Useful Management TipsUseful Management Tips

For saying “No”

Set intentions: Often we don't say no because we're not sure what we're working toward. Take the time to write down what you want to achieve and what will help you get there.

Prioritize commitments: Make a list of all your current commitments and prioritize them. Commitments that are low on the list should be "no" items.

Make no your default answer: Assume that you will say no to any new requests that come in, unless they meet a short set of criteria. Will the project help you grow professionally or personally? Does it fit into your intentions for the year?

Handle the Silent Treatment“if your email go unanswered”

Don't take it personally: Often there is a logical explanation for the silence. Perhaps the employer hasn't gotten funding for the position yet, or the colleague has no new information to share. Don't assume you did something wrong, but understand that the person may have other priorities.

Don't pester: In the hectic world of work, sometimes all people can do is respond to crises and top priorities. If you are neither, don't pester with repeated follow-up emails or calls.

Manage your emotions: Once you've sent your follow up, assume you won't hear back. If you do hear back, it will be a nice surprise. If you don't, you won't have wasted your energy stressing about it.

Battle Job BoredomTurn off autopilot: Think about new ways of doing work and try

new approaches to what may seem like old problems.

See change as possible:When you first started, you likely saw things that needed to change. After a few years, and perhaps a few setbacks, you started to see change as too difficult. Remind yourself that change is possible, even if it's slow, and vow to find ways to make the impossible possible.

Renew your leadership agenda:Think about what you wanted to accomplish during your first 90 days on the job, before you got bored. Renew your energy and commitment to make change happen.

Focusing on Social ProblemsCreate a bigger pool of ideas: Don't focus just on your market or

function, but think about how solutions in your market can help serve a broader audience. This expanded thinking will put more ideas into your innovation funnel.

Increase partnerships: Committing to helping other people inspires a willingness to reach beyond the company walls and build new partnerships that often lead to new ideas.

Focus on solutions:When employees know that their ideas will help people, they are more likely to feel motivated to focus on innovative solutions.

Stop Ignoring Growth OpportunitiesChances are that someone inside your organization has a

great idea for how to grow your company. Chances are also that leadership is ignoring that idea. Kodak long ignored an engineer's idea for a "filmless camera" (aka a digital camera) because it was in the business of selling film. The largest growth opportunities are often the market-changing ideas that not only represent growth, but a threat to your business as well. Figure out what those threats are before someone else does.

Ask your people: what could put us out of business? In the answer to that question may be your biggest source of innovation.

Components for preventing CrisisPattern recognition: Encourage your people to share information

and make connections so that you can recognize when a problem is forming.

Broader communication: Communication across silos is not easy, but it should be mandatory so that critical information reaches all parts of an organization.

Trusted leadership: Leaders need to react quickly when a problem surfaces. Showing that you care about an issue is critical to gaining your employees' trust in your ability to handle problems.

Special Thanks:

Mark W. JohnsonRosabeth Moss Kanter

Susan CrammPeter Bregman

Alexandra Samuel

Thanks