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Many business leaders are taught the GROW model to help them learn how to coach their direct reports while letting them discover their own solutions: 💡 Goal: Define the specific, measurable, and achievable goals.💡 Reality: Examine the current situation and gather information.💡 Options: Explore various solutions and strategies.💡 Will: Determine the commitment and action plan…
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“This is so tedious. I should automate it!” has been a recurring thought for me these past couple of weeks. And if you’re a software-engineer-turned-leader, or even just one who works adjacent to software engineers, you’ve certainly faced the same pull. But even the most repetitive, brain-numbing tasks aren’t always good candidates for automation. Here…
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Big, bold, expensive initiatives sometimes fail. Mine did. I was a young leader trying to make a difference in a new parent company after an acquisition. I had learned the new company’s core development platform. I had also heard many challenges reported by other developers and project managers as they managed the nuances of different…
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Sometimes your most valuable insight is figuring out what you need to stop doing. The common call for leaders is to delegate more. And when your direct reports are just as busy as you are (or when you have no direct reports) delegation may not feel possible. But here are some ways you can delegate…
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In the days before Zoom, I could hear my product manager’s eyes widen in disbelief at my response to her question on a conference call with the VP of IT for our company’s largest client. Going through action items at the end of a status meeting, she had asked if I could “own” one of…
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“I finally have a seat at the leadership table, and I feel like I don’t belong there.” When you move from manager to director, staff meetings can be intimidating. The other directors have plans for their teams, and their goals don’t always align with yours. Meeting time is precious, and getting agenda time can feel…
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You’ve surely seen the four-quadrant matrix to help you prioritize your work along the axes of urgency and importance. It’s sometimes called the Eisenhower Matrix. But after you’ve whittled your list down to only the important tasks, there are two more dimensions to consider when managing your time and priorities: 1️⃣ Importance for when?2️⃣ Importance…
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The fine artist discerns which brush or knife will apply paint to canvas to communicate each precise detail correctly. The woodworker selects from among many instruments to shape, carve, and connect to maximize strength and beauty. And leaders who perfect the craft of managing their team’s performance draw from an entire box of tools. Here…
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“I’m doing the best I can. Why can’t they just cut me some slack?” Suddenly, they stop asking for things or pointing out problems. Leadership feels so much more comfortable. But you’re now in more danger than ever before. Unless you’ve managed to actually address the challenges your team faces, a sudden silence of criticism…
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“We talk all the time. Why should I schedule one-on-ones?” “We have our one-on-ones. Isn’t that enough?” I’ve heard both extremes from managers who want to stick to their preferred style. But leaving out either scheduled or spontaneous conversations can leave team members disengaged. ✅ With one-on-one conversations scheduled every one or two weeks, it…
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A leader isn’t a leader without followers. Followers don’t follow people unless they trust them. Trust comes from a combination of competence and character. To a follower, character is shown by demonstrating care for others as valuable human beings. “Oh, but I’m an 8.”“Oh, but I’m an ITSJ.”“Oh, but I’m a high D.“ It doesn’t…
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This is what I tell people when they ask for my top advice to advance at work. If you can build strong, positive relationships with the people who report to your supervisor’s peers, you’ll create the network of allies who will help you succeed. The reasons are both political and practical. 💡 Think politically first.…