Creative Juices

When you have things to do that require creativity, but the muses are evading you – how do you get the creative juices flowing? Deadlines and stress can get in the way of your normal inspiration. Don’t sit there staring at a blank piece of paper or computer screen in frustration. Take action to kick start your imagination. Brainstorm with friends or colleagues… Play with children – creativity comes naturally to them… Go to a museum… Enjoy a game… Read something inspiring… Commune with nature… Let your mind wander… Doodle… Listen to music… Take a long walk… Meditate… Exercise. There are many tools available to foster creativity. Check out www.mindtools.com for some very interesting ideas and resources. When you are really flummoxed, you may be too tired to be inspired. Sleep on it. Amazingly, creative ideas are often released by the unconscious mind during sleep. Keep a note pad and pencil on your nightstand. What do YOU do to keep creative juices active?

Leaders Need Trusted Advisors Too

Early in our career we need and easily accept direction, advice, and criticism that help us grow and become successful in a work environment. Supervisors and other mentors provide input that shapes our approach to challenges, our ethics, how we relate to colleagues, and what we decide is important. At what point in the development of our career does the need for this type of guidance end? The answer is that it never does. Everyone needs trusted advisors, mentors, and colleagues with whom they can interact and gain perspective – even high-powered leaders. How do executives gain the input they need on an ongoing basis to be successful leaders? Look at how it’s done in American politics. As soon as a new President is elected, they name a Chief of Staff and a Cabinet. These are a group of experts that the President trusts to provide advice, help make the right decisions, and execute a vision in the service of our country. One person just can’t know it all and do it all. Government is/should be a great example of teamwork. In the business world, one of the most important things a leader does is to hire a talented and trusted supporting team. A strong, committed, and diverse executive team that is responsible and accountable for their accomplishments is a critical factor in any leader’s success. Conversely, failure to develop a cohesive and effective team can truly undermine a leader’s position in a corporation. The leader must make tough decisions, and adjust the makeup of his executive team over time to meet the ever-changing demands of the business. Advisors also come in the form of peers within the business. It’s important to develop mutual respect and collaborative working relationships with other executives responsible for segments within the same organization. Frequently, leaders can help each other by providing ideas, guidance, support, and a different perspective. Some celebrities have “Spiritual Advisors” that help them examine their faith and outlook on a life that can easily be skewed by the adulation that comes with fame. Although they certainly wouldn’t put that name to it, leaders do sometimes need help focusing their vision and developing action plans. Confidential confabs with experts and objective thinkers can help executives take leaps forward in their thinking and planning. These special advisors come from networking. They may be former colleagues who have moved on and gained a different perspective. They may be representatives from businesses working in a provider role with the leader’s organization. They may be trusted consultants with whom the leader has forged a productive bond. In the best circumstances, these advisors make the leader more successful by providing ideas, honing plans, playing devil’s advocate, and assisting with some tasks. They play an anonymous role (organizationally) and provide a valuable service. When you reach a point of success and responsibility in your career, you still need trusted advisors; and the sense to consider and accept good advice.

Advice for Newly Hired Graduates

You have just graduated from college and are fortunate enough to have landed a job to start your career. It’s an exciting time that you may find a little daunting. Your friends, family, and new co-workers will have plenty of advice to share. I have some of my own. Although I recently retired from the corporate career I enjoyed for almost 30 years, I clearly remember my start in 1980. My advice is offered from the perspective of experience and having learned some lessons the hard way. You will have to do the same – but that doesn’t prevent me from wanting to share anyway. When you first start your job, be humble. You are not much more than potential to your employer at this point. You need to prove yourself, and it will take a while. Everything you do and say right now is a building block toward a reputation that you want to serve you well. The basics still matter. Be on time for work in the morning – even if others aren’t. Don’t be the first to scurry out the door at the end of the day. Dress professionally and neatly (within dress code standards), and always be well groomed. Take time to develop relationships you can trust. No one is your friend on your first day. I know, it sounds paranoid. I’m just saying be discreet with personal information you share, until you get the lay of the land. Minimize how much your personal life encroaches on your work life in your first weeks/months of employment. You don’t want to be perceived as constantly having to deal with car problems, doctor appointments, etc. Be reliable. Focus your efforts, work hard and smart, volunteer when people need help, and ask for advice when you need direction. Good work is always eventually recognized by competent management. Take responsibility for your work – the good, the bad and the ugly. Trust me, you will make mistakes. People will respect you for how you recover from them. When you succeed, accept accolades gracefully and share the credit vociferously with people who helped and supported you. Have realistic expectations about advancement. Over the years, I never asked when I would be promoted. However, there were many times I asked for more responsibility and more work. Later in my career, on several occasions, I pitched a position that would fulfill a need and proposed myself as the person to fill the role. Promotions came naturally, every 2 to 4 years. You can take the initiative to move your career along – but remember that the needs of the organization will always outweigh your personal desires. Finally – keep growing. Constantly strive for new learning to expand your skills, even if you have to do it on your own time. Business is always growing and changing. You need to be doing the same to stay competitive. The moment you think you have arrived and start relaxing, you start losing ground. Readers: What advice would you give to graduates just entering the work force? Please submit your thoughts as a comment to this blog.

Managing Up, Long Distance

For a large portion of my career, my boss worked in the main corporate headquarters while I lived and worked in a different part of the U.S. I almost consider working remotely the norm, and even prefer it! Working remotely requires skill in “managing up” – doing what you need to do in your work to contribute to your manager’s success. Some face time is still required for relationship-building purposes. There is huge value in seeing someone’s eyes and body language as they communicate with you. Many close working relationships start over lunch or dinner or in long business meetings where you are working toward a common goal. For almost 10 years, I only saw my boss when she or I traveled. She was my mentor, and many years later we remain close. Effective communication can take place over the telephone, and a regular appointment to touch base by phone should be part of your routine. You can analyze a tone of voice over the phone (“Whoops, I really ticked him off now!”), where one should not be read into the content of an email. Gather a list of things you need to talk about in between your calls, so you can be efficient and effective when the call takes place. Email is a great and horrible tool. But it is a critical means of communicating remotely. Always edit your emails before sending, especially if they are sensitive in any way. Remember, an email has the potential to come back and haunt you – in a performance evaluation, a disciplinary action, or even a legal deposition. But email is also a godsend. It allows you to carefully craft your message, organize your thoughts, and summarize important points on the record. Always, always, always think before sending. Status reports, submitted like clockwork, are a very important tool. Don’t load them up with lots of filler to make yourself appear busy. I used to organize my updates as “Accomplishments” for the week or month. If you have a long list, they should be grouped into logical categories. Brief, succinct bullets are better than long descriptive paragraphs, if you want your report to actually be read. Accomplishments are mini-goals achieved, not just how you spent your time. Quantify them as much as possible. (For example, “Executed and documented 5 out of 8 pending annual performance evaluations.”) Be thoughtful about your boss, as a professional and as a person. When they are busy and challenged, ask “How can I help you?” and take the initiative to do things you know will make your boss more successful. Remember, it’s not always about you. Consider doing something special to recognize your manager’s birthday or work anniversary. Offer your sincere congratulations when they have achieved a goal. These suggestions are directly related to managing up as well as relationship-building. Don’t allow negative emotions to fester. You can address them in a professional manner. A few examples: · “It’s important for you to know that I am feeling left out of what you and the rest of the team are working on. Can we talk about how I can be more involved from here?” · “When you said such-and-such, I felt as though I was being scolded and it hurt my feelings. I hope that was not your intent.” You can manage up from a distance. It just takes careful focus on communication and a lot of thoughtfulness. And you have to admit, there are many benefits to not having your boss looking over your shoulder all the time!

Regroup, Refuel, Recharge

The curse of having a passion for work is that sometimes we OVERwork ourselves, get run down and become less effective or inconsistent. We have to be smart about marshalling our physical resources for the long haul, which could be a single busy day or a project of weeks, months or even years. When there is a goal to reach and the work is exciting and stimulating, we may just want buckle down, kick butt, get results, and reap the reward. But in order to be truly successful, more attention must be paid to nurturing our energy for maximum performance. When possessed by a challenge do you sometimes skip a meal, forgo your normal workout, postpone going to the restroom, or work late into the night? If so, you may have trouble with insomnia, fatigue, nervous anxiety, and exhaustion. Taking care of yourself has to come first – even if you want to give your all to your career. Demanding positions may require you to work long hours and meet pressing deadlines. But there are basic things you should do to mitigate the effect of stress on your body and mind – steps you can take to ensure you stay effective: · Take a brief break every 90 to 120 minutes to refresh your focus. · Eat regular meals and healthy snacks in between. Food is fuel and you need it for energy. · Drink lots of water to avoid the ill effects of insidious dehydration. · Make time for exercise. Studies show a link between fitness and productivity/performance. · Get enough sleep (7 to 8 hours) on a regular basis. You are pushing yourself too hard when problems seem overwhelming, ideas elusive, and decisions impossible to make. Take steps to regroup, refuel, and recharge. This is not selfish – it’s just smart. For more information and inspiration, I recommend reading The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.