Managing a Leader's Insecurities!

Anyone in a leadership role is aware that though being a manager gives an awesome feeling, however, being a manager is tough. From supervising multiple personalities across teams to making tough decisions without erring, it is both a struggle and an achievement every day to play the lead role. Here are five ways to deal with the things that come your way while being a manager!

1. Making unpopular decisions:

Managers are required to find a balance between striving for profits and streamlining workflow for better productivity. For this, they are often required to make tough decisions such as discontinuing an office perk or asking the team to work late, which the team may or may not comply with. During such a scenario, it is best to be transparent about one's intentions and share how the decision was made for the betterment of the team/organisation as a whole. In case the decision causes a setback, take feedback head on and make amends if required.

Before They Change You

once had a manager for whom every meeting was a battle ground, an opportunity to demonstrate how he was better than others. Slowly but surely, people started avoiding him. When he began to speak, everyone would simply disengage. Work suffered initially, and the team, eventually. Some good people
even left.

Time and again, we have been troubled by this question: what went wrong? What is it that made things go from bad to worse? Or worse, how do you know for sure that it was not your fault?

Time to face the mirror

Heard somebody whispering and concluded that it was about you? Every time somebody at work is having a ‘personal’ conversation, do you feel the need to interfere and point out that they should be ‘working’? Somebody has an opinion that you do not agree with, do you stomp your feet and walk out of the room? Do you have a hard time appreciating others, but are quick at finding faults? These are just questions that you need to be true to. If the answer to any of these is a yes, there might just be the need to recalibrate.

5 Tips to Transform Yourself into an Entrepreneur

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

Finding the right talent is a task. But when you do find the perfect match, helping them evolve into a leader becomes the organisation’s responsibility. ‘Corporate intrapreneurship’ perfectly defines the struggle of organisations to acquire the right talent. It basically means setting up a self-sustainable ecosystem that will ensure a strategic evolution of the existing business, for the future generation leaders.

Intrapreneurship thus, becomes a mindset. A journey of an individual evolving into an employee who thinks of the organisation as their own. An employee from within the organisation with an entrepreneurial mindset and the resources at their disposal.

Here are five attributes that set intrapreneurs apart from the rest of their peers.

1) Ownership – Not just a job

“This is my company” Intrapreneurs promote the workplace culture with a strong sense of belonging. Right from exercising financial prudence in deciding which vendor to work with on projects (without compromising on quality) to exerting a strong will on making things happen 'the right way'. From being at the forefront to driving an initiative, to leading by example and becoming an inspiration for others to follow – they exhibit a strong sense of accountability.

Six Ways to be Happily Engaged at Work

In 2015, a report by Gallup Inc. gave an insight into the mindset of employees and their attitude towards work. The study stated that about 51 percent of workers were not engaged to their duty whereas 17.2 percent displayed active disengagement. This meant that only one third (about 32 percent) of the workforce saw their work as an enthusiastic endeavour and an opportunity to grow.

These figures suggest that a majority of employees remain dissatisfied with their work. One thing is certain; engagement works from both sides of the fence. Besides a conducive workplace environment, an organisation thrives only when its employees have the right notions about their duties.

There are no set rules when it comes to engaging yourself at work. No doubt, getting a job done is your number one priority. But what if you could adopt a mindset that helps you achieve your goals and simultaneously, gives you a sense of satisfaction? Here’s how you bring out the best in yourself and have a great time chasing those deadlines.

Find a motive

Our emotions have a profound influence on our point of view. If you are going through emotional turbulence, its effects hamper your actions. The far-reaching consequences ruin your entire day. There are times when we let emotions dictate our moves, often leading to unfavourable outcomes. However, sensitivity should be an advantage and not an impediment.

Eight Ways to Boost Your Performance at Work

Being somewhere in the middle of the professional hierarchy can be a confusing place. Neither are you hand-held through tasks as you were years ago, nor do you have the ultimate decision-making authority like your seniors do. It can often feel like a race where you do not know which direction to run. So, here are eight aspects to absorb and imbibe from your leaders as you climb the ladder.

Alliance and Collaboration

Pay keen attention to fostering relationships, and you will gradually build the ability to network with people. Some people possess this skill inherently, while others need to hone it. Do not be disheartened if it doesn’t come naturally. Always remember that once you have nurtured the habit of networking, you will have a host of collaborators to influence your path forward and aid you in making important decisions. Ensure that you do not fall into a pattern of working in a silo. The best ideas come when they are bounced off others.

Influence and Negotiation

At the leadership level, the onus falls on the executive to ensure that results are produced and that the team is on track. As your career progresses, ensure that you put yourself in your leader’s shoes, observe the way they influence the team and negotiate both with people and around hurdles. Be a good listener from the start, and when you reach a leadership position you will already have the quality of listening instilled in you, making you an executive who engages with everyone.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

When you observe an entrepreneurial streak in a mentor or leader at the workplace, you’ll know that this is someone to learn from. Whether it is to constantly innovate, seek change, or question everything, an entrepreneurial spirit gives you and consequently your organisation an edge. Additionally, do not be hesitant when offering new ideas and suggestions. If you have something different to offer that your team could benefit from, then speak up.

Learning Agility

You may be at a stage in your career where you are learning something new every day. While at times it may feel like an information overload and breaks are of course imperative, do remember that the learning should never stop. When you do reach an executive position, it is not time to quit the learning game. Not only will you be able to implement all that you have learnt before, you also develop agility, and grow even further professionally.

Political Savvy

Being aware of how things work around you at the office is important. How decisions are made, how approvals are given, and what the bureaucratic processes are – all these things will help you navigate the organisation. Make sure to give back as well. Mentors and superiors might need help at times. Whether it is finding solutions to their pressing problems, or providing insightful data that can help them make decisions, it is crucial to develop mutual respect and a reciprocal support system.

Understanding Stakeholders

Every function of the organisation and every step of the hierarchical ladder, ultimately affect the stakeholders. Whether it is the investors or the customers, you have an impact on those who influence the company’s decisions. Be aware of this at all times, that your job is not just a series of tasks carried out day after day, but rather an integral part of the smooth functioning of the company and those who are invested in it.

Being Proactive

A common thread that runs through every aspect is that complacency is something to avoid. Be on the lookout for new skills, new insights and new opportunities. Offer to help out a colleague on a project that you have no experience with, ask your leaders questions, volunteer to train a new intern and hone your own mentorship skills – these are all ways to elicit and sustain passion at work.

Work-Life Integration

Finally, while your professional life is important and so are all the learnings that come with it, do not forget that you have a life outside of the workplace. Enjoy the smaller moments in life, spend time with family and friends, go out and let your hair down occasionally, and ultimately you will ensure that work never feels like a chore.

This article first appeared on Times Jobs.

How Leaders Can Prepare Themselves for Future Challenges

More and more people are joining the gig economy. This means top talent is more likely to work project-by-project rather than stay employed with one company for many years. It also means that leaders need to step up to provide engaging work environments in order to attract and retain top talent.

In a 2018 study on the gig economy (registration required), Gallup estimated that "29% of all workers in the U.S. have an alternative work arrangement as their primary job." By 2020, the number of self-employed workers in the U.S. is projected to triple to 42 million people.

Focusing on Soft Skills

Add to that the fact that with the rise of artificial intelligence, soft skills are becoming increasingly important. According to one Forbes contributor, "Soft skills are going to be hard currency in the job market as AI and technology take over some of the jobs that can be performed without people."

In an economy where the leader is more dependent on the expert in their team than vice versa, volatile leaders who treat their reports poorly will no longer be successful. The leader of the future needs to be emotionally intelligent and self-aware to be able to keep those engaged who can just as easily walk away and work somewhere else.

As a coach, one of the many tools I suggest is practicing self-reflection. For example, when you're upset, first ask yourself if you're being triggered because of an unresolved issue. This way, you can avoid blaming someone else for making you angry.

This practice gives you a chance to stop and consider your behavior (and mindset) from different perspectives. This raises self-awareness, which helps you become more congruent and aligned to the stated core values and culture, thus becoming role models for your employees in the best case. Even a little increase in self-awareness can lead to a lot of improvement in relationships of all kinds.

Leveraging Existing Strengths

The coaching process is deeply personalized. It identifies and then builds on the existing strengths of the leader. Take well-known TED speakers Simon Sinek and Brene Brown: They have very different presentation styles. For example, I observed that Brene often relates a lot of personal examples, while Simon used more examples from history or big business. One might inspire you to feel, while another might inspire you to act.

Nevertheless, they are both immensely popular, their respective TED Talks have been watched tens of millions of times, and they've gone on to publish several books each. That'’s because each of them built on their individual strengths and developed a presentation style that is authentic to them. As a leader, identifying and fully leveraging your individual strengths means you, too, can shine.

If you are not 100% sure what your strengths might be, think about the following questions:

• What do people ask your advice for?

• What are the tasks that easily lead you down the "rabbit hole," so you forget the world around you and lose track of time?

• What energizes you? Which tasks make you feel strong and capable as if you're standing fully in your power?

Disruption is key in a world where people are flooded with data every day. We need disruption to actually look up, engage and get curious. So rather than feeling annoyed by disruption, how can you leverage your strengths to create smooth transitions?

Discovering Blind Spots

Often, I've observed leaders become stuck when they have blind spots that keep them doing the same things over and over. Their colleagues might have resigned themselves to expect this behavior from them by now, but that doesn't mean it isn't holding you back. I've heard many conversations in succession planning meetings that go something like this: "Peter would be the ideal candidate for the position if only he listened to what others have to say," or, "Sarah would be so great for the job, if only she were a bit more aware of what she needs to improve."

It's important to develop new ways to solve problems, explore new ideas, go beyond the tried and tested, expand your mind, infuse new energy to change existing behavior and adopt new habits. As a result, you'll be able to work on those challenges you have always wanted to overcome, but couldn't.

From my perspective, what holds you back more than your actual skillset is your beliefs. We often don't even attempt something because we don't believe we can succeed at it.

You can discover your blind spots or dig up a limiting belief by getting perspective on your beliefs, motivating factors and decisions. For example, when you make a decision, stop for a minute and ask yourself what motivated you to make this decision. How many different possible viewpoints did you take into account?

Some aspects of this include absorbing new perspectives, widening your horizons, thinking and listening better, being willing to learn and overcoming career stagnation. When you open your mind, you suddenly see so many more options. What seemed impossible before is suddenly moved into the realm of the possible. This, in turn, improves your ability to think of solutions for yourself rather than rely on the tried and tested ones out there.

The more you succeed in tackling and solving problems, the more confident you become in our own decision-making.

This article first appeared on Forbes.

How to Succeed at Your Resolutions Any Time of Year

The new year is a time when we typically set goals and make resolutions to better ourselves over the coming months, to make this year "our year." But no matter the time of year we create resolutions, our follow-through on them is always the most important factor. Even if you are reading this later into 2020, it's in your best interest to continue to see how you can set yourself up for success.

Below you will find eight questions. Answering them and drawing a plan from them will significantly increase your chances of success this time. I recommend not just answering them in your head but taking notes of your answers, so you can do the follow-up described below, which will further increase your chances of success.

Gain Clarity on Your Motivation, Strengths and Obstacles

1. Why is this resolution important to you? What is the deeper motivation behind it? How does it pertain to something really meaningful in your life? Is this the best place to be investing your efforts for improvement and development right now or is it just the easy way out? On a scale from 1 (no impact) to 10 (life-changing impact) how great would the impact of this resolution be if you succeeded fully?

2. What steps have you taken so far? Have you made a plan? Thought about how you are going to achieve your goal? Done research on the topic to find out what others have done to succeed in similar situations?

3. What has stopped you from making progress? So far this year or when you previously tried, what has impeded your progress? Why didn't you succeed? How have you succeeded in other challenges? What has helped you stay strong and disciplined in the past?

4. How will you overcome these obstacles/challenges? What strengths and skills do you have that can help you? How can you best leverage them to your advantage in this case? What about your network and other resources you have available to you?

5. Is there someone who can help you? Could a mentor or coach help you succeed? Might your mastermind group, your colleague, co-founder, assistant or direct report help take on parts of the job to enable you to succeed sooner and more effortlessly? Might a family member be able to support you by temporarily relieving you of some of your responsibilities at home? The important thing is to have a conversation with the person or people who can help you. Together, you can set clear goals to make sure your expectations are aligned.

6. What will be your first step toward achieving your resolution? Have you made it as concrete and actionable as possible? How can you make it SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) so that you can actually evaluate whether you have succeeded or not?

7. How will you quantify your actions to track your progress? How can you make all your steps measurable? How can you keep track of your progress? How can you make this tracking process as effortless and efficient as possible?

8. What is the one thing that will change for good if you accomplish this task? What impact will this have on your life and work? How will it make your life better, easier, etc.? How will this one thing affect the bigger picture? What trickle effects might it have?

Set Yourself up for Success

Now, review your answers and draw up a plan.

• Mark a few major milestones. You could start by determining what the "halfway point" might be then drawing up two or three milestones respectively before and after.

• Define the first three steps in great detail. Make sure they are simple and clear. If they end up being complex tasks, break them down further. For example, if your resolution is to use your time better, you might have the following milestones:

1. Identify at least three time-wasters and three distractions.

2. Consistently work on my two top priorities for the day before I do other things.

3. By the halfway point, be 10% more productive (e.g. have 10% more billable hours/month) while working the same hours.

4. Have fewer distraction breaks; start and finish on-time more often.

5. Spend more time doing deep work.

Your first three steps might be:

1. Become aware of what pulls me out of deep work

2. Observe how I spend my time for one week, take a few notes every couple of hours

3. Evaluate my notes and see where I lose time and get distracted

• Keep yourself motivated by starting every day with five minutes of telling yourself that you are going to succeed. As soon as you wake up — while brushing your teeth or taking your morning shower — tell yourself, "I am going to succeed" over and over again, for about five minutes.

• Track your progress. Set aside 10 minutes at the end of each week to check in on your goals and set new ones for the next week.

Increase Your Chances Of Success

• Pace yourself, and you will get to your destination, just like when you're climbing a mountain. If you find after a while that you can do more, increase the load mindfully.

• Take a small action every day to maintain momentum rather than planning to take a big action once a week.

• Don't dismay if you don't succeed immediately. Just accept that it hasn't worked yet and try again next week.

• Reflect on what distracted or hindered you during your weekly progress check-ins. If you come up with an answer immediately, great, you can do something about it. If not, don't spend to much time here. Just continue with a more watchful attitude, and next week, you might have more answers.

This article first appeared on Forbes.

Pulse Surveys in the Workplace

A few years ago, the American Business Magazine reported that employees who felt happy at their workplace, are productive 80% of the time spent at work. Whereas, those that thought work to be an obligation, felt productive only half of the time.   

Why is it important that your people remain happy and engaged? And how can an organization map their productivity? If these questions come to your mind often, the answer is simple - Pulse surveys conducted by the HR department. What Are Pulse Surveys and How Does It Help? The best way to get this answer is to analyse the status of your own organization.   

Has there been a hike in the attrition rate? Do employees raise too many complaints? Is there a medium through which people can share their ideas and opinions? Pulse surveys will help find the answers to all your work-related issues. Designed with a pre-defined matrix, it helps map the actual pulse (environment) at work. Ensuring that people issues are highlighted as well as addressed, it prevents escalations and helps track people progress. It also provides employee satisfaction, helps boost morale and lays a sound foundation for building a healthier culture. 

Right from tracking transparency in communications, to measuring how effective the perks and policies are, to enhancing peer recognition; pulse surveys also help design a sustainable work-life integration. 

This article was first published on HR.com

Equipping Leaders with Critical Decision-Making Skills

The critical factor of any decision made is not only a question of ‘when’ to make a decision, but more importantly, ‘what’ decision to make. According to a global survey by McKinsey, 68% of managers at the mid-level, believe that most of their time spent in decision making is inefficient. And 57% of C-level executives too feel the same.

Despite all the ambiguity and the building pressure, a leader must stay put and help his/her team deliver at every step. Analysing every risk as well as the possibility, a leader’s decision must be fair, reasonable, and aligned with the company’s culture.

To stay on track, leaders must consistently re-evaluate their decision-making abilities.

There are four prominent decision-making styles:
· Directive: Past experiences that drive actions.
· Conceptual: Providing autonomy to facilitate collective team engagement.
· Analytical: Relying on data, facts, and observations.
· Behavioural: Driven by collaboration and empathy.

Autonomy with the ‘People-First’ Approach

Leaders cannot afford to make decisions on impulse. The biggest challenge that a leader must overcome is to ‘respond’, instead of ‘reacting’. Outlining the scope of work and chalking out a detailed path for the team to walk on are the foundations of every leader’s decision. But if the decision made allows only the business to grow, without taking the people along; the scales will always remain unbalanced.

There is a reason that you are in a decision-making position. It is your role to look for solutions where others cannot. Sometimes, time gets sucked away in managing operations, meetings, emails, or in making operational or tactical decisions; and we end up making quick decisions. However, some of the best solutions are arrived at when the mind is rested.

Gauging the Impact of a Poorly Made Decision

A team can only succeed when every individual in the team is self-sufficient in every aspect of his/her job – Be it problem-solving, communication, planning, or time management. Thus, it becomes extremely crucial, for not just the team members, but also the leader, to connect with the end goal on an everyday basis. Rather than penalising teammates for making a decision that didn’t live up to expectations, leaders must be equipped to design interventions as well as learning opportunities, that empower the team to overcome unforeseen hurdles. This is only possible when the ultimate goal is in sight.

In these times it is tempting to make short-term decisions, like lay-offs, reducing service levels to customers to cut costs, or holding off payments to suppliers. But what a leader should always remember is that employees, suppliers, and customers need you more than ever. If you stand by them now, they will pay you back with loyalty in the long run.

Overcoming Subconscious Biases with a Futuristic Vision

Instead of pinning after ‘fast’ decisions, emphasize on making the ‘right’ decisions. Business decisions are driven by data and hard facts. But what about decisions that involve people? Today, organizations are investing in technologies that support Machine Learning and Data Analytics to further help empower their leaders in nurturing a solution-oriented mindset. Decision-makers, therefore, need access to information from cross-functional verticals. Allow exposure to multiple avenues in business such as finance, admin, legal, etc. Being exposed to different functions will help create a sense of awareness and will lead to a 360-decision-making process.

Humans generally tend to weigh the odds in terms of quantity. Great leaders need to look at the nature of all the pros and cons. Because when decisions are evaluated from a filter of ‘Is this the right thing to do?’, a lot of clarity emerges. Therefore, focus on the leadership legacy that you wish to leave behind.

An All-Round Development

One of the biggest aspects of equipping leaders with critical decision-making skills is to provide them with challenges to develop their Emotional Quotient at regular intervals. Because only when a leader is self-aware, as well as aware of the surroundings, can he/she bring about a positive change that creates a high impact.

Ideal leaders understand the importance of balancing emotion and reason and can process information with speed while ensuring that the outcome does not lead to any compromise on the people front. They are capable of navigating grave risk while evaluating options and ultimately can manoeuvre the situation with decisions that deliver a favourable outcome.

This article first appeared on ET HR World.