Most managers suck at giving feedback — it’s too infrequent and not actionable enough. — You have a colossal opportunity to stand out by giving feedback the right way. Why? Because most managers suck at giving feedback. It’s too infrequent and not actionable enough. Your colleagues are craving insight into what they’re doing well and how they can improve. It’s human nature to thrive when…

#2: Neutralize bad apples — While great performers make smart remarks, top performers tailor their speaking and listening based on group dynamics. Top performers create psychological safety. They bring out the best in others. Change the nature of the conversation. Get a stuck conversation unstuck. I learned how to navigate…

The social and psychological aspects of getting things done. — Lots of people have great ideas, but few can turn them into reality. For you, this is a chance to stand out. You can be different from those who fumble when there is no formal process. …

From a Stanford MBA to other young professionals. — Hate getting interrupted? Or seeing your colleagues get interrupted? While interruptions can be benign, they can also claim power and influence who’s heard and who’s not. In the Stanford MBA program, I’ve studied and role-played different ways to deal with interrupters. Here’s what you should know: 1. Check Your Status Relative to That of the Interrupter

How will someone headhunt you, if they don’t even know about you? — Who you know might matter more than what you know. Uncomfortable statement, ey? Or encouraging? As a former chess olympian and computer science dork from MIT, networking doesn’t come naturally to me. In my last job, I naively told myself, “if I put my head down and focus on this…

Lessons from an ex-McKinsey management consultant — Have you ever struggled to get your slides to be “just right”? While others appear to create beautiful slides with minimal effort? Pretty slides do justice to your message. They help emphasize what’s important. But it can be such a time drag. I used to spend hours and hours before…

A checklist for your next important email — Let me see your email draft before you send it,” commanded a project manager when I was a junior consultant at McKinsey & Company. “Seriously?” I thought to myself. ”I’ve emailed for years.” But I hadn’t nailed how to write influential emails. After working at McKinsey, leading a team of…

Your body language accounts for 55% of what others take away from you — A tiny improvement in body language could mean a massive improvement in how influential you are. Your body language accounts for 55% of what others take away from you, while your words only account for 7%. Yet most of us only learn body language informally. How much more influential could…

Including common pitfalls that I wish I knew five years ago — Are you getting the maximum out of each user interview you’re running? I ran countless interviews as a product manager and entrepreneur. Here are the 5 steps I wish knew earlier for how to get novel insights from user interviews: 1. Discuss as a team: What do you need to learn? Be honest with yourself about where you are. All too…