There are four traps many new leaders fall into.  Whether you are new to a company or to your role, the first 90 days can be the most impactful.  When you are new to your leadership role, you don’t know the players and the landscape.  Don’t inadvertently sabotage yourself by not paying full attention and not being fully present to avoid these leadership traps.

“I am going to impress you.”

If your attention is on how to make yourself look good or impress others, then you might as well not be there because you’re in your head, not in the room. Instead of others being impressed, they will simply notice you trying too hard, and wonder, what is this person trying to cover up?

Instead, during this time, pay close attention to cultural norms.  How to people interact with one another?  What is the tone? 

“I’m scared out of my mind.”

When all your thoughts are focused on how others will find out how much you don’t know, that’s exactly what they will see.  Because of this, you will avoid opportunities to speak up and contribute value because you are so fearful.  People will lose confidence in you even when they don’t have a reason to do so.   

What can you do when this thought creeps in?  Focus on language – both verbal and non-verbal.  Use language familiar to the organization.  For example, do they typically use “we/our” or “me/my”?  Also, pay close attention to how the physical environment is set up and the amount of personalization other leaders have in their workspace. 

“I know”

You think you were selected for this role because you know more than the others that work there.  Perhaps you even think you were brought in to fix, rescue or save. Even if your job is, in fact, to turn around an underperforming group, if you act like a know it all, your attitude will communicate arrogance and will not generate the respect that you need.

Look at key processes – what is working well and what could be built upon?  Watch your staff in key meetings to see if they are well prepared.  If not, take time to mentor them on how to be prepared so they gain respect from key stakeholders. 

“Who’s important”

If you come in with an agenda to quickly identify the most powerful people and visibly align yourself with them, you are only going to hurt yourself in the long run. As a newbie, you need to be able to talk with everyone and glean useful information from them. By prioritizing the powerful people, you’re sending a clear message to everyone else that you don’t need them.

It is natural to want to figure out who are key players.  Instead, focus on inclusion.  When you include others, they will naturally include you when important decisions need to be made.

Your first 90 days as a new leader can be intimidating.  Take the time to learn, learn, learn while establishing key relationships within the organization.  Treat each conversation like it’s the most important one and absorb everything.  Asking open-ended, inviting questions will help everyone feel more at ease and allow you to learn much more quickly. 

 

You already know saving the planet is the right thing to do.  But did you know you can make an impact on the environment while you are working?  Making an office “green-er” isn’t a hard.  Here are a couple of ideas to get you started today. 

• Keep your own utensils on hand. 
• Bring your own lunch.
• Reduce electricity by being mindful of unnecessary lights that remain on.
• Don’t print everything.
• Set printer settings to use both sides of the paper.
• Buy a plant for your desk.
• Consider commuting, walking, biking or taking public transportation to work.
• If you purchase office supplies, buy remanufactured ink and toners.
• Bring your lunch to work.
• Set up or suggest setting up recycling bins.
• Talk to others about your environmentally friendly initiatives.
• Power down and unplug your computer when possible.

Which items can you start doing today?  Get your team on board and run these ideas past them.  With everyone’s help the earth can be a greener place thanks to you.

Every day, we engage in dozens of conversations around the office. Most of these are positive and support existing relationships. Talking to our team members can help us further our work on a project or get us out of a creative rut. Despite all of these positive interactions, there will inevitably come a time when we must have a tough conversation with a boss, colleague or someone we manage. Though these discussions can seem daunting, with a little preparation you can face these difficult discussions with confidence.

Focus on the Facts

Before you have a face to face with the person who has prompted the difficult conversation, make sure you have all the facts. Run through any previous conversations you may have had with this person and make note of your own part in the matter. While it may in fact be an emotional situation, focusing on the issue at hand, then laying out potential outcomes will lead to better results.

 Approach the Topic with Compassion

If the conversation seems tough to you, chances are the other party feels the same way, too. It may be helpful to imagine yourself in their shoes—how would you want someone to handle the issue at hand? Zeroing in on how you would want to be treated may ease any frustration you encounter before heading in to the conversation.

Try to end on a positive note. Mentioning where the relationship or project can go from here will give you both actionable steps you can take to improve the current situation.

 Go in with an Open Mind

Setting expectations is a key part of preparing for a tough conversation. Taking the time to clear our head of expectations allows you to approach the situation with a fresh perspective. That way, when the difficult discussion happens, you can adapt to any new information you receive. Many times, the issue which led to the difficult situation has multiple solutions. Remaining open to suggestions and feedback means you will be able to recognize when a valuable idea has been shared.

Leave Them with Something Positive

Difficult conversations are even harder when you have to let a team member know they will no longer be able to participate in a project or have access to a workplace benefit they enjoy. Asking them if there is anything that could assist them to help correct the situation can ease any lingering tensions. It also ends the meeting on a positive note. Another benefit: your generosity will be remembered and will motivate them to succeed.

No matter what your leadership style is, chances are you have had to have a tough conversation somewhere along the way. Luckily, with a little compassion and an open mind, you can handle difficult talks with ease and confidence.

 

New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap. The term is usually used to refer to forgotten goals or dropped hobbies. But the New Year is also a time for new beginnings and new habits. Setting clear career goals for the new year can be more than empty promises. If you have been thinking about making major career moves throughout the end of the year, there’s no better time to implement changes than the first quarter of the year.

Making a plan now to effectively implement change can help you kick off the new year on the right track.

Do the Research

Do you want to make a career change? Or simply commit to stay up to date with the latest industry best practices? Perhaps, you are considering furthering your education in your chosen field. Now is the time to start doing the research so that when the new year comes, you can set appropriate goals. Making a list of skills you will need in order to achieve your goal and mapping out the actionable steps to get there are the keys to setting effective goals for the New Year. Make sure to break down the actions into small, easily achievable chunks for maximum results.

Take Stock of Your Skills

Taking a look at the skills you already have is an important part of setting your career goals for the next year. If you feel stuck in an unfulfilling role or simply underappreciated in your current job, taking stock of your skills and accomplishments can energize you and bring positivity to next year’s goals. The New Year doesn’t have to be just about changing aspects of your professional identity you do not like – it can also be about celebrating your accomplishments.

Make Your Health A Priority

If you have been feeling close to burning out or you have accomplished a great deal this year and simply need a break, consider making your health a priority in the coming year. Setting small, daily health related goals can go a long way to making you a healthier and happier (and therefore, a more productive) employee. What are some simple ways to stay healthy and balanced at work? Pack a lunch, take a walk on your breaks and take the stairs.

Read A Book or Listen to A Podcast

Staying up to date with your industry best practices doesn’t have to be a chore. Set yourself a book challenge in which you can read one book written by an industry expert per month. Or if you’re commute is long and you don’t have much time to read, listen to an industry podcast on a regular basis. Chances are you will pick up useful tips and learn about new industry practices.

Setting goals for the New Year doesn’t have to be a fruitless endeavor. After you have taken the time to plan your career moves in the next year, take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments for the previous year.

It pays to care

There was a time in the not so distant past when a compassionate, humble and honest leader would be considered weak and doomed to fail. My, how times have changed. These days it is the human leaders who are most admired and emulated.

The monumental shift in the way traditional companies operate has been influenced in large part by the influx of Millennials, whose world view is slowly changing the definition of what it means to be an effective leader. This is the generation that wants to patronize and work for companies that care.

At the helm of such companies are human leaders who embrace conscious capitalism. This is a term used to describe organizations that take a holistic approach by considering employees, customers, investors, suppliers and the environment when doing business. This philosophy does not shun capitalism or profits, rather it enhances it by trying to bring everyone to the table.

Good leaders have always been creative, ambitious, confident and passionate. Great leaders encompass these traits and more, including compassion, honesty and patience. Human leaders view employees as part of a large family. Let’s face it – we spend more time at the office than we do with our own families, so it makes sense!

If that is not enough, human leadership is great for the bottom line. Eighty percent of people say they would be willing to pay more for a product if they knew it was created in a responsible manner, according to Conscious Company Media.

“The most conscious companies give more, and they get more in return,” writes author Tony Schwartz in Harvard Business Review. “The inescapable conclusion: it pays to care, widely and deeply.”

So how can you become a more human leader?

Effective communication is important. While constructive dialogue is great, leaders need to really listen to what employees say. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Listening means being actively present in the moment. Employees will value this because it makes him or her feel important.

Use your words wisely. There are many people who talk endlessly but say little. When this happens, you get tuned out. There is a reason why you are a leader, so try to impart your wisdom in a clear and concise manner.

Honesty really is the best policy. Communicate information when times are good and bad. Don’t try to hide anything about where the company stands because the truth will come out sooner or later. More importantly, people appreciate it when you are honest because they can better relate to you. This builds trust and means there are no surprises for employees.

Showing humility connects you to others. Great leaders do not need to be arrogant because their accomplishments speak for themselves. In fact, most human leaders would feel embarrassed by this type of behavior. Remember that even though you are a leader, teamwork and collaboration is what makes an organization flourish.

Trust your employees enough to delegate work. As a leader, it may be hard for you to let go of certain projects. However, resisting the urge to micromanage allows employees to take the spotlight. If mistakes are made, it gives employees a chance to learn and do better the next time. More importantly, it will demonstrate that you trust employees enough to handle large projects.

Finally, do not be afraid of the future. Things are moving at the speed of light and it is hard to keep up, but by not embracing change, your organization will be left behind. Encourage innovation and move forward with the times.