1. Background - Set the stage for your message by outlining some of the factors that have led up to the decision.  Provide a general overview in a straightforward and logical manner.
2. Action – Clearly articulate the changes that are going to occur as a result of the current situation.  While you may not have all the details yourself, your team needs to know that you’re sharing as much as you can.  Be as explicit with your staff as possible in answering the question “What does this mean for them?”
3. Next Steps – Describe the timeline associated with the change and when certain milestone events will be occurring.  Your team will be looking to you to offer a sense of clarity and direction in navigating this bad news, so be ready to give them as much structure as possible.

While this is a frustrating time for everyone involved, remember that you’ve had time to think about and plan for this “bad news” message.  Your staff may be hearing this information for the first time.  Be aware that it may take some time for the information to sink-in, so give your team plenty of time to reflect on the news and ask whatever questions are necessary to make sure that they understand what you’re trying to convey.

1. Acknowledge the passage of time.  Let them know that you can’t believe how long it’s been since you’ve been in touch, but that you’ve thought of them fondly over the past few years.   Provide a brief update on what you’ve done and let them know that you’re curious about what has happened with them as well.
2. State what you want.  Be clear about why you’re reaching out to them and why now.  It may simply be that you’ve missed having regular conversations with them, or it may be that you’re considering making a job change.  Whatever the reason, make that clear in your initial message.
3. Ask how you can help in return.  Remember to ask the simple question, “Is there anything I can do for you?”  While they may not have any immediate needs, that simple question opens the door to ongoing conversation and is helpful in re-establishing that lapsed relationship.

How often do you stop and assess how you are talking and with whom you are talking and thereby working?  If our work is to talk, we need to assess how we are talking.  We suggest a simple but powerful exercise to do this assessment.  Create a 2×2 box with yes/no as row headings and Talking/Listening as column headings.  In the Yes boxes, list the names of the colleagues that you are actively talking with and listening to.  And, in the No boxes, list the names of colleagues that you do not talk with and/or listen to.  When thinking of appropriate colleagues to consider, think of the individuals that make the most sense – the ones you should be working with based on your role.  When you examine your result, look for patterns. What do the boxes tell you about how you are working?  If the fact that you don’t talk or listen to some key colleagues is having a business cost,  you know you have work to do.  Choose an appropriate next step for each individual in those boxes and start your work!

Aligning three key factors ensures that you are operating in your leadership “sweet spot”:

1. Skills & abilities – these are the tasks you naturally do well; the things that come easily to you and would be considered your strengths; areas of knowledge and expertise
2. Organizational needs — these are the things that the organization values or needs accomplished to be successful
3. Passion — these are the activities that you love to do; the things that energize you and bring you a sense of meaning and personal enjoyment

Too often we only consider two of these three important elements.  To truly reap the benefits of operating in your leadership “sweet spot” all three pieces need to be aligned — this leads to the most positive results for both the individual and the organization.

What makes this challenging is that all three components are constantly changing and evolving.

• Skills evolve (or become obsolete) over time
• Organizational needs change based on economic conditions
• Passions shift as we mature and experience new things

Therefore we can not take it for granted that once we achieve our “sweet spot” that we still stay in that state for the long-term.  Constantly be attentive to signs that you are no longer energized or stimulated by your work.  Take action in a proactive manner to explore next steps in your career before hitting a plateau or becoming disengaged.  This will allow your career path to be much more intentional instead of simply a stroke of luck.

Our word choice  signals subtle messages.  At times, it is the smallest words that can be the most powerful. For example, the choice between “why” and “how.”  Both question words, both 3 letters, both in common daily use; however, they have a very different impact on the target of our question. 

• Why – signals to defend your idea.  “Why would we do that?”  This question puts the target of our question on the defense to explain the thought/idea.
• How - signals an invitation to say more.  “How would we do that?”  This question signals curiosity and interest.

Both are very valid options and signals. The question is are we thoughtful about what we are signaling and are we choosing our words intentionally.  As we speed through our conversations (both one-on-one and in meetings), are we being as effective as we can be?  With more intentionality on our word choice, we are assured to more closely signal the intent of our message.

When thinking about your professional network, it is easy to become overwhelmed and uncertain about whether or not you have the “right” people included in your circle of colleagues.  To ensure that you have your bases fully covered, consider the three following categories:

1. Current peers / colleagues:  Whether you use LinkedIn or some other way to track and maintain your network, be sure to include the people you engage with at your current organization.  While you may see them on a day-to-day basis, you want to ensure that you’re connecting with them around issues beyond just the task at hand.  Get to know a little more about their interests, hobbies, and professional aspirations.
2. Former colleagues:  Reach out to people from your past (college classmates, prior bosses, previous co-workers).  It’s interesting to see the range and diversity of career paths that people have taken. You may be surprised by the way people have moved through their careers.  We all tend to lose track of some people, so use discussions with former colleagues as opportunities to get current contact information for the people you know in common who have fallen out-of-touch.
3. People in other organizations / industries:   Because some of the most meaningful networking connections come from the places we least expect it, be sure that you’re connecting with people outside of your own professional field.  Learn more about the professional background of your friends and neighbors.  By having a broad and diverse set of skills represented in your network you’ll be able to make some interesting connections. 

Most importantly, it’s crucial to see networking as simply a way to stay connected with people you genuinely enjoy and trust.  Take the time to consider the important question:  “How can I help this person?”  Once you have that mindset in place, you’ll be pleased to discover how your healthy network will then be helpful to you in return.

Many of our clients are asked by their organizations to be more “strategic”.  They turn to us to ask what that means?  What does it really look like to be more strategic?  How does that look differently than what they are doing - executing and delivering results every day?  We find that we can typically help them answer those questions with some time to think.  Reflection time allows a leader to be intentional about how they move through the day, how they interact with others, the frame they put on a meeting or conversation.  Most organizational leaders are very smart and very capable – but they need time to think.

One of the best things you can do for yourself in the New Year is ensure that you are carving out time during the week to think.  It may not be consistent, it may not be in your office, you may have to call it something else on your calendar, but protect your thinking time and ensure that it is a top priority.  Your reward for carving out reflection time will be more strategic, intentional leadership.

Where confusion lies in how the two terms integrate.  For example, a key employee may be high potential but not ready now for another assignment.  Another employee who may be listed as ready now for a position, may or may not be high potential.   High potential is defining the individual employee as someone who has much to offer the organization now and in the future.  Readiness is indicating fit for a specific role – skills, knowledge and abilities for that position.

When thinking about ourselves as leaders, it is useful to differentiate between those two categories.  Some of you may be high potential but not ready for the next level or different type of role.  You need more time in current role to gain all that the role has to offer in terms of development. The distinction is also useful when examining your staff.  Who are your high potentials who will provide increasing value to the organization through a variety of roles?  How should they be developed?  Who are your key employees that are ready to move into a specific role when needed?  What do they need to be successful in that transition?

The risk of continually operating in “fire-fighting ” mode is that you’re primarily living in the past — the issues have already occurred and you’re responding to them in some way.  In order to be a more effective leader, time and energy should also be directed towards the future — planning for upcoming opportunities, considering creative new solutions, preparing your group for what’s around the corner.  The challenge is finding ways to actually make this happen:

1. Block time on your calendar on a weekly basis for thinking about the future.  Protect this time by yourself as much as possible so that you can truly engage in thoughtful reflection.  Resist the tendency to use this time to simply catch-up on email.
2. Set personal targets for where you want your group to be in 5 years.  While this may align with established organizational goals, don’t feel like you need to limit yourself in that way. 
3. Allow some group time in your team meetings for brainstorming.  Avoid slipping into problem-solving mode and focus instead on proactive planning.

By carving out time to really attend to the future, you’ll find that you can actually lead in a more intentional and impactful way.

1. Reflect on what additional skills are needed at the next level.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you will just be doing more of the same.  Focus on what is new and unique in more senior-level roles.  This shows that you understand how the next level is different from your current role.
2. Continue to pursue personal development opportunities in all forms (e.g., training, coaching, mentoring).  See all new experiences as learning opportunities and seek out different ways to expand your thinking.  This shows that you recognize the importance of life-long learning.
3. Identify mentor(s) from other parts of the company to broaden your organizational understanding.  If possible, also seek out people from other organizations to establish peer-mentoring relationships.  This shows that you value and cultivate professional relationships.

By continuing to focus personal development, you actively demonstrate the wisdom of strong leaders — the awareness that we all have significant strengths and weaknesses and that there are always opportunities to learn and grow.  While confidence is often seen as a key trait for leaders, self-awareness is actually much more important in the long-term.