How to Start Your Week with a Calm Mind

Ask any teacher how they spend their weekends and they'll tell you- grading papers and prepping for upcoming classes.  I once asked a friend in the software industry how he prepares for a week and he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I guess I just show up on Monday and go to work."  

Basically, he had no idea what I was really asking.

Most leaders I know have a similar experience as teachers- they don't just show up on Monday for work.  Rather, they prepare the night before in order to start the week with a calm mind.  

A calm mind is what some call a "mind like water", i.e. a mindset that is perfectly prepared for whatever comes its way.  A calm mind also comes as a result of preparation for the week ahead.  

As Peter says in his first letter, "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."  While I don't think that Peter was typing this out on his iPhone, he does remind us to be people who take preparation seriously. 

A prepared leader is one who follows productivity routines.  

According to Elizabeth Grace Saunders in a recent HBR interview, "You want to have routines in place. So I'm a huge advocate of strengthening simple routines. Because on a day to day basis, we're stressed, we're overwhelmed. We can't think about, what's our priority, or what's the best thing to do? I need to have a routine in place."

I suggest starting the week the day before by taking time to review the following:

• What did you accomplish last week?
• What did you not accomplish in the past week?
• What do you need to accomplish in the coming week?

By looking at these three questions, you'll begin the week with poise and calm.  Not a bad way to kick things off.

How do you prepare for your week?

Photo courtesy of HB

How to Give Someone Feedback in Five Minutes or Less

Too many organizations are lousy at giving feedback.  They wait until the end of the year to sit you down and give you a form which allocates a score to how the entire year went.  

Imagine if we applied this same concept to marriage or parenting or friendship?  I can just picture my wife saying one night over dinner, "Honey, here's your review for the month of May.  I've scored you a 7 out of 10 because you were late for dinner three times.  You can do better!"  

Not exactly a motivational speech.  Chris Farley would not approve.

The ultimate point of feedback is to improve future behavior.  You can't change the past so give that up immediately.  Feedback is future oriented.

The guys at Manager Tools are the best when it comes to training folks to give feedback.  The best part is that you can give people feedback in less than five minutes.  Here are some key points before we add on the practical tips for delivering feedback:

1. People crave feedback.
2. Feedback is a normal part of work and life.
3. Feedback is traditionally seen as negative.  It can just as easily be positive.
4. Both positive and negative feedback are important.
5. Feedback is great for the employee but even better for the supervisor.
6. Feedback is meant to be given over time rather than in one fell swoop.
7. Continual feedback can transform an organization.
8. Feedback is best given close to when the behavior occurred.
9. Feedback is best given face to face.

Now let's look at two forms of feedback.  First to positive feedback and how you can deliver it:

Supervisor: Hey Chip can I give you some feedback?

Chip: Sure.

Supervisor: When you started yesterday's meeting on time, it told the group that we were about to do something important. Thanks for that.

Chip: No problem, it turned out to be a good meeting.

This is doable right?  The best part is that it only takes a second.  You can also do this while walking down the hallway or in between conversations.

Now on to negative feedback which is just as important.

Supervisor: Hey Chip can I give you some feedback?

Chip: Sure.

Supervisor: When yesterday's meeting went an hour overtime, it really slowed everyone's productivity.  I know that Shelley had to reschedule an appointment as a result.  Can you do that differently next time?

Chip: I can do that.  Sorry I guess time got away from me.

In both positive and negative feedback, the interchange is brief and honest.  Both the supervisor and the team member accomplish what they need to get done.  Most importantly, future behavior is more likely to change for the better.  

When was the last time that you received helpful feedback? 

Photo courtesy of JE.

The Meaning of Pentecost

Pentecost is often considered to be the birthday of the Christian church.  I gave the following presentation to a group of Missionary Cenacle Family members on May 18, 2013 at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, NJ.

Pentecost and the Missionary Cenacle 

3 Ways to Help the Introverts on Your Team

Most companies reward extroverts.  They think that these folks are the ones who speak up at meetings, are outgoing and as a result get more things done.

But not so fast...

Extroverts, if we use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, are people who like a lot of sensory stimulation and get energized by being around people.  Introverts, not to be confused with shy folks, prefer less stimulation and gain physical energy by being alone and uninterupted. 

 Do you know which you are?  I'm from a long line of introverts. My dad and brothers are introverts and we each find great joy in alone time.  We like people a lot but find big social events exhausting. My wife is an extrovert and always likes to think of social events and get togethers.  The point is that both introverts and extroverts are "good" and we need a healthy balance of both to make a great team.

Now look at your own team. You may be the mom and are looking at the "team" of your family.  You may be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and are considering your senior executive team.  You may be a manager of a small office.  Each of us has a team and can pay special attention to the introverts in our midst.  

I suggest three ways that you can help the introverts on your team get things done with more efficiency:

1. Prepare meeting agendas in advance.  Introverts like to ponder things ahead of time.

2. Do what you can to create a workspace that honors privacy.  This will vary from company to company.

3. Stop interrupting them. Imagine a workplace that encouraged time for folks to think without being interrupted?  

You know that there are introverts on your own team.  The question is, how are you helping them get more done?

5 Things to Avoid First Thing in the Morning

The morning is a critical time of day.  You're either spent or totally focused.  You love it or loathe it.  Wherever you are in the spectrum, we can all agree that mornings are important.  

For productivity-minded folks, the morning hours are vital to getting the most out of a day.

Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. -Gandhi

So how should you begin?  That's a loaded question for sure.  To help in the process, we might want to consider listing a few actions that are not helpful at the start of your day.  These include:

1. Shopping- shopping is necessary but try and avoid it first thing in the morning.  Shopping moves our hearts towards objects rather than towards the day ahead of us and the people we serve.  
2. Negative reading- whatever is "negative" in your book, try and avoid it.  This could include dark literature or even current events.
3. News- let's face it: the news can be depressing.  Bad stories sell papers but that doesn't mean that you have to start your day with it.
4. Email- I think that email needs to be addressed early in the day but not necessarily first thing.  Email sucks you in to work rather than keeping your mind clear and focused on getting grounded to begin your day.
5. Too much talking- journaling is very useful as a day starter but don't do all of the talking.  Make sure to allow some time to just sit and listen: to God, nature, the stirrings inside of your own heart.

What types of activities do you avoid at the start of your day?

Photo courtesy of KS