MANAGEMENT TIPS FROM HBR

Identify Your Distinctive Strengths

To get a job or a promotion, you need to know your strengths. If you can't articulate them, you can't expect your boss or potential employer to either. Here's a four-step process to identifying what makes you great:

• List your strengths. Include skills and knowledge you've acquired through experience and education as well as softer intrinsic strengths, such as insightfulness or empathy.
• Ask for input. Ask colleagues for honest feedback.
• Revisit past feedback. Reread old performance reviews or think back on coaching from previous bosses.
• Modify your list. Adjust your original list to reflect what you've learned. Make sure the strengths are specific so that they are credible and useful.

Define How Your Team Will Work

Most team leaders know to help their team define goals, but the conversation shouldn't stop there. You also need to agree on the mechanics of how the team will get the work done. Here are four things that need to be clear on every team:

• Roles and responsibilities. Every member needs to know their tasks and how their work will contribute to the overall goals.
• Work processes. You don't need a notebook full of procedures, but agree on how to carry out the basics—such as decision-making or communicating.
• Rules of engagement. Establish a constructive team culture. Discuss the shared values, norms, and beliefs that will shape the daily give-and-take between team members.
• Performance metrics. How will you measure progress? Define the measures for meeting the goals, and the consequences for not meeting them.

In Tough Situations, Unplug and Wait

When a project or meeting gets difficult, it can be tempting to power through to try to get it over with. But it's better to do the same you might do for a slow-moving computer: shut it off and wait a minute. Give yourself the opportunity to regain your composure. In a meeting that's going nowhere? Take a break. Not making headway on that proposal you need to write? Take a walk. During the break, don't think of new strategies or arguments. By taking yourself out of the situation, you allow your brain to rest so that when you return—with a fresh perspective and a calm mind—you are more likely to find a new solution.

Leverage Your Digital Network

Most managers understand how to use online tools, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, to build their networks. But few use these networks to gather information and wield influence. Here are three things you can do with a strong digital network:

• Test ideas. Test proposals and strategies both inside and outside your organization. Float an idea to see how many "likes" it gets or to direct people to a survey.
• Broker connections. Increase your influence by positioning yourself as a bridge between unconnected groups. Identify potential collaborations and make introductions.
• Get feedback. Good networkers rely on their contacts to give feedback on challenges. Post a message about your struggle and solicit input.

Stop the Whining on Your Team

We're all grown-ups here, right? Then why do teams still whine? It's part of the human condition to complain, but it doesn't have to derail your group. When people on your team get frustrated and need a sympathetic ear, do the following:

• Insist on accountability. Don't allow people to present a problem without attempting a solution. Advise them to do what they think is necessary to achieve results.
• Encourage positivity. If the whining is about fellow teammates, encourage the group to work with each other to better understand the nature of the problem, and then create a joint solution. Remind them that most people aren't intentionally difficult.