By examining data from employee surveys and performance reviews, Google’s people analytics team identified eight key behaviors demonstrated by the company’s most effective managers.<h5>A good manager:</h5><ol><li>Is a good coach</li><li>Empowers the team and does not micromanage </li><li>Expresses interest in and concern for team members’ success and personal well-being</li><li>Is productive and results-oriented</li><li>Is a good communicator—listens and shares information</li><li>Helps with career development</li><li>Has a clear vision and strategy for the team</li><li>Has key technical skills that help them advise the team</li></ol>

What Google’s Best Managers Do

“Engineers hate being micromanaged on the technical side but love being closely managed on the career side.”

Do you need a manager? Short answer: yes. 

Fearless Leadership

How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management

Direct when a person: <ul><li>Is new in a role </li><li>Is new to the company </li><li>Is new to the client/customer </li><li>Has new job responsibilities or tasks Has new ways of working</li></ul>

Direct when the employee has low competence

Delegate when a person has: <ul><li>Some experience in the role </li><li>A track record or competence </li><li>A sensitive task or client Confidence in their abilities Similar ways of working</li></ul>

Delegate when the employee has moderate to high competence

Develop when the person:<ul><li>Has extensive experience</li><li>Has demonstrated evidence of competency</li><li>Has experienced similar clients or task sensitivities</li><li>Is growing new competences</li><li>Is trying new approaches</li></ul>

Develop when the employee has high competence and high commitment

Have you ever wondered why the head of a baseball team is called the manager and the head of a basketball team is called the coach? (These are the kinds of things I sometimes ponder on long airplane rides.) The answer has to do not just with the obvious differences between [...]

Know When to Manage and When to Coach

“Scientists for over 100 years have searched fruitlessly for brain boundaries between thinking, feeling, deciding, remembering, moving and other everyday experiences,” Barrett said. A host of recent neurological studies further confirm that these mental categories “are poor guides for understanding how brains are structured or how they work.”

A brain map with neat borders is not just oversimplified — it’s misleading. 

It’s not that “perception” or “memory” is a useless term, he emphasized. But “if we want to understand what the brain does, we probably need much more precise ways to understand particular functions.”

‘More Aliases Than Sherlock Holmes’

Familiar categories of mental functions such as perception, memory and attention reflect our experience of ourselves, but they are misleading about how the…

Stashed ideas personally handpicked to think better

Better Thinking

Mental Phenomena Don’t Map Into the Brain as Expected | Quanta Magazine

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Progress is impossible without change

The world changes constantly, so the best way to adapt to an ever-changing environment is to embrace rethinking.

Progress is impossible without change.

Every time we think or talk, we tend to fall into the role of one of these characters: <ol><li>a preacher, who is only interested in expressing himself</li><li>a prosecutor, whose goal is to win</li><li>a politician, a people pleaser</li><li>a scientist, who knows what they don't know and is willing to unlearn and rethink</li></ol>

To embrace a growth mindset, think like a scientist.

The purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs; it’s to evolve our beliefs.

"The purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs; it’s to evolve our beliefs."

We should teach ourselves to be confident but modest.

Overconfidence is ignorance plus arrogance. 

We should live by our personal values, instead. This will allow us to let go of our beliefs without crisis if they turn out to be wrong or go outdated.

Your identity is not determined by your beliefs. 

Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everyone in good society holds exactly the same opinions.

Adam Grants explains two types of conflicts:<ol><li>relationship conflicts, and</li><li>task conflicts. </li></ol>Task conflicts are constructive by nature. In relationship conflicts, it takes great respect for each other for such conflicts to be constructive.

Constructive Conflicts: How to Get Hot Without Getting Mad

They do not attack the other side nor defend their position! <ol><li>They find common ground. </li><li>They present only a few reasons to support their case. </li><li>They ask questions. </li></ol>In Grant Adam's words:"They appeared less assertive, but much like in a dance, they led by letting their partners step forward."

Three Things a Skilled Negotiator Do Differently

We can't change others, but we can motivate them to change by using motivational interviewing: <ol><li>Ask open-ended questions</li><li>Engage in reflective listening</li><li>Affirm the person’s desire and ability to change</li></ol>The goal is not to persuade but to look for...<ul><li>sustain talk, and </li><li>change talk. </li></ul>When you identify change talk, you may ask questions that help people go deeper to motivate them to change.To be a good motivational interviewer, you must cultivate a genuine desire to help people reach their goals.

Motivational Interviewing: Helping Others Change through Questions

An organization with a culture of learning requires:<ol><li>psychological safety and </li><li>accountability to both the process and outcome.</li></ol>So, these are what they do:<ul><li>They avoid best practices and keep rethinking their solutions.</li><li>They are not afraid of making mistakes and learn from them. </li><li>Team members ask themselves and others, “How do you know?” in a nonjudgmental way.</li></ul>

Rethinking and corporate culture of learning

Rethinking liberates us to do more than updating our knowledge and opinions---It's a tool for leading a more fulfilling life.

Check out these important #ideas from my favourite book: Think Again! 

#1 New York Times Bestseller “THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more—it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.” —Brené Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval--and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people's minds--and our own. As Wharton's top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he's right but listen like he's wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You'll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom.

Think Again

Even if you work for others, do it as if it is your own business. Talk to your clients the same way your boss would do, when he’s at his best.

Own your work

Not only will this make you happy but also achieve better for the business you work for.

Stand up for work that matters 

Spend 80% of your time doing 20% of the work that produces 80% of the results

Eat that frog!

Chances are that most (if not all) our favorite distractions are right at our fingertip these days. Another good work habit to have is to <a href="https://ysamphy.com/iphone-configurations-and-apps-for-productivity/">set up your phone to work for you</a>, instead of against you.


Set up your smartphone to work for you, not against you!

You need to build your focus muscle by making it a habit to turn off notifications during most of your workday. Just like you should <a href="https://ysamphy.com/guide-to-email-productivity-post/">schedule email time</a>, consider checking your communication apps only twice a day: once at 11:30 a.m. and another one at 5:00 p.m.

Work without digital distractions

Research found that almost half of our interruptions are self-initiated, so it's important to note it, name it, and nail it.

Become indistractable

Dealing with distraction is only part of the equation. The ability to focus is a must-have work habit for elite performers.

Train your focus muscle

Most people prioritize tasks on their schedule when in fact, a better way is to schedule your priority. The things on your schedules are usually someone else’s priority, not yours.

Schedule the priority

<a href="https://www.ysamphy.com/top-time-management-tips-and-techniques/">Effective time management</a> is a crucial work habit to have for elite performers. Their working hours are usually planned.

Master time management

If you are not well organized, it makes it difficult to find the focus necessary to produce the quality outcome you desire.

Be well organized

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

All of us plan and prioritize all the time, but it is better to get our tasks off our head.

Use a to-do list

Ask yourself this questions: What usually distracts you from doing your important tasks? Mindless snacking? Social media? Web browsing? News reading? A chat with your colleagues? Add them to your not to do list.

Use a not-to-do list to avoid distractions

Daily and weekly reviews are necessary for continuous improvement and expert performance.

Review your performance

Without proper rest and recovery, you can’t perform at your best. Meditation relaxes your mind and body. Research shows that when our brain is resting, it engages its “default network” to continue problem-solving, examine possibilities, and look for relevant information.

Practice meditation and mindfulness

There are many ways we can embrace personal and professional development at work. Reading books, peer learning/sharing, personal reflection, asking questions when in doubt… These are just a few examples.

Embrace a growth mindset

We don’t rise to our level of expectations; we fall to the level of our training.

Different careers need different tools so master the tools you need for your work. Knowing how to use them can get you by, but mastering those tools will let you optimize your performance.

Master the tools necessary to perform

I wrote the article a while ago. I've now hand-picked 18 of them and hope that you will find them helpful! Do let me know what you think I should add to the list! Happy Stashing!

This is a comprehensive guide to good work habits to help you succeed in your career. Check it out if you wonder what to do at work every day

18 Habits of Highly Effective Kowledge Workers

To be fully engaged, we must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused and spiritually aligned with a purpose beyond our immediate self-interest.

To perform at your best, you need to optimize your energy, not time.

Just as you can build your physical muscles, emotional, mental, and spiritual muscles can and should also be trained. Sustaining your pain builds your muscles. Another key to full engagement is to <a href="https://www.ysamphy.com/how-to-rest/">take regular breaks</a>. The book recommends taking a break every 90-120 minutes.

Training and recovery are key to maintaining your energy.

There are three things that affect your physical energy: exercise, food, and sleep.

Another key to full engagement is to take regular breaks. The book recommends taking a break every 90-120 minutes. 

You must do what you need to do, but never neglect to make time for what you love doing too. And remember that relationship matters, so make time for your loved ones!

You can maintain emotional energy by doing what you love and being active.

Specific things you can do to boost mental energy include learning something new, solving a puzzle or a Rubik’s cube, and meditation.

To maintain positive mental energy, you need to maintain appropriate focus and realistic optimism.

Personal values and purpose beyond self-interest are the driving force for spiritual energy. Passion, commitment, integrity, and honesty are crucial to building your spiritual muscles.

Spiritual energy is the source of motivation.

The book suggests a training system that contains three steps for full engagement: <ol><li>defining your purpose, </li><li>accepting your own limitations, and </li><li>building positive rituals.</li></ol>

Three Steps towards Full Engagement

<ul><li>Exercise regularly</li><li>Eat healthy</li><li>Get enough sleep</li><li>Take regular breaks </li><li>Work less, but more deeply </li></ul>

Actionable Advice from the Power of Full Engagement

Managing your energy, not time, is key to high performance and personal renewal!

This is a book summary of The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not time, Is Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Samphy Y
@ysamphy

How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management

Know When to Manage and When to Coach

Mental Phenomena Don’t Map Into the Brain as Expected | Quanta Magazine

Think Again

18 Habits of Highly Effective Kowledge Workers

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Samphy Y@ysamphy

How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management

Know When to Manage and When to Coach

Mental Phenomena Don’t Map Into the Brain as Expected | Quanta Magazine

Think Again

18 Habits of Highly Effective Kowledge Workers

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Samphy Y
@ysamphy