|
By Mary Kelly
I have a friend who is really sensitive to any kind criticism or feedback. She gets defensive and mad, and she reacts by attacking the other person. As a result, she has “trained” the people around her not to give her advice, ideas, or in fact, any guidance at all. And she wonders why she is not selected for promotions and team projects. Everyone knows that feedback can be painful. It can feel like an attack, and our natural reaction is to be defensive. Most people find criticism hard to deal with. But learning how not to take criticism personally can make our lives and our careers a whole lot easier. Here are few ways to make the best of feedback, even if we do not want to hear it: 1. Choose to see feedback as an opportunity – It can be easier not to react emotionally to criticism if you reframe it as feedback. It was not intended as a personal attack, so do not interpret as one. Try to see critiques as an opportunity to learn how to do things better next time. Think of it as a prompt to grow and use it to course correct. 2. Remember you only have your perspective – Before you react to a terse email or a grouchy response from your boss, try to remember that you do not know where they are coming from. You might be reaping the effect of a difficult day, a string of frustrations, or even their reaction to their own bad feedback. Try to objectively see events from their point of view instead of your own. 3. Pause – I always liked part of the show, How I Met Your Mother, when Marshall and Lilly could be in an argument and either one of them could say “pause” to allow emotions to calm down or to deal with something more pressing. Pause means stop and shift. Our immediate reaction to being criticized is often to become defensive. Instead, take a breath (or three), pause, and think about how your actions or words could have been misinterpreted before you respond. Take another look at what your critic is saying and see what you can learn once you have allowed some time for your initial emotions to dissipate. 4. Objectively reframe your response – Reacting to criticism is a habit like any other behavior, and you have the capacity to change it. Take yourself out of the equation. Try to look at the situation like a football referee and see all sides. Ask yourself what you can learn or how you can help. Maybe they misunderstood. Perhaps your communication was not clear enough. Practice processing feedback in a constructive way. 5. Be kind to yourself, but do not wallow in self-pity – There is no getting around it – being criticized can feel pretty rotten. Be kind to yourself, especially while you are learning to handle criticism differently. Acknowledge the emotions that have been evoked. Accept that feedback can hurt. Then distance yourself from those feelings. Give yourself a timeline to process those emotions, “After 2 PM I will stop feeling sorry for myself and be proactive with this information.” Make a calendar commitment to be in a different brain space so you can move forward in a healthy way. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
0 Comments
By Mary Kelly
Sometimes your most brutal critics can be the people you love the most. Your parent, siblings, spouse, children—you know, the people who should be supporting you. Instead, you get unvarnished, unsweetened criticism about your clothes, your choice in partners, your hair, or your career. Sometimes in happens in front of the rest of the family. So, what can you do during the holidays to handle unwanted comments? Here are five things you can do to survive critical feedback. 1. Reframe Criticism as Caring It can help to change your perspective of your family’s criticism. You know deep down that they do not think you are a terrible person or a failure, but maybe they do care enough about you to want the best for you. Sometimes their worries or concern manifests as criticism, even if the person did not mean it that way. Mentally reframe hurtful words as a sign that your family member really cares about you. 2. Talk About the Effect of Criticism on You Not all caring feels warm and fuzzy. Some family members probably have no idea that it is hurtful to challenge your life choices or criticize your parenting skills. Sometimes the best thing you can do is calmly tell the other person how their criticism makes you feel. Say you value their advice, but perhaps they could be more positive and helpful in the way they deliver it. Ask for concrete suggestions and see how you can strategize together. 3. Remind Family Member that Unconditional Love Is Not Just from the Dog Families are supposed to love each other no matter what, but sometimes people forget that. They think it does not matter how they talk to their child or their sibling, and the niceties of politeness fall by the wayside. It is interesting that we are often more polite to complete strangers than they people we love the most. Make a conscious effort to be more polite. Remember to use “please” and “thank you.” 4. Set Clear Boundaries Sometimes family members forget that grown-up children are adults, not kids anymore. I still remember when my nieces and nephew were born, and sometimes it is a shock when I think that they voted in the last election. Adults make their own mistakes and take responsibility for their actions and life decisions. Much as I WANT to give my nieces and nephew advice on their lives, I need to remember that if they want guidance or advice, they will ask for it. My job is to make sure they know that I am available for them if they want that advice. 5. Decide to be the Dog We all know that dogs love unconditionally. I personally live with The Happiest Dog on the Planet. She was a rescue dog who had no idea where she was going when we selected her, but she happily jumped in the truck, wagging enthusiastically the whole time, and never looked back. She was not sure where she was going, but she decided that it had to be better than where she was. Her attitude continues to inspire me. We can emulate the dog’s attitude and decide to love our family no matter what. That does not mean we like them all the time, or that we approve of some of their dumber life choices, or that they do not drive us crazy. But we can control our responses to their comments. We can decide that we will accept them as they are. 6. Make Good Choices Ultimately, it is our choice. Yes, some people are toxic, and maybe we need to limit our time with them, whether they are friends or family, but we can set time and emotional boundaries. We can choose to take on their negativity or not. We decide how we react. The holidays can be stressful because we all want happiness and enjoyment, and sometimes our expectations of others do not match reality. That is okay! Smile and say please and thank you, be pleasant, and control what you can control. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
Is Remote Work Really Here to Stay? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Leaders, managers, and team members are still struggling with the idea of remote work and how to make employees successful. Various groups are collecting statistics on remote work. While we know there are numerous factors that dictate the viability of remote work, the results seem clear. Remote work, in some capacity, is not going away. From The Ultimate List of Remote Work Statistics for 2022 (Findstack.com)
“Employees want to work from home 2.5 days a week on average, according to data from monthly online surveys of 5,000 U.S. employees conducted by the University of Chicago, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and Stanford University. Nearly 80% of those surveyed want to work from home at least one day each week.” This is a managerial and leadership challenge. While many employees want to work from home, those remote workers can also feel less connected to their co-workers, lonelier, and more displaced. Some employees worry that “out of sight, out of mind” means they will not be as visible when it comes time to promotion opportunities. What can team members do to help people retain the sense of shared purpose, shared identity, and shared vision?
While remote work is effective, people also need time with others, face-to-face, to renew relationships and stay connected. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
The media is full of people who seem interesting. Their lives look glamorous, and they just seem to light up rooms whenever they show up. As leaders, we are often expected to show up at business conferences, conventions, and business meetings and be interesting and charismatic. This may be a struggle if we are a natural introvert, overwhelmed with things on our to-do lists, and preoccupied with trying to figure out what to do next. The truth is that most conversations are superficial. Why? People are afraid of being controversial. People want to fit in. However, the most interesting people are those that embrace their uniqueness and know how to use it. For those of us who just want to be more fun, now that we are getting back to work and being around other people, here are some ideas: 1. Travel. People who travel and experience new places are interesting. You may not have the vacation time or the funds to cover the globe, but you probably can afford one big adventure every couple of years if you make it a priority. 2. Have an interesting hobby. Explore activities that are a little different. Study fencing and enter competitions. Participate in long-range rifle shooting. Kayak. Breed llamas. Do something fun and out of the norm. You will not generate a lot of interest from others while discussing your favorite television show or your dog’s latest antic, unless it is from other people who share that interest. I have dogs. Yes, I think they are cute. Yes, I actually do want to see pictures of your dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, turtles, parrots, ferrets, and any other animal you care for. Tag me on your social media so I can tell you how adorable your pets are! 3. Take an interest in others. We find others interesting when they find us interesting. People generally enjoy talking about themselves, so show a genuine interest in other people. Ask relevant questions. We all want attention. Give people attention about what matters to them, and you might receive some attention back. 4. Be confident. People who are confident instill confidence in others. We feel more at ease when we are around someone who is comfortable with themselves. Developing self-confidence helps others enjoy being around you. At the other end of the spectrum, when you are nervous or uncomfortable, you make others feel the same. 5. Be a good listener. Give others your full attention. Be an active listener and keep the conversation going. Look at them when they talk. You can be considered a great conversationalist without saying much at all if you actively listen to others. 6. Have a couple of entertaining stories to share. Be prepared with a few interesting facts or stories. Talk show hosts and stand-up comics are always prepared. Have a few good stories to share and practice telling them. People tend to like short, entertaining stories. 7. Be childlike. That is childlike, not childish. When you are enthusiastic, you bring out the same in others. Everyone wants to experience childlike joy and enthusiasm for the moment they are in. 8. Find the positive. Life is not all rainbows, sparkles and unicorns all the time. We get curveballs. Tragic events happen. People struggle. Some people respond to even the smallest inconveniences with constant complaining. That is exhausting for the people around them. Staying positive throughout difficult events demonstrates a strong character and builds resiliency. 9. Raise your eyebrows. I recently watched the incomparable, motivating, and very funny Michael Hoffman perform for a group of extremely focused businesspeople. While not minimizing the seriousness of what the audience does, Michael reminded us of all to raise our eyebrows. And smile. A welcoming smile is irreplaceable. Happy people are more interesting that those who are not. Wherever you are, be genuinely happy to be there and show it. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
Staying calm and focused during times of stress, challenge, and change People who have not spent much time on boats or ships are often surprised to learn that the boat’s anchor does not hold it in place. The anchor is not tied to the bottom of the ocean. The anchor is dropped and positioned, and the weight of the chain is what keeps the boat from drifting away. Boat anchors are checked and repositioned when the tides, winds, and drifting causes the boat to move. Sometimes the anchor gets snagged on coral or debris, and when trying to pull up the anchor, it can get stuck. The boat must be repositioned to release the anchor from the unseen hazard. What is normally a tool of stability, and a valuable part of the ship becomes challenging, so the anchor gets repositioned. Sometimes we need to evaluate our sense of stability and reposition where we are, like a boat repositioning its anchor. Practicing repositioning allows us to decrease stress, increase focus, and ignore irritations. Here are some ways to stay grounded and focused, regardless of the situation. 1. Breathe! During times of stress or irritation, it is natural to take breathes that are shallow. To anchor in the moment, pay attention to your breathing. Make a conscious effort to breathe in slowly and deeply, following the path of your breath with your mind. Feel the air move through your body. Then breathe out slowly and gently, again paying attention to the movement of your body as air passes through it. Concentrate on feeling a subtle energy shift of calm. 2. Check in with your five senses If you are finding it a little tricky to access your inner peace or you are distracted, try the five senses check-in. Make a conscious decision to disconnect from distractions and focus your awareness, one sense at a time, on what you can see, feel, hear, smell and taste in that moment. This grounds you in the present moment by becoming more aware of what is impacting your space. This can be especially helpful when you feel stressed or harried. 3. Mind like water Take every opportunity that comes your way to practice being calm, especially during a crisis, when others are feeling frantic. Being calm puts us in the space where we control our mental and physical reactions during challenges moments. Some people find it helpful to picture the surface of a calm body of water and think, “mind like water.” Great times to practice this are where you might feel frustrated and impatient, like waiting in line or while you are stuck in traffic. Put a half-smile on your face and remind yourself that you are calm. 4. Use repositioning techniques to create thinking space No matter how busy you are, you can use repositioning techniques to build more space into your day. Before you send an email, take time to breathe, notice your breath, then decide if you want to send the email. Choose to ignore or switch off your devices. Schedule 5-minute breaks to reposition between activities or projects. Practice being present around other people. Give other people your full attention and respect, and you will have a more meaningful and productive conversation. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
Succession planning is an important process for any business. It helps you to prepare for the future and ensures that your business continues to operate smoothly. However, many businesses do not have a plan in place. This can lead to problems later down the road. Here are five tips to help you prepare for your succession plan. Tip 1: Define Your Goals, Objectives, Timelines When it comes to succession planning, one of the most important things you can do is to define your goals and objectives. This will help ensure that the new leadership team is aligned with your company’s overall mission and vision. This will also help you to identify who should take on which responsibilities in the event of an unexpected change or sudden emergency. Establish clear and concise goals and objectives for your organization during the transitional period. It is important to set timelines for when each goal should be accomplished, so that everyone knows what is expected of them. Tip 2: Assess Your Current Business Leadership Situation One of the most important steps in preparing for your succession plan is assessing your current business leadership situation. This helps you identify areas you may need to improve, as well as identify potential successors. Additionally, it can help you determine how soon you might need to make a transition. Tip 3: Research Potential Successors for Top Leadership Positions When it comes to succession planning, it is important to have a plan in place. But what if you are not sure who the right candidates are for top leadership positions? Start by researching potential successors for top leadership positions. Get input from your team. Ask your employees who they think could be a viable candidate for the next position and why. This will help you get a sense of who is qualified and who would be a good fit for the role. Look at industry trends. What other companies are doing? What successful leaders have been replaced in recent years? This information can give you an idea of who might be a good replacement for you, or provide pointers on how to improve Tip 4: Steps to Start Now There is no one-size-fits-all answer to creating a business leadership transition plan, as the specific details of your situation will vary. Draft an outline of who will take over each position in the organization. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands their role in the future of the company. Establish timelines for each position, and make sure that all stakeholders are aware of when they need to be ready to step into their new role. This will help avoid any surprises during the transition process. Create reasonable timeline for completing each step, based on current realities and anticipated timelines for key personnel transitions. This will help ensure that your transition goes as smoothly as possible while still meeting important objectives. Develop a communication plan to keep everyone informed of progress throughout the transition process. This will help build trust both within the organization and with major stakeholders. Tip 5: Start Implementing the Succession Plan Sooner Rather Than Later When it comes to succession planning, the sooner you start, the better. The sooner you have a plan in place, the easier it will be to execute and ensure a smooth transition for your business. 1. Define who will be responsible for each stage of your succession plan. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows their role in the process. 2. Create an action plan for each stage of your succession plan. This will outline what needs to be done and when it needs to be done to smoothly transition your business into the next phase. 3. Assess your current situation and make necessary changes based on what you know now. Executing a succession plan is important for any business. It can help ensure that the business stays afloat and continues to operate smoothly while the current owner or management team transitions out of their role. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
Incorporate these habits into your regular routines to stay focused on what is most important. 1. Plan a trip. It turns out that even thinking about a vacation is healthy. When people plan a trip, they envision the activities, the places they visit, and even the views. That planning helps our brains relax as though we were there. Planning is like a mini vacation for the mind. As leaders, encourage people to schedule vacation time, plan the vacation, and take the vacation. 2. Care for health. Encourage your teams to stay fit with good nutrition, lots of water, exercise, and restful sleep. It sounds basic, but many of us sacrifice our health when we get busy with work. Make sure it is easy for your teams to be healthy at work. Some workplaces have free filtered or bottled water available, and others bring in health lunches for special occasions. 3. Show pride in the workplace. I recently watched a CEO stop to pick up trash on his way to the office in the morning. It was a windy day, and a plastic bag and papers had blown across the grass. He walked over and took it to the trash. “Everything counts” he smiled. He is right. He sent the example that everyone is responsible for the appearance of where we work, and everyone’s actions matter. He instilled pride in the organization by being willing to do what was needed at that moment. 4. Clear the clutter. I struggle with managing clutter, because I work in piles of projects, and my piles expand to fill the space I have. Every week, I schedule cleaning the workspace. I take everything off the desk and then file it, toss it, or organize it. It is easier to be productive and switch gears when my workspace is neat, clean, and organized. 5. Monitor team self-talk. Speak kindly to yourself and request that your team members do the same. Use encouraging words. One of my managers used this phrase to overcome negative language in the workplace toward ourselves. She said, “if you would not say the words you are thinking to your best friend, you should not be using those words toward yourself.” 6. Clarify your vision. Spend team-time brainstorming about what you want to accomplish and how you want to put that into action. Get the team together to figure out what everyone is thinking and capture innovative ideas. Ask your team what you want your legacy to be and craft the vision based on where you want to go. 7. Engage in meaningful activities. Devote your time and energy to projects that matter as a team. Use your specialized skills to help your community. 8. Stay positive. Peter B Stark, author of the amazing leadership book, The Competent Leader says, “As leaders we don’t have the luxury of negative thinking.” As leaders, it is our responsibility to search for the positive aspects and possibilities of every situation. We must look for the opportunities the challenges bring and find ways to make a tough situation better. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
We are often surrounded by negativity and stress. People often ask, “How can I stay positive during a crisis, challenge, or change? How can I keep my own motivation level high when events seem difficult? What can I do when everyone around me seems to want to be angry?” If we allow ourselves to start to think that everything is negative, it can lead us in to a cycle which makes us feel hopeless and unproductive. Feeling badly about our situations can make us feel unmotivated to change what is making us feel down in the first place. If you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, or in need of a positive change, try to: 1. Stay away from social media. There always seems to be something dramatic on social media, and it is easy to get caught up in events that have nothing to do with us. Does an event at the Oscars negatively impact you? Make the commitment to turn it off for a day. 2. Learn and master a new skill. When you learn a new skill and become good at it, your confidence increases and continues to grow. This is especially true if the skill benefits something you already do, or is creative. Being creative stimulates our brains, and the more we use our brains, the bigger the benefits. If you combine creativity with trying something new, even more benefits are achieved. 3. Update your resume on LinkedIn. Start by making a list of all of your accomplishments. It can be easy to forget all of the things you’ve achieved so far, and a professional forum is the place to update. Be proud of your accomplishments. 4. Define your own core values for your life. What are your core, unwavering values? Does your current lifestyle reflect these values? If it doesn’t, take an action to make necessary changes. Know who you are, what you stand for, and then live those values. My friend Amber has what she calls her non-negotiables. These are things on her list that she pledged to do for herself, no matter what, because they support her core values. One of hers is to be outside for 5 minutes every day. 5. Actively commit to thinking positively. Instead of thinking negatively when faced with something irritating, think about it as a challenge that you can overcome with dignity and grace. Think positively, consider what you can learn from the experience, and try to find a way to help others. 6. Stretch your comfort zone. Try new things. Go to new places. Meet new people. Getting out of your comfort zone means getting out of your own brain space. This is why travel and new experiences are so healthy – it pushes our brains and our bodies beyond our comfort zone. Maybe you cannot travel the way you want to right now. Try a stay-cation. And actually plan it like it was a vacation destination, and then DO what you planned. 7. Help someone. There are always people worse off than we are. Sometimes we need to take some kind of action to get us going in the in the right direction, and helping others is a great start. Stop thinking about what is negative and focus on how we can make someone else’s life better. 8. Let negatives from the past go. Past issues or drama can prevent you from moving on and growing, both personally and professionally. You may want to speak to a trained counselor to talk through issues you may have. Sometimes, just ritualistically deciding to move forward can help with forward motion. 9. Don’t worry about what others think. The one person whose opinion of you matters is you. Do what you believe is best, feel confident that you did your best, and be satisfied with your results. 10. Read for work. Many people read about people who have overcome issues or dire situations, and gone on to lead successful lives. Consider adding business or leadership books to your motivational mix, such as The Competent Leader by Peter Stark, Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones, or Thrive by Meridith Elliott-Powell. Having the right knowledge, leadership, and words to move forward can inspire you to do even more. 11. Surround yourself with positive people. There are plenty of people in your life who always seem to leave you feeling badly about your circumstances. It may be best to let them go. Instead, try to surround yourself with positive people who will lift you up and make you feel good about yourself. 12. Focus on what you can change. Some things in life are out of our control. Focus your energy on the things you can control, and you’ll happily find that you can change your life for the better. When the virus crisis first started, a friend of mine asked how he could coach his workforce into staying positive during what he knew was going to be a difficult time, so I drew my plan on a cocktail napkin. “Encourage them your team to focus on what they can control, instead of what they cannot.” 13. Action trumps fear and negativity. Movement is better than stagnation. When you feel negativity start to creep up on you, stop the negative downward spiral with movement. Go do a load of laundry. Walk the dog. Take out the trash. Do some pushups. Drink some water. Call your Mom. Do something to get your body and your mind away from the negativity. Once you start to incorporate some of these tips into your daily life, your positivity will start to grow. It may not happen overnight, but in time, you’ll see improvement with a happier you. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
It is the holiday season, and it seems everyone around you is decorating, shopping, traveling for fun, and relaxing. It is tempting to take your foot off the gas pedal and turn everything off. After all, it is the holidays, and we all need a break. However, what we do in December is often what sets us up for success in the first quarter of the new year, and perhaps the entire year. How do you stay motivated on work when you want to enjoy the holidays as well? Now is a great time to reassess what is really important, and to categorize what needs to happen in the right way. Once projects are properly categorized, it is easier to get them accomplished. 1. Redefine your core values. Core values encapsulate what is most important to us. Values such as “provide for my family,” “feel a sense of accomplishment,” and “contribute to my community” help us find direction when we want to take the day off to bake cookies or go fishing. Values, both our own and our organizations’, help us stay motivated towards goals that are part of the bigger picture. 2. Redirect efforts to focus on your wants. The Great Resignation is often linked to employees wanting something different from what their employers are offering, and not feeling as though they can do what they want in their current capacity. This may be true. What are your career aspirations? What do you want for your business? What do you want to accomplish in the part of the business you control? 3. Remember that the grass isn’t always greener. Employees who are leaving their jobs are saying they are underpaid, underappreciated, and overworked. Is this you? Is this the people around you? Is this the people who work for you? Or is it just the prevailing sentiment that is making you feel like you want to make a change? When your friends are leaving their jobs, it is tempting to join the crowd of the newly unemployed, and the holidays seem like a great time to enjoy the break that quitting your job might bring. But the grass is not always greener. If the problem is that you don’t like your house, your city, or career, a change might be in order. But a new job, location, or career may not be better than what you have now. 4. Reevaluate our compensation packages and compare apples to apples. I just worked with an organization where some of the employees told me privately that they believed they were underpaid. Why did they feel this way? Because they thought they were comparing their work and salaries with comparable work. They thought they were comparing apples to apples. Except they were not. I tracked down the competitor, and found out that the salaries were 6% lower at my client’s organization, but that the benefits and bonus structures actually meant that my client’s employees were making 19% more. The problem is that the employees didn’t understand that, because they were only comparing salaries, not the overall benefits, vacation, working hours, and end-of-the year bonuses. My recommendation was that the leadership and HR team do a better job conveying what they were actually spending on their employees, and to reiterate the benefits and bonus structure as they were handing out bonuses and performance evaluations at the end of the year, so that employees didn’t think about updating their resumes while opening Christmas presents. 5. Renew the sense of excitement. Take a look at what is changing heading into the new year. Sometimes we feel lethargic about work when work is monotonous. Get the team together and brainstorm about the changes you are likely to face in the new year. Yes, I know we have been barraged with changes over the past few years, but change is exciting when it is challenging and positive. Make a list of what is likely to change in the new year, and then strategize about what needs to happen to respond and lead those changes. 6. Reengage with the right people. The people around us play a big role in our success. When it comes to our professional lives, we can be influenced by our peers. If our friends are talking about how happy they are at work, we tend to feel the same way. If our friends are pessimistic, we are influenced. To stay positive and focused, seek out like-minded visionaries and entrepreneurs, both at networking events and in casual contexts. Get inspiration and motivation from those in similar situations, who are motivated and inspired to make a difference moving into the future. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
I don’t really like the word done because it reminds me of something being baked in the oven. It is not my verb of choice, but it is a wildly powerful word. It’s simple. Let people know when you did something. Let people know when something is done. Finished. Accomplished. Closed out. Crossed off. Done. Close the loop. Close the loop with managers, coworkers, and suppliers. Yes, they trust that you will do it, because you said you would do it. They believe you. Yes, you have done it before and they know you are capable of doing it. They have confidence in you. Yes, you are an expert in your field. They respect you. Take the final step and let people know when you have accomplished what you said you would accomplish. Why? So they can take it off their plate. Managers and leaders are juggling hundreds of issues and tasks. When you close the loop and simply tell your supervisor, your coworker, or your customer that you have done what you said you would do, it brings them a sense of relief. It allows them to close the icon. It takes that task off their plate. It reduces the stress. Yet some people push back on this idea of letting people know when they get things done for these reasons, and here are our responses: “I said I would do it.” Response: So tell them you did it to continue to build trust. “It is something I do routinely every week.” Response: Good! So letting others know it is done should be easy. “They shouldn’t have to worry about the details of my job.” We agree! Make it easy for them to NOT worry about you and your job and take it off their to-do list by letting them know the task has been accomplished. Try letting 3 people know you have accomplished what they trust you to do. A simple one word response will suffice. “DONE!” It works. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
Archives
September 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed