In 2015, we stopped giving gifts on birthdays and holidays. It changed everything.
Continue readingTag: People Relationships
Notes from a Naval Ravikant podcast
A few ideas from the conversation that resonated with me. I listened to it on Eric Jorgenson’s YouTube channel. Quotes have been lightly edited for readability. Emphasis mine.
Continue readingThe Cost of Taking Work Too Seriously
“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”―Bertrand Russell
Most high performers read it, nod, and go back to treating their work as terribly important. Sometimes, the harder they try, the worse it gets. Not always. But more often than you think, and through a mechanism many people never see.
Continue readingHow you make any conversation productive. Step 0.
Know your goal = Why are you in this conversation?
You can have both productive and unproductive conversations on purpose. For example, if your goal is to hang out, it may not be traditionally productive — but it is productive for that purpose. What matters is knowing why you’re in the conversation to begin with.
Continue readingHow To Handle Interruptions During A Meeting
A colleague of mine, who is a director at a medium-sized business, shared a concern today about being interrupted during the team meeting by some of his managers. As a solution, he chose not to share this feedback for a long time, until just recently, when he addressed it during a one-on-one session. So let’s talk about interruptions during a meeting.
Continue readingDo I Need to Hire a Manager?
Does your team need a manager? Why leadership still matters — even in flat, autonomous teams.
Continue readingWhy Saying No Is Good? The Magic Of Saying ‘No’
If you say yes to everything, you might be a nice soul. But you can also end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Saying ‘No’ is what helps. And you won’t miss out…
How To Handle Distraction? This Is A Game-changer Tool
Do you find yourself constantly distracted? I used to feel that way. I almost quit my job but found this trick to handle distraction. It’s been a game-changer for me over the years.
Leader? Speak last and see what happens
As a leader should you speak first or last in a meeting? I see many leaders feel the urge to speak first. Don’t do this, here’s why.
What to do when you are promoted to the leader of your team?
Q&A: “I was promoted to manager. How should I build relationships and solve problems with the team, considering we just recently were on the same level?”
“Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone.” (Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie)
My usual approach to this is that “manager” is first and foremost a role. This role, like other roles, incorporates responsibilities and certain attributes. It also has its pros and cons. Not everyone wants to be a manager. Not everyone can or should be a manager. The level in the hierarchy, unlike the role, is practically not as important in communication and problem solving. It just provides you with some tools, which is a different topic. However, when you are promoted to a manager role, you will need to adjust your communication and approach, but not quite in the way you might think.
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