What Athletes Can Teach Executives About Self-Examination



At the highest levels of sports, coaches and players put a lot of effort into their game, both on and off the field. In fact, some of the most important work they do is studying themselves and their past performance. Under the guidance of their trainers, athletes undergo self-examination and trial-and-error strategies for improvement. Part of that process is examining replays from previous games or practices to spot strengths and weaknesses, both as individuals and as a team.

Performance Review

As business executives, I believe we should be doing the same. Luckily, technology provides us with plenty of footage and access to our “performances.” AI programs are built into our video calls and can take detailed meeting minutes. Presentations and educational sessions are recorded and stored for employees to watch at any time. These are all readily available resources that we can use for self-examination.

I also recommend that my clients acquire a personal journaling habit. Even just a few sentences at the end of the day can provide great insight into our thoughts, our interactions with co-workers and our progress. Over time, a journal can help you objectively recognize habits or patterns that are often enlightening.

Focus On A Few Areas

While self-evaluation is key to progress, the trick is to not get overwhelmed. Nit-picking your entire performance is never helpful. Instead, my clients and I focus on one or two areas in which they would like to improve.

For example, a basic exercise to improve one’s public speaking is recording a practice presentation, with just the speaker and a camera. You run through the presentation and then watch it back. This practice can be incredibly revealing. Perhaps you notice that you look down and read from your notes way more than you thought. Or perhaps you use a lot of “filler” words such as “like,” “umm,” “so,” etc. to fill in extra space. Perhaps you fidget from side to side, which can distract from the message that you are trying to convey. Or perhaps you notice something as simple as a bad hairstyle that falls into your face.

These types of exercises can be painful. Admittedly, I cringe when watching myself on camera, and I dislike doing it. But it can be enlightening, helping me better understand how others may see me and what bad habits I might not realize I’ve picked up. However, when conducting this type of exercise or anything similar, focus on only one or two specific aspects that you would like to improve. Watch – or read – with intention. Focusing on small changes one at a time will feel much more achievable than changing everything all at once.

Celebrate Progress Rather Than Perfection

Secondly, make sure to honor your progress. Rome was not built in a day, as they say. A key step in improvement is recognizing and applauding small steps toward the ultimate goal.

Let’s say you ran through the public speaking exercise and noticed that you were looking down at your notes 50% of the time you talked. You focus on cutting down on looking at notes—aiming for about 10% of the time—and at a presentation six months later, you manage to only look at your notes for 30% of the time. That’s progress! Honor it, and appreciate how far you have come.

Final Thoughts

Evaluating our performances and noticing trends is an incredibly helpful tool in our leadership tool kit. Reviewing our work helps us honor our progress and keeps us on the path to continuous improvement. So don’t drop the ball. Take a cue from the pros and make time for self-examination.

Increasing Employee Engagement By Risking Compassion



With the rise of disengagement in the workforce, leaders are asking themselves: “What can I do to increase engagement in my team?” The answer is not a simple one, but one of the first steps is to treat employees as people – not as numbers.

One of the clients I work with (Sarah) leads a team of 10 direct reports, and she is a fierce defender of her team. She has high expectations but also advocates strongly for their needs – a leadership characteristic that reaps major benefits in her employees’ engagement and loyalty toward the company.

For example, her business instated a rule that no employee can take vacation within the first three months of their employment. This policy was initially put in place for good reasons. HR wanted to discourage employees from training in the company, gleaning insider information, and then leaving to work for a competitor. It also guaranteed that employees would “earn” their vacation time instead of taking it and then leaving. Lastly, the policy assists with quick and efficient training.

The company rule was set up with good intentions and makes sense. However, Sarah encountered a situation in which a new employee on her team had started at the company and on his second day, put in a two-week vacation request only six weeks into his employment. Sarah had every right to immediately deny the request and move on with her day.

Instead, she treated the employee like a person and called him into her office to ask questions. It turned out that the two-week vacation was a family trip to the Paris Olympics. Flights had been purchased six months before the recruit had even accepted the position, and everything had been set in place. When he accepted the job, he was unaware of the blanket vacation policy that might have affected his decision. Understanding the special circumstances of this request, my client allowed the exception. She let her new employee take this once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris with his family.

“But wait,” you might say to me. “If you give an inch, they will take a mile. Sarah took a risk because now others might come to her with the same request in the future. And weren’t other teammates disgruntled that their counterpart was allowed to take a vacation and they weren’t?”

Good point. Not all leaders would have made the decision that my client did, and only time will tell if that employee stays at the company. However, I admire Sarah’s ability to see the person, evaluate the circumstances and act accordingly. She treats all her employees with that same level of respect, support and compassion, so I highly doubt that jealousy will fester in her other employees.

In fact, from what she tells me, in this instance, the other employees agreed with her decision, and Sarah felt that because of her empathy, she earned the respect of several new hires. Seeing how “the boss” treated one recruit as a person, they feel more comfortable knowing that they, too, will be seen as people and treated with the same compassion and respect when their time comes.

In the first quarter of 2024, employee engagement fell to 30%, the lowest level in 11 years. To combat this decline, leaders are asking themselves how to increase employee engagement and motivate their teams. Today’s leaders can succeed more if they tune in to the emotional needs and expectations of their reports. What can you do in your team to engage and motivate?

Engendering Trust As A New Leader



You’ve made it. You have been awarded a promotion or landed your dream job in a new company. Now you are in a position to lead and do remarkable things. The pride and excitement of beginning a new chapter in our careers can be invigorating and bring out our best work. It can also be challenging and overwhelming at times.

Traditional business maxim suggests that new CEOs need 90 days in their position to start implementing widespread initiatives and programs, setting them on a path to make their mark on a company. However, recent research and case studies suggest that it can take two to three years to develop trust and get a team or company rolling smoothly under new leadership.
Newly appointed leaders can set themselves up for success if they give themselves the time to settle into the role, understand the work environment, study the needs of a company, draft initiatives and roll them out when the time is right. Speeding everything up to meet a 90-day personal deadline based on a decades-old maxim could be disastrous not only for a leader but also for a team or company.

One of the reasons leaders should wait a bit is that they will need the support of their teams to successfully implement change. Without a unified vision, with all key players working toward the same goals, new leaders may find it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to get projects or initiatives off the ground. They will most likely sputter and fail.

So how can you successfully acquire that support? Gain their trust. In addition to learning the role and the company, I tell my clients to also focus on forging relationships and cultivating trust with those who will play a critical role in their success—investors, colleagues, fellow leaders and company employees.

Working toward garnering faith from your colleagues and teams goes hand in hand with the process of adapting to a new leadership role. Whether you are new to the company entirely or have been promoted from within, it takes time to create healthy working relationships and allow others to see your confidence and wisdom. Think about all the stakeholders you would like on your side when instituting and launching your ideas and programs.

Investors need to trust that your plans will keep the company profitable. Your colleagues and fellow leaders will be asked to help you implement new initiatives, so they must be fully on board. Only by helping them see and trust in your vision will they be willing to collaborate. In turn, if your direct reports see a unified leadership team backing you, they will be more likely to feel confident and even enthusiastic about the work they will be asked to do.

To engender trust, repetition can be a powerful tool. What may seem like common knowledge to you may not be for everyone else. If we want to communicate our vision, our plans or who we are, we need to present the key facts repeatedly to really drive home the message. Consistency and repetition are the names of the game. Even if we feel like we sound like a broken record—repeatedly homing in on our main messaging is crucial to communicating who we are, what we stand for and that we are worthy of their trust.

Speaking of broken records, I always say—and will say again and again and again—form a group of confidantes and supporters to support you as a leader. These people can be trusted colleagues, family, a leadership coach or mentors who are willing to tell you their true thoughts and help you consider all angles of a decision you are about to make. This core group can keep you grounded and allow you to maintain patience through the years it takes to settle into your new leadership role. Their guidance can help you remain patient to make and implement savvy business decisions when the time is right—which can in turn help secure the trust you seek in company stakeholders.

Engendering trust and establishing a leadership presence takes time and patience. Take the time you need, free of self-imposed deadlines, to understand the company and make well-informed decisions. Stay consistent with your messaging to coworkers and employees, without fear of sounding like a broken record. People respond best to those who seem dependable and steady because they can be sure of what you will say and do. That consistency can help instill confidence in you. And lastly, do not forget to rally your support team to bolster you and provide wisdom through this exciting new chapter.

The Pareto Principle At Work



One of the hallmarks of a successful leader is the ability for big-picture thinking and analysis. In my sessions with executive clients, we are constantly analyzing time management, communication skills and areas of growth. The Pareto Principle is a concept we often find useful.

A Quick History Lesson

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto analyzed property in Italy and discovered that 80% of the land was owned by 20% of the population. An interesting tidbit about wealth distribution, and about four decades later, a renowned management consultant by the name of Joseph M. Juran came across the literature penned by Pareto.

Juran took the 80/20 results and formulated the Pareto Principle, the idea that 80% of results come from 20% of the initiatives. The numbers are not exact in every case, but the idea is a solid one. Sometimes we find that a sizable portion of an outcome stems from a small portion of effort.

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle can come in handy when analyzing our work and effort. For example, the marketing team of a local company I know recently conducted an analysis of their communication strategy (name withheld for privacy). They sent out monthly physical ads as well as digital communications via email and social media. They found that a large majority of their customers purchased products or visited the store as a response to their email campaigns. The director of marketing was then able to realign her team’s efforts and responsibilities according to those findings.

That is not to say that the physical ads or social media accounts were thrown out the window. Not at all, as they still brought in revenue. However, the director had a firmer understanding of where to assign budget and time resources. The company could spend less time and money on physical ads and social media to focus more on its email strategy and how to increase its database of customer emails.

Time Management

The Pareto Principle is a lens through which we can view time management and act accordingly. A human resources (HR) team of a different company—again, name excluded for privacy purposes—conducted an analysis of their hiring strategy for new recruits.

A senior HR representative was the sole person responsible for conducting the case-based interviews, and his workload was massive. For every 10 interviews with a potential recruit, only one candidate was hired. It was a huge expenditure of time and effort, but still, the work had to get done.

After running the numbers, he realized that about 75% of their new hires came from approximately 25% of the universities where the company recruited. After coming to this realization, the team made some changes to the hiring process. First, they decided to train other representatives to share in the workload of this single representative. And though they maintained recruiting efforts in all the university connections available, they reinforced their efforts in the specific universities that had provided the best candidates in the past. By focusing on the 25% of universities that produced 75% of the candidates, they had to go through fewer interviews before finding the right candidate.

What analysis are you running right now? Perhaps the Pareto Principle is a useful lens for you, too.

Introverts Navigating Office Politics



Back in 2020, Nielsen ratings demonstrated that The Office was by far the most streamed TV show on major platforms. Like most of America, I delighted and cringed through episodes of this comedy phenomenon and indulge in reruns from now and then.

This show became an obsession in our culture, and I believe the show’s popularity stems from how deeply the social dynamics and situations of Dunder Mifflin employees resonate with us. Each episode reflects a kernel of truth, often exaggerated for comedic purposes, but sometimes, the conversations are completely plausible. We laughed, cried and winced with the characters because we recognized ourselves and our co-workers in them. We experience parallel situations in our own work lives.

The show is ripe for analysis, but I am particularly interested today in how the introverts of the show navigated uncomfortable situations and office politics. We too must navigate similar circumstances, which can make life awkward or uncomfortable.

The good news is that office politics can be mitigated by establishing connections within the company. Cultivating quality relationships rooted in trust and respect can eliminate a lot of misunderstandings, conflict and nonsense that lead to unnecessary office drama.

Extroverted employees have an advantage when it comes to forging those relationships because they receive energy from interacting with other people. Introverts, on the other hand, recharge through silence and alone time. There are plenty of charismatic introverts, but constant meetings, coffee dates or water cooler conversations can drain their energy—reducing their ability to produce quality work and create professional relationships.

No need to worry, though. If you identify as an introvert, try these tips to establish those workplace relationships without ending the day drained and burned out.

1. Define your strengths.

Start with recognizing your strengths and value to the team. You may be quieter than your extroverted teammates, but you contribute just as much! One of the first self-described introverts I met in my life was a fellow student in college. During a small group seminar, he spoke three times the entire semester, but when he spoke, everyone else fell silent because his insight was so incredibly thought-provoking. The professor praised his papers, and he ended up valedictorian of our class.

In society, sometimes we default to admiring those who speak the loudest because we think that if they speak with a lot of confidence, then they must be right. That is not the case. As Stephen Hawking once said, “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” A hushed and still exterior is sometimes the façade for deep wisdom.

Ask yourself, what are my strengths? Are you good at listening and connecting the dots for others? Are you good at outside-the-box creative thinking and problem-solving? Take a deep look at your value and be proud of what you contribute.

2. Choose your allies.

Next, evaluate your colleagues and leaders and decide who might be potential allies to befriend. You do not have to be “besties” with everyone at the office but rather develop one or two strategic relationships, choosing co-workers who may be extroverted and more plugged in with the rest of the office. They may go out to weekly happy hours with other co-workers and can vouch for your value and good intentions, hopefully squashing any potential gossip or drama without you even having to be there.

Once you have chosen the people that you most would like to develop a relationship with, ask for a one-on-one coffee or lunch, avoiding large group interactions and keeping initial conversations short. Perhaps you only have 30 minutes for a coffee or 45 minutes for lunch. Those bite-size interactions should not be too draining, and you have a hard “out” when it is time to go back to work. Scout out a local coffee shop or deli ideal for quiet conversation. The company cafeteria may be too loud and public, and you may run the risk of bumping into too many other colleagues.

Another piece of advice that I give to introverted clients is to be choosy with the social events that you attend. It is better to be fully present for a few annual events than half-heartedly participate in all of them. Ask yourself questions such as: Will I have an ally or friend at this event? Will the people that I want to influence or know be in attendance? Will this event deepen my current relationships or help me influence my opinions on work projects? Know your purpose before attending an event, and that intention may help give you the energy you need to fully participate.

3. Decide how long to stay.

Lastly, decide how long you will stay before you go. Not knowing how long you will be trapped in a social interaction can deplete your energy, so knowing that you have an “out” at a certain time is helpful.

Hopefully implementing these strategies into cultivating workplace relationships diminishes the amount of office politics that you must navigate. Fundamentally, knowing your value and respecting your needs as an introvert is crucial. And if anything, you will have a newfound appreciation for the introverts at Dunder Mifflin.