Leading a team, an office, or a project is rewarding, but it can also be a challenge. The past two months have been non-stop for me. How about you? In addition to the business of the beginning of the year, we still have ongoing strains from the pandemic, social unrest, and economic instabilities. Most of these are outside of our control, but they bring stress to our lives and our jobs.
As I finish the first quarter of 2022, I am thinking about being my best at work each day. Do you aspire to be your best every day? As a leader, a priority is often motiving my teams to move our business forward. If my energy is low, it can be challenging to motivate others. I wondered how others in similar positions recharge, and therefore I brought it to a group of leaders I know in my community. I am the current chair of my professional organization’s knowledge community called the Council of Firms. This community consists of leaders across Minneapolis who are leading architectural practices. Last month I led a discussion about how we could reenergize and rise to lead in times of uncertainty. I found the debate inspiring, and I could glean some Star Stunning realizations that I would like to share with you.
I have identified four ways in which I believe you can motivate yourself and inspire others along the way. The focus areas include: project your me-time, have a signifying end to the day, look outside for support and celebrate a sense of achievement.
Protect your me-time
How often do you go on vacation or take a day off but continue to follow your e-mail or answer the phone? Many companies today offer PTO, which stands for Personal Time Off. Think of PTO as your Me-time. If you work during your scheduled PTO time, you rob yourself of an opportunity to recharge. PTO is a benefit. It is a part of your total compensation. If you rob yourself of this time, you are essentially lowering your income each time to give your PTO to your employer. Some companies have allowed you to roll over many PTO hours or enable you to take a payout at specific balance points. Recently, more organizations are moving towards limiting the carryover of PTO hours and not providing the payout. Your employer wants you to take your PTO. They want you to recharge. You deserve it, and you deserve to do it free of interruptions. More times than not, I take that gift away from myself by not turning off my notifications, looking at my e-mail, or answering a work-related phone call on my mobile.
Do you deny yourself an uninterrupted PTO day? You deserve a day off, don’t take it away from yourself. Next time you have a PTO day on the calendar, practice protecting your me-time and notice how you feel. Simple tips that may help.
- Put an out office notification on your e-mail
- Update your voice message to let folks know that you are out and when you can get back to them.
- Trade back-up duties with a co-worker. Bring a co-worker up to speed on your projects; they can handle it. Next time they are on PTO, you will do it for them.
Do you have a scheduled PTO day coming up? What tips will you put into practice to ensure the PTO day is there for you to recharge?
Have a solid end to your day
It’s elementary to keep working and working past the end of traditional working hours. There is always more work that one can do. A well-respected member of the Council of Firms mentioned how they always end the day with “The Wheel.” The individual lovingly gave it the name, but of course, this is the game show, Wheel of Fortune. The show makes an unmistakable mark that the day has ended. I thought it was an exciting approach. It is on every night. It has been for years and will likely continue. What could be your end of the day? An exercise class, a TV show, A book, a meet-up with friends. The point is to pick something that happens regularly so you can leave work, recharge, and refresh your mind to tackle it tomorrow.
What is something personal that you look forward to doing? Is it something you could use each day to signify the end of your workday?
Look outside for support
Have you ever heard the saying, “it is lonely at the top?” If you are unsure who to confide in, this can be true whether you lead a project or an organization. I have always struggled to be a part of the group and be a leader. I have quite a bit of experience with it, and for the most part, I have struck a good balance. Transparency is essential, but not everyone has the expertise or tools to handle all the details. Too much information can harm morale and culture. It is vital to be selective in sharing information, particularly my own emotions. My goal is to choose leadership first over being one of the group.
Nevertheless, I am human, and I need to express what is happening in my roles, have a sounding board, and reach out for help. There are a couple of sources I have found helpful in my career. The first is the group I mentioned early in the conversation, The Council of Firms has positively impacted my career. Additionally, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Biz Journal Women’s leadership Council connects me to like-minded business leaders. In addition to external resources, I have found internal resources to be helpful as well:
- Supervisors
- HR Partners/Directors
- Peer to Peer Mentoring
Where can you turn to for support? Does your professional organization or a group within your community provide access to other professionals like yourself?
Celebrate a sense of achievement
There will be days when things don’t turn out the way you envisioned. Disappointments or setbacks happen. It is a component of any position. What sets leaders apart is how they react to the situation. Within the setbacks, there were achievements. Look back at the process, what went well, and make a point to celebrate them. Recently my team was going after a new project. The pursuit team consisted of three of us. Despite our other commitments, we all worked tighter to make a great proposal. The process was rewarding, and although we did not win the project, we knew we had put our best foot forward. We learned a few things and are better for it. To celebrate the work we completed, I suggested a team lunch. One of the members works from home; her immediate response was, “let me know when and I will be there.” We all did a great job. You win, you lose some in business, but I know I have a great team and wanted to celebrate them.
What accomplishments have you or your team achieved in the last month? How will you celebrate?
We delight in the beauty of a butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
Maya Angelou
Leading takes energy. This energy is on top of deliverables or tasks required by your position. It is crucial to practice activities that will allow you to have the power in reserve. I hope the four ideas: protect your me-time, have a signifying end to the day, look outside for support and celebrate a sense of achievement will bring motivation to yourself and inspire others along the way. The focus areas include: project your me-time, have a signifying end to the day, look outside for support and celebrate a sense of achievement.
This brings me to today’s Star Stunning realizations:
- Your work will survive a day without you. When I take a day off, I tend to have separation anxiety, my fight/flight response kicks in, and I may not be necessary at work. Imposture syndrome takes over, and I fear my employer might not see my value when I am out. I believe this is the real reason I seldom unplug on my day off. I know this is ridiculous. I work hard; I am motivated and good at my job. What is your reason? Consider the cause and plan to counteract that and enjoy the day you have set aside for yourself.
- Consider a solid cue to end your day. Having something that will signify a transition in your day can be powerful; maybe you need to pick up your kids, perhaps you eat every evening at the same time. Consider what consistently happens. The more enjoyable it is for you, the easier it will be to stick with it. Make it non-negotiable. There may be assignments you need to say no to, or you may need to improve delegation to achieve a consistent end to your day. Whatever you need to do, please do it for yourself.
- An objective support system is vital. We are all human, and we need a support system to guide us. In good times a support system can validate our understanding of the situation and offer rewards; in more challenging times, a support system can help you view things objectively to get past the disappointment and move forward with action.
- Look for accomplishments and celebrate them. There are good days and bad days. Not every day is a win, and on the outside, it appears as a sour lemon. No matter the day’s situation, you can make lemonade. What did you learn from the experience, what good did you or your team accomplish. No matter how small, celebrate that and use the positive energy for a better day in the future.
Leave a Reply