Building Trust In Teams: Insights From Leadership Experience

Over decades of leading large teams and coaching executives in renowned companies, I’ve learned that trust isn’t just a component of effective leadership—it’s its very foundation. Without trust, strategies falter, innovation stalls and organizations come to a standstill. Today, I want to explore how to build trust within teams from both a leader’s and a team member’s perspective, providing practical insights rooted in real-world experience to help you enhance trust in your own teams.

The Necessity Of Trust In Leadership

Trust acts as a stabilising force in large corporate environments where complexity and change are constants. It’s the invisible thread woven through every interaction and decision, accelerating progress and uniting teams toward shared goals. The impact of trust isn’t theoretical; it’s tangible and profoundly influences organizational success.

Frances Frei’s Trust Triangle

Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei offers a compelling framework called the Trust Triangle, consisting of three critical elements:

Authenticity: Being true to yourself. People can detect inauthenticity instantly; it’s essential to be genuine.

Logic: Having clear and sound reasoning. Your logic should be solid, and you must articulate it effectively.

Empathy: Understanding and sharing others’ feelings. Showing genuine concern for others is crucial in building trust.

These elements interconnect to form two essential types of trust in leadership: cognitive trust and affective trust.

Cognitive Trust: Trust Of The Head

Cognitive trust is the trust of the mind arising from belief in a leader’s competence and reliability. It thrives when team members perceive their leader as authentic and logically sound.

From The Leader’s Perspective

Demonstrate consistency. Align your actions with your words. Inconsistencies quickly erode trust.

Communicate the ‘why.’ Provide context for decisions to empower your team with understanding, not just directives.

Be transparent about challenges. Authenticity includes acknowledging obstacles and sharing your approach to overcoming them.

From The Team Member’s Perspective

Seek clarity. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if something is unclear; this strengthens collective understanding.

Acknowledge expertise. Recognize your leader’s experience, fostering mutual respect and reinforcing cognitive trust.

Affective Trust: Trust Of The Heart

Affective trust is the trust of the heart, cultivated when leaders authentically connect on an emotional level and demonstrate genuine empathy.

From The Leader’s Perspective

Invest in relationships. Take time to understand your team members’ aspirations, fears and motivations.

Show vulnerability. Sharing your challenges and failures humanizes you and creates a safe space for others.

Listen to understand. Focus on truly understanding your team members’ feelings and perspectives.

From The Team Member’s Perspective

Engage openly. Share your perspectives and challenges; building trust is a collaborative effort.

Support peers. Show empathy toward colleagues, strengthening team cohesion and supporting a trusting culture.

Practical Strategies For Leaders To Enhance Trust

Conduct trust audits. Regularly assess trust levels within your team, seeking honest feedback.
Lead with integrity. Uphold ethical standards consistently, even when faced with dilemmas.
Empower decision-making. Delegate authority, showing confidence in your team’s abilities.
Celebrate wins and learn from losses. Recognise achievements and approach failures as learning opportunities.

Empowering Teams To Build Trust Among Themselves

Foster collaboration. Encourage cross-functional teamwork to build trust naturally.
Encourage peer recognition. Implement systems for team members to acknowledge each other’s contributions.
Promote transparency. Facilitate open communication channels across the team to reduce misunderstandings.

Navigating Trust Erosion

Despite best efforts, trust can sometimes erode due to factors like organizational changes or external pressures.

For Leaders

Address issues directly. Confront trust
issues with honesty and a commitment to resolve them.

Rebuild through actions. Restore trust through consistent, trustworthy actions |
over time.

For Team Members

Provide constructive feedback. Express concerns respectfully; leaders can’t address unknown issues.

Stay committed. Continue performing at your best, contributing positively to the trust environment.

The Synergy Of Cognitive And Affective Trust

Authenticity links cognitive and affective trust. By aligning your genuine self with logical reasoning and empathetic understanding, you create a powerful trust dynamic that resonates both intellectually and emotionally with your team.

Case Study: Trust In Action

I once led a global team through significant organizational change. Initial trust was low due to past leadership missteps. I addressed this by:

Being Transparent: Sharing challenges and the strategic plan openly (Authenticity + Logic).

Engaging Personally: Holding one-on-one meetings to understand individual concerns (Authenticity + Empathy).

Collaborating On Solutions: Incorporating team feedback into implementation plans.

Over time, we not only navigated the change but emerged stronger and more cohesive, demonstrating the impact of building both cognitive and affective trust through authentic actions.

Conclusion: Trust As The Catalyst For Excellence

In the vast corridors of large corporations, trust humanizes the workplace. It’s the catalyst that transforms strategies into successes and groups into unified teams. As leaders, embodying authenticity, logic, and empathy is imperative.

Action Steps

Reflect on your trust triangle. Identify which element—authenticity, logic or empathy—you need to strengthen and develop a plan to enhance it.

Engage your team. Initiate dialogue about trust, encouraging open sharing and collective growth.

Lead by example. Your actions set the tone and embody the trust you wish to see.

Final Thoughts

Building trust requires consistent, intentional actions and a willingness to grow alongside your team. From my experience, the dividends of trust—in engagement, innovation and performance—are well worth the investment.

By focusing on both cognitive and affective trust and recognizing authenticity’s pivotal role in bridging logic and empathy, you position yourself and your team to exceed objectives, turning challenges into opportunities for greatness.

Embrace the journey of building trust. Your leadership will inspire your team and leave a lasting impact on your organization’s culture.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 3rd January 2025

Ricky has been a regular contributor to the Forbes Councils since 2023, where he shares his perspectives on all things leadership, change, culture and productivity, all with Thinking Focus’ unique perspective on metacognition, or as we prefer to say, thinking about thinking.

Posted On January 3, 2025 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Culture, Engagement, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Mindset, Psychological Safety, Trust /

Unstuck: How You Can Reframe Your Mindset For Breakthrough Performance

Imagine spearheading a groundbreaking project, only to find yourself facing a massive roadblock: there’s no market for your product. For many leaders, the instinct is to salvage what already exists, but this often leads to cognitive tunnelling—a trap where focus narrows, creativity fades, and progress halts. This article dives into a real-world example where shifting the mindset from salvaging to reframing turned a seemingly doomed idea into an industry-changing solution.

Packed with practical exercises, this piece equips leaders with mindset-shifting tools to unlock breakthrough results by broadening perspectives. If you’re ready to see how a small shift in thinking can redefine the success of your toughest challenges, this article provides a proven roadmap. Whether you’re navigating market constraints, tight budgets, or innovation fatigue, the key to overcoming obstacles isn’t simply in doing more but in thinking differently.

Imagine you’re leading a high-profile project sponsored by the board of directors—a career-defining opportunity. You’re expected to turn a novel idea into a significant revenue stream for the business. But there’s a catch: You realise that the product you’re working on doesn’t have a market. What do you do?

This scenario may sound familiar to many leaders. You’re tasked with making the impossible possible, and when roadblocks emerge, it’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of overthinking. However, the key to breakthrough performance often lies not in finding a perfect solution but in reframing the problem itself.

The Challenge: When A Great Product Has No Market

We were running a leadership program with a 180-day business challenge built in. This enables leaders to apply their learning in real time to something meaningful. I worked with a team tasked with developing groundbreaking technology for dairy farmers. This technology could instantly measure the nutrient content in, let’s say, a less-than-glamorous material, helping farmers adjust feed mixes to optimise dairy yield.

The product came in two forms: a premium, state-of-the-art version with cutting-edge tech and a more affordable but still costly alternative. But there was a problem: Dairy farmers could already get similar data from feed manufacturers—for free. They’d just have to wait 48 hours for the result. This left the team facing what felt like an insurmountable challenge.

Cognitive Tunneling: The Silent Performance Killer

When the team presented the problem, they were visibly disheartened. Their entire focus was on how to explain to senior leaders that the project had hit a wall. They were caught in what psychologists call cognitive tunnelling—a mental state where you become so fixated on one issue that you can’t see alternatives.

The problem wasn’t just that the product wasn’t viable; it was that the team’s thinking was stuck in a loop of trying to salvage a seemingly doomed idea. This kind of tunnel vision often leads to catastrophising and an inability to see the bigger picture. For leaders, cognitive tunneling is a major barrier to creative problem-solving and breakthrough results.

The Mindset Shift: Redefining The Goal

I encouraged the team to step back and redefine the problem. Instead of fixating on why farmers wouldn’t pay for the technology, we asked: What if there’s a different way to deliver value?

Over the next 45 days, they explored the issue from different perspectives, speaking to people inside and outside the industry. The breakthrough came when they reframed the question: What if farmers didn’t have to buy the technology? What if they could lease it instead?

This small shift opened up an entirely new business model. Farmers could pay a small monthly fee for immediate access to the data, which would help them optimize their feed and boost their dairy yield. The company, in turn, would gather a massive data set from farms across the country, providing invaluable insights for the agricultural sector. What started with a project team being stuck evolved into a business with the potential to transform the industry.

Practical Takeaways: How Leaders Can Get Unstuck

Ask Different Questions

What else could I possibly do?
Who else might have faced this problem?
What might [insert someone inspiring] do if they had this problem? (I use Batman, by the way.)
If there were no constraints, how might I achieve this?

Break The Insanity Loop

Repeating the same actions and expecting different results is a common trap. Instead, recognise when your thinking is stuck in a loop and consciously shift to a different approach. This mindset shift can open doors you didn’t realise were there.

Use The Post-It Exercise

Here’s a simple technique to break free from limiting thoughts. Write down all your thoughts about the problem—both helpful and unhelpful—on separate Post-It notes. Then:

Sort them into what’s in your control and what’s not.
Discard anything outside your control (literally throw those notes away).
Focus only on what’s within your control and categorise these thoughts into those moving you forward and those holding you back.

Get Creative

Once you’ve sorted your thoughts, focus on those holding you back and ask yourself:

What have I done before that could help me now?
What could help me most right now?
What could be the most helpful thing to focus on?
What could I learn from this situation?
How could I make this work for me right now?
What might be the best, most realistic outcome I can imagine?

The Power Of Reframing

The team I worked with didn’t just solve a problem—they transformed the business. By reframing their approach and asking different questions, they unlocked value that wasn’t visible at first. The same can happen to you. When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, it’s not about having all the answers but about asking the right questions.

Remember, what got you here won’t get you there. The key to breakthrough performance isn’t more tools or data—it’s thinking differently. You can drive the desired results by stepping back, getting creative and reframing the problem.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 1st November 2024

Posted On November 1, 2024 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Productivity /

The Untapped Power of Collaboration

Despite its potential to significantly enhance growth and efficiency, many organisations struggle to make cross-functional collaboration work. The obstacles—ranging from competing agendas and egos to miscommunication and untested assumptions—can derail even the best intentions. However, by prioritizing stakeholder engagement early, fostering diverse perspectives, and addressing challenges proactively, organizations can unlock substantial improvements in performance. This executive summary highlights the critical importance of collaboration, offering actionable strategies to navigate common challenges and achieve greater cohesion and productivity.

Improving cross-functional relationships and collaboration arguably represents one of the most significant organisational growth and improvement opportunities – why, then, are organisations not addressing this?

Perhaps it’s not so surprising when you consider the layers of competing agendas, egos and infighting, conflict, misinformation, and backchannelling. Added to that, there are the self-imposed elements of assumptions, personal limitations, and poorly articulated business cases that, despite having merit, never see the light of day.

I remember my first major change programme, where an entire team was ignored because we didn’t think the change would affect them. We overlooked their wants and needs for this significant change. We assumed they’d be fine and would get on with it. The decision was a mistake; the Department Head used their influence to block the change for their team. The project team had to regroup and rethink. This delayed the project, and chunks of the scope had to be removed to hit the delivery date.

Over the years, we have built and delivered countless leadership programmes for organisations across the globe. We include a business challenge to help with the application of learning, exposure to the wider business, and delivery of value back to the business. I love working with leaders, yet it astounds me that they never seem to grasp the importance of engaging stakeholders. We even share the experiences of previous groups’ successes and failures. Yet despite these warnings, they still trip over the same things as those that have gone before.

Business Challenge in Action

We see it constantly; take a recent business challenge we ran. One project group identified a business-wide project that could transform employee engagement. They formulated compelling business benefits: increasing productivity, boosting employee retention, and promoting the brand in local communities.

The group got their plan together and ran it by their mentor; they were all set and approached a large department representing a third of the workforce. Having them on board would make a wider rollout easier. When they presented their ideas to the Head of Department, they assumed their excitement would be shared, but they hit a brick wall. The Head of Department highlighted obstacle after obstacle, insisting they go away and fix it. The group were understandably disheartened.

In the learning review, we explored what they could have done differently. How might they have engaged the stakeholders differently, gaining the department’s perspective? What assumptions did they make? How might they have felt had the boot been on the other foot?

This experience is a microcosm of how organisations do business every single day, and there is immense learning on offer. Failing to collaborate and engage stakeholders causes unnecessary delays, missed milestones, wasted time, effort, and resources.

We are all guilty of making assumptions, from whether someone will get involved or not to whether someone has the time, knowledge or skills, or not to be able to help. We may not even like them or want their help, even though this may be us cutting our noses off to spite our faces. Our egos can get in the way.

We avoid ‘difficult’ personalities; we circumvent them or bury our heads in the sand, hoping they won’t be an issue. But inevitably, they are, and this creates roadblocks and wasted time. If someone ignores your needs or fails to engage you, you will feel like making things difficult.

Learning from Experience

No one likes changes imposed on them; we want to be involved, to feel that you have listened, heard and understood our perspective. Involving me in change in this way helps to gain my buy-in and increases your chances of success. The ‘people factor’ is a major cause of change programmes failing to achieve their intended outcomes. So, what’s the answer?

When the business challenge group reflected, they quickly realised they should have engaged and involved their stakeholders earlier, making buy-in easier. They recognised their excitement for their project, but it was not matched by the department head because they had their own issues and priorities to focus on. They weren’t excited; instead, they felt ambushed. Involving them earlier would have helped them feel the time had been taken to understand their department’s challenges, and they might have offered solutions. They may still have resisted, but the plan could have been adapted much earlier. Instead, they lost time, had to replan, and took longer to realise the project’s benefits.

Consider my experience of large-scale projects. If we had not cut corners, we could have explained what was happening, understood stakeholder needs and engaged others in making it work. This would also have avoided us delivering a substandard result.

In my experience, not engaging stakeholders well or, worse, ignoring them will catch you out when you least expect it. It’s far better to be proactive; you may as well spend more time getting them on board early rather than trying to recover later.

There are no shortcuts to involving people, so why not do it early and confront the issues up front? This way, you can engage with them on the solution and find ways to modify your approach for mutual success.

For many businesses, the ability to collaborate and execute effectively is underwhelming at best, and yet they still get results! Imagine if they got their act together and collaborated better—they’d be unstoppable!

My key learnings over the years are:

Explore who could help and who could get in your way.
Engage stakeholders early, be proactive and build relationships.
Start every interaction from their perspective – ‘seek first to understand’, as Stephen Covey says.
Have a plan to influence others and mitigate potential blockers.
Focus on the ‘why’ when presenting your ideas and goals/ Don’t get hung up on the how; be flexible and bring any conflict back to the ‘why’.
Don’t do all the work; involve stakeholders in solving problems; they probably have a better view.
Test, test and test assumptions, beliefs and biases.
Be aware of your self-talk; your mindset, if not managed, will trip you up.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 5th September 2024

Posted On September 5, 2024 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Culture, Engagement, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Influence, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Productivity, Stakeholder Management /

The Secret To Highly Productive Teams (And People)

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the quest for productivity is relentless, but the path to unlocking it isn’t always obvious. Leaders and managers often juggle conflicting priorities and are distracted by new technologies, shifting market conditions, and the pressure to deliver results. However, true productivity doesn’t come from doing more; it comes from doing what matters and doing it well!

This article reveals the secret to highly productive teams and individuals by exploring three crucial components: Brilliant Basics, Distractors, and Accelerators. How you navigate these “three swim lanes” will determine whether you and your team make meaningful progress or simply spin your wheels.

“Sometimes you need to slow down, to speed up!”

You’ll discover how to sharpen your team’s focus on the fundamentals that drive success, eliminate the distractions that slow them down, and strategically leverage tools and innovations to accelerate performance. Drawing on real-world examples and actionable insights, this article will equip you with the mindset and tactics to lead your team to extraordinary results—without getting caught in the productivity traps that derail even the best intentions.

If you’re ready to unlock your team’s potential and achieve breakthrough performance, this is a must-read for you.

In the quest for highly productive teams, it’s essential to understand the interplay between three critical components: Brilliant Basics, Accelerators and Distractors. How you choose between them will make or break your, and your team’s, performance and productivity.

The Three Swim Lanes Of Productivity

Brilliant Basics are the fundamental practices that lead you to success. They are the steps in a marketing funnel, an operational process, a project delivery or a sales process.

Following consistent steps leads to a desired outcome: an implemented project or a financial transaction.

Brilliant Basics are the repeatable steps that will, more often than not, achieve the desired outcome.

Distractors hinder your progress. They might be a lack of discipline in following your Brilliant Basics, a lack of attention to detail or a missed step in the process.

Or they could be a mindset. You convince yourself it can’t be done or there’s a better way, or you become bored and switch off.

There may also be someone or something redirecting your focus. Your boss might ask you to look into something, a competitor might unexpectedly make a move in the market or trading conditions might change. Distractors feel like swimming against the tide—expending effort without making headway.

Accelerators are enhancements we hope will boost performance. They could be new technologies, innovative methods or strategic initiatives that accelerate teams’ progress toward their goals.

The challenge is assessing whether they could become a distractor, taking you off task and away from your brilliant basics.

Productivity Traps

Several traps derail even the best-laid plans:

Self-Inflicted: Teams can be their own worst enemies. Unhelpful mindsets and the “magpie effect”—constantly chasing shiny new objects—prevent progress.
External Influences: Market changes, disruptive technologies and competitive pressures serve as distractors if not navigated properly.
Authority Bias: When a senior leader champions an accelerator, the success criteria may soften over time or even get overlooked.
Festering Distractors: When things are allowed to worsen, the flow against you increases.
Accelerators That Don’t Pay Off: I remember implementing new software in a sizeable financial institution, but leadership became impatient. This led to the withdrawal of promised functionality, and the intended benefits went unrealised.

Real World Examples

I coached a leader in the U.K. healthcare sector whose many priorities were limiting their productivity. So, we used the swim lane analogy to simplify things. We clarified their goals, understood each one’s importance, and categorised tasks and activities into three lanes:

What should they be doing that will lead to the desired outcome?
What tasks added no value to the end goal or limited their time and attention?
What shiny new things were they being drawn into?

In this leader’s case, there were plenty of distractions, and their boss was a magpie, constantly asking them to look into something shiny and new.

First, we focused on their boss. The need to please or fear of saying no to authority can be a real problem. How could the leader build a story of impact and consequences to make saying no easier?

Coaching upwards helps leaders understand internal conflicts and compromises and their impact on their team and organisational goals. Through this process, my coachee gained a clear perspective on what matters and what is impactful. They defined a plan to eliminate, mitigate or delegate distractors so they could focus on their key deliverables—their brilliant basics.

My key learnings over the years are:

Explore who could help and who could get in your way.
Engage stakeholders early, be proactive and build relationships.
As Stephen Covey says, start every interaction from their perspective – ‘seek first to understand’.
Have a plan to influence others and mitigate potential blockers.
Focus on the ‘why’ when presenting your ideas and goals/ Don’t get hung up on the how; be flexible and bring any conflict back to the ‘why’.
Don’t do all the work; involve stakeholders in solving problems; they could have a better view.
Test, test and test assumptions, beliefs and biases.
Be aware of your self-talk; your mindset, if not managed, could trip you up.

In another example, our business built and delivered a sales leadership program for a global med-tech company. They had installed the latest CRM system; however, resistance was causing low adoption, so leadership requested a training program.

It became evident that the “why” was missing—the sales teams believed the new program was meant to monitor them, while the business wanted the sales team to see how the CRM could be an accelerator for all.

But right then, the CRM wasn’t an accelerator but a huge distraction. We helped the sales leaders understand the relationship between basics, distractors and accelerators. We focused on the basics and how they could use them to help their teams be brilliant.

“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” —John W. Gardner

Refining Your Brilliant Basics

In the second example above, we asked the med-tech sales team to define their sales process’s key activities and tasks. They quickly identified things that added no value, like spending time on customers with no intention of buying and not spending enough time with customers who could or might buy.

The penny dropped for them as they realized the importance and significance of CRM—to them! It could help them determine which opportunities were worth pursuing, track all their activity and ultimately determine how best to spend their time.

The Secret To Productivity

The secret lies in knowing what creates value—your outcomes. Focus on what inputs create the outputs that lead you to your desired outcomes.

Brilliant Basics: Find that sweet spot between quantity and quality; how do you do more of what you need at the highest quality?
Eliminate, mitigate or delegate anything limiting your time on Brilliant Basics.
Avoid chasing the silver bullet. Focus on what consistently works rather than seeking quick fixes.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, suggests working out what you’re good at and focusing all your energy on that. He calls it the ‘hedgehog principle’. Brilliant Basics are your hedgehog; focus on perfecting them first and foremost.

Senior professionals can drive their teams toward exceptional performance and success by refining the basics, mitigating distractors and strategically leveraging accelerators.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 26th June 2024

Posted On June 26, 2024 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Culture, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Productivity /

The ROI Illusion: Debunking The Misguided Faith In Training As A Silver Bullet

Organisations often view training programs as quick fixes for performance issues, expecting immediate returns on investment. However, this perspective overlooks the complexities of learning and development. Training alone cannot address multifaceted organisational challenges without alignment with the organisation’s culture, systems, and leadership practices.

This article explores the limitations of relying solely on training as a solution and emphasises the need for a comprehensive approach that includes leadership involvement, ongoing support, and a culture that fosters continuous learning.

When we engage with learning and development teams in organisations, the most common question is, “How will you measure the impact of the intervention? To which we reply, “How do you measure it now?”

Learning & Development Teams are typically deferential to the major operational business units; they serve the company by understanding and closing the capability gap. The problem is that businesses like to measure impact, but measuring learning impact is far from easy.

Measuring ROI is understandable; of course, everyone wants to see their investment pay off, but the issue is when only Learning and Development are accountable, you leave the outcome to chance. Why? Because the puzzle is more complex.

The problem

When managers and leaders position training as the panacea for organisational challenges yet point fingers at these programs when performance falls short, they overlook a critical piece of the puzzle: their role in the learning transfer process.

This contradiction underscores a broader corporate culture issue, revealing misplaced expectations and a misunderstanding of how learning effectively translates into improved job performance.

Firstly, there’s an overarching tendency to overestimate what training can achieve in isolation. This optimism, while initially seeming beneficial, sets the stage for disappointment.

No matter how comprehensive, training can only singularly address multifaceted organisational issues by reinforcing post-training support. This support includes coaching and mentorship, opportunities for practical application, and a culture that encourages reflection and continuous learning.

The Impact

I have been on many courses in my corporate life, and rarely, if ever, have I been sat down with before or after any intervention to ensure that the thousands invested in me will pay off.

When my manager didn’t take the time or, at its worst, even talk about the intervention, the message I got was that it wasn’t important and any post-learning activity was down to me. The manager effectively says it is unimportant or they don’t care. That is leaving the outcome to chance!

Moreover, the alignment—or lack thereof—between training programs and an organisation’s strategic goals can significantly impact their effectiveness.

Training initiatives not tailored to an organisation’s specific needs and culture are less likely to yield meaningful outcomes. Leaders play a crucial role in ensuring that training is not just a box-ticking exercise but is genuinely relevant and integrated into the organisational strategy.

The environment where employees apply their new skills also plays a crucial role. A supportive work climate and a clear understanding of the training’s relevance to their positions can significantly enhance the transfer of learning. Conversely, an environment that lacks these elements can stifle the application of new skills, no matter how excellent the training intervention.

Accountability and measurement are also often needed in the equation. With clear mechanisms to track the application of learning and its impact on performance, it’s easier to blame the training when expectations are unmet. This approach overlooks the necessity of a supportive infrastructure that facilitates the transfer of learning.

Lastly, the psychological aspect of cognitive dissonance, where leaders believe in the power of training but find it easier to blame it for failures, highlights a disconnect and, for me, deflection away from them. They absolve themselves and their crucial role in the learning transfer. It points to a need for a more nuanced understanding of how training, organisational culture, and leadership practices intersect to impact learning and performance.

The solution lies not in devaluing training but in recognising its place within a broader system of continuous learning and support. Leaders must shift their mindset from viewing training as a standalone solution to seeing it as part of a comprehensive strategy that includes their active involvement.

The Solution

Leaders and learners need a shift in mindset; move away from viewing training as a one-off event, a tickbox. Everyone needs to see it as part of a continuous learning journey.

Learning is not or ever will be a silver bullet; it cannot be effective without alignment with the organisation’s culture, systems, and leadership practices.

Leaders and learners need to establish clear objectives for their training, understand how training aligns with organisational goals, provide ongoing support for learners, and implement mechanisms to measure and reinforce the application of new skills in the workplace.

Before Training

Line managers should spend time with their people ahead of any development intervention to articulate:

Why this training is important for them and the business.
Why now is the right time.
How it aligns with the business goals.
What goals for the training
What they expect of them during and after the intervention.

After Training

Arguably, post-intervention clarity and support are most vital. Line managers should ask their people to reflect with purpose; this means reviewing to identify areas that might still need attention and having a call to action for how they will apply their learning. After all, if my boss is interested, this must be important!

Reflection – ask learners:
- What did they learn?
- So What does that mean for them?
- Now What will they do differently?
Application – create opportunities for people to put learning into practice.
Coaching & feedback – identify opportunities to provide meaningful feedback and coach where required to raise the bar and embed learning.

I can hear managers and leaders raising their eyebrows as they read, shouting, “Does this guy not realise how much we have to do?” They will argue they don’t have the time to spend this time with their people. What they fail to realise is that they are already spending that time addressing the shortcomings and issues that arise from a lack of confidence or competence due to poor follow-through, practice, reflection and application.

Training ROI only comes if the employee, managers and learning teams combine with a unified approach.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 25th March 2024

Posted On March 25, 2024 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Blog, Culture, Forbes, Leadership, Productivity /

How Leaders Undermine Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is the cornerstone of high-performing teams and thriving workplaces, enabling open communication, creativity, and innovation. However, even well-intentioned leaders can unknowingly erode this environment through specific actions or habits. Whether dismissing feedback, micromanaging, or prioritising results over relationships, these behaviours can stifle collaboration and suppress team morale. The resulting impact isn’t just limited to strained relationships—companies face diminished learning, reduced creativity, and a decline in overall productivity. This article dives into the subtle ways leaders may undermine psychological safety and provides actionable insights to help leaders foster an atmosphere of trust and openness where employees feel empowered to contribute and take risks without fear of judgment.

The concept of psychological safety is pivotal in today’s corporate environment, as highlighted by Amy Edmondson’s influential work The Fearless Organization. While its benefits are clear—fostering innovation, engagement and a no-blame culture—leaders often hinder the implementation.

Understanding Psychological Safety

Psychological safety creates a corporate culture that values transparency and sees mistakes as learning opportunities. It encourages individuals to voice concerns and share ideas freely, which is crucial for driving forward-thinking and innovation.

Consider the alternative: a culture of fear and shame that drives problems underground, misses learning opportunities and increases the risk of systemic issues. It is human nature to avoid looking foolish and being shunned. So mistakes are hidden and we let things slide.

Learning From History

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, the global aviation industry faced substantial safety issues, declining consumer confidence and air travel numbers. They had little choice but to tackle their safety issues head-on. This required airlines to come together with a common goal to make everyone who flies as safe as possible.

Introducing a nonpunitive reporting policy required pilots to share incidents and near misses within an agreed timeframe. This policy was pivotal to improving standards, making air travel one of the safest forms of travel.

Why Do Businesses Choose To Focus On It?

Businesses now see psychological safety as a beacon for high engagement and empowerment, unlocking hidden potential while making an environment less risky. This pursuit is admirable and noble, but it needs the courage and conviction of leaders to see it through. It is also a journey, not a destination.

What Causes Psychological Safety To Fail?

Teams constantly change, and therefore, dynamics shift. Our primal responses see new people as threats, unknown entities that cause uncertainty and anxiety. Much of this is subconscious, so we might not even realise it’s happening. When you add in internal competition, ego and misaligned goals, the cracks soon appear, and performance levels drop.

Egotistical leaders who place their needs above the group destroy psychological safety. Their obsession with winning causes people to feel unsafe. A more selfless leadership focused on performance—that faces the facts, sharing thoughts, good and bad—can lead to a better future.

How leaders react is crucial, too. When things happen, is their response disproportionate? Or are they balanced, calm and methodical? The personal pressure level will determine a leader’s response, and their feelings can influence whether it’s in proportion.

The leader’s intent may be to tackle the challenge a-on, embrace the learning opportunity and come together to work through it. However, add in the complexity and demands from boardrooms, stock markets, media and the workforce, and that intent may waver. The scale and nature of these pressures can easily bias any leader’s decision-making.

How leaders intellectually spar with their people can be dangerous. It can be healthy to stretch, test and explore with their people, but if they have to “win” the argument, they will likely intimidate their people, who will probably then stay in their lane and play it safe.

I sympathise with those in public roles who are particularly susceptible to this; the risk of failure is so high personally and professionally that adopting a psychological safety culture, while intellectually sensible, can be risky as mistakes and failure are spun in the public eye by the press with a witch hunt as they demand someone to be held accountable—that’s not conducive to psychological safety and definitely a need for strong leadership.

What Happens When Psychological Safety Is Failing?

The absence of psychological safety causes decline, whether it be an existential problem that causes the leader’s downfall or a slow decline.

Without learning and growth, people don’t innovate, take risks or be creative. People who previously felt safe can now feel exposed and seek new opportunities elsewhere, which means losing talent and recruiting becoming harder.

Employees can become less engaged and feel undervalued, marginalized and underappreciated, so delivering organizational goals becomes much more challenging.

Increased stress and anxiety directly impact decision-making. People play it safe, looking for ways not to lose instead of playing to win. Playing to win means being prepared to lose, but knowing failure means learning and growth. In other words, you either win or learn.

The irony is that a psychologically safe culture surfaces issues and allows for debate, discussion, shared learning and more collaborative problem-solving. All of which raise standards across an organization, decreasing risk and driving up performance.

Why You Need To Hold Your Nerve

The alternative to psychological safety doesn’t bear thinking about; a false harmony pervades, and blind spots grow. It makes no sense only to hear what you want to hear; the reality is that bear traps are lying in wait!

Psychological safety doesn’t guarantee a worry-free journey, but the issues can be in plain sight, and your people will be more likely to want to be a part of the solution.

It takes real effort to remain rational and calm when things around you are failing. However, we can train ourselves to look for the learning in the chaos over time. But you must fight your body’s natural fight or flight response, develop strong self-talk and create a narrative that finds the learning once you let the emotions dissipate.

As Kipling said, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.”

Being human means making mistakes. Being superhuman might just mean having the courage to embrace and learn from them.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 27th February 2024

Posted On February 27, 2024 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Culture, Engagement, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Mindset, Psychological Safety, Trust /

Productivity: It All Comes Down To The Pilot In The Box!

When it comes to boosting productivity, many people focus on external tools, systems, or processes, hoping these will unlock greater efficiency. However, the real key to sustainable productivity lies within—the “pilot in the box.” This metaphor highlights that it’s not the technology or resources at your disposal but the individual driving them that determines success.

This article explores the critical role of personal mindset, habits, and decision-making in achieving peak performance. It delves into how a growth-oriented mindset, intentional behaviours, and the ability to adapt to challenges are far more powerful than any external solution. By taking ownership of one’s mental focus, creating disciplined routines, and fostering self-awareness, individuals can transform how they work, making every tool and resource exponentially more effective. The message is clear: productivity isn’t about what you have; it’s about how you use it—and the pilot’s role is irreplaceable.

In an age where new productivity tools and apps emerge daily, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the next shiny toy or methodology will magically make us more productive; I know I have. I love a new gadget—who doesn’t?

Over many years, I have wasted so much money searching for that something special to make me more productive. I would use them until the next shiny, “fantastic new tool that solves all your productivity issues” arrived.

While systems, software and processes play a role in organising and streamlining tasks, when you boil it down, “it all comes down to the pilot in the box.” Now I realise that is a Top Gun: Maverick quote, but it sounds so cool I just had to weave it in somewhere. I mean that it’s down to me, you, us, the masters of our destiny, to change our mindset, habits and behaviour.

1. Mindset: The Power Of Perception

Our beliefs and attitudes can either propel us forward or hold us back. As popularized by Carol Dweck, a growth mindset means believing in the potential for development and seeing challenges as opportunities. When faced with a task, someone with a growth mindset doesn’t get bogged down by the fear of failure; they see it as a learning experience.

Conversely, constantly seeking the “perfect” system might be symptomatic of a fixed mindset—the belief that productivity is an inherent trait rather than something we can develop.

Thus, cultivating a mindset that embraces challenges, remains curious and is resilient in the face of setbacks can be more crucial than the intricacies of any productivity system.

2. Habit: The Rhythm Of Consistency

Every time we turn to a new system or software, there’s a learning curve. Often, once we’re familiar with a tool, we move on to another, forever chasing the promise of enhanced productivity. This constant shifting is a productivity trap in itself. But what if the secret to productivity isn’t in the tool but in the routine?

Habits, once formed, require less mental energy. They become second nature, allowing us to execute tasks efficiently without the cognitive load of decision-making. For example, regularly reviewing tasks could be more beneficial than any software in which those tasks are stored.

Creating positive habits, such as daily planning or setting specific times for checking emails, can profoundly impact your productivity more than perpetually switching between tools and systems.

3. Behavior: Actions Speak Louder Than Tools

Even with the best software and processes in place, our behaviour ultimately determines productivity. Procrastination, for instance, can’t be solved by any app, no matter how sophisticated. It requires introspection, understanding the root cause and taking corrective actions.

Behaviours like setting boundaries, learning to say “no” and prioritising tasks based on importance rather than urgency can drastically improve productivity. These u, rooted in self-awareness and discipline, can determine how effectively we use any system or tool.

Tools Are Tools: People Drive Productivity

Instead of constantly searching for the next big thing in productivity tools like me, it might be time for us all to look inward and realise that we—the “pilot in the box” of our mind, not the tools—are the primary drivers of our productivity.

The intricate dance between habits, mindsets and behaviours is far more profound than any external tool or system we might employ in our quest for productivity. These elements, deeply rooted in our neural pathways, cognitive structures and past experiences, are critical in determining our daily actions and overall effectiveness.

Mindset: Mindset shapes our perceptions and responses to challenges. A growth mindset encourages resilience and biologically primes the brain for adaptability and problem-solving. By embracing this mindset, you can take a proactive approach to tasks, fostering continuous learning and improvement.

Habits: Habits tap into the brain’s propensity to conserve energy. As they become ingrained, they free up our cognitive resources, allowing us to focus on novel tasks and challenges. By consciously establishing routines that align with our goals, we can harness this neurological efficiency for productivity.

Behaviour: By understanding the psychological impetus behind behaviours like procrastination or distraction, we can develop strategies to mitigate them. This introspection enables a more holistic approach to productivity, where we’re not just ticking boxes but addressing core issues that might hold us back.

In the hustle of the modern world, it can be tempting to reach for tangible, external solutions to enhance productivity. Yet the most potent tools lie within our minds. By delving into our habits, mindsets, and behaviours and tailoring these elements to serve our goals, we can unlock a sustainable, effective, and profoundly fulfilling productivity level.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 14th November 2023

Posted On November 14, 2023 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Forbes, Goals, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Productivity /

The Complex Landscape Of Modern Learning And Decision-Making

Navigating the Shades of Grey

In today’s intricate world, decision-making and learning often occur in ambiguous contexts where clear-cut answers are rare. This article delves into the complexities of navigating these “grey areas,” emphasising the importance of critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and adaptability. It highlights how social contexts and cultural influences shape our perceptions and decisions, underscoring the need for continuous learning and cultivating environments that encourage open dialogue and diverse perspectives.

Not all lessons are black and white in the vast expanse of learning and development. Much of what we learn, especially in leadership, management and personal growth, lies in grey areas—complex, nuanced and often without clear-cut answers.

How, then, do you train and develop your people to work in the grey zones when a flowchart, manual, process, or, dare I say it, artificial intelligence (AI) can’t cut it? Not yet, at least.

Serendipity piqued my curiosity, leading me into the world of social learning theory.

A Chance Encounter Inspires A Challenge

When a global automotive manufacturer challenged my company to think differently and to look at a learning problem from another perspective, we had to embrace the opportunity.

The challenge was to address a development gap in their frontline people managers; while skilled and competent in the technical and process aspects of the role, they needed to be more effective in their soft skills. The need was to be able to have impactful people conversations that changed behavior. Challenges where the stock answer is “It depends” are not the happy place for managers who would sooner fix a technical issue than talk to their people. Of course, there were operational constraints and budgetary limits, too.

We train, develop and coach people worldwide for some of the biggest brands, but this needed a new solution, something like gamification. At that time, it was not at all in our sweet spot. So we set about doing our research.

We created a dilemma game for them, one that blended four distinct components:

Gamification to motivate and maintain interest;
Psychological safety to enable participants to feel comfortable surfacing issues or exposing perceived weaknesses (the game element also helps this);
Group coaching, where a facilitator runs the game and asks great questions to cause conversation, exploration and curiosity; and finally,
Social learning, encouraging people to share their experiences, good and bad, for the benefit of the group, all under the pretext of “It’s only a game.”

Players shared more than we ever imagined, and managers grew, not just in learning but in recognising that they are not the only ones who struggle. Additionally, they built an internal support network they can talk to when needed.

The Essence Of Social Learning

Social learning is at the heart of understanding how we navigate the grey areas.

Psychologist Albert Bandura, professor emeritus of social science in psychology at Stanford University, popularised the theory. Bandura suggests that people learn from one another via observation, imitation and modelling.

One of Bandura’s most famous experiments, the Bobo doll study, demonstrated how individuals, particularly children, learn and replicate behaviours they observe in others.

This fundamental concept illuminates the significant impact of environmental and social influences on our learning processes and decision-making abilities. Where you work and who you work with significantly impact what you learn.

Learning From The Environment: The Role Of Observational Learning

From early childhood, our learning is deep-rooted in observation. We watch the actions of those around us—our parents, teachers, and peers—and see the consequences of those actions.

This observational learning extends beyond mere replication of behaviours. It involves understanding the outcomes of actions and adjusting our behaviour in response.

When we witness positive results, we are encouraged to mimic those actions. Conversely, adverse outcomes might deter us but can also pique curiosity and imitation under certain circumstances.

This dynamic interaction with our environment shapes our understanding of the world, especially in areas where the answers could be more straightforward.

The Grey Areas: Navigating Complexity Through Social Contexts

The grey areas of decision-making and ethics represent a significant challenge for personal development and professional training. These are the domains where right and wrong are not easily discernible, where the ethical, practical and effective course of action might vary depending on context and perspective.

Training individuals to navigate these complexities requires a sophisticated approach beyond traditional didactic methods. How you get an answer becomes a more important skill than knowing the answer.

Creating realistic and contextual situations for discussion and exploration is critical. By simulating real-life scenarios that present ethical dilemmas or complex decision-making situations, learners can engage in critical thinking, explore different outcomes and consider the implications of various actions.

This experiential learning approach encourages individuals to reflect on their values, the influence of their actions on others and the broader societal implications.

The Impact Of Peers And Culture

Our peers and the culture we are a part of play crucial roles in shaping our responses to grey areas. The social norms, values and behaviours are prevalent in our immediate environment influence our perceptions of what is acceptable or desirable.

This social context can either reinforce positive behaviors or perpetuate negative ones. Recognizing the power of social influence is crucial for both learners and educators, as it highlights the importance of fostering positive, supportive and ethical communities.

Moving Toward A Future Of Informed

Decision-Making

Training for the shades of gray requires an emphasis on critical thinking, empathy and ethical reasoning. It involves cultivating an environment where questioning is encouraged and diverse perspectives are valued.

By leveraging social learning principles, educators and leaders can create more nuanced training programs that prepare individuals not just to choose between black and white but to navigate the vast spectrum of grey created by current levels of uncertainty with confidence and integrity.

Our Solution

What Would You Do? helps cross-functional groups surface common issues and performance gaps through social learning, gamification, group coaching and psychological safety. You can learn more here.

Conclusion

In a complex and nuanced world, navigating the grey areas is more crucial than ever. Understanding and applying social learning principles can better prepare us and others to make informed, ethical and impactful decisions.

By observing, discussing and reflecting on the multifaceted outcomes of our actions, we grow as managers and leaders, ready to face the challenges of tomorrow with wisdom and compassion.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 15th April 2024

Posted On November 14, 2023 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Coaching, Engagement, Feedback, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Psychological Safety /

Driving Efficiency And Excellence Via Productivity

This article, the final instalment of the “Areas Every Leader Must Master For Success” miniseries, emphasises the pivotal role of productivity in achieving business success. Following discussions on purpose and people in the previous parts, this piece delves into the essential elements leaders must focus on to drive productivity: process, accountability, and expertise.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, leaders play a crucial role in balancing speed and precision, ensuring that processes are efficient and adaptable. Their efforts in effective process management can prevent inefficiencies and errors that often arise from hastily implemented workarounds. Leaders can enhance operational efficiency and drive sustainable progress by actively fostering a culture of continuous improvement and standardisation.

Accountability is another cornerstone of productivity. Clear roles and responsibilities within teams ensure that projects are completed on time and without costly oversights. The article highlights the importance of defined accountability in preventing project delays and missed opportunities, emphasising that shared accountability can lead to confusion and risk.

Lastly, the article underscores the critical role of expertise in leadership. Leaders must possess subject matter knowledge and know how to effectively empower their teams. By setting clear standards and fostering a culture of collaboration, leaders can harness their teams’ collective expertise to achieve shared goals.

The article concludes with critical questions to help leaders evaluate and enhance their approach to process management, accountability, and expertise. This practical checklist guides leaders committed to driving productivity and achieving excellence in their organisations. Leaders can position their teams for success in a competitive and dynamic business landscape through a focused approach to these areas.

This final part of the three-part miniseries “Areas Every Leader Must Master For Success” focuses on productivity, following on from purpose in part one and people in part two.

In business, productivity is crucial for success and hinges on three key factors: process, accountability and expertise. As leaders, we ensure efficient processes, clear ownership of tasks and the right expertise within our teams. We create a winning combination that drives our company’s triumph in the competitive landscape by fostering collaboration and effective governance. Prioritising these elements empowers our workforce to excel and secures our position at the forefront of the industry.

Let’s unpack each key area in more detail.

Process

Businesses operate at such a fast pace, determined to win in their chosen field. The volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) landscape means leaders have to seize opportunities. The leader’s challenge, however, is they may travel too quickly for their people, so project implementations and integrations are partially completed, leaving their teams to cope with workarounds. Workarounds are inefficient, prone to error and often create key-person dependencies in high-change environments. I worked on three mergers in quick succession. The next one started before the previous one was complete. It felt like we didn’t get the time to do any of them justice: good enough and compliant, but with apparent gaps.

Complex mergers rarely deliver against the original brief; yes, things change, and what you thought was under the hood is often very different when you open it up. All companies have foibles, quirks and workarounds of their own. Understanding this means the assumptions change the game’s rules, and you must adapt. We all face fast-moving change, so it’s crucial to reprioritise what you feel constantly is essential. It’s no wonder that McKinsey reports that 70% of change projects fail to achieve their intended outcome.

Leaders must strike a delicate balance between conformity and change, fostering a culture of efficiency and continuous improvement. They should champion standardisation to streamline operations while encouraging innovative approaches to drive ongoing progress.

Accountability

Imagine you’ve worked on a project for 18 months; it’s all coming together, and you’re almost ready to go live. You are at the project go/no-go meeting when someone asks, “Have we got local government permission to access the site?” The room is deathly silent; the murmurs signify that someone has screwed up.

What happens when accountabilities aren’t clear can be catastrophic.

What if this was a new product going to market at a specific time to steal a march on the competition?

Google’s research into what makes teams highly effective highlights (among others) three areas: dependability, structure, and clarity, which involves clear roles and responsibilities. When no single person has accountability, you leave your outcome to chance. It’s the same with shared accountability: “We’ll pick that up.” There’s wriggle room, which means massive risk with “I thought they had got it” comments.

The 18-month project I just mentioned was actual. It led to a three-month delay. New people who were trained and ready to go were temporarily relocated. There were costs not budgeted for, lost revenues and missed opportunities. However, this experience also presented a significant learning opportunity in accountability, demonstrating the positive outcomes that can arise from a culture of shared responsibility.

Leaders must find the delicate balance between effectively organising the group and not micromanaging. They should facilitate consensus on decision-making processes and hold team members accountable for their commitments. This culture of collective responsibility ensures efficient progress toward the higher purpose.

Expertise

The challenge for many leaders is that their leadership journey involves them ascending the ranks and being promoted for their technical prowess and subject matter expertise. As a leader, there are different expectations; you now have subject matter experts reporting to you. The tendency for new leaders especially is to overplay their knowledge to the detriment of their team.

I remember my early career as a new leader in a contact centre. My expertise was in people and processes, not technology. I had a steep learning curve. It was humbling to defer to subject matter experts, yet I still had to fight my tendency to dive in and “fix” stuff that was in my comfort zone.

Leadership is about combining subject matter expertise and leadership skills. Leaders should set standards and ensure proper governance, leveraging their expertise to bring diverse talents and viewpoints together and driving progress toward the shared objective.

Questions to Ask

This next section lays out a set of questions to help leaders ensure they have considered the key areas under productivity. They provide a checklist for leaders to define, check, and balance: how to strive for the right people doing the right things at the right time and in the right way.

Process

How do we decide on the what and the how?
How do process and structure work in this setting?
How do we know our communication flow is fit for purpose?
How do we iterate and continually improve?
What is our process for challenge and testing?
How do we track and adjust our key performance indicators (KPIs) and progress?

Accountability

How could we optimise the way we organise?
How do we provide clarity on who does what?
How do we ensure decisions are consistent with our standards and align with our purpose?
How do we hold each other to account?

How should we govern the expertise in each function?
What are our leadership standards?
What is our tolerance for performance?
How do we standardise expectations?
How do we measure results?
How could we drive continuous professional development?

Effective leadership goes beyond theories and styles; it focuses on action and practice in critical areas of purpose, people and productivity.

Within this entire series, leaders will find a comprehensive checklist that will enable them to steer their teams toward success and make a lasting impact. A strong sense of purpose, a thriving team culture and a commitment to productivity set the stage for outstanding leadership in today’s dynamic business landscape.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 26th September 2023

Posted On September 26, 2023 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Forbes, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Mindset, Productivity /

Practical Steps To Boost Your Productivity

Boosting productivity doesn’t always demand expensive tools or cutting-edge technology; often, the most impactful changes come from simple, intentional shifts in mindset and daily habits.

This article provides actionable strategies to help individuals maximize their efficiency and effectiveness, focusing on time-tested principles and easy-to-implement behaviours. By addressing common productivity pitfalls—such as poor prioritization, distractions, and burnout—these steps empower readers to take control of their time and energy. Whether you’re a professional juggling competing demands or an entrepreneur looking to optimize performance, this guide offers practical advice for achieving more with less effort, unlocking sustained success in both work and life.

In my article “Productivity: It All Comes Down To The Pilot In The Box!” I unpacked the trinity of mindset, habits and behaviours versus the plethora of productivity tools and apps available on the market. I am not saying that tools can’t be helpful, but without the right mindset, habits and behaviour, any app or tool is just another tool.

In this follow-up article, I share practical advice for boosting your productivity, and unlike newfangled apps and tools, they won’t cost you a penny. Better still, you can implement them immediately.

Set clear objectives and priorities.

Why: Clarity is the bedrock of productivity, be it personal development or business management. Ambiguity is the enemy of productivity. Busyness does not achieve your objectives; it’s a meaningless waste of time.

How: A clear goal or vision of success helps focus your energies on what truly matters and prevents wasting time on less important tasks.

The SMART goal technique (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) is powerful. Focus first on the “SMT”; resolving the SMT gives you a specific goal, precise measures and a timeline by which you will deliver. This is clarity.

The “A” tests confidence. Confidence is a two-sided coin. On the one side, it tests your belief that you can achieve your goal. The other side tests whether you believe what you’re aiming to achieve is possible. You do not need supreme confidence; you just need more belief than doubt.

The “R” tests importance. I call it your “bothered-o-meter.” A goal you’re bothered about will register highly and sustain you when things become challenging. However, choose something you’re less bothered about; if it doesn’t inspire you or becomes challenging, you will likely switch to something more interesting.

Clarity is essential for prioritisation. Critical thinking tools help you remove bias and preference from decisions. We all prefer to do things we enjoy or are easy, but often, it’s the complex tasks or the things we least enjoy that will move us forward toward our goal.

Knowing what you want, why you want it and when you need it enables you to prioritise. The Eisenhower Matrix, which separates tasks based on urgency and importance, can be invaluable. Another method is the ABCD prioritisation technique, where tasks are categorised from most to least critical.

Establish routine and structure.

Why: Our brains respond well to habits and patterns; it’s how we’re wired. Routines reduce the number of decisions you make every day, which conserves mental energy for more critical tasks. Without this cognitive energy saving, we suffer “decision fatigue,” where the quality of decisions deteriorates after lengthy decision-making sessions.

How: Building a routine involves setting specific times for various activities, such as work, exercise, meals, and relaxation. Time-blocking is a practical method where you allocate blocks of time for different tasks, creating a visual structure for your day. This approach can help maintain focus on the task at hand and reduce the tendency to multitask, which is often less effective. Don’t forget to include breaks and leisure activities in your schedule to prevent burnout.

Eliminate distractions.

Why: In a world where information is constantly at our fingertips, distractions are a significant barrier to productivity. Take social media; these platforms are notorious distractors engineered to keep us on the channel by triggering our biochemistry.

Receive a like, comment or any form of positive interaction, and it stimulates dopamine release. This release promotes pleasure and satisfaction, like the gratification you might get from eating food you enjoy or winning a prize. The intermittent and unpredictable nature of these social rewards creates a pattern like gambling, where the anticipation of a reward keeps users coming back.

Email, Teams, Slack and other systems can also release dopamine, but they can also trigger cortisol. Cortisol is released when we feel stressed. High volumes of email and system notifications can cause anxiety, which can, ironically, drive us to check more.

Distractors’ fracture concentration significantly decreases the quality and quantity of work produced. Switching between tasks inevitably means some of our attention remains with the previous task, reducing our ability to entirely focus on the new task.

How: Identifying and mitigating distractions is critical. Tools like Focus@Will, which offers music designed to aid concentration, or apps like Freedom and Forest, which block distracting websites, can be helpful.

Setting specific times for checking emails and social media, rather than constantly responding to notifications, can help maintain focus. Creating a dedicated workspace free from clutter and potential interruptions can also enhance concentration.

Cultivate a growth mindset.

Why: A growth mindset, a concept popularised by psychologist Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, centres on the belief that we can all develop our abilities and intelligence.

This perspective encourages resilience, a passion for learning and a willingness to confront challenges, all essential for personal and professional growth. Viewing failures not as insurmountable setbacks but as opportunities for learning and development fosters a positive attitude toward challenges.

How: Cultivating a growth mindset involves several practices. Keeping a journal can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and tracking progress. Embrace criticism, and choose to see it as valuable feedback that will help you grow.

Adopting a mindset that sees challenges as the vehicle to stretch and grow will boost resilience. Celebrate small wins to help maintain motivation. View setbacks as steps on the journey; ask what can be learned from the experience rather than viewing it as a failure.

Conclusion

The secret is harnessing proven tools to help our “pilot” make better choices, from what we focus on and deciding what tasks are important to creating the space to get stuff done. Our mindset will determine whether we challenge ourselves, repeat the same mistakes, learn, and grow on our journey to becoming highly productive.

Productivity is more than choosing the right tools. With clear objectives and priorities, productive routines and structures, eliminating distractions and cultivating a growth mindset, you can unlock the pilot in the box.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com on 13th December 2023

Posted On September 13, 2023 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Forbes, Goals, High Performing Teams, Leadership, Management, Metacognition, Mindset, Productivity /