Business Tips:

Teamwork

• Address disagreements and find common ground

• An acknowledgement of good work shouldn't just flow from the top down

• Ask your employee to state their key takeaways from the conversation.

• Avoid focusing on the negative. Consider positive "what if" situations. I.E. What if this idea isn't stupid, but is what moves us forward? What if this improves how we work as a team? What if the management team loves my idea?

• Avoid generalization. Resist the urge to zero in on a single negative event and instead consider your performance in total.

• Be an inspiration

• Be authentic

• Become a good listener

• Become and expert facilitator

• Change your approach based on the situation

• Clarify and contrast: "I'm saying…, I'm not saying…"

• Create a culture where expressing appreciation is the norm. Recognition is often a more powerful motivating force than monetary incentives. And an acknowledgement of good work shouldn’t just flow from the top down. Make it a norm for peers to express appreciation for one another as well.

• Develop a positive attitude

• Develop situation awareness and foresight

• Discover your abilities and shortcomings

• Distinguish between "complicated" and "complex" issues. They require different solutions.

• Don’t go it alone. Connect with your peers who have their own set of experiences and perspectives to draw from.

• Embrace the discomfort of not knowing. Move from a know-it-all to a learn-it-all mindset. You don’t need to have all the answers.

• Find a mentor

• Identify you abilities and shortcomings

• Improve your hard skills

• Invest time in bonding over non-work topics. The best teams aren’t more effective because they work all the time. In fact, discussing things not related to work — sports, books, and family, for example — reveal shared interests, allowing people to connect in genuine ways, which yields closer friendships and better teamwork.

• It's ok not to know. Move from a know-it-all to a learn-it-all mindset. You don't need to have all the answers.

• Learn to be decisive

• Let go of perfectionism. Instead, aim for progress, expect mistakes, and recognize that you have the ability to continually course correct as needed.

• Make it a norm for peers to express appreciation for one another as well

• Put a premium on authenticity. It’s important to create an environment where employees feel comfortable candidly expressing both positive and negative emotions — as well as complimenting and joking with teammates.

• Recognize your mistakes and keep growing

• Reiterate key takeaways from a conversation

• Resist the urge to oversimplify and come to quick conclusions. Take a disciplined approach to understanding both the complexity of the situation and your own biases.

• Set a timer for 30 minutes and allow yourself to fully experience and process your emotions. Once the timer goes off, make a conscious choice about how to put those feelings behind you and move forward.

• Show specific appreciation before laying out criticism. They’ll be more likely to be receptive to your feedback if they trust that you value them.

• State your positive intentions. Something as simple as "I'm in your corner" can go a long way

• Take on more responsibilities

• Think about what could go “right.” To avoid focusing on the negative, consider positive “what if” situations. For example: What if this idea isn’t stupid, but is the breakthrough that moves the project forward? What if this proposal revolutionizes how we work as a team? What if the senior leadership team loves my presentation?

• Timebox your feelings. Set a timer for between 30-50 minutes (the time it typically takes for feelings like shame to dissipate) and allow yourself to fully experience and process your emotions. Once the timer goes off, make a conscious choice about how to put those feelings behind you and move forward.

• Zoom out. Taking a broad, systemic view of the issues at hand can reveal unexamined assumptions that would otherwise be invisible.