Great on the Job

10/30/2024

If you know me or you've seen me in action, you know everything I believe in is grounded in the GIFT of Great on the Job:

🎁 Generosity
💪🏽 Initiative
🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️ Forward Momentum
🫧 Transparency

You can't be a great leader without embodying each one of these:

Generosity: Listen intently; share time, info, and resources; give credit and praise liberally; invest in others by giving meaningful feedback regularly. Ask yourself: how can I make my team's life better or easier?

Initiative: Raise your hand and ask for opportunity; create opportunity for everyone who works for you; take a personal interest (beyond the office!); recognize burnout, practice self-care and encourage others to do the same; mentor and sponsor talent (especially talent that doesn't look like you).

Forward Momentum: Always think two steps ahead; focus on the future; make sure your teams know the next best thing is always ahead of you.

Transparency: Build trust by keeping people in the loop; never assume asymmetric information is power—make people better by sharing what you know; raise problems early; be vulnerable.

10/28/2024

Have you ever worked for a great boss?

What about a not-so-great boss?

Who did you do better work for?

10/25/2024

Want to improve your teams' output, creativity, and results by 30% today? Researchers found that inclusive teams perform up to 30% better in high-diversity environments.

When everyone feels...

✅ safe to speak up
✅ like they belong
✅ empowered to ask questions
✅ unafraid to push back or challenge assumptions
..you get a high-performing team. So, what can you do today to create an inclusive team?

✳️ Make sure there is an open exchange of ideas
✳️ Make sure you seek out and encourage diverse perspectives.
✳️ Make sure you don't just listen to the "loudest voice" in the room
✳️ Make sure you offer a continuous feedback loop

But most of all, make sure there is a clear message: "I'VE GOT YOUR BACK."

10/23/2024

Are you playing to win? Or playing not to lose...

Knowing the difference is part of the "Secret Sauce" of high-performing teams.

10/21/2024

Any ideas on what the "Secret Sauce" of high-performing teams is?

Come on, let's play a guessing game. How about:

People with similar backgrounds? Or different ones?
Introverts v. extroverts? A mix of both?
Gender balance?
How long we've worked together?
Whether or not we hang out outside of work?
..Turns out (of course) that researchers do have the answer, and it has nothing to do with WHO is on the team or the characteristics of any individual team members.

Stumped yet? Keep guessing in the comment section below, and I'll make a big reveal on Wednesday. Who said FB wasn't fun? 😄

10/18/2024

Okay, since we talked about strong teams this week, it's only fair to dish on weak teams. What's the poorest performing team you've ever been a part of? Let's not name names, but I'd like to hear what made the team fall apart instead of coming together...

10/14/2024

We all know the data—the numbers are dismal when it comes to employee engagement. But if you're one of the lucky few who ARE engaged at work, chances are you probably have a highly empathetic boss to boot.

76% of professionals with highly empathetic senior leaders report feeling often or always engaged, whereas only 32% say the same thing with leaders who lack empathy.

Unengaged team members bring everyone down, like a set of dominoes. Lift your teams up. Practice empathy. Listen, learn, ask questions. Care.

10/11/2024

How important is empathy from senior leaders on your team? Depends on how much innovation matters to your team... I'm guessing a lot, right?

In a survey of nearly 900 employees, Catalyst found that 61% of workers with highly empathetic senior leaders reported being innovative at work versus only 13% of workers with less empathetic leaders.

Want innovation? Do an empathy audit and make sure your team members feel seen, valued, cared about, and supported.

10/09/2024

Empathy in action: I learned that my dad was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer as I sat in my cube at Goldman Sachs. My manager came over, gave me a hug, ushered me out the door, and told me to take all the time I needed. He ended with: "Let us know what else we can do to help."

I lived and worked through four more years on Wall Street because I had the support I needed. When your employees experience empathetic leadership, they have:

Increased Productivity
More Positivity
Better Innovation
Stronger Belonging

I'll never forget Goldman being a force for good in those dark days, helping me be the best daughter (and banker) I could be...

10/08/2024

You don't need Doctor Google to diagnose an unhealthy work environment. Just look for these symptoms:

❌ Burnout
❌ Poor employee mental health
❌ Lack of belonging / community
❌ A feeling of being undervalued

The cure for many? A massive dose of empathy...

I like the definition of empathy as "The skill of connecting with others to identify and understand their thoughts, perspectives, and emotions."

Like so many things, empathy starts at the top with our leaders and can mean all the difference between a healthy and unhealthy workplace, especially during layoffs and economic uncertainty.

Where do you see empathy playing a role in your workplace?

10/05/2024

Someone asked me the BEST question this week: What are good questions to ask when you get a chance to meet a VIP at a networking event (and you’re trying to impress)?

I gave them the advice I give in this video, but I'd love to hear from you: What's the best question anyone has ever asked you about your career?

10/04/2024

Hey managers: negative high-quality feedback — providing concrete advice and specific examples — retains MORE employees than positive low-quality feedback. Read that sentence again. Workers are "63% more likely to quit within the next 12 months" when they don't feel like feedback goes beyond a surface, general level. So the 'ole "you're doing great!" —not at all helpful. How do you tailor your feedback to keep people engaged and motivated, even when it's a tough conversation?

A new analysis of 13,000 performance reviews finds high-performers and women get the lowest quality feedback, which could lead them to quit.

10/02/2024

Do you get my newsletter? Read the October issue of Level Up over on LinkedIn if you want to tackle one specific, discrete, dare I say easy to fix aspect of your executive presence today and see a meaningful impact tomorrow.

Executive Presence is a topic that elicits tons of conversation and plenty of controversy. Some people "got it" — and lots more don't.

09/30/2024

Do we really all have to give 100+% always? It's effin exhausting, and maybe not good for us either. I love this idea: "What if everyone just relaxed, and instead of focusing on the best we can be, we just tried to be good enough? In an age where you're supposed to optimize everything, maybe it's fine to just be … fine."

Read the article, and let me know your thoughts (& hacks) in the comments...

In the age where you're supposed to optimize everything, maybe it's fine to just be fine.

09/27/2024

Not all wins translate into $$$. Think outside the box when you're highlighting your worth at work. Did you save your manager time or resources? Did you level-up your team? What impressive numbers can you list to show the value you bring to the company?

09/23/2024

What is the difference between bragging and spotlighting? Bragging = ick. Spotlight = YES! Think about the parts of your job that are invisible to people who don't work closely with you. Did you delight a client with a "thinking of you?" Did you land an impressive deal? Talk about it. The next time someone asks you how you are, tell them about your win. That is spotlighting.

09/20/2024

When I worked at Goldman Sachs, my non-negotiable was never missing a friend's wedding. Sure, I ate dinner at the office and missed Sunday brunch with friends, but I would be sitting courtside at every wedding aisle.

What are your non-negotiables at work?

09/18/2024

I'm excited to share ACP's latest podcast with you. I talk about challenges I faced early in my career and how I overcame these obstacles. Please take a listen and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

In this episode, we dive into a compelling conversation with Jodi Glickman, a distinguished Harvard Business writer, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Great o...