Episode 130 - When to Set a Deadline

Summary

Deadlines can help us, but they can also take us away from what’s most important. This week we explore when to set a deadline.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 130 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are looking at when to set a deadline.

Deadlines can be really helpful if we use them well. I’ve spoken before about the mere urgency effect - that we tend to focus our attention and efforts towards tasks with a deadline over and above other far more important tasks that don’t have a deadline. Deadlines attract our attention and energy. So if we set deadlines for things that aren’t important, they will draw out attention and energy away from the things that really matter.

But we can use this effect to our advantage. There are plenty of things in life that are important but never really urgent. Things like planning, rest and recovery, exercise, connections with others. We need to schedule these things into our calendar - effectively giving them a deadline.

Here is one example from my own business. Every Monday at 8.30am I review progress against a range of targets for my business. That includes the usuals like sales and delivery, and things like podcast and app downloads. But it also includes exercise, social connections, and time spent away from my family, which I try to keep within a tight range. It’s a routine - a not negotiable. Having a deadline on this helps draw my attention and energy. I can then look at these measures and schedule any actions needed over the coming weeks. It helps me to remain proactive and focused.

So this week, think of the important things in your life that you may have been neglecting. Put them in your calendar with a deadline.

Episode 129 - Community Multiplies Support

Summary

If you needed help, who would you turn to? The amount of support we receive depends on how well those people are interconnected. Community multiplies support.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 129 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how community multiplies support.

If you needed help, who would you turn to? Most of us have a few friends or work colleagues that we can turn to for help. But how supportive do you think these people would be?

It turns out that how much these colleagues and friends know and like each other has an impact on the level of support we feel we receive. The more those we seek support from are connected with each other in community, the greater the support we experience.

Researchers describe this as network density - the extent to which individuals in the network are interconnected in positive and supportive relationships.

David Lee from the University of Buffalo describes it this way - "The more cohesive, the more dense this network you have, the more you feel you can rely on them for support. It matters if your friends can depend on each other, just like you depend on them.”

Jonathan Stahl, another member of the same research team, put it this way "You can have two friends who are both very supportive of you, but if they are both friends with each other, that makes you feel even more supported.”

So it’s not just the number of connections that matter, but also how much those connections are in community with each other.

We know that connections and feeling like we belong matter at work. This research shows that as we build community and connections in the workplace, there is increased potential for people to feel supported by others. 

As a leader, you can strengthen your team by investing in team building. Help those in your team to build connections with each other and provide support. Being in a community multiplies support.

Reference

David S. Lee, Jonathan L. Stahl, Joseph B. Bayer. Social Resources as Cognitive Structures: Thinking about a Dense Support Network Increases Perceived Support. Social Psychology Quarterly, 2020; 019027252093950 DOI: 10.1177/0190272520939506

Episode 128 - The Power of Options

Summary

Generating more options increases the chances of better outcomes, particularly when faced with uncertainty. That’s the power of options.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 128 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are looking at the power of options.

Options are powerful. One characteristic of those with high levels of hope is a focus on multiple pathways. When they’re faced with a challenge or obstacle, those with hope quickly determine options to still reach their goals.

But what about you? When you’re faced with a challenge or problem, how many options do you typically come up with?

When we encounter a challenge, most of us tend to generate one option and then run with that. We generally go with the most obvious idea that first crosses our mind. What are the chances of that being the best option? Pretty slim. 

I once heard someone say that the best idea is number 2.5. What did they mean by that? Well, idea one is rarely the best. Idea two is usually better than idea one. Idea three is often a little too far out to be practical. So the best idea is 2.5 - combining idea two and idea three as a new option. The principle here is that we are far better off generating multiple options, then choosing the most appropriate even if that means combining some ideas.

Yet in those moments our brains are desperate for certainty and conclusion. That’s why we so often stop at option one. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Recognise that option generation and option evaluation are two distinct steps. If we are trying to evaluate our options while we generate them, we will often throw out too many options that could have merit. Instead, spend time generating multiple options before evaluating them.

2. Use a coach. I’m a big fan of peer coaching and include it in every leadership program I design. Having someone asking you for further options and guiding you towards new areas is extremely helpful.

3. Consider where you come up with your best ideas. Most people develop their best ideas when they’re relaxed, maybe having a shower or going for a walk, and when they’re interacting with others. Make sure you give your brain time to relax and consider options, and bring others around you to bounce ideas off.

So options are powerful. Don’t get stuck on option one, but always take the time to explore other alternatives.

Episode 127 - Better Together - Challenge and Support

Summary

In teams we can take either a challenging or a supportive role, but they’re even better together.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 127 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how challenge and support are better together.

When working in teams, there are two main roles we can take to improve performance and build cohesion. The first is the challenging role. This is where we focus on new ideas and efficiency, while also challenging the way things are currently done. This helps the team to find new ways and implement improvements, but it can also be confronting for those who would rather leave things the way they are which, let’s face it, is most people. The second role is supportive. Here we focus on strengthening team bonds, building trust and increasing friendly interactions within the team. This helps the team to get along and work well together, but isn’t necessarily focused on performance and improvements.

People can take on either a challenging role or a supportive role. Some even manage to take on both. But who do we really want on our teams?

A recent study In the Journal of Management looked at both the challenging and supportive roles people took on, and their likelihood of being chosen for new teams. The study used MBA students who had worked on team projects together and asked them to then select who they would most like to work with in a future team. Who do you think were the most popular choices?

When people were choosing between those taking on what researchers described as a challenging voice or a supportive voice, it was the supportive people who were selected most often. As the researchers described “Having a positive reputation for good work goes a long way, but so does just being a good person. People want to work with those who they feel comfortable with.” In fact, people are willing to sacrifice performance to work with people who are trustworthy and friendly.

The most desired team members were those who combined challenging and supportive roles. They are able to focus on new ideas and improvements, while still bringing the team together towards these goals. This combination helps with unity and performance.

How do we apply this research?

If you’re new to an organisation or team, it is helpful to be open in your desire to support others and build cohesion. If you lead with the supportive role, it’s much easier to then take on a challenging role in the team.

Perhaps you’re already great at building the team and supporting others. You might want to explore how to increase the challenging role.

Or maybe you love being the devil’s advocate, constantly challenging old ways of doing things. This research suggests you will be even more effective if you also seek to support others and build team work. This will help others to listen to and accept your ideas.

So this week, try to support and challenge - they’re better together.

Reference

Daniel W. Newton, Melissa Chamberlin, Cynthia K. Maupin, Jennifer D. Nahrgang, Dorothy R. Carter. Voice as a Signal of Human and Social Capital in Team Assembly Decisions. Journal of Management, 2021; 014920632110313 DOI: 10.1177/01492063211031303

Episode 126 - Pay Attention

Summary

Attention is a limited resource, but clear goals and regular feedback can help us to stay focused.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 126 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how clear goals and regular feedback can help us to stay focused.

Attention is a limited resource. It can be hard to maintain your attention on one task over an extended period of time. You can think of attention like a tank that is gradually depleted over time. Even when people report that they are engaged with a task, the research demonstrates that their attention will wane. The person may not even notice this happening, but their thoughts and attention will start to drift to unrelated areas. This is particularly a problem in activities that require sustained attention where missing a rare event can lead to significant negative outcomes. This includes jobs like air traffic control and security screening. These jobs require individuals to always focus on the task at hand, but can also become repetitive and boring over time. But there are some ways leaders can help their people to maintain engagement and attention, as highlighted by recently published research from the University of Texas.

Researcher Matthew Robison and team put participants through their paces on tasks that required high levels of attention. They varied the clarity of goals and level of feedback received. The researchers found that while people maintain attention better with clear goals, it is regular feedback that really makes a difference. Combining clear goals and frequent feedback appear to help people to maintain their attention over a longer period of time. This worked even more effectively than offering cash payments. Feedback by itself was helpful in reducing task-unrelated thoughts, leading to less distraction.

As a leader, this yet another example of how clear goals and regular feedback help. But there are limits. The researchers caution against setting up jobs and tasks that require sustained human attention. We need to design work that allows for reduced attention over time with frequent breaks and task variety. Have a great week.

Reference

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211028143651.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain%2Fneuroscience+%28Neuroscience+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Episode 125 - The Three Stages in Any Meeting

Summary

Sat through a bad meeting recently? There are three stages we need to get right in any meeting to make it effective.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 125 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how to make meetings more effective by concentrating on three stages.

When people complain about meetings, it’s usually about how they are run rather than the meeting itself. Ineffective meetings often end up leading to even more meetings. Being able to plan and run an effective meeting is a core skill for any leader. Recognising the three key stages in any meeting can make a huge difference. 

Every meeting should have three clear stages - opening, exploring, and closing. As I describe these stages, think about any that you are already great at, and any that you tend to overlook. 

Let’s start with the opening stage. Here we are clarifying why we are here. What’s the purpose of this meeting? What’s the range across which we are working? What freedom and authority do we have? What are the expectations for those attending? This stage opens up the discussion by laying out the playing field. Wherever possible, the purpose and structure of the meeting should be shared with participants beforehand. Everyone should know why they are there and how they can contribute. 

Next comes the exploring stage. Here we are staying within the range we have established, but being creative. We are exploring the issues from all angles and generating new ideas.

During the closing stage, we make and note decisions, work out next steps, and clearly note who is accountable for what.

Consider what happens when these stages are missing or not managed well. Without an effective opening, people may be unclear about their role and how they should contribute. Without an effective exploring stage, people may feel like their ideas and contributions aren’t valued. They might wonder why the meeting couldn’t have just been an email. Without an effective closing stage, the team may fail to capture decisions and next steps. They may be left with lots of ideas that are leading nowhere. 

Okay - time for a quick self-assessment. Which of these three stages do you tend to do well, and which might you neglect? I always need to be conscious of the closing stage. I tend to cover the opening and exploring stages quite well, but sometimes rush over the decisions and next steps. So now I ensure I’ve dedicated enough time and attention to closing. Having a clear agenda helps remind me to cover these final details.

Try thinking about the three stages for your next meeting. 

Episode 124 - Change the Plan, Not the Goal

Summary

When we’re faced with an obstacle or opportunity, it’s important to change the plan, and not the goal.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 124 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re considering why, when we’re faced with an obstacle or opportunity, it’s important to change the plan, and not the goal.

We face change every day of our lives. In leadership roles it can be hard to know how to handle ongoing change and uncertainty. When change occurs one of the criticisms leaders might face is that they’re constantly moving the goal posts. People might feel like things are shifting all the time and therefore become confused and demotivated. There are some simple ways to avoid this criticism and, more importantly, help people remain clear and motivated.

One of the issues is that leaders often confuse goals and plans, using the terms interchangeably. As a result, people can feel rightly confused about what they should be doing. A simple way of thinking about a goal is that it’s like a flag on a hill. It’s the end point that we are heading towards. Just like getting to a flag on a hill though, there are multiple pathways that we might take. A plan is like one of these pathways - it’s the approach we have chosen to reach the goal. Our organisations and teams are constantly faced with opportunities and threats. These might block some pathways or make new pathways available. Great leaders are attuned to these changes. They are willing to change the plan to allow for these opportunities and threats. After all, there’s little point trying to stay on a pathway that is blocked. But great leaders also try to keep the goal constant. They explain how any changes to the plan are to help the team reach the ultimate goal. They are also clear upfront - they don’t confuse or combine the goal and the plan. 

Less effective leaders keep shifting and changing goals when faced with opportunities and threats. If the plan doesn’t work, they also throw out the goal. This confuses people, as it requires a new goal and plan. It also makes all the work performed to date feel like a waste of time.

So next time you are faced with an opportunity or obstacle, focus on any changes required to the plan while reinforcing that the goal has remained unchanged. Your people will thank you.

Episode 123 - Learning at Double Speed

Summary

Our brain has an amazing ability to learn at double speed. Maybe we should use it more.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 123 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re looking at our brain’s amazing ability to learn at double speed.

No doubt you’ve listened to a podcast or audio book at double speed. Maybe you’re even doing it now! Our ability to still absorb information when it is coming at us twice as fast is quite amazing. But surely there’s a drop off in how much we’re actually taking in. Well, according to a recent study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology, apparently not.

The researchers split participants into different groups to watch videos at normal speed, 1.5 times, 2 times and 2.5 times. Participants were then tested on their knowledge immediately following the videos and one week later. Surprisingly, the 1.5 times and 2 times groups performed just as well as those participants that watched the video at normal speed. Only the 2.5 times group showed a drop in performance.

The researchers then examined what happened if you watched the same video at 2 times speed twice. I’ve run the maths here, and that’s the same overall commitment of time as watching the video once at normal speed. When participants viewed the video twice at double speed, their performance on a comprehension test increased, particularly when the second viewing was immediately before the test. Their performance was about the same as participants who watched the video at normal speed first then double speed the second time. Even though participants believed watching the video at normal speed first would be better, it made no difference to watching it double speed.

Perhaps you’re like these participants and think “surely I can’t take information in that quickly”. Why not experiment with it this week. You might start by listening or watching the same content at double speed twice.

Give it a try and let me know how it works out.

Reference 

https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/12/21/watching-a-lecture-twice-at-double-speed-can-benefit-learning-better-than-watching-it-once-at-normal-speed/ 

Episode 122 - Feedback Isn't Coaching

Summary

It’s easy for leaders to confuse feedback and coaching, but they are quite different.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 122 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re looking at the objectives of feedback and coaching, and why it’s important to understand how best to apply them.

Feedback and coaching are two core skills that all leaders need. However, we can often confuse the goals of feedback and coaching. As a result, we may be unclear about the type of conversation we’re having, confusing those we are speaking with. 

When we are providing feedback, the main goal is to increase awareness. This usually includes making someone aware of the impact they are having on others, either positive or negative.

When we are having a coaching conversation, the main goal is development. It isn’t primarily about the impact a person is having, but rather about ways they can become even better.

We need awareness before development. It’s almost impossible to develop if you don’t believe there is an opportunity to improve. But raising awareness, in and of itself, is not development. 

Here is where things can sometimes go wrong. A leader might frame a discussion as if it is coaching, when really they just want to provide feedback. Or the leader might offer someone feedback, when really they just want to tell the person what to do differently next time. 

Feedback can be a powerful tool to demonstrate progress and to identify strengths the person doesn’t see in themselves. Feedback might be something that encourages a person to continue developing and improving. Feedback can lead to an opportunity to coach someone, but feedback and coaching are different types of conversations.

If you’re going to have a conversation with an individual, try to keep it either focused on feedback or on coaching depending upon the goal. Combining or confusing the two often reduces the effectiveness of the conversation. 

So keep in mind - the goal of feedback is to increase awareness, while the goal of coaching is ongoing development. Be clear about what you are providing and why. Think about things from the perspective of the other person - what do they need from you? What is going to help them to progress?

And the most important take-away is that great leaders provide lots of feedback and undertake lots of coaching conversations. The really great leaders seek out feedback and coaching for themselves. Have a great week.

Go to leadership.today for further information.

Episode 121 - Want Versus Will

Summary

In this episode we explore how the language we use can either help or hinder our achievement of goals.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 121 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. Firstly, welcome to 2022! It’s great to be back with you after a short break. I hope you and your loved ones are keeping well. I’m expectant about what 2022 holds for leaders. We’re making lots of progress when it comes to flexible working. The global pandemic has really forced us all to stop and think about what we’re trying to achieve and the best way to get there. 

How are those New Years’ resolutions going? If you’re like most people the goals you set are probably starting to slip. Given we know so much about goal setting, why is it that we just can’t seem to follow through with our goals? I believe one of the key issues we face is the language we use when setting goals. The way we express our goals has a flow on impact to our motivation and commitment.

Consider the following goal. This year I want to finish work by 5pm each day. That seems, on the surface, to be a pretty well constructed goal. It’s clear, measurable and is probably achievable. The catch is the use of the word “want”. When we say we want to do something, we’re indicating a preference rather than a commitment. If I want to finish work by 5pm, but I have lots of work on, it’s pretty easy to push this preference to one side. And when we’ve done that once, it’s easy to keep letting the goal slip again and again until the goal is long forgotten. 

Compare that with the same goal, but this time using the word “will”. This year I will finish work by 5pm each day. Using the word “will” turns the goal into a commitment and not just a preference. The wording indicates that we have decided to make this change. Imagine sharing that goal with a friend or colleague. The commitment then is clear.

Think about the goals you have set in the past that you’ve struggled to keep. Was the commitment clear in the way you expressed the goal?

It might sound like we’re just playing words here, but expressing your goals as a commitment rather than a preference makes a big difference.

This week, try to express a new goal as a “will” not a “want”. See you next week.