Language is everything!

I've been working with a group of "Middle managers" for the past six months on leadership and management development. One of the areas we have been focusing on is performance management, specifically setting performance expectations, reviewing performance, and conducting performance appraisals. It has become apparent how important language continues to be a critical component of being an effective manager/leaders, and particularly when setting expectations or assigning tasks. One of the mangers gave an example of how he asked an employee to complete a particular task. He asked the employee, "In your spare time would you type this letter?" How might the employee interpret this request? How clear are the expectations? Whether you are setting specific performance expectations or assigning a task, language is critical to achieve desired outcomes/results.

Summer is a great time to evaluate

As we approach the summer months, this is a great time to focus on your development. Typically most businesses do slow down and this is the perfect time to evaluate your professional development goals. Summer is a more relaxed time of year which is why it's such a great opportunity to focus on yourself. Is there a course you've been wanting to take, or have you been trying to improve a particular skill and haven't had the time, is there a goal you haven't worked on during the first six months of the year? These are just a few questions to ask yourself and take advantage of the summer to evaluate your successes and identify what you want to focus on for the remainder of the year.