with your team. Get started by asking yourself five gentle questions.
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We know that no is important, and that powerful people wield that word to great effect. But a flat-out no — full stop, no compromise — is hard to do without building up your no muscles. Most of us need practice.
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There’s a moment every boss has and it’s not a fun one. It’s the moment you have to tell someone: We have a problem here, and it’s not fine. Things need to change, starting now, and improve steadily, ideally quickly, or we’re going to be having a bigger, badder conversation in the very near future. Here’s how.
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Introducing a new series: Have Better Meetings. This week, we talk about boring announcements — particularly, boring ones where you’re regurgitating what’s been said before. Instead of adding flair to your delivery, we recommend adding substance to your content.
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Meetings are too unpredictable to say “here’s how to do a good one.” Instead, we’re going to talk about how we approach the concept of meetings, and some of the things that have helped make them less scary.
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The best thing to do when you’re on the receiving end of a “What the hell happened here?!” or a “This is unacceptable!” email is to think of it as a great opportunity to show how cool you are under pressure, not as you getting in trouble. This, we realize, is pretty worthless advice.
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Knowing your numbers means you can make decisions very easily. The numbers turn questions into answerable math problems, so when you ask the CEO of your company to add hundreds of thousands of dollars of overhead to his company, you can do it with unadulterated confidence. You have numbers to back it up: Tripled output! 5X revenue! In the next 12 months! This is a real example!
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For lots of managers out there, the holidays are the worst time of year. You’re cranky. Your team is even crankier. You don’t have to be a hero, but you can make things easier. We share 10 ways to be a good boss during busy holidays.
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If you’ve never felt able to go on a real vacation before, or always find yourself compelled to just “hop on real quick to check in” while you wait for the rest of your family to finish getting ready to go to the beach, your work is fourfold.
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There are some changes that should be announced. Things that everyone needs to be prepared for and participate in need a well-thought-out “communication plan.” But lots of change — most change — doesn’t need any announcement at all. We’re big admirers of quiet, humble change. No bombast, no proclamations. In this week’s edition: How to really make a change.
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