Leaders often fear that having friends at work would compromise their ability to take decisions. So should people in leadership positions have friends at work?
I would say some “leaders” are indeed afraid to have friends at work fearing their ability to take tough decisions would be compromised. I think this is a “good fear” since it keeps them honest when they try to take decisions. A truly great leader is able to overcome this fear and is able to separate personal relationships at work from business decisions therefore acting fearlessly and taking decisions on merit alone. Companies with such leaders survive and thrive.
The problem is the “so called leaders” who cannot understand the separation between “being friends” and “running an organisation without biases”. I have personally worked with and observed people who have completely compromised their organisation to protect and promote their “friends”. But probably they came into leadership positions in the first place because of friends who had a similar problem and so the chain goes on…..
So should people in leadership positions have friends at work – of course they should; should they compromise work, business & organisational interest on the altar of friendship – of course not!!
How many times have you feared being told you did something wrong? Most people dread negative feedback, but there is a silver lining to this: greater success in the future. While receiving negative feedback is never pleasant, it allows you to learn, grow and show your improvement to your employer. If you were never made aware of your shortcomings, you would have no reason to try and improve upon your skills. When getting negative feedback, it is important to be interested in resolving the issue by asking questions. Also, it is critical to avoid getting angry or defensive because odds are, your boss has a good reason for speaking with you. Instead, take your failings as a lesson and learn from them. Simply put, take any negative feedback you receive and turn it into a learning opportunity.
How do you handle negative feedback?
“Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.” This quote from the 1999 movie “Office Space” has been said over and over again in everyday life. For many, Mondays are a very real ailment, but there are ways to turn this around and make Mondays just as great as the other four weekdays.
The first thing you can do in order to make the beginning of the week better is by preparing yourself at the end of the week. Meaning you should use Fridays to start preparing for Mondays. Try to get the most dreadful work done on Friday that way you won’t have to worry about it on Monday. However, if this is not possible, try to do that work first thing Monday morning. Next, unplug for the weekend. If you can help it, keep your work at work and use personal time for what you actually want to do.
Additionally, try to go to sleep early and wake up a little earlier. This advice goes for any day, but especially Sundays. Getting up earlier allows for a little leisure time in the morning as opposed to rushing to get ready and immediately speeding off to the office. Finally, be positive! Mondays may be hard, but if you tackle them with a smile on your face and an appreciation of your work, you can automatically improve the day.
What are other ways to avoid the Monday blues?
Starting a business is a huge undertaking, but sometimes an even bigger task is making sure your new business continuously grows and thrives once it has already been established. So how do you make this happen? Most importantly, you should have a vision for the future. Without a vision, you will have no idea where to begin. Once this vision is in place, it is time to start focusing on observing, organizing and the taking note of the driving forces of your company.
Firstly, by being observant of every part of your company, you will have a better idea of what areas need improvement. It is important to be aware of the needs of your employees, the most common issues within the company and the image you want to show the public. Next, every company needs organization. Without proper structuring, the company could collapse before getting off the ground. Finally, what is your hope for the company? This will be the driving force that helps steer your business in the right direction and ensure steady, continuous growth.
There are many other steps you can take in order to have business success. What steps do you take to ensure this success?
