How to Use Your Online Network to Test Ideas

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Most managers today understand the importance of reaching out to colleagues through LinkedIn, following and being followed on Twitter, and actively participating in corporate social media initiatives — but fewer know how to effectively use these networks.

o One way is to gather information by testing proposals and strategies, inside and outside your organization.

o Float an idea and see how many “likes” or retweets it gets.

o Or direct certain groups of people to an online survey.

The feedback might help you persuade a reluctant boss or client to come around to your point of view.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Networking.

To check out that book and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.

How to Strike the Right Tone in Your Writing

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Getting tone right takes work — but it’s critical to the success of your business documents.

If you sound likable and professional, people will want to work with you and respond to you. If you come off as hyperformal, condescending, or sarcastic, people won’t.

o Find the right tone by writing your message as if you were speaking to the recipient in person.

o Refer to people by name, use personal pronouns as you naturally would, and shun fancy substitutes for everyday words.

o Always use a friendly tone in composing your messages, even if the content isn’t positive.

You’ll get better responses from your recipients and keep yourself — and your company — out of trouble.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Better Business Writing.

To check out the book and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.

Why Persuasion Doesn’t Require Manipulation

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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If you’re trying to convince people outside clear reporting lines to collaborate with you, you’ll need to use your powers of persuasion. This doesn’t involve manipulating your colleagues, but rather leading them to a shared solution. Here’s how:

o Establish credibility. If you have a history of well-informed, sound judgment, your colleagues will trust your expertise. If you’ve demonstrated that you can work in the best interest of others, your peers will have confidence in your relationships.

o Frame goals on common ground. Tangibly describe the mutual benefits.

o Vividly reinforce your position. Ordinary evidence won’t do. Make numerical data more compelling with examples, stories, and metaphors that have an emotional impact.
Today’s Management Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across.

To read that book and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

How to Survive Networking Events by Being Generous

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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You’re not the only one who walks into a networking mixer full of dread. Before you make a run for the door, try a different approach.

o Tell yourself that it isn’t about you.

o Instead of trying to meet potential clients, or making another connection that will advance your career, focus exclusively on what you can do for the other attendees.

o Refrain from telling anyone about your own area of expertise and think about how you can help others in the room.

o Introduce yourself and immediately ask about them — who they are, why they’re there, and what they’re looking to achieve that evening.

o Then think about what connections you can make, what favors you might offer, what introductions you might broker.

Not only will the event be more fun but you’ll learn about new people and ideas, and you might just get something out of it in return.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Confession of a Networking Pro” by Jodi Glickman.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

How to Know When to Give Up On a Goal

 

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Setting goals and sticking to them is important. But you should also occasionally reevaluate your goals.

Quitting isn’t fun, but sometimes it’s necessary.

Here are two warning signs that it might be time to abandon your goal:

•  Your goals have adverse consequences. If you’ve committed to going to the gym every morning but find that you’re too tired to be productive the rest of the day, something needs to give. In these cases, adjust the goal itself or at least how you go about achieving it.

•  Your goals impede other objectives. Most people have several goals — getting healthy, spending time with family, making more sales calls, etc. If one of your goals is preventing you from reaching another one, decide which is more important.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “When to Give Up on Your Goals” by Dorie Clark.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

How to Use the Power of Pause When Speaking

 

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Whenever effective public speakers end a sentence or phrase, they usually pause.

This gives listeners time to absorb their words.

Nervous presenters often do the opposite: The stress of being in front of an audience causes them to speak faster and faster, rushing past the pauses.

•  Whether you’re speaking to a large group of strangers or a small room full of colleagues, give your audience a moment to take in your information.

•  Create a pause by dropping your voice at the ends of your phrases instead of raising it, which avoids the dreaded “Valley Girl” effect.

•  Concentrate on dropping your voice and you’ll not only sound more authoritative, but you’ll add those essential pauses.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “When Presenting, Remember to Pause” by Jerry Weissman

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

How to Prepare “Fast Trackers” for Top Jobs

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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One of the most difficult managerial transitions is moving from functional leader to enterprise leader.

Preparing people for these top jobs needs to start early. Give potential candidates experience on cross-functional projects. If you run a global business, be sure to give them international assignments as well.

•  As their leadership promise becomes evident, give these high potentials positions on a senior management team and exposure to external stakeholders, such as investors, the media, and key customers.

•  Before promoting them to the enterprise level, send them to a substantial executive program that addresses organizational design, business process improvement, transition management, and other capabilities.

•  When these rising stars are finally ready to take the reins, place them in units that are small, distinct, and thriving. Surround them with an experienced and assertive team who they can learn from.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “How Managers Become Leaders” by Michael D. Watkins.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

How to Get Into the Zone

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Everyone aspires to get into “the zone,” or the mental state where you do your best work. Next time you’re trying to achieve peak performance, remember these three things:

• There is no zone for new activities. When you start a new task, you’re not going to find flow. Getting in the zone requires activating the subconscious part of the brain, which is simply inaccessible when you are trying something for the first time.

• You need the right environment. Figure out the settings that facilitate your flow — be it a crowded coffee shop or a quiet library — and work in them whenever possible.

• Emotions are key. Being in the zone requires finding the feelings that allow your subconscious to take over. Music can help activate these emotions. Find songs, albums, or artists that put you in the right mood and block out distractions.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “How to Get into Your Zone” by James Allworth.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

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To read his other articles, please click here.

James Allworth is the co-author of How Will You Measure Your Life?. He has worked as a Fellow at the Forum for Growth and Innovation (FGI) at Harvard Business School, at Apple, and Booz & Company. Connect with him on Twitter at @jamesallworth.

You may also wish to check out Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (mee-hy cheek-sent-mah-hy-ee),  a Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.

Why You Should Not Avoid Office Politics

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

Many managers hate office politics. But avoiding them altogether may hold you back.

If you’ve ever worked for a boss who lacked clout or credibility, you understand the risks. As a manager, you’re responsible for building productive relationships throughout the office so you can influence people beyond your immediate sphere. But you can avoid “playing politics” while building the influence you need.

•   Keep your efforts clearly focused on the ultimate good of the organization. Work with others for mutual advantage, not just your own.

•   And always conduct yourself according to your personal values, no matter what others do.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Stop Avoiding Office Politics” by Linda Hill & Kent Lineback.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out the new book, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, based on HBR’s Management Tip of the Day series by clicking here.

Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Kent Lineback spent many years as a manager and an executive in business and government. They are the coauthors of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader (HBR Press, 2011).

How to Grow Your Company Without Sacrificing Culture

Karen Rubin

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Every company wants to grow. But growth often brings some hiccups, especially when it comes to organizational culture. If you’re growing fast, here are two ways to keep your culture intact:

• Spend a lot of time communicating. If people are unhappy, don’t try to squelch their anger. Instead, identify the loudmouths. Spend time listening to them, not interjecting your own thoughts. That way, you can learn more and solve their gripes.

• Measure culture. It’s tough, but not impossible. Use internal surveys or interviews to get a baseline. Find out why people enjoy working at your company and what they value. Use this information to monitor what matters most to your employees.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “How Start-Ups Can Maintain Company Culture While Growing” by Karen Rubin.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.