Strategy in Action is how you get clear about what matters, stay focused on it, and work smarter instead of just harder. It lives in the everyday choices that move your work forward.
These articles are about the practice behind that: listening well, protecting your attention, defining success by outcomes instead of activity, and getting deliberate about what you are not going to do. This is about how to think and act strategically in your everyday work, not about writing a strategic plan.
Curious about how you lead already? Take the leadership style quiz and find out where your strengths are.
To lovingly tend the garden of your mind every day, sift your thoughts for gold, choose your words wisely, and engage in conversations that matters. You will sow the seeds of an abundant harvest and keep the weeds at bay.
It goes without saying that we live at a time, in the knowledge age, that external distractions are compounding. Everything keeps moving faster and faster. We are all so busy: there are so many things we need to do, and many more things going on around us all at once. It can be quite hard to create the mental and physical space necessary to really listen to another human being.
How to Listen in an Age of External Distractions Read More »
To create mental space to listen well to another human being is not easy. This time in history has been referred to as the attention deficit age. And it is no wonder. Everything moves fast and seems to keep moving faster. There are often so many things we need to do and so many more activities going on at once around us. The mechanics of hearing sound may be simple, but keeping the concentration necessary to process meaning from words and sentences is not.
Creating Mental Space to Listen in an Age of Attention Deficit Read More »
The power of silence is evident when you isten generously in a way that has someone experience being fully heard and supported. They walk away believing in themselves and their ability to make a bigger difference than they ever imagined.
The Power of Silence as a Strategy for Leadership Read More »
Speak less so you listen more. When you feel the tension in a conversation, you might be surprised at how this one simple strategy can quickly turn a conversation about what’s wrong into a conversation about what we can do to make things better.
Listening better is the most recommended solution when people meet head-on, especially if they have very different views about how to satisfy important principles they actually share and they want to achieve shared goals.
How Listening Better Works With These 3 Important Principles Read More »
Does success mean checking things off of your “to do” list or project plan, or does success mean achieving an outcome or result that is strategic and matters to you or others?
Focus at work is something I really have to work at personally, so I am always looking for resources on this topic. One of my big challenges is dealing with external distractions, but if I am being honest, a big part of being able to focus better at work is entirely internal. Here are a
How many decisions do you make in a day? It may surprise you that “the average amount of remotely conscious decisions an adult makes each day equals about 35,000.”
There are countless articles about new year’s resolutions and how they either work or they don’t. Each year I choose 3 words to guide my everyday choices throughout the year.
Learning to work smarter, not just harder is a surefire way to accelerate and even amplify your success.
How You Can Work Smarter to Make Your Hard Work Pay Off Read More »
When you are feeling scattered or overwhelmed in any domain of your work or life, below are 3 questions that can help you to get focused. But before you ask them make sure you choose a specific domain.
It is, of course, human nature to seek ways to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. That’s why fueling fear is a low hanging strategy for leaders who need to cause a short-term result.
3 Reasons Possibility Trumps Fear as a Leadership Strategy Read More »
As a professional the demands on your time and attention are intense. Unfortunately, the commitments you make to yourself likely get put aside more often than you intend.
