Project U. Blog

Want to Excel as a Leader? Please Say, “Hello.”

Posted by Catherine Saar on Wed, Oct 19, 2011 @ 10:02 AM

Leadership ToolOne of the most common complaints I hear from staff about managers and leaders goes like this, “When Jane comes in, she never says 'good morning' or 'hello' to anyone.  What’s up with that?” Employees notice this behavior. It often raises questions about their relationship with the leader in-charge, such as, “Does my supervisor care about me?  Am I important?”  While there are exceptions to every rule, generally, most of us are willing to work harder and better when we know that the person we work for, values us and the work we do.

“Good morning”, or even a brief, “Hi, how are you?”  is an acknowledgement of a person’s existence.  Acknowledgement is one of the most basic requirements for great leadership.  For most of us, greeting staff upon arrival requires little effort.  For some of us who have forgotten to take the time over the years to check in, (because we are thinking about all our deadlines, the sick child at home, or whatever!)  it may take some practice and getting used to, but it will be worth the effort. Saying hello to your team and asking how they are (with genuine interest) builds relationship capital.

Why should you care? Consider a recent Harvard Business Review blog post  by Daniel Goleman, co-author of Primal Leadership: Leading with Emotional Intelligence, and author of The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights and Leadership: Selected WritingsGoleman writes, “You can be the most brilliant innovator, problem-solver or strategic thinker, but if you can't inspire and motivate, build relationships or communicate powerfully, those talents will get you nowhere. What Zenger and colleagues call the "interpersonal skills" — and what I call social intelligence — are the secret sauce in top-performing leadership.”

He adds, “Why does social intelligence emerge as the make-or-break leadership skill set? For one, leadership is the art of accomplishing goals through other people.”

So ladies and gentleman in leadership, managers who want to get things done and done well, please don’t forget the basics: Start by saying hello.

Tags: leader, emotional intelligence, acknowledgment, accomplishing goals, excel, relationship capital, Harvard Business Review Blog, problem solver, social intelligence, communicate powerfully, great leadership, strategic thinker, top performing leadership, interpersonal skills, build relationships, Daniel Goleman

Stop Wasting Time Now!

Posted by Catherine Saar on Thu, Oct 13, 2011 @ 08:42 AM

What is the top goal you have for yourself?  Do you need to find a new job?  Stress less?  Earn more money?stop wasting time

Okay, sit quietly.  Be aware of your breath for thirty seconds and decide to release all that you don’t need.  Then visualize and feel the feeling you will get once you have accomplished your most important goal.

Got that feeling?  That picture?  Hold onto it.  Breathe it in, savor it. Breathe out and let it go.

Now, make a to-do list for today, or this week.  On it, include at least two important tasks that you can do that will help you get closer to your most important goal.

  • Look at your calendar. How can you make time today, or this week to get at least two of your goal related items started?  How much time can you give the important goal item today, or this week?  Start small if you need to.  Even fifteen minutes can be a great start!

Consider all of your time and how you spend it:

  • What things do you have to do (obligations and commitments) today or this week?  Are they important?  Must you do these things?  Do you want to do them?  Can they wait?

  • Are there less important things on your to-do list (or on your calendar) that can be postponed or eliminated? 

  • What less important things can you delegate or request of others? 

  • Allocate time to work toward your goals.  I don’t care if it’s think time, or gym time, or updating your resume; it doesn’t matter what it is. Schedule the time and stick to it, even if it’s only 15 minutes.   

At the end of this process, remember the feeling of satisfaction, happiness, ease, (whatever it is) that you felt when you pictured yourself having accomplished your goal. Enjoy it again.

Take a deep breath and get to work.  Start your day.  At the end of each day, ask yourself, did I invest time into the activities that are most important to me and will further my goals? 

If yes, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, ask why not?  What is getting in my way?  What can I shift or change in my life (or in my mindset) that will allow me to get to work on the things that what I care about?

Tomorrow, try it again.  Your time is your currency.  Invest it well.

Tags: new job, ease, change, goal, to-do list, accomplished, stress less, satisfaction, activities, invest, enjoy, happiness, more money, tasks

Leading to the Next Best Step

Posted by Catherine Saar on Wed, Oct 05, 2011 @ 09:01 AM

humandecisionsiStock 000009025242XSmallI love Seth Godin’s October 2 blog post, that says, “What you do next is the most important decision in your career (or even your day). … With so many opportunities and so many constraints, successfully picking what to do next is your moment of highest leverage. It deserves more time and attention than most people give it.”

I couldn’t agree more. Since your time and energy are limited resources, how you choose to spend those assets will ultimately determine the course of your life.  What Godin doesn’t say, is how one decides to make the “right” choice of what to do next.

I believe that clarity is key to making the right decision.  Are you clear on what you want and why you want it?  What is true north for you? Acknowledging what you need and want is the first step toward getting your desires met.

Other questions to consider: Is your vision specific or general? Do you want to “make more money?” or do you want to “earn 30% more in the next year?”  Are your plans based on well-grounded assumptions, fact based evidence and instinct? Has the environment changed, or have you gathered new information that makes what you thought you wanted no longer the right fit for you or your company?  The lesson? Be open to new information; incorporate it into your plan if necessary.

To lead yourself and others, having a vision of your endgame is important.  If you can get clear about where you want to go and why, you can make a good decision about what to do next.

Remember what logician Lewis Carroll said, “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Tags: Lewis Carroll, clarity, assets, career, right decision, Seth Godin, right choice, lead, leading, endgame, time and energy, vision