10 Things I Learned From Adam Grant
As the pandemic continues to take its toll on everyone, leaders, especially women, are feeling the strain of burnout and the teams they manage are feeling it as well. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist at Wharton, the author of “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” and the host of the TED podcast WorkLife, recently spoke with the members of Chief, the only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. Here are 10 leadership lessons I walked away with:
name it to tame it
If we look more closely at our inner experiences and name them, we might be able to do something about them. If you haven’t already read Adam’s New York Times article There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing, take a moment to do so. Adam does a superb job naming what many of us have felt this year.
“Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021.”
Adam’s recommendation - go find a friend that is languishing and give him or her some advice. It’s likely the advice you give him or her is the advice you should take for yourself!
2. Fight Zoom/Teams fatigue
Being on screen all day certainly isn’t helping us avoid languishing. Two of the biggest causes of Zoom/Teams fatigue: we sit still all day long and we sit too close to our screens. Pro-tip: turn off your self-view permanently and turn off your camera sometimes. There is some evidence that shows turning your camera off more often enables you to more effectively tune into others emotions as well as have more equal and inclusive interactions.
3. Prevent giver burnout
Women burn out at ~8% higher rates than men do because women tend to be more selfless and self sacrificing. Ladies, watch out for your level of engagement with non-promotable tasks. Be on the alert for “takers” - be candid with them, set boundaries and invite them to change.
4. Harness the strength of weak ties
Your strongest ties tend to give you redundant knowledge. Seek opportunities to chat with different people. Leaders - hold office hours so anyone in your organization can share ideas with you and ask you questions. Everyone - make requests! You never know what will come of them. Also, get comfortable giving help and asking for help.
5. Stop running exit interviews and start running re-entry interviews
We’ve all been running experiments since March 2020. Ask employees, “What’s the best experiment you’ve run in the past year and a half and what’s a new experiment you’d love for us to try to improve life at work?” Share the results, scale what’s working and try something new.
6. Create a disconnection policy and follow it
Companies need to do a better job coordinating and creating boundaries so employees can disconnect from work, giving them space to unplug, recharge and practice self-care. Leaders - create a policy to not send emails in the evening and over weekends and follow it. Role model the behavior you want to see.
7. Be a “bursty” team
Create quiet time for your team members to do individual work so they can get into a flow state. Also create meaningful time and space for collaborative work. The intensity of a team’s interaction is more important than their frequency of interaction.
8. Show yourself
Share humanity and show vulnerability BEFORE deciding you trust a team member, not the other way around. We often get this backwards, but showing vulnerability first can lead to greater connection and successful team interaction.
9. Set clear goals and clear roles
Even more important than establishing interpersonal bonds is having clear goals and clear roles for each individual. We all want a sense of belonging and a sense of contribution. Setting clear goals and clear roles for each team member is critical, especially during this time of uncertainty.
10. Pay attention to what you sacrifice
Feeling a bit lost or confused regarding what you’re passionate about? If you recognize the things that you give up you will see what really matters to you. Even if you don’t have a clear sense of your passion you’ll have a sense of your purpose.
I love that Adam kept coming back to this point:
“If you really listen to the advice you give other people you will realize you have a lot of knowledge that you don’t put into action on a regular basis. If you take your own advice more often you’ll probably end up solving some of the challenges in front of you.”
What is one piece of advice you give to others that you are willing to put into action for yourself today?
