Are you slicing too thickly

At the bakery today they asked me if I wanted the loaf of bread sliced for sandwiches (thinner) or toast (thicker) ... OR a new thickness, ‘cafe style’. 

It’s big, chunky, super thick slices!

We may think in a maximising super-sizing more-is-better way, that thicker is indeed better. 

But when it comes to work, almost none of us are slicing thinly enough. 

We carve off huge thick slices of work... chunky, lumpy cafe-style slices. 

It’s why our to do lists are overwhelming, our minds are full and we end up distracting ourselves, losing focus and giving up. It becomes too hard and unachievable. 

Big chunks of work take us sooooooo long to work through and complete, we lose our way, lose momentum and motivation. 

So, set the slicer to ’thinner’. 

Slice off thinner pieces of work. That is, smaller steps and more easily achievable tasks. 

It’s not a competition for who can take on the biggest or who can eat the most work all at once. 

You won’t miss out. In fact you’ll get more done, sooner. 

Thinner slices of work are better. 

Over managed and under led

These words oozed from Darren Hill's mouth to a packed venue full of people who'd come along to learn and think about the Future of Leadership:

"We're over managed, and under led!"

Darren's a behavioural scientist and he's been studying people - and specifically leaders - for a few years now. 

In his presentation at The Future of Leadership event in Melbourne recently, he said that leaders have always needed to:

• manage pressure
• make progress, and
• establish connection

My visual notes from the session captured his key points.

In today's workplaces, leaders need to 'deal drugs'. No, not illicit drugs, but the human chemicals that drive our behaviour!

As Darren talked about adrenaline, cortisol, endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, it became clear that leaders indeed need to lead, to manage the pressure that change brings and to ensure the team makes progress. 

Leaders need to be the heart of connection in the team, to help celebrate failure and to understand these powerful human chemicals and how they impact team performance, behaviour and success. 

Are you leading... or still occupying yourself with managing things? 

'One person can make a B - I - G difference,' he said.

The Future of Leadership event heads to Brisbane, Australia on October 14. Get tickets here because 100% of the ticket sales go to Hands Across the Water. Now that's leadership!

Cross the silo

"Breaking down silos" : I reckon this action or need comes up in almost every organisational workshop I facilitate.

Teams and leaders want to break down the information barriers that exist across organisations and get some 'cross-functional love' happening! You know, communication, engagement, co-operation, collaboration. 

I like to simply start with communication. Let's communicate. 

Go find out what they're up to, who they are, how they do it. 

Do that before you start pushing your side of the world and what you want. 

Dr Stephen Covey said 'seek first to understand'; that's habit number five of his seven habits. He says once you understand, you can be understood.

I think you can be soooo much more persuasive and influential when you understand the other silo. You'll then know how to position or frame what you need to work or collaborate on.

It's foolish to leap out and try to cross the chasm over to another silo with your arguments and defences and workplace waffle jammed in a folder under your armpit. 

Go over there first. Cross the silo. Find out what's happening - with no agenda of your own but to find out. 

Then come back.

Cross the silo again. Take some more of your silo folks over this time. 

There is no leaping required. 

You can walk. 

Look! It's amazing! There is a walkway that connects silos. You just need to to walk over and start communicating. That's how you cross the silo.