November 2022
The holidays are almost here! Please note that I’ll be taking a brief hiatus from this newsletter during the month of December and will be back in January 2023. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
– CURVEBALL OF THE MONTH –
We’ve all seen the recent headlines outlining the continuing series of layoffs in iconic tech brands—from Meta to Salesforce to Amazon—along with lesser-known companies. Few seem immune from the double whammy of growing too fast during the pandemic and not anticipating the current global economic pullback.
We all feel for the people who have lost their jobs during these times, and it is heartening to see so many offers of support to help those impacted by this curveball become reemployed.
But what about leaders like you who (thankfully) still have a job? You might feel relieved, but you also now need to deal with workloads and expectations that have not shifted, where you still have to deliver the same results with fewer people. No backfills are allowed, and hiring freezes are in place indefinitely. This is now your curveball.
Of course, you can prioritize work, making some hard choices about what can and cannot be done under these constraints. But one other option is to consider how you can make the most of the resources you do have. How can you tap into the under-utilized skills and experience of the people you have left on your team? How can you discover and deploy talents that have possibly been dormant for a while?
As just one example, perhaps you have a team member who has solid experience (and a desire to use it) as an analyst from a previous role. Could that skill set be used to help the team build a different staffing approach to their work, or in another capacity?
We know from the field of Positive Psychology that taking a strengths-based approach (vs. focusing on constraints and gaps in your workforce) can yield multiple benefits. By identifying and connecting people to their strengths, you can not only accelerate their development but also uncover hidden talents that can accelerate goal attainment for everyone. Even more importantly, this is a way to build engagement and connection to their work.
A simple way to do this is to have your team members take the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. This is a free self-assessment that takes 10 minutes and provides a wealth of information to help you and your team members understand, and mine, their best qualities. VIA Reports provide personalized, in-depth analysis of these results, including actionable tips to apply your strengths to find greater well-being.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s a simple, science-based, practical (and did I already say “free”?) survey that can make a real difference in this challenging environment.
– GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK! –
One of the simplest (and cheapest) ways to practice recovery during our busy lives is to spend some time outdoors. Those of us who live in the Bay Area are fortunate that that we can stroll, cycle, run and do other activities outdoors pretty much year-round. But you don’t have to live in a temperate climate to take advantage of the respite that Mother Nature offers, and you don’t have to trek to some far-off wooded area, beach or national park.
Just sitting outdoors, walking to the store instead of driving, or taking part of your daily exercise outside can provide countless benefits. Exposure to the outdoors increases your uptake of serotonin (a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body and plays a key role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health and sexual desire), while causing a decrease in cortisol (the primary stress hormone, which, over time, can put you at increased risk of many health problems, including anxiety, depression, digestive issues, weight gain, muscle tension and pain).
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there!
– CHECK THIS OUT… –
There are many, many apps out there that help you learn to meditate, practice mindfulness, and gain a different perspective on the many challenges we all face. Right now, I am really enjoying the Waking Up app, which is described as “a new operating system for your mind.”
The app is derived from the book of the same name by Sam Harris, a well-known author, neuroscientist and philosopher. What I love about Harris’s philosophy and the app is his practical, science-based approach to learning the why and the how of mindfulness. He shares his own teachings, as well as a curated panel of experts who share their perspectives on how to build consciousness in an ever-faster-paced world. They help you build confidence in what you are learning, even if you’re brand new to meditation.
I appreciate simplicity and the one-minute “daily message” that appears on my phone each morning, together with the 10-minute daily meditation that makes it easy for me to start my day. If I want to dig deeper into related subjects and philosophies, I can do that through the extensive library of materials that come with the app.
This one works for me; I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think.
– HELPING YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH UNCERTAINTY –
These are challenging times for leaders, but here are some ways you can get yourself (and your team) ready for anything:
Sign up for my 4-week online leadership course, Leading through Uncertainty
Purchase copies of my leadership book, When the Curveballs Keep Coming: A Leadership Playbook for Uncertain Times (corporate volume discounts available)
Watch video of my TEDx Talk on “Curveballs and Blindspots: Navigating Uncertainty” (Now with over 1 million views on YouTube!)
Contact me to find out more about my organizational consulting and advising services and speaking engagements
