As leaders, we like to believe we know our team really well. But do we? Even the best leaders may have blind spots worth exploring. Ever wonder what your team is longing to tell you? Here are six truths your team wishes you knew.
We know delegating is key to success as a leader. But it isn’t always easy. Sometimes our team members are simply too busy. Adding anything more to their bursting plate could prompt them to run screaming in the opposite direction. This is often when we think, “I might as well just do it myself.” Yes, once in a while, it is helpful to model team solidarity by doing tasks we would rather delegate. But this should be an intermittent approach to trigger action. Use these five strategies to avoid the pattern of doing it all yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be the one left running from your team.
From Oprah to Warren Buffett to Bill Gates, there are countless examples of highly successful people who invest heavily in reading. Reading does so much more than expand our knowledge. Research shows reading can combat depression, make you more confident, empathetic, and a better decision maker. Reading also helps to prevent stress and dementia and improves overall life satisfaction. While this is incredibly inspiring, it can be a challenge to read on busy days. So, how do busy people find (or, more appropriately make) the time for so much reading? Here are six simple strategies even the busiest person can adopt.
A recent study shows people disengage from their work when they receive uncivil emails, then sadly, bring this email stress home and transmit it there. How can we protect ourselves from reacting so strongly? Modelling great email etiquette ourselves is a powerful way to positively influence others - and resolve this problem. I recently shared this, and other email etiquette strategies, on CBC Radio and I’ve compiled them here for you. These are helpful for us as senders and receivers.
A Harvard University survey confirms a good deal of our happiness depends on how well we manage stress. Ready to end this toxic relationship? Here are 13 ways to make the break.
You probably know this already but you may be getting too many emails. If this resonates, you are not alone. Email is a powerful tool and it can make life easier but when your inbox continues to grow despite your best efforts to whittle it down, it can become a source of unnecessary stress and anxiety. Thankfully, we have ten simple but effective ways you can reduce email volume, take control of your inbox – and leave some room for inspiration in your day. Read on to learn more.
Formal mentoring programs are becoming more prolific in the corporate world. Theoretically, this is a strategic way to accelerate skill development. But as we all know, theory doesn’t always translate into results. Some mentors are frankly better than others. As a result, certain lucky employees are blessed with having won the equivalent of the mentor lottery. Their mentor is a unique blend of a champion, challenger and collaborator. How do you know if you are one of the lucky few with one of those infamous mentors? It’s relatively straightforward to determine – ideally, your mentor does most (better yet, all) of these seven things. Read on to learn more.
I’ve learned the important things in life and at work are far too important to leave up to chance. Sounds obvious but in truth, this is what many of us are doing when we set goals and don’t regularly review them. Reviewing our goals is how we maintain focus, momentum and stay true to our key priorities. Yet the busier we get, many of us tend to bump this important but non-urgent task. Now, I’ve got a one-page personal scorecard to keep me and my goals on track. Are you ready to create your own personal scorecard? Read on to learn more.
We all face challenges and set-backs. But what sets us apart is how we handle our stress. Olympic athletes are no strangers to pressure. Many spend their entire lives training for their events. Clearly, physical training is crucial. But athletes also recognize mental toughness is a key differentiator among the best of the best. Thankfully, this mindset isn’t simply something you’re born with or not. It can be developed over time and is within reach for all of us. Read on to learn more about the mental strategies elite performers use to stay at the top of their game.
Productivity drops when we don't feel connected at work. Connecting with others is a fundamental human need - and an integral quality of a high-performance team. We can see the value of fostering connections in all elite performers, and a great example is the gold-winning performance of the Canadian Figure Skating Team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
