9 Posts Found

Levels’ Sam Corcos has tinkered with a few time management techniques over the years, but the biggest win came from ditching his to-do list altogether and leveraging his calendar instead. Tactically, if Corcos has a task that needs to be completed, he now blocks off time for it on his calendar. “I used to have the habit of overcommitting myself, which became a major source of … [ Read more ]

Author: Sam Corcos | Source: “The 30 Best Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs in 2021” | Original Publication: First Round Review | Subjects: Personal Improvement, Productivity/Work Tips

To get delegation right, begin by scheduling one-on-one conversations with each of your direct reports. Ask each direct report to list his or her key areas of responsibility. Then ask them, “Within this area of responsibility…

• Are there areas where I need to ‘let go’ or delegate more to you?
• Are there areas where I need to get more involved or provide more help to you?”

If you … [ Read more ]

Author: Marshall Goldsmith | Source: “Disastrous at Delegating? 4 Tips to Become a Pro!” | Subjects: Management, Personal Improvement, Productivity/Work Tips

Every three months, either by yourself or with your admin if you have one, audit your calendar, showing the percent of time you spent on each project, the percent of time you spent with individual leaders versus in large meetings, and the percent of time you spent recruiting versus managing versus building products (change these if not appropriate to your level and responsibilities). Then adjust … [ Read more ]

Author: Fidji Simo | Source: “How Facebook’s VP of Product Finds Focus and Creates Conditions for Intentional Work” | Original Publication: First Round Review | Subjects: Personal Improvement, Productivity/Work Tips

Every night, Marshall Goldsmith forces himself to do one of the most difficult things imaginable. He has a friend call him and ask the same 22 questions. These questions all start with the phrase, “Did I do my best [today] to,” and the endings may be strategic (“Did I do my best to set clear goals?”), professional (“…preserve all client relationships?”), philosophical (“…be grateful for … [ Read more ]

Author: Art Kleiner | Source: “Are Marshall Goldsmith’s Triggers the Only Way to Change?” | Original Publication: strategy+business | Subject: Personal Improvement

Collaborating effectively requires helping others. And helping others requires compassion, which in turn means learning about who they are and what they want. So in order to help my clients, at the start of each relationship, I devote two or three hours to asking the following questions:

• What are your proudest accomplishments and biggest disappointments?
• Which activities energize you and which drain you?
• How do other people

… [ Read more ]

Author: Susan Cramm | Source: “What’s Love Got to Do with Business?” | Original Publication: strategy+business | Subjects: Organizational Behavior, Personal Improvement

Breaking down functional silos is key to everything from encouraging communication to building valuable connections to sparking innovation. But, as we all know, bridging interdepartmental chasms is far easier said than done. Fortunately, some companies are starting to come up with creative solutions. Take, for example, Lunch Roulette, a new concept being used at the U.S. arm of pharmaceuticals manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim (BIPI).

Like many good … [ Read more ]

Author: Sylvia Ann Hewlett | Source: “A New Way to Network Inside Your Company” | Original Publication: Harvard Business Review | Subjects: Organizational Behavior, Personal Improvement

When Chip Bergh was made President and CEO of Levi Strauss, he spent the first month mostly listening. He came up with a set of standard questions: What three things must we preserve? What three things must we change? What do you most hope I will do? What are you most concerned I might do? What advice do you have for me? He sent the … [ Read more ]

Author: Chip Bergh | Source: “Navigating the First Year: Advice from 18 Chief Executives” | Original Publication: strategy+business | Subjects: Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Personal Improvement

The Problem
Subordinates don’t want to offend the boss. Therefore, as you become more senior in an organization, you tend to get less feedback. Over time, you risk growing confused about your development needs and becoming isolated from criticism. While many senior executives do have outside mentors, because they do not directly observe the executive their advice is only as good as the narrative … [ Read more ]

Author: Robert S. Kaplan | Source: “Top Executives Need Feedback—Here’s How They Can Get It” | Original Publication: The McKinsey Quarterly | Subjects: Career/Employment, Personal Improvement

Establish a regular review process for yourself, your team, and your organization to reflect on the reasons for both your failures and successes. This is a fundamental and critical component of learning. Based on the input of everyone involved, some organizations produce substantial documents or booklets on “lessons learned” following a major new product, service, or business launch.

Subjects: Knowledge Management, Management, Organizational Behavior, Personal Improvement