The Art of Not Knowing
The fear of saying “I don’t know” started long ago. In the past, a person’s ability to gain employment was based on their depth of knowledge and aptitude at a particular trade.1Workers received intense training and usually performed an apprenticeship before they were considered a “professional” and respected as such. Saying the words, “I don’t know” was an indictment of incompetence.
But the work landscape has changed.
In today’s workforce, having in depth expertise is less valuable and has become a distant second behind potential. A person’s potential and capacity to learn is more important and far more valuable than encyclopedic knowledge on a particular topic.
The Beauty of Not Knowing
The birth of the internet created a huge shift in the information paradigm. Now, information, data and knowledge are literally at your finger tips. The impact of the information sharing on every level and subject, which is readily available 24/7, is a remarkably wonderful double-edged sword.
Things that were privy only to certain people and shared within closed circles is now accessible to all. If you want to know —you can.
The amount and magnitude of information available is overwhelming and incomprehensible. It has become almost impossible to be a true “subject matter expert.” The paradox is that both everyone and no one is an expert.
The shift in information sharing has also impacted workplace norms. Where it used to be frowned upon and taboo to use the words, “I don’t know” in a professional environment, it now has become acceptable and expected. Today people are hired based on their ability to process information not to memorize it — which is a far more remarkable and better use of the brain.
Our brains have gone from being storage containers to multifaceted microprocessors. Your ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, apply and create new information is your most attractive attribute — not your current knowledge base.2
Embracing “I Don’t Know”
The quicker you embrace the fact that you don’t know everything about anything, the better off you and those around you will be. You will unburden yourself of undue stress at work and you shift your brain into a continuous state of learning.
The value in embracing and saying “I don’t know” lets you off the hook and helps reduce all of the misinformation pervading our information system. The truth is, your boss doesn’t care whether or not you can produce information on the spot, he or she is more interested in whether or not you can find the correct information quickly and apply it properly.
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Great Leaders Remember to Offer These 10 Things All The Time
PRODUCTIVITY
Great Leaders Remember to Offer These 10 Things All The Time
Want to be a great leader? Fantastic! Great leadership is learned behavior. You can be a great leader just like any you have ever seen. Only remember to offer your team these 10 key things great leaders offer all the time.
1. Remember to offer leadership by example.
The hallmark of a great leader is leading by example. Practice what you preach. Your actions can be a powerful source of motivation or demoralization to the team. Be mindful and let your actions send the message that you believe in your own directives. Remember teams create a work ethic that imitates their leader’s work ethic.
2. Remember to offer opportunities for growth.
We all want to learn new things and grow and develop in our jobs. Great leaders know this and offer opportunities for growth and development all the time. Be the first to create and/or point out areas for growth, depending on prevailing circumstances, individual interests and skill requirements. This will not only motivate your team to apply themselves, but also ensure no one stops growing or becomes extraneous.
3. Remember to offer positive energy and inspiration.
Great leaders create a positive and inspiring work environment and culture all the time. These leaders use their executive presence not to threaten or intimidate, but to encourage positive thinking and attitude at work. Offer this positive energy and inspiration by encouraging everyone to be themselves and freely voice their opinions and suggestions without fear of reprimand. You will earn the team’s respect and boost their overall productivity, innovation and job satisfaction this way.
4. Remember to offer continuous (and constructive) feedback.
Great leaders remember to offer continuous and constructive feedback all the time. Feedback shows the team the leader cares and is paying attention. It also helps build and improve other people’s strengths and abilities. Give constructive feedback continuously without resulting to personal attacks. It will earn you respect, trust and performance.
5. Remember to offer kindness and consideration.
Kindness begets kindness. If you offer kindness to those you lead, they will in turn offer kindness to those they work with and serve, including clients and fellow employees. Great leaders know this and use kindness to build a healthy and productive work environment for all. Be kind and considerate to your team even when they screw up. Don’t be harsh and bashing them too much, otherwise they will hate you and their job for it.
6. Remember to offer patience and sanity.
Great leaders are patient and encourage their team to also exercise patience. They remind the team patience is a virtue because many projects will take time to develop and complete. Sometimes it will take more than 24 hours to find an answer to a single problem. Instead of being agitated and angry, let the team come together, brainstorm and agree upon reasonable solutions and time expectations. This will maintain harmony and bring sanity in the team.
7. Remember to offer fun and humor.
Laughter is medicine to the soul. It strengthens bonds and can heal deep seated resentment in the workplace. Great leaders use both laughter and humor to defuse tension and encourage creativity. They offer moments of fun and humor all the time because these moments often make stressful and challenging situations seem less daunting. Organize fun activities for your team and let those who can crack ribs do so freely to put things into a humorous perspective. Of course, this should all be done within the boundaries of proper ethics and mutual respect.
8. Remember to offer order and respect.
People achieve more where there is a clear course of action characterized by order and respect. Great leaders, therefore, offer order and respect all the time. They make everyone feel valued and their skills and knowledge required for success. They extend basic courtesies like friendly greetings to everyone from the cleaning person to the top executives because they respect them. Treat everyone like an adult and don’t try to micromanage and dictate to them. Respect their personalities, judgment and knowledge and they will feel obliged to make their individual input count.
9. Remember to offer help and encouragement.
Great leaders are proud to offer support and encouragement to their team. They help whenever they can and encourage those they lead to keep moving and not give up because they genuinely care. Offer help and encouragement with a cheerful heart whenever your team is feeling down. Remind everyone why you have faith in them and why they are the best for the task, especially when you notice people are running out of energy. Just be that listening ear and helping hand your team needs.
10. Remember to offer praise and gratitude.
Great leaders remember to praise and express their gratitude for the efforts others make on their behalf. They know they would not be the leader they are without the people they are privileged to lead. As a result, great leaders humbly offer gratitude and praise all the time. Praise is an acknowledgement of positive deeds. Say “thank you” even for small things like someone holding the door for you. This reinforces positive behavior and proves you appreciate. Don’t be afraid to hold the door for others, as well. Those little, thoughtful things are the marks of a truly great leader.
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