Make learning a habit

If you want to keep growing, you need to make learning a habit. To get started, be specific about what you’re asking yourself to do. Resolutions like ‘read more’ or ‘learn new things’ are too vague. Your goals need to be concrete and measurable: “Spend two hours every Thursday afternoon reading all the articles I saved during the week.” Schedule the time on your calendar, and resist the temptation to do other work during that window. Monitor your behaviour closely to push yourself in the right direction. If you know that some of your co-workers make on-the-job learning a habit, go out of your way to spend time with them. Studies show that we tend to pick up habits from the people around us. And the most important thing to remember? We must shape our habits to suit ourselves — our own nature, our own interests, our own strengths. When we understand ourselves, we can apply habit-forming strategies with the greatest chance of success.

(Adapted from How to Make Learning More Automatic, by Gretchen Rubin)

Become a better leader

The best leaders take time to reflect. One of the easiest ways to do this is to keep a journal. Set aside some time each day, preferably the same time each day, and find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Keep that time carefully guarded on your calendar as an appointment with yourself. Then write whatever comes to mind — a journal’s blank pages invite you to hold an honest conversation with yourself. Give yourself permission to follow your stream of consciousness without judging, censoring or trying to direct where your thoughts might take you. And don’t share your journal with anyone else; your reflections are yours. They bring you what all the world’s experts, advisers and executive coaches combined can’t offer you: your own unique perspective.

(Adapted from Want to Be an Outstanding Leader? Keep a Journal, by Nancy J. Adler)

What to do if asked to break the rules

If your boss asks you to do something unethical, immoral or even illegal, how do you respond? The first step should be to appeal to your boss’s self-interest — it’s possible that he’s unaware of the implications of what he’s suggesting. Explore the request, framing it in terms of the potential costs and implications for him. This signals your discomfort and gives your boss a way to quietly withdraw his request without losing face. If that doesn’t work, it’s best to just say no. If that still doesn’t work, try speaking to your boss’s boss, an ombudsman or someone from the human resources department. It can help to gather allies, organising several people to go to a manager together to express concerns. In a worst-case scenario, you may need to consider taking direct legal action, or blowing the whistle outside your company.

(Adapted from What to Do If Your Boss Asks You to Break the Rules, by Peter T. Coleman and Robert Ferguson)

Don’t lose your cool

Your colleague says one thing in a meeting but then does another. He passes you in the hallway without saying hello and talks over you in meetings. But when you ask to speak with him about it, he insists that everything’s fine and the problem is all in your head. What should you do? First, don’t lose your cool, and don’t accuse the person of acting passive-aggressively — that will only make him madder. Take a step back and ask yourself if you’re contributing to the issue in some way. Then talk to the person to address the underlying business issue in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Recount how some of your previous interactions have played out, explaining the impact it’s having on you and possibly others. If feasible, show that the behaviour is working against something your counterpart cares about, like achieving the team’s goals.

(Adapted from How to Deal With a Passive-Aggressive Colleague, by Amy Gallo)

Hold people accountable

We all want to work in an environment where people deliver on their commitments. So what can managers do to foster accountability with employees? The first step is to be crystal clear about what you expect — the outcome you’re looking for, how you’ll measure success and how people should go about achieving an objective. Be sure that the person you’re holding accountable actually has the skills and resources they’ll need; if they don’t, you’re just setting them up for failure. Then agree on weekly milestones with clear, measurable, objective targets. If any of these targets slip, jump on the issue right away. Brainstorm a solution, identify a fix, redesign the schedule or respond in some other way that gets the person back on track. Give feedback weekly, and remember that it’s more important to be helpful than nice.

(Adapted from The Right Way to Hold People Accountable, by Peter Bregman)

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, March 28th, 2016