My team uses the typical Kanban categories: To-Do, In-Work, Waiting, and Done. A good rule of thumb is that a person should keep no more than three items in the To-Do column. In an ideal workflow, the only reason something should be in the In-Work column is that the person ran out of time or…
Making It Easy for the Hiring Team to Choose You
Promotions are competitive. When applying for a promotion, there are three major categories you must meet to be successful. First, you must meet the basic criteria, such as required credentials and years of experience. These are typically non-negotiable. Second, you need to stand out as the top candidate. This may include additional education, relevant experience,…
Avoiding Mental Strain May Be Adding To Your Stress
I regularly coach my team to take a task as far as they can before moving on to something else and to minimize the number of tasks in progress. Still, I often find they are juggling too many active tasks. This usually happens because they switch to another task when they encounter mental strain—something they…
Rethinking Meetings and the Nature of Managerial Work
Since becoming a manager, I have struggled to redefine what “work” means. I was taught that work is taking something and turning it into something else—and that I should not be sitting or watching others work. Recently, I’ve been reading High Output Management by Andy Grove and have realized that, as a leader, my work…
How I Discovered Team Development Models
I’ve recently realized that my department can now accomplish things it couldn’t in the past. The team has grown and matured over time. This wasn’t something I was formally taught as a manager, so I did some research and found that others have described similar stages of team development. Here are a few examples of…
Trust Your Team—And Stop Double-Checking
Some people struggle to handle the anxiety of holding a task. From time to time, another manager will reach out to me, saying they need someone on my team to take urgent action. I’ll ask whether my team member isn’t already addressing the issue as expected. The manager usually replies that they are—but they just…
Balancing Primary Responsibilities with ‘Extra’ Work
Many of us work in a culture that encourages us to “be a team player” and “go above and beyond.” Sometimes, that means taking on tasks that aren’t exactly part of our role—and these tasks can end up consuming a meaningful portion of the day. I’m willing to bet you’ve wondered whether those tasks are…
Evolving Accountability: From Execution to Leadership
As an employee gains experience, they also develop their sense of accountability. The first two levels of accountability involve completing their work and following through on commitments. The next level is influencing others to create change. Without formal authority, this often means nudging and persuading people to take action. The third level is about making…
Who Prioritizes Your Work?
If your leadership won’t prioritize your work, you need to prioritize your work.
When Companies Lose Their Soul
Some companies have more of a soul than others, and it often comes down to their humanness. I understand that companies need to make money, but sometimes the things that get cut to boost the bottom line are exactly what make a company special to work for. I once worked for a company that started…
Cutting Through False Urgency
Too often, I see people use false urgency and artificial deadlines to pressure others into helping with their projects. This creates unnecessary stress across the organization. We need to teach healthier ways to collaborate and develop processes that reduce the need for excessive ad hoc teaming. When I need help, I prefer to appeal to…
The Hidden Cost of Mistakes
Recently, my department has been blamed for mistakes that actually originate outside of our team—mistakes we cannot control, at least on the surface. It is embarrassing to be associated with these errors, and frustrating to be blamed for them. However, the real issue is that this situation makes my department’s work more difficult. With repeated…
Who Owns Your Time
Sometimes we schedule weekly one-hour meetings. After several weeks, we realize we don’t need the full hour, and someone suggests reducing it to thirty minutes. Then someone else says, “I like having the full hour blocked so no one can schedule another meeting.” Think about what that means. If the time is freed up and…
The Hidden Role of Coordination and Alignment in Management Layers
One of the primary reasons for layers of management in an organization is coordination and alignment (C&A) across the business. When systems and processes for C&A are lacking, the work of C&A must be handled manually, which requires more layers of management. Sometimes this happens because leadership has not put the right systems in place,…
Are You Unknowingly Part of the Problem?
“How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want?” — Jerry Colonna Are you part of the problem? Do you contribute to the things you dislike at your job—such as meetings, emails, and more?
Leadership Means Owning the Hard Choices
When I hear a leader say they need to do something for their metrics, it raises red flags. Metrics can indicate that action needs to be taken, but the right actions depend on the situation. Sometimes, doing the right thing means your metrics will be off. It is also the manager’s responsibility to bear many…
You Don’t Have to Say “Yes” to Everything
It’s healthy to push back on your leadership when necessary to do the right thing. You don’t want to do this all the time, but when leadership requests something that doesn’t make sense, it’s important to explain why. This helps develop your relationship with them. They begin to see that you’re a critical thinker who…
Want to Make Big Changes? Start by Nailing the Basics
If you build your manager’s trust, you’ll be allowed to make the changes you believe are needed—but it takes time. When you first start in a role, your manager wants you to stay in your lane and get really good at your core responsibilities before expanding and trying to do more. This can be difficult,…
Outperform, Don’t Outwork
Think of yourself as a professional athlete. Your sport is using your brain in specific ways to achieve goals at work—executing day-to-day tasks, making decisions, creating plans, developing novel solutions, and solving problems. If you want to excel in your job, consider the best ways to manage your body—because your brain is part of it—to…
Stop Waiting-Make things happen
Stop letting the winds of others’ requests blow your priorities back and forth. Make things happen—stop sitting and waiting for things to happen to you. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for others to hand you tasks or find projects for your development. Be willing to say “no”—to your own ideas and to others’ requests.…