Breaking the Myth: Younger Generations Care About Purpose, Not Just Paychecks

Looking for a good Thanksgiving read? My new book, The Future Begins With Z, is now available. If you want practical insights on how to understand, motivate, and lead Generation Z in today’s workplace, this is a valuable resource to take into the holiday season! timelmore.com/the-future-beg…

If you want to become a good listener, you'll need to work on two things: showing empathy and asking good questions

Five Problems Leaders Create When Solving Problems 1️⃣ Knee Jerk Leaders I’ve done this a few times in my career. It occurs when a leader becomes aware of a problem later than their team knows of it, and they feel behind, like something’s been going on behind their back. In reaction, they pull the trigger on a decision far too quickly, before getting helpful information on the parties involved. They feel they see the big picture more than others can. While acting on their gut can be helpful, they don’t see the collateral damage they do to the psychological safety of their team members. It’s a tradeoff that may not pay off. A solution? It’s often best to wait a day, gather information and sleep on it before choosing a response. 2️⃣ Eggshell Leaders We all know the term, “walking on eggshells.” These leaders find it challenging to make tough decisions because they’re afraid of offending someone; they worry too much about politics, personalities and the perception others have of them. They can be people pleasers who tiptoe around problems or make decisions that aren’t good long-term solutions. In fact, they prolong problems, creating a culture of distrust and dissatisfaction among teammates. When leaders tiptoe around problems, it causes staff to tiptoe around, keeping secrets. A solution? You must invite candor from trusted colleagues who’ll hold you accountable to make tough calls. 3️⃣ Face-Saving Leaders This is a term from Dan Rockwell. Face-saving leaders care more about appearances than results and often hide problems from higher-ups, they minimize problems, or they seize control to cover their reputation. Saving face is very important to them and their status. These people only succeed long-term in dysfunctional organizations. Over time, people stop trusting them, withholding information from them since face-saving leaders do the same. Soon, productivity slows down as knowledge is impeded within departments. A solution? You must face problems, own them, and follow through to a successful resolution. This enables you to deepen trust. 4️⃣ M.I.A. Leaders These leaders claim they don’t want to micro-manage, but in reality, they don’t manage at all. They are absent from the process, leaving team members without direction. When they do try to solve problems, they’re often unsure what to do. They procrastinate on taking action for long periods and could be described as “absentee leaders.” People can’t expect them to be in the trenches, fighting battles alongside them; they are missing-in-action. They put off decisions because they fear making the wrong decision. A solution? Grow some courage to make a tough call. Form a team to help you face the music, ask for the input you need to make progress. 5️⃣ Landmine Leaders This problem-solving method only adds to the drama that problems already bring with them. It aggravates issues because others don’t know what they’re going to get from this leader. It could be a peaceful exchange or an explosion, like walking around landmines in a field. There is unnecessary drama with this problem-solving approach as this leader keeps bringing up past failures or complaining about mistakes. A solution? Adopt a “make it better” approach, which is one of our core values. Don’t drudge up the past unless it furnishes positive lessons learned and improves employee attitudes, words, actions, and decisions. Calm is usually better than drama.

While a group of authors are just getting started on a year’s worth of mentoring and strategy around writing their book, you too can join another group in June of people who are wanting to get that book they have always wanted to write published! abookinaweekend.com