Millennial Minded

Let's walk through a familiar scenario. Your boss calls you into her office and asks you to sit down. "You're doing really great work," she says. "Your project plans are always on time and you've yet to abuse our unlimited vacation policy."

So far so good. But you can already sense what comes next. After a brief pause she continues, "BUT you've yet to win us any new business."

When feedback is delivered incorrectly it's useless. Recipients leave feeling attacked, not supported. Which is a shame because it's a vital tool for self-improvement. So, we sat down with Lee to create a short series on how to give and receive feedback.

Key Takeaways

• It's important to take a moment and reflect on what you've learned
• Ask for tangible examples
• It's fine to not agree with every piece of feedback you're being given
• If you disagree about a piece of feedback, connect with the person at a later date and discuss your differing opinions on the matter

Let's walk through a familiar scenario. Your boss calls you into her office and asks you to sit down. "You're doing really great work," she says. "Your project plans are always on time and you've yet to abuse our unlimited vacation policy."

So far so good. But you can already sense what comes next. After a brief pause she continues, "BUT you've yet to win us any new business."

When feedback is delivered incorrectly it's useless. Recipients leave feeling attacked, not supported. Which is a shame because it's a vital tool for self-improvement. So, we sat down with Lee to create a short series on how to give and receive feedback.

Key Takeaways

• There's critical feedback and amplification feedback – you should provide specific examples in order for either to be beneficial
• Try to remain as positive as possible when you're offering critical feedback
• Replace "but" with "and" when you're offering critical feedback
• Managers, adjust your feedback delivery to fit the specific personality type that will be receiving it

Let's walk through a familiar scenario. Your boss calls you into her office and asks you to sit down. "You're doing really great work," she says. "Your project plans are always on time and you've yet to abuse our unlimited vacation policy."

So far so good. But you can already sense what comes next. After a brief pause she continues, "BUT you've yet to win us any new business."

When feedback is delivered incorrectly it's useless. Recipients leave feeling attacked, not supported. Which is a shame because it's a vital tool for self-improvement. So, we sat down with Lee to create a short series on how to give and receive feedback.

Key Takeaways

• Feedback surrounding a work product should be quick and specific so the person can finish the job
• Positive feedback around soft skills can come immediately
• Negative feedback around soft skills can come with a calendar invite and a little sit down chat a couple days later
• Don't give critical feedback when you're emotional

Let's walk through a familiar scenario. Your boss calls you into her office and asks you to sit down. "You're doing really great work," she says. "Your project plans are always on time and you've yet to abuse our unlimited vacation policy."

So far so good. But you can already sense what comes next. After a brief pause she continues, "BUT you've yet to win us any new business."

When feedback is delivered incorrectly it's useless. Recipients leave feeling attacked, not supported. Which is a shame because it's a vital tool for self-improvement. So, we sat down with Lee to create a short series on how to give and receive feedback.

Key Takeaways

• By giving someone feedback you are gifting them with the ability to improve
• Feedback does not always have to be negative
• Sometimes the tone of voice or the language chosen, makes feedback difficult to absorb

If you've ever spoken in front of a group of people - whether it's a work presentation or wedding toast - you know that public speaking can be difficult. As you approach the front of the room, your hands clam up, your heart starts beating rapidly and you start to visualize an epic fail.

It doesn't have to be that way! On this episode we outline the key elements of a good presentation and learn how to reinforce those behaviors so that eventually, with some practice, Obama will be jealous of your oratory skills.

Key Takeaways

• Don't be looking back at your slides
• Keep your energy high
• Drive distractions out of your presentations ("like," "um," clothing, etc.)
• Download the LikeSo app now
• Be sure to scan the room and don't be afraid to make eye contact with people in the audience
• Dress appropriately

We've mentioned a few times on Millennial Minded that a workplace is full of people - human beings with emotions, relationships and personal lives that expand beyond the office. A prime example is being a parent. Despite being present at work, mom's and dad's are always on call. You never know when your kid will get sick and need to be picked up from school.

So, how do you balance it all? How do you still find "me time"? Is it true that parents get preferential treatment?

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. On this episode we learn what to do if you're a parent at work...

Key Takeaways

• You just never know how your child will affect your future career decisions. You just won't...
• It's up to you to make sure you're not dropping the ball
• Get a Google calendar now so you can start color coding everything
• Get your "me" time in by getting up an hour early
• Sleep is the most important thing for new parents so sleep when your kid sleeps
• It's the boss's job to make sure the perks are evenly distributed amongst all employees in the organization
• Give up having the perfect house and be willing to decrease your personal social calendar
• If you're able, monitor your personal email throughout the day

Whether you like it or not, you have a personal brand. The clothes you wear, the company you keep, and the ideas you present all culminate into a unified identity of what it means to be you.

At least that's the way it used to be. Now your personal brand is also influenced by your online presence - your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace profile (this is a joke, but no judgment...).

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. On this episode we learn what to do if you want to develop your personal brand...

Key Takeaways

• Start by Googling yourself and see what comes up
• Your LinkedIn page is probably the best place to start
• It's worth it to pay for the premium LinkedIn badge
• Blogging, podcasting, and maintaining a LinkedIn page all help assist you in creating the persona you want people to find when they Google you
• Anytime there's a new platform, go capture you personal URL
• Great people to check out: Glennon Doyle, Kelly Corrigan, Pat Flynn, Tim Ferris

Many people like to keep their personal lives separate from what happens at work. They share their weekend plans but don't go into detail about an ugly divorce.

However, you may want to consider telling your manager about a recent heartbreak. You may find it gives your colleagues context if your work performance suffers. And who knows, maybe they can help you bounce back.

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. On this episode, we learn what to do if you just went through a breakup...

Key Takeaways

• The first important step is to acknowledge for yourself that you're in one of these situations
• Know your healing process well enough to make preparations for it at work
• Planning gives you a chance to block out specific time for yourself to deal with negative emotions
• If you're forced to remain in a relationship with your ex, set specific guidelines for interaction between the two of you
• If your office has an open floor plan, it may be helpful to share some info with some coworkers/managers just to alert them so they can swing into action if needed
• Drink a lot of water

Recently, a listener let us know about a transition at work. She is being promoted and one of her new responsibilities is to manage a coworker. That coworker is a friend, leading her to wonder... can you be both a friend and a boss?

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. On this episode we learn what to do if you're your friend's boss...

Key Takeaways

• If someone asks you take on a new role for them and you agree, your responsibility is now to wear the new "hat" and fulfill the role you've agreed to fill
• Remember that when you remove that "hat" you can still be friends
• If you're the one who just got the promotion, it's your responsibility to change your behavior to reflect that new job title
• There is a difference between being a friend and being friendly
• You can be well-liked and well-respected but you don't have to be both
• In business, it's more important to be well-respected than it is to be well-liked

Email is a wonderful tool. It allows you to be efficient with your communication. However, once an email leaves your inbox, there's no going back. If you've sent an email with sensitive information to the wrong person, or hit 'send' while you were still drafting the email, you know that a simple mistake can have awkward consequences.

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. In this episode, we learn what to do if you regret sending an email...

Key Takeaways

• If you feel like you may have offended someone, follow up with them in person
• If you're the one offended, take the opportunity to share why it offended you
• Depending on the answer, maybe consider sharing with the company as a whole
• Always use send delay with your emails. You'll be grateful for those few extra editing minutes at some point down the road.
• If it's a super important email, always get another set of eyes on it before hitting "send."