Working Smarter

We’ve all heard the adage “work smarter, not harder.” There is a lot to be gained from such a simple statement, but it’s not always easy to put it into practice. How, exactly, does a team go from inefficiency into maximizing the collective skills and intelligence each individual brings? This is the subject of Wharton’s newest Nano Tool for Leaders, featuring Wharton’s own Adam Grant. In it, Grant uses three simple steps to get your team to maximize each individual’s best assets.

First, says Grant, choose the correct leader. All too often the most confident one of the group gets put in charge, when actually this person is less likely to be able to inspire others to do their best work. Look for the person who puts the mission above ego. This may be the person pointing out the problems, not the one glossing over issues. Second, use Brainwriting, not Brainstorming. The difference, is that brainwriting is done solo, and brainstorming is done in a group setting. Studies have shown that the group setting can be intimidating for some team members, and in order to conform, some may not speak up with ideas that could ultimately benefit the business. Third, create a lattice hierarchy rather than a ladder or a matrix. While a ladder gives employees only one way to go in the case of problem-solving with higher-ups (and a matrix offers several bosses or managers), a lattice framework offers multiple paths of problem solving. With this framework, employees are encouraged to seek help both across levels and between teams, ultimately leading to a more diverse pool of ideas. Examples of this, plus real-world examples of how leaders use this tool can be found in the full article. Give it a read here, and see what Mr. Grant can do for you this week.

The Power of Confident Humility

Confident humility. While some might believe these words to be dichotomous, Professor Adam Grant and the amazing minds over at Wharton have something to share: this personality trait is the secret to great leadership. In their latest nano-tool for leaders, confident humility is defined as being secure enough in your expertise and strengths to admit your ignorance and weaknesses. When one reflects on the most admired leaders throughout history, the two are often seen together. When leaders have one without the other, however, they falter. Confidence without humility leads to egotism and lack of forethought, while humility without confidence leads to doubt and failure.

Luckily, there are steps that leaders can take to ensure they embody these traits. First off, create a culture of learning as opposed to a culture of performance. Evidence shows that acknowledging one’s shortcomings creates more innovation and fewer mistakes. Second, give yourself the benefit if the doubt. Questioning methods and existing assumptions can lead to seeking new insights, thus broadening knowledge. And lastly, find one assumption to dive into and question deeply. Look for conflicting opinions or information, and truly ask if these assumptions can be wrong.

Apply these action steps to your self, and give your team some insight into what confident humility can look like in a leader. Check out the full article here and share it with those who might benefit.

Preventing Burnout

“Burnout”, although currently a hot topic, is by no means a new concept. Even in our pre-pandemic lives this was a very real danger, especially in the workforce (although it can also happen in our personal lives as well). Luckily, Wharton’s own Adam Grant has come up with one of their simple yet highly effective nano-tools for leaders. His new article highlights his approach to preventing burnout, using a model he dubs “Demand-Control-Support”.

In this model, he highlights the strategy in the following ways:

• Demand: Make structural changes that lighten the load on the person doing the job or redistribute tasks.

• Control: When you can’t eliminate demands, you can at least give people the autonomy and skills they need to handle them.

• Support: Create cultures that make it easy to request and receive help.

It is interesting to see how differently these changes are exemplified in different industries. In some, for instance, tasks forces were created to identify where time-consuming tasks were holding people up, and new systems were put in place to correct them. At a Cleveland hospital, it was discovered that doctors were spending an inordinate amount of time charting in an outdated electronic health record system. Once this “demand” was identified, new management software was put into place and doctors were able to spend more time with patients.

While some companies may be able to address these issues immediately, others are more reticent, especially in the face of a predicted economic downturn. Many companies are already facing lay-offs, which, if not handled properly, will only increase burnout, not decrease it. Should a company find itself here, it is important that leadership take into account the “Support” aspect of Mr. Grant’s model. This step is able to really highlight top-down changes, as leadership must sometimes make the shift to the idea that asking for help is a sign of strength, not one of weakness. When leadership opens up about personal struggles, this culture is normalized, and employees generally are less prone to burnout, even if their workloads increase.

With “quiet quitting” coming into the modern lexicon, burnout has been blamed for this drawback from work life. Ideally, using these nano tools will prevent burnout, and thus embolden employees to set these healthy boundaries without taking away from what they are able to offer in their jobs. Take a look at Mr. Grant’s newest piece and see how your company can integrate these measures. Economic fluctuations and workload shifts are inevitable, but burnout is not.