Learn more about career with this collection
Cultivating a growth mindset and embracing challenges
Developing adaptive thinking and problem-solving skills
Effective learning frameworks and approaches
"My desire to help others"
Helping gives us a sense of purpose and fulfils a deep need to be useful. But if we jump in too quickly or too often or solve others' problems without building their capability, we become the regular go-to for requests.
- Be clear on your priorities and get comfortable saying "no".
- When you do jump in, don't solve people's problems directly. Instead, connect them to the right people, point them to the resources they need, or coach them to solve the problem.
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69 reads
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The exessive need to collaborate with others
Our beliefs about how we feel we need to "show up" for others can cause extreme collaborative demands and burnout.
For example, a desire to help others can lead us to jump into a project. Fear can prevent us from saying no to a collaborative request we are unable to do.
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170 reads
"My desire to be influential or recognized for my expertise"
The desire to influence others and be recognized can drive excessive collaborative demands back to you. Expertise can become a trap of its own: Focusing on your own can prevent you from developing it in other people.
Don't look for status in your expertise. Be mindful of the ways you commen...
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66 reads
Reducing collaborative overload
Research found that collaborating more purposefully can increase efficiency by 18 - 24%.
Three categories of behaviours can increase purposeful collaboration:
- Identifying and challenging beliefs that drive us to collaborate too soon. The need or fear to "show up"...
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100 reads
“FOMO drives me to engage in collaborative work"
FOMO can drive unproductive choices, like jumping into new collaborative projects. You may end up in projects where you feel overburdened and that are not well aligned with what you want from your career.
Ensure your emotions don't drive your plans. Cultivate relationships with people w...
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52 reads
“My sense of fulfillment from accomplishment"
The satisfaction you get from doing something can be addictive and detract from focusing your energy on where you add the most value.
Avoid routine and often mindless activities that give you a sugar rush for accomplishment's sake. For example, going through all your email rather than u...
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77 reads
“My discomfort with ambiguity and managing adaptation as a project unfolds"
Feeling discomfort with ambiguity makes you feel that you don't have enough information, a clear-enough process, or a clear plan. Consequently, you always search for more data, processes and strategy that consumes hours of your time.
Instead, be open to adapting ideas and plans as new i...
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57 reads
“Fear of losing control of a project/a belief that I am the most capable person"
Your need for control keeps you from delegating tasks or connecting people. In turn, team members feel that their autonomy has been diminished.
Draw a line between high-risk tasks that really require your expertise and lower-risk work you can delegate. Build capability in others to free...
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52 reads
“My need for closure results in communications that create unnecessary work "
Overemphasising completeness for completeness's sake creates unnecessary stress for your team members and drives them to chase the wrong objectives.
Remind yourself that an empty email inbox or closure should not be a high priority. Put off non-priority work or requests or leave it all ...
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55 reads
“My concern with being labeled a poor performer"
Worrying about being labelled a poor performer makes it impossible to say "no" to a request.
Don't think saying "no" is your only option. Offer choices, such as "What order would you like me to do these?" Create transparency in the volume of demands you are already facing, then discuss the ...
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67 reads
“My need to be right"
The need to be correct creates unproductive activities, pushing people to spend hours preparing for meetings, writing perfect emails, and creating excess work for others.
Instead, admit that you don't know the exact answer but are willing to quickly find out. Being open about your limit...
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46 reads
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The desire to help others
If you jump in too quickly or too often, you can become a target for ever-expanding requests that prevent you from meeting your bigger goals.
Develop an awareness of why people beat a path to your door. Is it because you represent the route of least resistance? If ...
Coach managers on how to genuinely care for others
It’s not always natural or comfortable for managers to express care, they may feel awkward or unclear on boundaries. But demonstrating care doesn’t have to be intrusive, and not every employee will want or need the same degree of care.
Give managers discretion and r...
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