Hi Reader,
I am hopeful that your May is bringing lots of joy and fun, even if it's also bringing an overflowing to-do list or a packed calendar. Hang in there if the latter is true for you, like it is for me.
Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always, with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue.
🔥Something Bold - Answer this Question
Imagine I walked up to you right now and told you I was forcibly canceling one of your recurring meetings for the next month. The catch is that I'll let you pick the one - the one that would have the smallest impact on your most important work if it disappeared.
Which meeting came to mind?
Now - go ahead and actually cancel it. Or at the very least, make it less frequent and/or shorter in duration. Give your team the time back.
🆕 Something New - Make Your Management Memo in an Hour
I'm hosting this workshop later this month so you can create your own personal management memo. It's a document that describes the values, communication style, and working preferences that help your team work with you. I've been using one of these for 15+ years, and it's one of the best management tools in my toolbox. I'll even share my actual language from my memo (and you can steal it and pretend you wrote it, I don't mind). This isn't a passive sit-and-listen session - you'll actually leave the workshop with a draft of your own management memo. An excellent use of an hour. RSVP here.
🤝🏼 Something Borrowed - You'll Need This Sooner or Later (Sadly)
Death and loss are part of life, whether we like it or not. That means that you've likely already had people on your team lose loved ones. It's not always easy to know how to best support them during these awful times. When I saw this post last week, I saved it to refer back to when I need it again someday. It gives ideas on what to say when someone first tells you they have experienced a loss, all the way through how you can support them long after most people in their life have moved on from the immediate support stage.
🏃🏾♀️Something to Pursue - Share This With Your Intern
Got an intern in your life, either in your work or someone you know personally? Share this excellent set of tips from my friend Atnre with them to help them make the most of their internship this summer.
Last Month's Most-Clicked Management Memo Link: This article from my former colleague, Susan, on how great teams handle hard moments.
Bring your team; I’ll bring my A-game. I love helping teams with workshops on productivity, team culture, and work effectiveness. Find out more and book a free chat to see if I can be helpful to your organization.