Loud Thinking

Author Archive

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

— Groucho Marx

Patience is to wait calmly for someone or something even if they are really really late.

“There is no never… just long periods of not yet.”

Solenn Heussaff (born 1985);
Actress

Build a Climate of Trust

Humans “read” body language and facial expressions to discern if others are trustworthy, but some situations – like change or confusion – prime us for distrust. In the absence of information, the brain works overtime. After all, we’re programmed to anticipate harm and protect ourselves from it. But even when your team lacks clarity on a situation, you can still build a trusting environment. Think about a time when your boss and a colleague starting meeting regularly and you didn’t know why. You probably started wondering if you’d been left out of an important project. Leaders can shift people’s thoughts away from threats by fostering an open, transparent environment in which everyone shares and discusses as much as they can about what’s really going on. This sends a strong signal to everyone’s lower brain that “trust is in the air.”

Adapted by HBR from “How to Dispel Distrust at Work,” by Judith E. Glaser.

“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking, don’t settle.”

Steve Jobs (1955-2011);
Co-founder Apple Inc.

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

— L.M. Montgomery

Persistence is the firm continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty.

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.”

Haruki Murakami (born 1949);
Author

“There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.”

Find a Champion for Your Business Case

When preparing a case for a new project or initiative, be sure you have someone at a senior level who will lobby for it. Look at each member of the committee: Whose goals and concerns will your project most directly address? Reach out and ask what his or her department is trying to achieve in the coming year. Get a sense of what big projects are under way and which efforts need more support. Explain how your initiative can help fill in gaps or address trouble spots. Of course, having someone influential on your side does little good without a strong case that meets a business need, a solid project concept, and well thought-out financials. If any of those elements are missing, even a powerful champion can’t help you.

Adapted by HBR from the HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case eBook + Tools.