Index

accountability, 37, 40

activities, disliked, finding meaning in, 27

advisers, 81

after hours, 45–46

annoyances, 15

anxiety, 8, 10, 14, 30, 129

appreciation, 111–112

assumptions, questioning, 5

audience, connecting with remote, 76–77

authenticity, 105–106

authority, challenges to, 122

autonomy, 36, 109

autoreplies, 139, 148

bias

in giving feedback, 134

in hiring decisions, 119–120

B-level employees

giving attention to, 152–153

leading to success, 154–155

boss

asking for raise from, 69, 70–71

vs. mediator, 124–125

negotiating with, 32

boundary setting, 36, 139–140

breaks

encouraging, 103

scheduling short, 28

burnout

avoiding, 36, 103

protecting high performers from, 158

of teams, 114–115

camaraderie, 170

candid conversations, 142–143

career

mid-career rut, 23

postretirement, 24–25

switching, 54–55

career advocate, 67–68

career goals, 126–127

career path, 20–21, 22, 67–68

change management, 176–177

checklists, 8

clutter, 10, 42–43

coaching, 23, 56, 89, 90, 96–97, 107

See also employees

career goals of, 126–127

mental health of, 129

distractions

blocking out, 35

counterbalancing, 148–149

from leading, 38

phone, 30–31, 42

divergent thinking, 156

diversity, 117–118, 119

dream job, 22

efficiency, 39

email, 30, 42, 139–140, 148–149

embarrassment, 11–12

emotional courage, 87

emotional intelligence, 50–51

emotions

negative, 72

showing at work, 163–164

employees

asking for input from, 112

asking questions of, 132

B-level, 152–153, 154–155

career goals of, 126–127

challenging, 165

coaching to solve problems, 107

communicating during change with, 176–177

conflicts between, 124–125

connecting with, 101

counterbalancing distractions of, 148–149

creative, managing, 93–94

delegating tasks to, 108

diversity of, 117–118

effect of input on, 144

employees (continued)

encouraging learning in, 109

engagement of, 165

envy between, 170–171

experimentation by, 130–131

firing, 161–162

former peers as, 121–122

goals of, 174–175

handling mistakes by, 113

high-performing, 158

instilling purpose in, 105–106

knowledge sharing by, 137–138

mental health of, 129

mid-career, 128

opportunities for top, 159–160

positive relationships among, 166

recognition for, 104, 111–112

returning from medical leave, 116

shaking up routine of, 110

types of, 156–157

work styles of, 150

envy, 170–171

executive coach, 23

experimentation, 130–131

expertise, 56, 91, 166

eye contact, 76–77

fact-based feedback, 133–134

failure

admitting, 101–102

being comfortable with, 130–131

tolerating, 102

fairness, 167

feedback

from anonymous surveys, 137

based on facts, 133–134

giving, 96–97

handling tough, 16–17

honest, 19

positive, 18

360-degree, 109

when not to give, 135–136

firing employees, 161–162

focus, 42–43, 148–149

freelance work, underpricing, 57

goals

big picture, 178

career, 126–127

changing employee’s, 174–175

long-term, 40

setting, 41, 96, 174–175

goodwill, 170–171

grunt work, 110

guilt, 9

habits

changing, to spark creativity, 33

healthy, 103

micro, 6–7

using to stay grounded, 40

health

mental, 29, 129

physical, 29, 103

healthy habits, 103

high performers

opportunities for, 159–160

protecting from burnout, 158

high-profile projects, 156–157

hiring decisions, bias in, 119–120

hobbies, 48

honesty, 19, 142–143

ideas

asking for, 112

sharing, 89–90

information sharing, 137–138

innovative thinking, 91–92, 130–131

isolation, 88

job interviews, 61

jobs, new, 62–63

job searches, 60

job titles, 64

journaling, 60

judgment, 151, 166

kindness, 145

knowledge sharing, 137–138

leaders

admitting failure, 101–102

authenticity in, 105–106

out-of-touch, 88

showing emotions by, 163–164

leaders (continued)

trust building by, 166

weaknesses in, 95

leadership

confident, 4

of creative employees, 93–94

distractions from, 38

of former peers, 121–122

team, 4, 85–86, 89–90, 103

leadership style, 85–86

learning

during everyday work, 13

from failure, 101

feeling uncomfortable when, 11–12

team, 109

through delegation, 108

life events, 40

listening skills, 97, 176

logic, 5

long-term goals, 40

mediation, of conflicts, 124–125

medical leave, 116

meditation, 29, 42, 60

meetings

one-on-one, 98

psychological safety in, 143

running good, 78–79

skip-level, 88

speaking mind at, 142–143

speaking up at, 80

team, 121, 141, 142–143

virtual, 76–77, 141

mental health, 29, 129

mentors, 23, 49, 67–68, 109

microculture, 172–173

microhabits, 6–7

micromanagement, 99–100

mid-career crisis, 128

mid-career help, 23

mindfulness techniques, 29, 42, 60, 72

mindset, 29

mistakes

handling, 113

in job interviews, 61

learning from, 101

moving past, 14

tolerating others’, 102

morning routine, 42

negative emotions, 72

negative feedback, 16–17

negative thoughts, 14

negotiation skills, 32

networking, 58–59, 67–68

new jobs, 62–63

nonwork time, 45–46

office housework, 26

one-on-one meetings, 98

online audience, 76–77

open-ended questions, 19

opinions, 133–134

opportunities, for top employees, 159–160

overwhelmed feelings, 44

past-focused questions, 113

pathos, 74

perfectionism, 8, 44

performance evaluations, 69

personal ambitions, 41

personal biases, 119–120, 134

personal brand, 56

personal philosophy, 3

perspectives, fresh, 5, 48, 107

phone, as distraction, 30–31, 42

physical health, 29, 103

planning, of meetings, 78

political landscape, 62

positive feedback, 18

postretirement career, 24–25

praise, 18

presentations

giving persuasive, 74–75

rehearsing, 73

prestige, 85–86

priorities, 38, 39, 44, 99

problem solving, 107, 146–147

productivity, 39, 42, 148–149

progress, 165

projects

deadlines for, 37

staffing high-profile, 156–157

workload of, 123

promotions, 64, 65–66, 109, 121–122

psychological safety, 143

purpose, instilling sense of, 105–106

questions

asking employees, 132

asking right, of teams, 178–179

future-focused, 113

open-ended, 19

past-focused, 113

raise, asking for, 69, 70–71

recognition, of employees, 104, 111–112

rehearsing, of presentations, 73

relationship building, 141

relocation, of mid-career employees, 128

remote work, 128

respect, 57, 145

risk-taking, 130–131

rumination, 14

schedule

blocking off, 35

email, 139–140

self-care, 29

self-compassion, 9

self-improvement, 6–7, 11–12

short breaks, 28

skills

developing team, 91–92

listening, 97, 176

needed in job, 63

transferring to new career, 54–55

skip-level meetings, 88

social media, 30, 58–59, 68

solitude, 28

strengths, overusing, 52–53

stress, 10, 44, 47, 103, 114

stretch assignments, 109

structure, 156

tasks

delegating, 108

disliked, finding meaning in, 27

grunt work, 110

team leadership, 4, 85–86, 89–90, 103

team learning, 109

team management

clear communication and, 144

conflict resolution, 124–125

of creatives, 93–94

employee engagement and, 165

of former peers, 121–122

leadership style and, 85–86

micromanagement, 99–100

rules for, 96–97

showing emotions and, 163–164

team meetings

with former peers, 121

psychological safety in, 143

speaking mind at, 142–143

virtual, 141

teams

asking right questions of, 178–179

B-level players on, 152–155

burnout in, 114–115, 158

communicating with, 99

composition of, 156–157

creative thinking by, 91–92

culture of, 130–131, 170–173

decision making by, 151

envy on, 170–171

experimentation by, 130–131

guidelines for communication by, 139–140

high performers on, 158

idea sharing by, 89–90

kindness norm on, 145

mental health of, 129

motivating, 154–155

problem solving on, 146–147

relationship building on, 141

success for, 179

trust building on, 166

unhealthy competition on, 168–169

workload of, 123

work styles of, 150

thinking

creative, 48, 91–92

critical, 5

divergent, 156

innovative, 91–92, 130–131

360-degree feedback, 109

timeboxing, 39

time constraints, 110

to-do lists, 9, 28, 38, 44

“to-learn” lists, 13

top employees. See high performers

tough conversations

preparing for, 70–71

staying calm during, 72

tough decisions, 34

toxic culture, 172–173

transitions, after promotions, 65–66

trust, 166

uncertainty, 34, 156

underpricing, 57

unemployment, 60

value complexity, 34

value creation, 62

virtual audience, connecting with, 76–77

virtual meetings, 141

vision, 4, 96

weaknesses, showing your, 95

weekends, 47

words, power of, 144

work

grunt, 110

staying focused at, 42–43

work-life balance, 45–46, 103

workload, 123

work skills, 54–55, 63

workspace, keeping clean, 10, 42–43

work styles, 150