— Executive Aid Station —
Bobbie LaPorte & Associates
March 2022
Like the aid stations that help athletes make it through an endurance race, this Executive Aid Station is a place for you to take a brief respite from your busy day, reflect, and learn something new to help fuel your personal and professional success.
Business Update: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
There is no doubt that the last 2+ years gave many of us pause to think about what is important to us. Many leaders I know took the opportunity to reflect on their current roles, consider what was giving them joy vs. what was missing, and ask the question: “Is this really what I want to be doing for the next 2-3 years?”
Of course, there are many reasons why professionals make career moves or substantive changes in roles and organizational settings. But the one I am hearing most is:
“I am spending so much time on organizational issues, political dynamics, process, and just plain old BS that I wonder why I am here.”
Ah. Yes, that does tend to happen when you are moving up in an organization that is scaling. Process, structure, other people’s agendas, and the ensuing inertia all seem to get in the way of progress—for you, at least.
So how do you think about this, to determine whether you should go or stay? Here are a few questions for you to consider:
- What aspects of your work do you most enjoy?
- What things do you not enjoy doing? Note: we all have some administrative part of our jobs we don’t like but still have to do. I’m talking about the more substantive parts of your job that are making you question your current role.
- How can you bring more of the things you like to do into your work?
Training Update: Progress, Not Perfection
One silver lining of the COVID pandemic is that many of us took stock of what’s most important to us and rearranged our priorities to make time for activities we may have put aside in a pre-COVID world—like exercise.
I have heard from many leaders who say they reconnected to some regular form of exercise during the long shutdowns and found that has helped them regain perspective and deal with the stress and anxiety of the pandemic.
Unfortunately, now that we’re returning to a more normal work schedule, many leaders are seeing increasing demands on their work commitments. So we’re back to the dilemma of how to fit in time to exercise regularly.
I struggle with that in my own schedule. I start off each day with good intentions, downloading the workout that’s on my calendar. But then, as the day goes on, I end up not having time to do the full workout. Being the personality type I am, I want to log it on my schedule as complete—not just done half-way.
And that sets me up for missing key workouts just because I don’t have time to do the entire thing. As my Ironman coach says: “You can’t make up workouts you miss. But doing something is better than doing nothing at all.”
I have a hard time with this, but I know he’s right. Movement—any movement—is good.
So, for all you Type A perfectionists (you know who you are!): go easy on yourself.
— Insights —
Podcast Preview
My client and good friend, Judy Dang, is the productivity guru for modern professionals. Judy founded Avid at Work to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into action. Instead of getting pulled in different directions by 57 projects and never finishing them, her clients learn to cut through the noise to focus on priorities that drive their business forward.
Judy is also very generous in highlighting other service providers from whom she feels her growing audience can benefit. She produces a popular video series called Experts on Call, where she interviews over 40 experts, thought leaders, and influencers for the latest strategies and advice on how to survive and even thrive beyond the pandemic. I was privileged to be a guest last year, and highly recommend this practical and easy-to-access series:
What I'm Reading
Fit CEO: Be the Leader of Your Life
by Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann and Lillian So
We get it: you’re busy. Whether you’re acting as the CEO of a company, a family, or a career, it’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t have time to focus on your health. But getting fit doesn’t have to be another chore added to your already packed schedule.
My colleague and former Citigroup executive and CEO consultant Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann teams up with personal trainer and life coach Lilian So to introduce simple, fun habits for total health and well-being. Short, down-to-earth stories from Macieira-Kaufmann’s life and career show you how staying healthy as an in-demand CEO is not only possible but can feel almost effortless—with the right strategies. So’s simple and practical exercises will have you making changes to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health right away.
Learn more or buy online at fitceobook.com.
Leadership Tip: Help Your Team Find Meaning
Recently I’ve been hearing from many leaders about their team members not finding enough meaning and satisfaction in their work. And while this is not a new theme, it is now amplified in a workplace where there is growing distrust of management, a lack of social connection in a remote environment, and a general sense of wondering what work is all about.
The next time you have 1:1s with your direct reports, acknowledge their value and how their contributions help the broader organization succeed. Then ask them the following simple questions:
- What do you like most about your work?
- What else could you be doing that you are not doing today that would help the team?
This will acknowledge how they are currently contributing, but also open up possibilities for them to do more. By starting a conversation, you can gain a better understanding of what they enjoy doing and what matters to them.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to acknowledge the contributions your team members make. And this simple action could be the best insurance policy you can have to help your team find meaning in their work before they say, “Peace Out.”
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GET READY FOR CURVEBALLS
Hardback, paperback and e-book versions of When the Curveballs Keep Coming: A Leadership Playbook for an Uncertain World are now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
