Michael Hyatt's Blog, page 20

How to Beat a Burnout Culture

In 2013, the Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar cracked open email accounts belonging to the members of George W. Bush’s family. Lazar found paintings by the former president of animals, still life, even some self-portraits. Lazar released the images to the media, many people were surprised to discover Bush’s hobby.

They need not have been. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ulysses S. Grant, and Dwight Eisenhower all painted. So did Winston Churchill.

Why would world leaders, whose work was far more demanding than yours or mine, make time for a hobby? Simple. They understood that having a hobby is a vital practice for rejuvenation.

Sadly, many don’t follow that example. According to Gallup, the average American workweek is closer to 50 hours than 40, and one in five works 60 hours or more. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership found professionals and business leaders who carry smartphones tend to work more than 70 hours a week.

We’re living in what German philosopher Josef Pieper called “total work,” where labor drives life, not the other way around.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Despite living in a culture that celebrates overwork and sees exhaustion as a badge of honor, you can make a different choice. You can rise above a burnout culture with these five rejuvenating activities.

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Burnout is not something that happens to you. It’s the result of the choices you make.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Sleep

The need for rest is programmed into our bodies. Yet we often push against that requirement, sacrificing sleep for work. If we cheat ourselves of the off-switch that’s built into our bodies, we are signing up for burnout.

Keep your mind and body fresh by getting adequate sleep every night. And don’t be afraid to take a nap now and then. I’ve taken a daily nap for years, and it’s only helped my productivity and achievement. It can do the same for you.

Eat

To be productive, feel energetic, and stay focused, you need adequate fuel. Specifically, you need to keep your blood sugar regulated. When it spikes and drops, you lose energy. This has a biochemical impact on your brain. Brain fog is a real thing.

People often say they don’t have time to stop and eat. I’ve said that to myself in the past. “I’m going to work through lunch. I’m just too busy.” That’s like saying you don’t have time to stop and get gas for your car. You need to refuel.

Choose foods that contribute to your productivity and provide good, clean fuel. Otherwise, you may wind up more fatigued after you eat than before you ate. There’s nothing wrong with a big bowl of pasta or a good pizza. In fact, one of the best ways to connect with friends and family is over a sumptuous meal. Just practice moderation.

Move

The link between physical activity and mental agility is well documented. Even a brief walk or spending time outdoors has been shown to improve creativity and increase test scores.

Yet physical activity is often the first casualty of overwork. We start the day with every intention of going to the gym or taking a bike ride, but our perceived busyness crowds it out. The secret is to build exercise into your morning or evening routine. Make it a cornerstone of your day. You’ll notice a difference in energy almost immediately.

Connect

Arguably, this is the most important practice for rejuvenation. We are made to live in relationship with others. But we have to be intentional about building time for in-person contact. When we do, the payoff is huge. The right relationships can open up a world of learning, encouragement, accountability, and connection.

Relax

Relaxation is an activity different from your work that rejuvenates body, mind, and spirit. This is why painting was so important for the world leaders I mentioned earlier. It enabled them to escape the stress of the day, use their minds in a different way, and have a sense of satisfaction.

If you find yourself saying “My work is my hobby,” you’re missing a vital avenue for rejuvenation, and you’re risking burnout.

Burnout is not something that happens to you. It’s the result of the choices you make. If you’re drifting toward burnout, you have the power to make a change. Which of these practices would make the biggest impact on your wellbeing? And when will you begin to practice it?

BONUS: Communication Breakdown Q&A

Today’s episode is from a Facebook Live that Michael and Megan did on the topic of communication breakdowns. They took questions from viewers and we’ve collected some of the best questions and answers so that you can gain important insight into how to manage your own communication breakdowns. Enjoy!

How to Get Out of Email Jail

As a leader, you pride yourself on being proactive and in control. But one area feels like a perpetual dumpster fire—email! It’s all communications, really. Slack messages, texts, voicemail, it’s a constant burn. When will it end?

Create Transparency and Trust with Cascading Communication

In 2000, I got one of the greatest opportunities in my career. I was appointed publisher over the Nelson Books division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, which was one of the top English language publishers in the world. I knew our team had experienced some financial troubles, but I was thrilled for the chance to lead.

Then I saw the profit-and-loss statement. Ouch! We were the least profitable division in the company. There had been little or no revenue growth for three years straight, and we had actually lost money the prior year. Everyone was tense. Nobody understood what was happening.

I was still excited about the opportunity but wondered, “How come nobody told me what was really going on?”

A company that withholds information from employees is like a house built on a floodplain—a disaster waiting to happen. This is especially true when the company is not doing well or major changes are afoot. Rumors begin to circulate. Morale plummets and tension rises. It’s a perfect environment for mistrust, suspicion, or even panic.

Fortunately, I was able to rally the Nelson Books team and lead a turnaround. Part of that involved letting my whole team know the truth about our financial situation.

That experience convinced me of the need to share as much information with others as I could—when introducing a major change or any bad news. That decision has paid off over and over again in greater trust, increased morale, and higher productivity.

You can do this too with Cascading Communication, a technique I detail in my book No-Fail Communication: 13 Workplace Communication Problems and How to Fix Them. Here are the basics.

Decide What to Communicate

Deciding how much to share with your team is more art than science, but as a general rule, default to transparency. Of course, transparency doesn’t extend to breaching ethics or breaking the law. Your aim is to ensure that people who need to know do know.

Remember, secrecy breeds suspicion. Transparency builds trust.

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Secrecy breeds suspicion. Transparency builds trust.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Get the Message Right

Once you’ve decided what to communicate, you need to craft the message. This is especially true when cascading communication involves a significant announcement or change.

I like to begin by writing down my thoughts, even if I plan to deliver them orally. That gives me greater clarity about the message. And when you communicate, in person or in writing, get straight to the point. State your primary reasons for the decision, and make them clear and simple.

Determine Who Needs to Know, and in What Order

Cascading communication begins with the people who should be informed first and flows from there. Generally, the information will cascade through levels of management, but there are exceptions. Leaders should never be surprised in public by an announcement that affects their purview. They deserve to hear the news ahead of their team. Also, an employee should never be blindsided by news about their change in status or responsibility in a public meeting. They should be informed ahead of their coworkers.

Clarify as Needed

Expect that your cascade of information will raise questions. That’s normal. Most questions conceal no hostile intent. People just want clarity. So don’t be afraid to build in a mechanism for questions and feedback. Listen non-defensively. Make eye contact. Affirm the questioner. And clarify as needed.

Imagine the boost to morale in your company if every person affected by company news was informed promptly and intentionally. How would it increase the commitment of team members to know that they were trusted and included? What would it do for the trust and respect given to leaders? Secrecy breeds suspicion. Transparency builds trust. And everyone plays better when they know the score.

For a deeper dive on this subject, plus a dozen other workplace communication problems, get a copy of my book No-Fail Communication: 13 Workplace Communication Problems and How to Fix Them and claim over $400-worth of free bonuses. But you have to act fast! This offer expires on May 26, 2020.

3 Communication Fails You Need to Avoid

You’ve got a big vision for your business and you’re building a team to get you there. But where two or three people are gathered, there’s bound to be some misunderstanding. No matter how hard you work at it, you wind up having to repeat yourself. That costs time and wastes momentum. Why does communication have to be so hard?

How to Avoid Confusion with Clear Communication

Under-communication is a consistent problem in nearly every business. You can solve that by taking ownership of the communication happening around you.

I’ve worked with more than my share of poor communicators over the years. One was a boss who rarely shared information and never in a timely way. My office happened to be in a different building than his, so getting to our weekly one-on-one meeting took a little effort. Each week, I prepared a status report on my major projects, developed a list of answers I needed to make progress, and drove to his office in time for the meeting.

I can’t tell you how many times I was greeted by his assistant with a pained expression. “I’m so sorry,” she’d say. “He had to step out.” Not only did he cancel most of our meetings, but he did so without notice.

When we did meet, he provided little or no clarity. And he dodged most of my questions with “I’ll have to get back to you on that.” It was maddening!

Most under-communication is inadvertent. People are simply unaware of the gap between what’s in their mind and what’s in yours, and you suffer from that same lack of awareness. In fact, a team of researchers writing in the Journal of Political Economy labeled this phenomenon “the curse of knowledge.” It means that when you know something, it’s very hard to remember that other people don’t.

Fortunately, the solution is remarkably simple. All you have to do is step up and take responsibility for all the communication that comes from you or to you. Here’s how.

1. Determine to Be the Solution

Most of us are not fully aware of our own part in the communication quagmire. We may expect others to do all the work of conveying information. The first step in communicating clearly is to determine to be the solution, not the problem. Are you ready to champion clear communication in your workplace?

2. Externalize Your Thinking

The curse of knowledge affects everyone, including you. As a result, we don’t communicate or don’t communicate enough.

Be aware of the gap between your understanding and that of your team. Stop assuming that people know what’s important or what needs to be done. Get your thoughts out of your head where others can read or hear them.

3. Push for Clarity

Before you compose your message (or say it out loud), ask yourself, “How can I set the other person up for success?” Before you hit send, reread the communication to be sure it’s clear. Would you know exactly what you meant? Clarity is vital for communication.

Sometimes that will mean pushing others for clarity. Remember, they also suffer from the curse of knowledge and may have a tendency to omit information or use ambiguous language. Gently ask them to make their meaning clear.

4. Confirm Understanding

Communication hasn’t really happened until the other person not only receives your words but also understands them. You can request a “read receipt” when you send a message, but you also need to get an “understand receipt.” You can do that with questions like “Is anything unclear about that?” or “What do you understand based on what I’ve said?”

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Communication hasn’t happened until the other person not only receives your words but also understands them.

—MICHAEL HYATT

5. Over-Communicate

Actually, you can’t over-communicate. Or at least it’s pretty hard to do. People are busy and distracted. They forget things they should remember—things they want to remember. Communication is not a one-and-done event. Communicate again. And again.

What would it be like to come to work in a place where you never had to go on a deep dive for the information you need to do your job? How would it change the culture of your office if everyone was clear, direct, and intentional in their communication? Why not take responsibility for making that happen and find out?

For more great insights on office communication, get my free resource Clear Communication Tips, a series of daily tips for clear communication in your business.

How to Communicate Sensitive Information

As a leader, you’re committed to transparency in running your business. But that’s not as easy as it sounds. What about introducing a major change or initiative? Or announcing a layoff? How to manage the flow of sensitive information without causing confusion or mistrust.

Communication Secrets of Remote Teams

If you’ve recently made the switch to remote work, you’re not alone. At least a quarter of U.S. employees worked from home at least part of the time before the Covid-19 crisis. An estimated 16 million U.S. knowledge workers started working remotely due to Covid-19 as of March 2020. That number has likely continued to grow.

Unfortunately, the same digital technologies that make it so easy to exchange information can make it more difficult to achieve understanding.

Working from home, we don’t have hallway conversations and office parties that strengthen relationships and build trust. Also absent are the contextual clues that help us interpret meaning: body language, facial expression, and tone of voice.

Without context, misunderstandings are more likely to occur. Without contact, trust can quickly dissolve into suspicion. The result, all too often, is a war of words carried out through electronic messages.

I started Michael Hyatt & Co. as an entirely decentralized team. So we’ve been perfecting remote communication for nearly a decade. Even now, we all work from home at least part of the time. And some work remotely nearly all the time.

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You really can be every bit as efficient and productive using remote communication.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Here are some best practices that will boost the contact and context of your remote communication so you can work from home without seeing a drop in productivity or morale.

Communicate More, Not Less

Under-communication is a classic problem with remote teams. When coworkers are out of sight, they can easily slip out of mind.

The solution is to communicate more, not less, when working remotely. You must develop the habit of asking two crucial questions: “What do I know that someone else needs to know,” and, “Have I told them?”

Create Intentional Meeting Rhythms

One way of being intentional is to establish a communication rhythm. With our remote teams, we do this through a series of video and in-person meetings.

Once a week, leaders have a huddle with their teams each week that serves as a clearinghouse for information. This ensures that everyone begins from a common starting point.

Once a month, we have a video call with the entire staff via Zoom. We update the whole team on our financial results, share updates and celebrations, and take questions from the team.

Each quarter, we bring the entire team together for face-to-face training and goal setting.

Annually, we meet in person to celebrate goal achievement, review our vision and core values, and roll out our goals for the coming year.

Your pattern of communication may differ, but be sure it’s intentional.

Amplify Meaning

Ensure clarity in remote communication by rephrasing, clarifying, and asking questions. You can do that with phrases like “What I mean by that is . . . ,” “In other words, . . .” or, “Are you saying that . . . ?” Our team also loves to use emojis in Slack messages. They help replace facial expression and body language.

Replace Casual Communication

There is no water cooler in remote work—or coffee pot, or lunchroom, or any other context where casual conversation can occur. So you’ll need to replace that.

During Zoom meetings, allow some time for what may seem like idle banter. That talk about weekend activities, baby showers, and sporting events is a vital link between coworkers that builds relationships and trust and fosters collaboration.

We also find Slack to be a good venue for personal interaction. We created a #water-cooler channel where teammates to share things like weekend wins, birth announcements, casual conversations, and jokes.

For nearly a decade now, Michael Hyatt & Company has thrived by using remote or partly remote teams. It does work. You really can be every bit as efficient and productive using remote communication.

For more great insights on office communication, get my free resource Clear Communication Tips, a series of daily tips for clear communication in your business.

How Successful Leaders Overcome Resistance

You’re well on the way to achieving your vision, but something unexpected happens. Maybe a cost overrun or a production delay. Vendors are confused. Customers aren’t happy. Employees start complaining as the problems pile up. 

How to Choose a Business Coach

I recently had lunch with a young entrepreneur. His business had grown quickly, and, as a result, he was facing challenges he’d never encountered before. He said, “I think I need a business coach—someone who can help me navigate the road ahead. Can you recommend someone?”

I get asked this question a lot. Running a business has never been more challenging, and coaching has never been more popular. As a result, business owners have a variety of coaching options.

I have my own coaching program, so, of course, I mentioned that. But then I said, “Look, I don’t care whether it’s us or someone else, just hire someone. The fastest way to scale your business is to grow your own capacity as a leader. And the best way to do that is with a coach.”

It wasn’t hard to anticipate his next question, and probably yours: “Where do I start?”

I went on to share the three questions to ask when considering a coach.

1. Do they have the right business experience?

Here’s the dirty little secret of the business coaching industry: most coaches have never run a business. They usually have experience working in a business and maybe even in leadership. But there’s a vast difference between working in a business and running a business.

You want someone who has taken risks, struggled to meet a payroll, overcome slumping sales, and figured out how to grow.

Several years ago, I met with a prospective business coach. He was a New York Times bestselling author with an MBA from one of the top business schools. He spent the day with me, learning about my business. He then told me emphatically that I needed to shut down every revenue stream except one, focus only on that.

It didn’t ring true at the time, but I wondered if he was right. I thought about it for days. It really sent me into a tailspin. I had nearly decided to revamp my entire business my business when I happened to talk with Chalene Johnson, right before she interviewed me on her podcast. I explained my conundrum. She emphatically disagreed with the business coach. But here’s what got me. She said, “Why are you listening to him? You do know he’s never started or run a business?”

She was right. He didn’t have any experience. It was all theoretical. I dodged a bullet.

Ideally, you want a coach who has run more than one business. It’s helpful if they have led businesses of different sizes, so you’re sure what they teach works in a variety of contexts.

2. Do they get the right client results?

You want someone who has gotten—and is getting—the results you want. They need to be a living example of the transformation they promise. But you want more than this. You need to know that their clients are also getting similar results.

In addition, you want a coach who has distilled their experience and wisdom down to simple-to-understand frameworks and practical implementation tools. You need insight plus application. They need to make it easier and faster to get the results you want.

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As a business owner, hiring a business coach can be one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Also, be aware of this when you read client testimonies: many coaches write the testimonials for their clients and then get approval to use them. They’re not exactly fake testimonials, but they’re close. At the very least, you want to see video testimonials or handwritten notes from real clients using their own words.

Better yet, ask to see specific, quantitative data on what their clients have achieved as a result of the coaching program. For example, what specific business results can they point to? What specific non-business results can they point to?

3. Do they use the right coaching frameworks?

Some coaches do only one-on-one sessions. Some facilitate group masterminds. Which format is best? Actually, neither. According to the research, adults learn best in a multi-pronged approach. One study showed that when training is combined with coaching, individuals increase their productivity by an average of 86 percent compared to 22 percent with training alone.

One-on-one coaching can lead to dependence on the coach. It also deprives you of peer support, input, and accountability—all of which are important in achieving the best results. Masterminds can be helpful, but they sometimes turn into “the blind leading the blind.”

What you really want is a program that makes use of expert coaching (see number 1 above) and structured discussions with a qualified peer group representing a variety of industries. This gives you both the leadership and accountability you need to make real progress.

The Final Criterion

Finally, I wouldn’t hire a coach who doesn’t have a coach. I want to make sure they are buying what they’re selling. If they really believe in coaching, then they will have one of their own. If they don’t, that should be a red flag. Either they don’t really believe coaching is for everyone or they are too arrogant to think they need it.

When Jonathan Rosenberg was being considered for head of the product team at Google, he had a final interview with Bill Campbell, the legendary coach who mentored Eric Schmidt, Steve Jobs, and other Silicon Valley legends. The interview consisted of only one question: “Are you coachable?” Campbell would never hire someone who was too arrogant to see their need for growth. Neither should you.

As a business owner, hiring a business coach can be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Hiring the right one can help you go further, faster. But hiring the wrong one can slow down your progress and, at the very least, waste your resources. Asking these three questions can ensure you find the right coach and get the results you want.