3 Skills to Help Your Team Complete Key Projects

Project management is a must-have skill if you want to run a successful business. Use these 3 strategies to plan ahead, stay on task and finish strong.

How is work most often accomplished at your small business? If yours is like most companies, you and your managers create projects to complete a task—developing a website, designing a marketing piece, creating a new product or service, and the other activities that are critical to the success of your business.

And while it's critical to have some type of organized method to get those tasks completed, many small-business owners don’t use a standard system for accomplishing work tasks. The problem with that approach? It can cost you money—if you're consistently reinventing the wheel to get work done in your business, it will definitely impact your bottom line.

Using project management skills to get your projects done will help you create effective systems so you can more easily achieve your goals. The good news is, you don’t need to have formal project management certification to create a system that works for you. Being proficient in the following three key skills will take you a long way to success.

1. Project Planning

Planning is key to successfully completing the objective at hand. You need to be clear about the expected outcome and the tasks that need to be accomplished to get it done. The first step is to identify the scope of the project. How big is it? What are the boundaries? Who is it for? I like to call this "creating your box." You're literally identifying how big your project will be, along with what’s in (and out) of the box.

Then you need to make sure you brainstorm every single task that needs to be accomplished to get from idea stage to the final outcome. Don’t worry about putting the tasks in order—just brainstorm what you think needs to happen. Once you’re done brainstorming, arrange the tasks in the most logical sequence for getting your project completed. As you put them in order, it’s possible you may think of additional tasks—that's OK, just add them in.

You’ll also want to include your estimated budget for the project. Be realistic when creating your budget—erring on the conservative side can be detrimental to your bottom line. While this may flex one way or another during completion, having an initial budget will help you stay within your budget.

2. Team Management

Whether you use employees or contract staff, you want to make sure to include every team member who has a part in the completion of your project. Determining whom you need with what type of skills before you begin will help you more realistically plan your project. Take a look at all your project tasks to determine exactly what type of talent you need to complete each task.

Once you have your team together, define who will do what and when. Make sure you clearly identify those tasks that have dependencies between different team members.

Having one team member fall behind on a task that others are waiting for can put your entire project in jeopardy, so be sure to clearly designate roles and responsibilities for each team member. It’s a good idea to create a spreadsheet or tracking form that includes task, team member and timeline to use for the duration of the project.

3. Communication

There's no such thing as communicating too much when you’re working on a project with multiple people. So, when planning your project, be sure to designate topics, people and timelines for communication of a specific nature, such as team meetings or weekly emails.

In addition to general, day-to-day communication about the project, you should include both short-term and long-term ways that people should stay in contact. You want to stay on top of what’s happening in the short term and solve any problems that could be stumbling blocks, but you also don’t want to lose sight of the long-term goal.

The best way to do this is to set up a schedule of communication activities. These will include both individual and team meetings. In order not to waste your team’s time spinning their wheels with inefficiency, plan what will be covered in each meeting in advance—this will help your project run more smoothly.

Also plan to have regular check-ins with your entire team. These should be held at least weekly for a project that has a long duration and as often as daily for a project that has a shorter timeline. You should discuss both the general health and status of the project as well as address any immediate issues that need to be resolved.

Make sure your team understands when to communicate what information and what constitutes a “show stopper” situation. Nothing is worse than moving along blindly thinking everything is going fine with your project when it’s not.

Following a few key project management activities will help you and your team successfully pull off any work project, no matter how big.

By Denise O'Berry, Author, Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business A Financial Success

Yes, You are Creative -- Here's How to Find the Spark!

It still hurts to think about it. It was early in my career and I was facing a big challenge. How do we involve a large group of manufacturing employees in a new and unpopular strategy? People were counting on me, and I had nothing. My boss said “Come on Gretch, just be creative.” I smiled but my stomach turned another notch.

The truth was we were trying to be creative. We had already rejected a lot of ideas because they seemed too far out, too much work, too bold. We were running out of time and corporate kept asking, “What’s your plan?”

Finally during one of those long team conversations, someone said the word “passport.” Believe it or not, with that one word, everything changed. We riffed around the idea of a passport being a way to get to somewhere new and exciting. The thought of multiple stamps generated the idea to create special events tied to the coming changes. From there grew a program that was a little far out, a lot of work and definitely bold. When we rolled it out, employees embraced the approach and over time accepted the new strategy. Looking back, I see why our plan was a success. It was novel, engaging and hands-on.

Like everyone, I’ve had my share of hits and misses in the creativity department, but I’ve learned that creativity generally doesn’t arrive like a gift from the sky. Most of the time it takes work, patience, and the belief that with persistence, you will find the right idea you need to make something better than expected.

In this blog post, I’d like to share a few tips I’ve learned that may spark your creative juices.

First, let’s start with the questions you should ask yourself.

1. What has worked before and why? Think about a time when you developed a creative approach to anything. Let that experience come back to you. How did you arrive at your successful idea? Did it come during a jog or driving into work? Was it an idea that came after a series of other thoughts? Did you put it away for a while and then return to it? Take a step back and observe neutrally. How did this idea come about? How did you build on it? Who else did you involve? What made it successful?
2. What didn’t work and why? On the flip side, think even harder about ideas that didn’t work the way you thought they would. What feedback did you get? What did you observe that indicated your plan or approach didn’t have the desired impact? What would you do differently knowing what you know today? Did your gut tell you all along it wasn’t quite on target? Did you listen?

Now consider the things that inspire you and how you react
Write down some things you really like — they can be a travel experience, book, movie, piece of art, time in history etc. Think why they leave an impression on you or how they help you think about something in a new way. My best ideas are sparked by something that captivates me — a blog, a line from a song, a story I can’t forget. I’ve learned that when my antennae go up, I need to pay attention — there’s something interesting here and I don’t want to lose it.

Once you’ve written the elements that spark your thinking, consider the following.

1. What do I like about this (music, movie, app etc.)?
2. What about it challenges my thinking?
3. What about it makes me feel uncomfortable? Is there something I can learn from?
4. What ideas, visuals or concepts in it bring up new ideas? Why?
5. How can I learn from that (the interesting idea)?
6. How can I apply this to my current situation/life/challenge?
7. How does this inform my thinking going forward?

This process allows you to make connections between interesting ideas and your current challenge. I highly recommend Mark Levy’s “Accidental Genius – Revolutionize Your Thinking through Private Writing” for step-by-step instructions on how private writing can help you draw out new thinking on just about any problem or opportunity you’re facing.

Putting it to use
Once you’ve started “noticing” what sparks your brain to think of new ideas, capitalize on it. Here are my suggestions to capture and build your creativity:

1. Keep an idea book. Get a notebook and keep it close to you at home and work. When you have an idea or something grabs your attention, write it down. Definitely include those stray thoughts that seem may seem innocuous. I promise you won’t remember it tomorrow if you don’t take a minute to write it down today. Discipline in this practice is your number one way to make sure your good ideas have the chance to flourish.
2.  Sit with it. Once you’ve written your idea down, put a reminder in front of you. For me, it’s the white board in my office. I refer to the white board each day and make it a point of including those random thoughts. I’m not memorizing exactly, I’m just planting them in the background for future use. After that I let them simmer in my brain. Generally once or twice a week, I will set aside a few minutes to think more deeply about each of these thoughts. Eventually they are transferred to my idea book or erased from the white board.
3.  Ask for help. Have a buddy — or two or three – to bounce your ideas off of. See what they think, listen to their reactions and watch their expressions. Maybe they can build upon your ideas or bring a new one altogether. These sessions can be very fruitful ways to generate good ideas that started with just a kernel of a thought. (Think “passport.” ) Be sure to invite people into conversations that think differently than you. The clashes of style can bring about exciting, disruptive ideas.
4.  Take a walk. Another great way to let your mind go is to take a walk. Just 10 minutes away from your work or office can improve your thinking and bring new perspective.
5.  Expose yourself to new experiences. Novel experiences can create new thought patterns that lead to new ideas. Seek out something different to give your mind new things to think about.

Everyone can be creative. Developing this practice has brought me exciting, successful ideas and increased my enthusiasm for my professional work and personal interests. Try a few of these tips or come up with your own; you may be surprised by how creative you really are.

Written by Gretchen Rosswurm is the vice president of global corporate communications and corporate social responsibility at Celanese, a global chemical company in Dallas. Throughout her career, she has advised leaders on communication strategies to enhance employee engagement and improve business results.

8 Ways To Energize Your Next Meeting

Tired of boring, soul sucking meetings? The truth is, they’re not only monotonous and tiring—they’re sapping your resiliency. We are all under pressure at work—and these stresses ignite our prehistoric "fight or flight" response. This means a rush of cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones are coursing through our bodies. Unfortunately, we’re not doing anything to burn those hormones off and release the "bliss molecules" that intense fighting or fleeing would generate.

But there’s a solution. By including more physical activity in our lives, we can condition how our bodies respond to stress. In other words, we can build our resiliency—enabling us to recover from stress faster, and create a higher threshold before the stress response kicks in. In order to achieve this increased resiliency—as well as to get more energy, focus, and productivity—follow these eight simple strategies during the many meetings you attend every day:

1. Set An Expiration Date 

Make it a rule that meetings don’t go longer than two hours without taking a break. Often times the tendency is to try and "push through" in order to get things done, but the truth is that after two hours people have checked out. Allowing participants 10 to 15 minutes to get recovery will make your meeting more productive over the long run as they’ll come back refreshed and ready to focus.

2. Take A Stand

Make it okay for people to stand up whenever they need to. Some people become uncomfortable sitting for long periods or they may need to move a bit to keep their energy up. They can stand at the back or sides of the room and still participate.

3. Make A Game Of Musical Chairs No One Can Win

Remove the chairs from the room so everyone stands for the duration of the meeting. Not only will it keep everyone from multitasking or getting tired and zoning out, it will also most likely shorten the duration of the meeting!

4. Take It To Go

If you’re only meeting with one or two other people, make it a walking meeting. Walking increases blood circulation to the body and brain, delivering more energy for physical and mental performance. If it’s not conducive to walk outside, find a route within your building or take it to the stairwell.

5. Go Low

Serving sweets, chips, and soda during meetings may seem like a good idea, but in reality all of these things lead to an energy crash. These foods are high glycemic, which means they get broken down into glucose (energy) and released into the blood stream very quickly. Within about 30 minutes a precipitous drop follows this rush in blood glucose—leaving people low on energy. Serving low glycemic foods high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats slows the release of glucose in the bloodstream, resulting in more sustained energy.

6. Lose 15 Minutes

Make your meetings 45 minutes instead of an hour. If you schedule meetings for an hour, they’ll always take at least that long. I’ve had many corporate clients shorten their meetings and manage to accomplish just as much as longer ones. Some of them have even gone to 30-minute meetings, are getting the same amount of work done and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

7. No Multitasking Allowed

Nothing kills the energy and productivity of a meeting like people not paying attention. At the outset of every meeting ask for everyone’s full attention and make a pact that no one will multitask. Have everyone set their phones and electronic devices on a separate table.

8. Get Moving

Studies have shown the longer we sit, the more our energy, focus, and productivity wanes. Set a timer and pause every 30 to 45 minutes to lead everyone through a brief series of stretches and small movements—they don’t even have to stand up.
Have them reach both arms forward to stretch their backs, then instruct them to clasp their hands behind their backs and lift their arms to stretch their chests. Shoulder rolls, neck rotations, spinal twists and straightening the legs several times are a few other options for small movements to get the blood and energy flowing. Stress isn’t going away, but we can build our resiliency, increase our energy, and improve our performance.

Jenny C. Evans is the author of The Resiliency Revolution: Your Stress Solution For Life 60 Seconds at a Time (Wise Ink Creative Publishing; November 2014). She is also founder and CEO of PowerHouse Performance, where she works with thousands of C-suite executives, leaders, and employees worldwide to help them improve their resilience, performance, and productivity, while enhancing their health.

3 Must Have Leadership Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Your leadership style has an impact on your business success. Here are 3 key leadership traits that will help you get there.

Hanging out the entrepreneurial shingle is easy and inexpensive with all the technology available today. But just because it’s easy to get started doesn't mean it’s easy to build a business that will survive and thrive.

There are way too many factors that will work against you when you’re trying to build a business. You can be the best techie, idea generator, service provider or product creator in the world, but without key leadership traits, your business could struggle.

What leadership skills will help your business be the success you want it to be?

1. Be a Visionary

Too many small-business owners get caught up in yesterday’s problems, not tomorrow’s dreams, so setting your sight on the future is a must. Your business vision should project out one to three years; any longer is just a pipe dream.

Setting a vision for the future helps you stay on the path to success. Think about where you want your business to be, who it should serve, and how you will execute. To reach your vision, you’ll need to develop strategies, tactics and action plans to keep you on track.

And let’s not forget about the people who will help you achieve your dreams. You’ll need to be able to articulate your business vision and find team members who embrace your passion and can help you achieve it.

2. Be Decisive

Getting stuck in analysis paralysis is a business killer. Being able to decide on a course of action, often with limited data, is what will make you successful. That may just mean you “fail faster” and move on to the next idea that fits into your vision.

Being decisive is making the right decision at the right time for the right reasons, a key factor to foster a culture of trust and open communication in your business. It allows your business to be nimble and quick in successfully completing planned actions that fit into the strategy for realizing your vision.

3. Think About Systems

It takes a lot of time and energy to conduct business in an ad hoc fashion. Thinking about how you're going to accomplish things, and establishing systems for your business, right from the get go, will move you along the path to success faster and put less stress on your cash flow. There are two systems you should think about:

Organizational systems. These systems include your “people structure” and how those people interact within your company. Your organizational systems will dictate the culture of your organization in regards to management, communication, trust and decision making. Looking at your company as an entire system, rather than separate parts, can help you optimize how the human paths work to get the most from your business.

Business systems. These systems assist the organizational systems in getting work done. They detail all the steps it takes to go from concept to product delivery and what path those steps take within your company. Your business systems should be documented and include all methods and procedural steps required. These systems help you ramp up new staff easily and make getting work done a whole lot easier.

Do What Makes Sense For You

So will you be a complete failure if you don’t embrace these three key leadership traits? Not necessarily. There are so many variables that come into play when starting and running a successful small business.

Your best bet is to take a good, long look at yourself and determine your leadership strengths and weaknesses. Then decide what’s important to your business success and hire for the traits you've identified as weaknesses.

Written by Denise O'Berry

Author, Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business A Financial Success

9 Traits of Well-Loved Entrepreneurs

Being a successful entrepreneur takes more than just navigating your company through the rough waters of business. It means inspiring your staff to do everything it can to help grow your business.

We all know the type—the business owner for whom every employee would bend over backward. The shop owner whose staff gladly works overtime or comes in on their day off if needed. The company founder who treats every employee like a member of the family and is as revered as the beloved head of a real family.

These are the entrepreneurs who inspire fierce loyalty and adoration, and we can learn a lot from them. So just what is it that makes them so special?

1. They’re truly authentic. Entrepreneurs who are adored by their staffs are unabashedly themselves. They’re consistent because they’re not playing a game or putting up a front when they’re on the job. Whether you see them in the office or at the local park, these people are always true to themselves.

2. They understand the power of reciprocity. Well-loved entrepreneurs understand that hard work, honesty and trust are given to the bosses who first demonstrate those qualities themselves. Being open, trusting and trustworthy, and willing to work harder than anyone on their staff is how the best business owners manage to have a staff who’d go to the ends of the earth to prove they deserve the boss’s respect.

3. They’re positive. As business owners, we have to learn to lead the way in enthusiasm. After all, if you’re not excited about your company, how on earth can you expect that of your assistant? Harness the power of emotion, and show your staff that you’re pumped about what you’re doing. It’s important to acknowledge the negative things that will arise, but you should work to banish negativity (and the morale drain it creates) from your workplace.

4. They’re highly approachable. The most powerful entrepreneurs I know are fiercely democratic in that they believe we’re all equal. An adored entrepreneur knows that every single employee is important, has valuable insight to share and provides a unique value to the company. Whether it’s the janitor, the top salesperson or the part-time customer service rep, every single member of our staff needs to know we're available to them.

5. They listen more than they talk. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, folks. We should listen twice as much as we speak, and well-loved entrepreneurs understand this principle. Observe, learn and take it all in. Then when you have something to say, people will listen. Make your words count because of their content, rather than by being the most long-winded one in the room.

6. They pat, kick, pat. Entrepreneurs have to deal with problems just like anyone else, but what differentiates the adored ones from the rest is the ability to give constructive criticism. Start with a pat on the back, follow it up with a kick in the ass and end with a pat on the back. Praise, admonish and praise. This technique softens the blow and reinforces your belief that your employee is an important member of your team.

7. They work hard. True entrepreneurs know they have to set the example for the entire company. If you’re merely in it for the Rolex and the golf club write-off, then it’s going to show in the attitudes of your staff. Working hard sets the tone and motivates your employees to follow your lead.

8. They’re both authoritative and human. Adored entrepreneurs don’t ignore problems. They acknowledge that problems are inevitable, then set out to solve them right away. We like our leaders to come with a healthy dose of empathy and a willingness to acknowledge that any path that’s worth taking will come with its share of difficulties. Let your employees know you’re a realist who won’t tolerate problems for long. Be a problem solver, and move on.

9. They’re masters of public recognition. There’s a huge reward in acknowledgment. Being lavishly, genuinely praised in public will win your staff over every single time. Just as you should serve up criticism in private, you should bestow praise publicly. Your employees will not only be proud of their accomplishments, but they'll also be proud of their place in your company.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not telling you that being an entrepreneur is a bed of roses. There will be plenty of times when you have to make hard decisions that can’t possibly make everyone happy.
What I am unequivocally saying is that you can consistently keep the respect and adoration of your staff if you model the traits listed above.

Mike Michalowicz is the author of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. He's also the founder of Profit First Professionals, an organization that certifies accountants, bookkeepers and coaches in the Profit First method.

Persistence and Planning Is Needed to Reach That 5-Year Milestone

As little as one in 10 new businesses make it to the five-year mark, according to varied statistics. Every entrepreneur knows it’s tough to keep a business going. Even with the utmost determination and hard work, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. However, sometimes it does. And those success stories are sweet.

We recently had one of those sweet moments of victory at Cutler PR as we celebrated our five-year anniversary last month. It felt like a great reason to reflect on where we’ve been and where we plan to go. It certainly wasn’t easy to get here. Here are five ways we were able to get to the five-year mark, which I’d like to share to help your company reach this milestone:

1. Focus on building the infrastructure.

Once a company reaches the five-year mark, there’s an infrastructure that guides new hires and current team members. There is a know-how among a strong and stable team, and the reputation that has been built lends itself to a word-of-mouth referral base. When starting something from the ground up, all those things have to be built from scratch. It’s like building a house from nothing vs. adding a floor to a skyscraper. Pay attention to building a sound infrastructure so your foundation is strong.

2. Have very tough skin.

Rejection will come regularly and there will be plenty of little -- and big -- failures. At times, it will take sheer willpower to move forward. This makes it all that much sweeter in the end. Just be careful not to grow such a tough skin that the successes become just like the failures and there is a void of celebration when successes occur. Learn how to take constructive and negative criticism and use it to grow and become stronger. All those failures should be a catalyst to work even harder. And success should be celebrated.

3. They’re right -- it truly is all about the customer.

When trying to build a name and brand, it is critical to go above and beyond for customers. This is especially critical in the beginning years as the business grows its customer base. Stand out and turn customers into believers and fans. That’s the key. Once a few fans have developed, they will provide that crucial step in providing legitimacy, case studies and references. They will become the cheerleading team that can vouch for your great work.

4. Have a vision.

Having a malleable plan for where the company will be in one year, five years and even 10 years is critical. However, don’t get too attached to any specifics because the plan will likely be altered significantly over time. Staying true to that plan can only be helpful if it is still guiding the business in the right direction and helping it grow. Industries change and circumstances change. Be flexible and willing to pivot when needed.

5. Commit.

The five-year mark won’t be attainable without a real sense of commitment to get there. It’s not going to be easy. In fact, not getting there would be a lot easier. Make it a goal to get to the finish line and stick to it. Once the finish line has been reached, create a new finish line. Use the failures and tough times for motivation to keep going and celebrate and reflect on successes, even the little ones.

3 Must Have Leadership Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Your leadership style has an impact on your business success. Here are 3 key leadership traits that will help you get there.

Hanging out the entrepreneurial shingle is easy and inexpensive with all the technology available today. But just because it’s easy to get started doesn't mean it’s easy to build a business that will survive and thrive.

There are way too many factors that will work against you when you’re trying to build a business. You can be the best techie, idea generator, service provider or product creator in the world, but without key leadership traits, your business could struggle.

What leadership skills will help your business be the success you want it to be?

1. Be a Visionary

Too many small-business owners get caught up in yesterday’s problems, not tomorrow’s dreams, so setting your sight on the future is a must. Your business vision should project out one to three years; any longer is just a pipe dream.
Setting a vision for the future helps you stay on the path to success. Think about where you want your business to be, who it should serve, and how you will execute. To reach your vision, you’ll need to develop strategies, tactics and action plans to keep you on track.
And let’s not forget about the people who will help you achieve your dreams. You’ll need to be able to articulate your business vision and find team members who embrace your passion and can help you achieve it.

2. Be Decisive

Getting stuck in analysis paralysis is a business killer. Being able to decide on a course of action, often with limited data, is what will make you successful. That may just mean you “fail faster” and move on to the next idea that fits into your vision.

Being decisive is making the right decision at the right time for the right reasons, a key factor to foster a culture of trust and open communication in your business. It allows your business to be nimble and quick in successfully completing planned actions that fit into the strategy for realizing your vision.

3. Think About Systems

It takes a lot of time and energy to conduct business in an ad hoc fashion. Thinking about how you're going to accomplish things, and establishing systems for your business, right from the get go, will move you along the path to success faster and put less stress on your cash flow. There are two systems you should think about:

Organizational systems. These systems include your “people structure” and how those people interact within your company. Your organizational systems will dictate the culture of your organization in regards to management, communication, trust and decision making. Looking at your company as an entire system, rather than separate parts, can help you optimize how the human paths work to get the most from your business.

Business systems. These systems assist the organizational systems in getting work done. They detail all the steps it takes to go from concept to product delivery and what path those steps take within your company. Your business systems should be documented and include all methods and procedural steps required. These systems help you ramp up new staff easily and make getting work done a whole lot easier.

Do What Makes Sense For You

So will you be a complete failure if you don’t embrace these three key leadership traits? Not necessarily. There are so many variables that come into play when starting and running a successful small business.
Your best bet is to take a good, long look at yourself and determine your leadership strengths and weaknesses. Then decide what’s important to your business success and hire for the traits you've identified as weaknesses.

by Denise O'Berry Author, Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business A Financial Success

The Fear of Slowing Down

An article this summer in The New York Times quoted extensively from a research study conducted by Silicon Valley psychologist Stephanie Brown which refers to our collective fear of slowing down. Brown found that people who are alone with their own thoughts for more than a few minutes become agitated and seek any kind of stimulation they can find in order to avoid thinking.

“There’s this widespread belief that thinking and feeling will only slow you down and get in your way, but it’s the opposite,” she said.

Case in point: A study by Benjamin Baird and colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, shows that daydreaming and fantasizing unleash fantastic amounts of creativity and allow people to problem-solve because they feel free to look at problems and challenges without deadlines and outside pressures.

Have you had a creative daydream lately? Would you like to? Here’s how to get started.

• Disconnect
• Compartmentalize
• Get fit
• Have fun

1. Disconnect. You can’t constantly be connected or you’ll become overwhelmed and overworked. Yes, that means turn off the electronics. Shut down the computer, the iPad, the Smartphone whenever your work day ends and don’t fire them up again until the next workday starts. If the world comes to an end in the meantime, someone will be sure to let you know. You might also experiment with a media-free day. No TV, radio, or video games. If a day (or night) sounds like too much, try it for an hour or two and work your way up to a day.
2. Compartmentalize. This means separating work time from play time, family time, and your time. Whatever your work culture dictates (9 to 5, 7 to 3), work those hours and only those hours. Don’t take work home at night or on weekends. When you’re working, give it your all. But once you walk out the door, transition immediately into a new mental and physical state. If you have a long commute, use the time to decompress rather than listening to the news or returning work-related phone calls. When you get home, shed your work clothes immediately and get into something that makes you feel casual and relaxed. Shift your focus.
3. Get fit. Exercise is a great relaxer of both body and mind. For one thing, a lot of it is fairly routine. You don’t have to think about how to run on the treadmill or maneuver the elliptical trainer. Let your mind wander. Better still, if you can run or walk outdoors, you’ll have plenty of visual aids to redirect your busy thoughts. A healthy body supports creative thinking. And fitness is not just about your body. Your mind needs to stay fit as well. The word “meditation” scares a lot of people because they don’t understand how to do it. It’s as simple as sitting quietly and breathing for 10 or 15 minutes a day. Let your mind wander and don’t try to control where your thoughts take you.
4. Have fun. Remember fun? Maybe you haven’t had any real fun since the fifth grade. But it’s never too late. Write out a bucket list of fun activities. (Hint: taking clients to a baseball game does not count.) Whether it’s whitewater rafting, taking a photography class or learning Italian cooking — get completely out of your comfort zone. Take one day a month off, just for you. Schedule at least one vacation a year, preferably two. And remember No. 1 above — disconnect completely when you’re having fun.

Take action now: Look carefully at the four items above. If you’re already doing one or more of these things, give yourself a pat on the back. Is there one you’re sure you couldn’t possibly do? Start there. Do it for a month, until it becomes a habit you can’t live without. Then move on to the next one. Notice how your mood, your relationships, and your creativity change.

Heed the words of art critic James Huneker: “All men (and women) of action are dreamers.” That could be you.

Written by Joel Garfinkle

What to ask employees about your leadership

Q. What is the most important question you can ask your employees about how well you’re doing as their leader?


1. Do you trust me?
I think trust is what binds every leader to their employees. Do you trust that I’m taking this company in the right direction? Do you trust that I have your best interests in mind? Do you trust that I’m working to keep this company successful? I believe that if they genuinely feel that they can trust and rely on leadership, they will strive to be their best as well. – Michael Quinn, Yellow Bridge Interactive

2. What could I do better?

True transparency and honesty at a company is fueled by feedback across the organization. These are two principles I try to instill in my employees and that I believe create a healthy work environment. I want my employees to feel comfortable enough to tell me what’s working and what’s not at the company from their perspective without fear of consequences. – Brian Honigman, BrianHonigman.com

3. How well do you understand the company’s vision?
Let the employee tell you in their own words your vision as a leader for the company. Ask them to describe how their contributions fit into achieving that overall vision. The answers you get are so revealing. It’s an open ended question. So if you get one word or very vague answers, it’s a red flag that you need to communicate your vision better and more clearly. – Joshua Lee, StandOut Authority

4. How would you review me?
Let your team review you. If you have enough employees, do blind reviews. You’ll learn a lot. If you don’t, ask regularly what’s working and what’s not and how you can help. – Basha Rubin, Priori Legal

5. Don’t ask
There’s no reason to ask this question. You already know the answer based on how happy your employees are and how well your company is run. Don’t waste time with this rhetoric. If you always have the best interest of your employees in mind, then you are a strong leader. After all, your employees are the core of your business. – Scott Petinga, The Scott Petinga Group

6. Would you work for this boss again?
We tell people in our company that if you want to be a leader, find people that want to be led by you. So the ability to build a team that wants to work for someone is a key indicator. I think it’s also key to ask people if they would work for someone again. If you get 100 percent yes, that’s a great leader — that is my goal even if someone ends up leaving. We also use this question in exit interviews. – Robert Glazer, Acceleration Partners

Don't let E-mail become E-fail!

If there was one area where I got hit hard at the beginning of my tenure as school leader, it was communication. The first complaint related to my style, which was seen as being too impersonal. I was heavily involved with my BlackBerry, texting and e-mailing regularly (even in meetings and while sitting in on classroom observations) to reach out or respond to various constituents. Though my objectives were lofty (I wanted to as readily accessible and responsive as possible), I was seen by some as being too digitized and distracted. This was, in part, because my predecessor rarely e-mailed. Nor did he text much or own a smartphone.

We all know the reasons that we type so many of our correspondences instead of write them down on a piece of paper. It’s often faster, it’s neater, and it can easily be saved and categorized for future reference without paper-sifting and clutter. Electronic communications can be shared far and wide and allow us to reach out and reply when it works for us, not having to be concerned as much with the other’s schedule and readiness to communicate.

Despite the many benefits of e-communication, it can also presents some meaningful downsides. These include:

1. Misinterpretation. So much of the way that we normally share information and ideas is based on nonverbal communication. Inflections, hand gestures, facial tone, body positioning and the like say so much about how each party is receiving and responding to each other, as well as their passion for the information and ideas being shared. Without hearing a voice or seeing nonverbal cues, people struggle to properly discern the intended meaning, tone, value and emphasis.

2. Impersonal touch. No matter how thoughtfully an email is crafted, its digital nature makes it feel distant and impersonal. You simply cannot compare the feel of an e-mail with that of a face-to-face chat or a phone call.
   
   
3. Raising the temperature. For most of us, distance makes it feel safer to “yell” or to be critical. We can more easily muster up the gumption to criticize when we are typing words on our personal keyboards than when we have to look someone in the eye and share our feelings. Furthermore, the prospect of instantaneous communication creates an urgency that pressures e-mailers to think and write quickly, which can lead to carelessness.
   
   
4. You can’t get it back. The quick nature of e-mail makes it easy to forget that our words actually matter and can really come back to bite us. (I suggest that you never send any e-mail with potentially negative implications without first showing it to one or two trusted colleagues). Not only must we worry about how our message will be processed “in the moment,” but there is a chance that it will be forwarded or printed for others to see as well.
   
   
5. Keeping your distance. Perhaps worst of all, e-mail, IM and other e-communiqués maintain distance between colleagues, sometimes even when only a wall or cubicle separate them physically. It’s often easier to fire off a response than to get up and share a few words. You may also want to not disturb your busy co-workers, especially if they are in another conversation or on the phone. While all of that is laudable, it’s important to not fall into the habit of remaining distant. Personal rapport keeps relationships strong, even in the face of conflict.

As our jobs involve working with and getting things done with people, we have to be able to build healthy relationships. This requires a healthy dose of ongoing, in person interactions, to get to know each other in real terms and how we each tick.

Naphtali Hoff (@impactfulcoach) served as an educator and school administrator for over 15 years before becoming an executive coach and consultant. Read his blog at impactfulcoaching.com/blog.