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BUSINESS DAY
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Tips & Talking Points
Harvard Business Review TALKING POINTS Is Corporate Social Responsibility the Future? 80%: A report from Bentley University found that over 80% of millennials believe creating positive change in the world is more significant than professional achievement. + Company Training in the Digital Age 9 times: The online space for corporate online training and e-learning has grown nine times in the last 16 years, according to recent research. + Flexible Work Hours for U.S. Professionals 7 a.m.-3 p.m.: In a survey on flexibility in the workplace from the startup Werk, employees with long commutes typically opted to work 7 a.m.-3 p.m. over the standard 9 a.m.-5 p.m. workday in order to avoid rush hour traffic. + Frequent Business Travel Is Bad for Your Health 92%: People who traveled 21 nights or more per month were 92% more likely to be obese than those who traveled one to six nights per month, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. + Asian-Americans and the Glass Ceiling 11%: Bloomberg Businessweek reports that 27% of U.S. professionals working in New York banks are Asian-American, but only 11% hold executive or senior manager roles.
Stop asking ‘what do you do?’ when networking
We’ve all been in the situation of meeting someone and having to find something to talk about. Many people — especially Americans — break the silence with a standard question: “So, what do you do?” But talking about work, even at networking events, isn’t always the best way to build rapport. Instead, ask people about their hobbies, the charities they support, where they grew up, or even who their favorite superhero is. If steering away from work doesn’t feel comfortable, you can ask a question like “What excites you right
now?” or “What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?” These kinds of queries invite a range of answers and let the other person talk about work, their kids, their new boat — whatever they want. Asking open-ended questions can lead to a more interesting conversation, and you might even make a new friend.
(Adapted from “8 Questions to Ask Someone Other Than ‘What Do You Do?’” by David Burkus.)
Two rules for making better decisions Establish norms for how your There are many ways to improve your decisionmaking, but two simple rules can be particularly helpful. First, be less certain — about every part of your decisionmaking process. Think choice A will lead to outcome B? It’s p ro b ab l y l e ss likely than you believe. Think outcome B is preferable to outcome C? You’re probably too confident about that as well. Revisit the logic of your decisions. What else would you think about if you were less sure that A causes B, or that B is preferable to C? Second, always ask yourself, “How often does that typically happen?” For example,
team will work together
if you were considering funding a startup, you might ask: What percentage of startups fail? (Or, what percentage succeed?) Accepting that you know less than you think you do is one of the best ways to start making better decisions. (Adapted from “3 Ways to Improve Your Decision Making,” by Walter Frick.)
Is your team struggling to work well together? Perhaps a few people dominate your meetings, or team members constantly revisit past decisions. If so, create norms about how you’ll work with one another. Start by looking at past team experiences to identify norms that have made the team more productive and effective, and then break down the norms into specific behaviors. For example, a norm might be equal participation in meetings, and the behavior might be going around the room and soliciting input from everyone on key
issues, starting with the person who’s spoken the least. Discuss how team members will hold one another accountable if someone violates the norm. Establishing team norms in this way, and sticking to them, will increase trust, save time and improve performance. (Adapted from “How to Create Executive Team Norms — and Make Them Stick,” by Sabina Nawaz.)
One of the most challenging parts of working remotely is feeling shunned and left out. Managers can counter this problem by proactively making sure distant workers feel included. How? First, check in frequently and consistently. Just because someone works remotely doesn’t mean you can leave them alone. Stay in touch with them often, and clearly communicate your expectations for projects, roles and deadlines. Second, and most important, be available to remote employees no matter what time zone they’re in. This doesn’t mean you have to respond to emails at all hours of the night, but be reachable
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Going on Vacation? Try Somewhere New It’s tempting to default to the same vacation each year: a familiar beach town, your favorite city, that resort the kids loved. But traveling can be an opportunity for personal growth, especially when you venture outside your comfort zone. By spending time in unfamiliar cities or countries, you become more comfortable with feelings of discomfort and more confident in your ability to navigate ambiguous situations, which enhances your emotional agility. Research has shown that people who travel to other countries develop a greater tolerance and trust of strangers, which alters their attitudes toward not only strangers but also colleagues and friends, resulting in greater empathy. And going to new places can boost your creativity. Experiencing other cultures, having international friendships and studying languages are all linked to unconventional problem-solving. As you’re making summer plans, consider taking a trip to someplace new — and encourage your colleagues to do the same. (Adapted from “The Mental Benefits of Vacationing Somewhere New,” by Todd B. Kashdan.)
Managers, make yourself available to your remote employees
c 2017 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate
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at designated times and in multiple ways (instant messaging, Slack, Skype, email, phone, text). Remote employees should always be able to count on you to respond to pressing concerns, no matter where they work. (Adapted from “A Study of 1,100 Employees Found That Remote Workers Feel Shunned and Left Out,” by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield.)