INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)
What’s the key to happiness at work? I recently discovered a pretty definitive answer via an analysis of 132 studies incorporating one million employees. The meta-analysis found that the most important thing is the existence of two kinds of trust; interpersonal and institutional.
It’s that simple, and that difficult. I’ve written a lot about how to foster trust in the workplace. I wanted to add to the mix the perspective from this article about some of the best ways to create a trusting work environment. I’ll keep it simple:
1. Be transparent
2. Be predictable
3. Trust others yourself
4. Prioritize collaboration
That’s it. Ask yourself, “Am I doing all I can on these four fronts?” and the net result will be trust and happiness.
And couldn’t we all use more of that?
IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)
I conducted research among over 300 pairs of bosses and subordinates. They were each asked, “What does your boss (or employee) expect from you?” In a whopping 81% of the cases, there were material breaches in understanding of the most basic expectations each had of the other.
You’re likely not as clear on what’s expected of you as you think you are. It’s an easy trap to fall into. But being unclear on expectations is one of the most common reasons why good relationships turn sour.
Sit down with your manager and ask eight questions to drive supreme clarity on what’s expected of you:
1. What does good performance look like? What does great performance look like?
2. Assume I get great results – what behaviors do you want/not want as I get those results?
3. What metrics/goals are most important to you and why?
4. These are my top priorities. Are they consistent with yours?
5. This is how I’m spending my time. Does it feel like it’s supporting what’s most important?
6. What specifically will get you promoted, and how can I best contribute to that?
7. What should I stop, start, continue doing to succeed?
8. Think of the most effective employee you’ve ever had. What made them so effective?
IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)
Research shows that 80% of the stress and sense of overwhelm we feel at any given time comes from only one or two things; psychologists call this the 2/80 Rule of Stress Management. For example, you’re feeling overwhelmed, and upon stepping back and reflecting, you pinpoint that 80% of your stress is coming from two things: 1) You’re not sure your boss thinks highly of you, and 2) You’re behind on your most important project. Suddenly, you’ve just narrowed the scope of what’s causing you anxiety, so you can let everything else go, and focus on what you can realistically do to address those things. It doesn’t mean the two things are easy to solve, but it makes the world feel a little less daunting – you’re not allowing the sense of overwhelm to ceaselessly expand and envelop everything, which is often what happens.
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