Goals – Page 3 – mardihumphreys.com

Let’s Confer

Your inbox is overflowing with tempting invitations to register for conferences. Your training budget is tight to non-existent, so why should you spend money to attend a conference? Maybe you shouldn’t. What benefits would you receive? What criteria should you use to evaluate whether or not to attend a conference?

Benefits

Knowledge Sharing: The world of work is constantly evolving, and it’s crucial to keep up with the latest trends and tools in your industry. Conferences are a hub of knowledge. They offer opportunities to learn from experts through keynotes, participate in hands-on workshops with your peers, and gain insights into cutting-edge technologies from vendor demonstrations. Conferences provide a platform for you to both expand and share your knowledge.

Networking: Every industry thrives on connections and collaborations. Conferences intentionally bring together professionals, thought leaders, and peers to give you time and space to interact. Meeting like-minded individuals can lead to valuable partnerships, job opportunities, and mentoring relationships. Engaging with professionals who share your interests can provide fresh perspectives and inspire new ideas.

Advancement: Investing in a conference should be a strategic career move. Many employers view participation in conferences as a sign of commitment to professional development and growth. They can be an opportunity to present your work, which can enhance your reputation within your industry. Exposure to a wide range of concepts and specialists can open doors to new career paths and opportunities.

Inspiration: Hearing success stories, attending keynote presentations, and participating in brainstorming sessions can rekindle your passion for your work and remind you of the bigger picture. Conferences can help you stay motivated and engaged.

Criteria

Relevance: Before committing to a conference, ask yourself how it aligns with your goals. Is the event focused on a relevant topic you want to learn more about? Does the conference’s content match your professional development objectives?

Quality: Check out the schedule of speakers and breakout sessions. Are subject matter experts presenting? Look for sessions that promise valuable insights, practical knowledge, and interaction. A well-curated lineup can make a significant difference in your conference experience.

Location: Map the conference’s location. Is it in a city with convenient transportation options? Can you easily attend without disrupting your work and personal life? Sometimes, local conferences can be just as valuable as international ones.

Cost: Evaluate the cost of attendance, including registration fees, travel, accommodation, and meals. Compare this cost to the potential value you expect to gain from the conference. Remember that the benefits, such as networking opportunities, knowledge acquisition, and career advancement, can often outweigh the financial investment.

Reviews: Are survey results or testimonials from past attendees available from a source other than the promoter of the conference? Research the conference’s social media platforms for comments on past events. This feedback can provide valuable insights into quality and whether this conference aligns with your expectations.

Support: Discuss the conference opportunity with your employer. Some companies have budgets for upskilling. Ask your manager if attending this conference qualifies for continuing education dollars. Highlight the potential benefits to your company, such as the knowledge you’ll bring back to share and new partnership opportunities for the organization.

Investing your money in attending conferences is a strategic move that can propel your career forward. Attending the right conferences can be a transformative experience that equips you with tools, connections, and insights to thrive in the constantly evolving workforce.

What conferences did you attend this year? Were they a good investment? Please share your favorites in the comments.

A Good Thing

Last week we talked about adjusting our mindsets to use setbacks as pushes forward in the workplace. What could possibly go wrong? Well, too much of a good thing is still too much. If you feel compelled to continually demonstrate your value, even at the expense of your well-being, then you risk falling prey to a performance-prove mindset.

Do you feel an insatiable need for external validation? Do you have a deep-seated fear of failure? Do you make decisions that prioritize immediate success over long-term sustainability? Asking for a friend.

You are constantly under pressure to deliver results, meet targets, and drive success. While setting high standards and striving for excellence is essential, an obsessive need to constantly prove your worth through unrelenting performance hurts you, your team, and your organization. How can you tell if you have a performance-prove mindset? If you have it, how do you change it?

How You Can Tell

Burnout: Do you work long hours, neglect your self-care, ignore signs of stress and/or push through exhaustion? This not only harms your health, but also sets a damaging example for your team. These behaviors signal a burnout culture and toxic work environment.

Rut: Are you solely focused on existing methods and strategies? When is the last time you tried a solution someone on your team suggested? A performance-prove mindset often smothers innovation and creativity within an organization. It can result in failure to adapt to changing market dynamics.

Risk: Are you reluctant to take calculated risks? Are you afraid that any undesired outcome will be perceived as personal inadequacy? Risk aversion stifles your career growth and hinders your company’s ability to seize new opportunities.

Trust: Do you prioritize personal recognition over the well-being of your team? Trust is essential for effective leadership.

Short-Term: Are your decisions mostly about immediate performance metrics? When is the last time you considered how they impact the bigger picture? How often do you pay attention to your company’s reputation, customer trust, and employee satisfaction? Thinking exclusively about short-term goals endangers the sustainability of your business.

Stagnant: Do you regularly set aside time for self-reflection, upskilling, and personal development? Not doing so is an easy way to get in a cycle of proving yourself instead of continuous improvement.

What You Can Do

Focus: Align your actions with your company’s vision and/or mission statement. These touchstones should drive decision making for every employee. Doing so lessens the need for external validation, because you already know what your leaders want.

Delegate: Empower your team to own tasks and decisions. Delegating responsibility not only relieves the burden of constant performance but also fosters trust and development among team members. Remember to champion failure as a learning opportunity rather than a personal setback. Encourage a culture that accepts and learns from undesired outcomes so you can stimulate innovation and growth.

Practice: Notice when it’s happening. Regularly set aside time to reflect on why you do what you do and why you feel how you feel. This may be once a month or once a week or even once a day if the situation warrants. Writing a 250 word reflection can help you see what you think. Recognizing the root causes of your performance-prove mindset is the first step to taming it.

Do you attach your self-worth to your job performance? How are you working to change that? Please share in the comments.

Mindset over Matters

I was watching American Ninja Warrior when one of the ninjas fell off the Las Vegas course. She had gotten really far and it was a heartbreaker. As the ninja pulled herself out of the pool of water that broke her fall, the show’s interviewer approached and asked her how she felt. The ninja said she intended to use this setback as a push forward. Mind. Blown.

We’ve talked about how setbacks are inevitable, and how we should embrace failing fast, forward, and frequently. We’ve discussed how data gathered from perceived failure is crucial to the learning process. But we have not championed the mindset of framing setbacks as pushes forward. When you substitute the words “push forward” for the word “setback” you normalize the occurrence. You remove the shame surrounding it. Relabeling the undesired outcome helps you quickly pivot from crisis mode to troubleshooting. To further illustrate, here are a couple of quotes that crossed my path this week.

“I have learned to always push forward following a setback. As I tell my team (and my kids), ‘There is always a way forward’ even when things do not seem to be going our way. There are always lessons to be learned from mistakes. But at some point, it becomes unproductive and unhelpful to dwell on mistakes for too long — backward-looking thinking must quickly give way to forward-looking action. I have adopted one of the sayings from Peraton’s CEO Stu Shea: ‘Surround the problem.’ When my team hits a setback, we work together to stabilize the situation, understand what occurred, and then identify and mobilize the right people and resources to ‘surround the problem’ and move us forward.”
Jim Winner, Executive Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Peraton.

“I was rehearsing a play when I was a very young actor. There was an improvised scene between a husband and wife going on inside. They got carried away and they started throwing things and he threw a chair and it lodged in the doorway and I went to open the door and I’d just got my head round and I said, ‘I’m sorry, sir, I can’t get in.’ He said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘There’s a chair there.’ He said to me, ‘Use the difficulty.’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Well, if it’s a comedy, fall over it. If it’s a drama, pick it up and smash it. Use the difficulty.’ Now, I took that into my own life. You ask my children. Directly anything bad happens, they go, ‘Gotta use the difficulty. What can we get out of this?’ Use the difficulty. There’s never anything so bad that you cannot use that difficulty. If you can use it a quarter of one percent to your advantage, you’re ahead. You didn’t let it get you down. That’s my philosophy. Use the difficulty. Also, added philosophy, avoid them if you can at all costs.”
Sir Michael Caine CBE

The next time you are at work and about to say out loud, “We’ve hit a setback,” stop and think. If you substitute the words “push forward” for the word “setback,” how would it motivate your team to surround the problem and use the difficulty? Please share in the comments.

Philosophy 101

A couple of years ago, a family friend shared his philosophy of leadership with me:

Show up on Time
Be Nice
Be Prepared
Start with Conviction
Stay Calm
Stay the Course

We were not talking about workforce at the time, but since then, I found it applicable in multiple work situations. Can you relate to the following examples?

Show up on Time – Leaders aren’t late. The rule of thumb is: If you aren’t 10 minutes early, you’re late. Last week, I walked into a local coffee shop at 2:52pm for a 3:00pm meeting with two people. I immediately saw both of them seated at a table, and they already had their drinks. Showing up on time is a show of respect.

Be Nice – Kindness counts. It’s especially appreciated at networking events. Everyone gets nervous walking into a venue, looking for someone you know, and trying to look cool. Be the person who starts the awkward conversation. Introduce yourself, ask them where they work and what their role is, offer to go to the food table with them. This last kindness offers both of you an out when you need to mingle.

Be Prepared – Margin matters. Let’s say you receive a calendar invitation for a virtual meeting. Schedule an extra 15 minutes prior to prepare. A week before the meeting go over the agenda. If you have not yet received an agenda, request one. If there is no agenda available, is this meeting actually an email? Ask the organizer why this meeting needs your voice. If it doesn’t, then you don’t need to be in the meeting. Ask the organizer to send you the minutes from the meeting. This request should prompt the organizer to either put an agenda together, cancel the meeting, or excuse you from it.

Start with Conviction – Know your why. You feel strongly that your plan to move a project forward is best, but can you put that feeling into words that will convince your manager? When you can present your strategy in words, both written and spoken, explaining not only what needs to be done, but also why it should be done, the positive energy you create influences your team to believe the same way you do.

Stay Calm – Fear often presents as anger. The more you disagree with a coworker who is emotionally invested in controlling a project, the more frustrated they get and the less they can constructively receive your push back. If you counter their frustration with curiosity, then you pour water on that fire instead of gasoline. You can ask, “You seem very passionate about your plan for this project. Please say more about why.”

Stay the Course – Don’t give up too soon. If the process you used to solve your challenge did not return the outcome you expected, then analyze how you received the result. Identify tweaks you can make. Seek feedback from teammates involved in the process. Iterate the process and try again. Failure only happens when you stop trying. Everything else is data gathering.

Many thanks to John Orr for sharing his philosophy. John is the Lead Pastor of The Stone Church. In the photo above, he’s the man in the Georgia Bulldogs T-Shirt.

Do you use some of his principles at work? Please share your experience in the comments.

Unpleasantly Surprised

Have you ever felt like you’re riding a roller coaster without a seatbelt, blindfolded? That’s the sensation the modern work environment often induces, and there’s a term that sums it up perfectly: VUCA. It is an acronym for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Understanding and embracing the concept of VUCA can be the key to surviving in the constantly evolving workplace. Let’s breakdown what a VUCA work environment feels like and how to cope with it.

What it Feels Like

Volatile: Imagine waking up every morning not knowing whether the coffee maker will brew a perfect cup or explode. That’s the essence of volatility in the workplace. When change happens faster than you can say “meeting agenda,” then flexibility becomes a core capability.

Uncertain: Imagine a surprise party that never ends. That’s the essence of uncertainty in the workplace. Will your project get a green light? Will your team be reshuffled? Will the strategy you’ve been working on suddenly take a hard left turn? To thrive in this environment, you’ve got to be the MacGyver of adaptability, ready to craft a solution out of a paperclip and a piece of gum.

Complex: Imagine assembling a toddler’s toy with more parts than a Swiss watch. That’s the essence of complexity in the workplace. Departments intertwine like spaghetti, and understanding the big picture is like deciphering hieroglyphs. To conquer complexity, you’ve got to be Velma Dinkley, seeking out clues and patterns while keeping an eye out for the red herrings that can throw you off track.

Ambiguous: Imagine reading a book with pages missing. That’s the essence of ambiguity in the workplace. Ambiguity requires deciphering meaning from bits and bytes of information gathered from multiple channels. You have to piece together what your team is supposed to accomplish from various sources.

How to Cope

Develop a resilient attitude. As Rocky Balboa says, “…it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward;” You will get mentally knocked down. Train your brain to get up again and again and again.

Embrace continuous learning. In a VUCA world, what you know today will be obsolete tomorrow. You have to learn a skill (for example a computer language), use it, unlearn it, learn the next iteration, rinse and repeat. Acquire new knowledge as circumstances shift.

Foster collaboration. Your team is in the same VUCA environment as you are. Collaborate with your colleagues, share insights, and lean on each other’s strengths to create solutions together. Iron sharpens iron. Diverse perspectives cultivate unconventional approaches to problem solving. This is how breakthroughs happen.

Practice self-care. Amidst the chaos, carve out moments of peace and quiet. Celebrate every incremental step toward your goal. You need to refresh to reduce harmful stress and recharge to make accurate decisions.

Embracing the challenges that a VUCA workplace presents can help you become antifragile. Something that is antifragile not only survives but also thrives from coping with adversity.

How do you navigate working in a VUCA environment? Please share in the comments.

Busy ≠ Productive

I love my to-do lists. Mostly, I love crossing things off them. I even have a to-done list. Yes, I realize I need therapy. Since admitting that I have a problem is the first step to recovery, what exactly is the problem I’m trying to solve? To-do lists are a symptom. The desire to feel productive is my problem. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says, “Productivity isn’t about getting things done. It’s about getting the right things done.” How do you know that you are productive and not just busy?

Prioritize

Are you constantly putting out fires? Then you are prioritizing the urgent over the important. So, consider setting boundaries around your priorities.

How do you know what your priorities are? Read your organization’s vision and/or mission statement. Your goals should align with your company’s vision and your objectives should help your company accomplish its mission.
You will have multiple objectives. Figure out what to do first by using the Eisenhower Matrix. Identify the most important thing to accomplish and calendar time for it.
Then, allocate specific time blocks for different types of tasks. For example, designate focused work sessions for high-priority projects and separate periods for emails and administrative work.
You don’t have to do everything yourself. Concentrate on completing the tasks that require your expertise and delegate the tasks that don’t to capable team members.
Your priorities are constantly in flux. As circumstances change, iterate your task list to reflect the new objectives.

Minimize

Do pings, rings, and dings dictate your schedule? Then you are furthering everyone else’s goals instead of your own. So, eliminate distractions and interruptions as much as possible.

Maintain a daily routine. It trains your brain to be most productive during specific times of the day.
Intentionally arrange your workspace for maximum concentration. Get away from household, office, or personal distractions. Organize your workspace for comfort and ergonomics. Is your desk close to electrical outlets? Are pens, chargers, reports, close by? Are non-essential notifications disabled on all your devices? Do you need to block distracting websites? Would using a time-management app help? Try one of these.
Take regular breaks. Stand up and stretch. Move around for five minutes every hour. Walk away from your desk, find a quiet comfortable corner and box breathe for one minute. You will reduce stress, clear your head, and boost your mental acuity.

Strategize

Are you in a lot of meetings, but not adding any partnerships to your network? Then you are just having coffee with friends. Building and nurturing meaningful connections can provide insights, open doors, and create opportunities for collaboration. So, network strategically.

What are your networking objectives? Are you seeking industry experts, mentors, or potential clients? Make choices that align with your goals, values, and priorities.
Attend the conferences, happy hours, and events that will help you connect with like-minded professionals and gain knowledge from industry leaders.
Remember to follow up with your new contacts after these events to maintain the connections. LinkedIn was built for this.
Are there professional organizations you can join to connect with influencers in your field?
Can you volunteer for projects that will help you establish a strong presence in your industry?

What measures do you take to enhance your productivity? Please share in the comments.

Site Inspection

Last week, we looked at some ways employers can begin to solve the working remotely challenge. This week, let’s discuss your role. As an employee, you have a few questions to contemplate. Does your organization consider working remotely a privilege or a right? Are you willing to take a pay cut to work remotely? What message are you sending to your managers? Is it clear, kind, and collaborative?

Both employers and employees require communication, empathy, and flexibility to effectively negotiate. This week, let’s think about what constructive steps employees can take to help build a bridge across the working remotely gap.

Communication

Build your case for working remotely. You can include why it is best for you, but put more emphasis on why it benefits both your manager and your organization. For example, working remotely reduces your commute time. This is good for you because it saves you money. It’s good for your manager and your organization because you can spend that time working instead of commuting.
Provide data that supports your case for remote work. Pull up your Atta Baby file. Do you have any documentation of your increased productivity, successful project outcomes, and positive feedback from colleagues and/or clients from March 2020 to the present?
After gathering your evidence, schedule a meeting with your manager. Clearly and calmly present your case. Give brief illustrations of how remote work has positively impacted your work quality, efficiency, and overall well-being. Then actively listen to your manager’s perspective. Understand their reasons for wanting you in the office full-time. This can help you find common ground and empathize with their concerns.

Empathy

If your manager has specific doubts about you working remotely, address them directly. For example, if they’re worried about collaboration, share how you plan to stay connected with colleagues and contribute to team projects while off site.
Highlight how you’ll maintain accountability and meet your metrics. Describe to your manager how you’ll be available, responsive, and productive. For example, someone who emails you with a simple request on a Wednesday at 8:00am can expect a reply from you within thirty minutes.
Be receptive to your manager’s feedback and open to adjusting your proposal based on their input.

Flexibility

Suggest compromises that address both your needs and your manager’s misgivings. How about a hybrid schedule where you’re in the office for certain days or specific team meetings?
Suggest a trial period for this arrangement and ways to both evaluate its effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.
If the conflict remains unresolved, consider involving Human Resources to mediate. They can provide guidance on the interpretation of your organization’s policies.
If you and your manager come to an agreement, document the details in writing to avoid any misunderstandings later.
If you do not reach an agreement, that gives you valuable data. It shows you what your employer expects. It also reveals the conditions under which you are willing to work. You can use this information to make decisions regarding your future with this organization.

The goal is to find a solution that benefits both you and your employer, and meets the needs of your team and your organization. Effective communication and a willingness to compromise are essential for reaching a resolution that everyone can support.

How is working remotely affecting your work life integration? Please share in the comments.

Build a Bridge

The struggle is still real out here in the workforce. For example, the on-going post-pandemic pushback from workers being pressured to return to the office as well as employers being pressured by city governments worried about losing tax incentives. When there is a gap in employment expectations between managers and workforce, is it possible to communicate messages back and forth across that gap both clearly and kindly?

If you are an employer, you have many questions to consider. What message are you sending to your team? To your recruits? Is your message intentional? Are you in control of the narrative? Do you know what your reputation is in the community? Is it the reputation you want to have?

Both employers and employees require communication, empathy, and flexibility to effectively negotiate. Next week we’ll discuss the employee’s role. This week, let’s look at how employers can begin building a bridge across the working remotely gap.

Communication

Initiate a respectful and open conversation with your employee to understand their perspective and concerns. Create an environment where your direct report can freely express themselves without fear of reprisal. Actively listen to their reasons for wanting to work remotely. Do they have family responsibilities, health concerns, or transportation issues that working remotely would alleviate? Clearly articulate why you need them in the office. Are they a member of a spontaneously collaborative team? Is in-person communication the key to maintaining a cohesive company culture? If you reach a resolution, then document the agreed-upon terms and conditions and give the employee a copy to ensure you are both clear on the arrangement.

Empathy

Address any specific concerns the employee has regarding the office environment. For example, are pandemic-induced safety measures in place? Have they experienced microaggressions in the office? Are the resources they need to do their job available exclusively on site? Involve the employee in the decision-making process to give them a sense of ownership and an opportunity to demonstrate cooperation. Are there advantages to returning to the office for them? For example, do you offer a mentoring program and is it more meaningful in person? If they are on site, will they be more visible to the C-Suite? If you can’t reach an agreement, would they be comfortable with you bringing in someone from HR to help facilitate the discussion and find a compromise?

Flexibility

Consider an arrangement that allows a mix of working remotely and in-office work. For example, could the employee work flexible hours? What about days of the week? Would you be willing to designate specific days for in-person collaboration and meetings? Would you authorize a trial period during which you closely monitor the employee’s productivity, customer service, and well-being? This experiment can help both you and them evaluate the impact of the change and make an informed decision together. You can schedule regular check-ins to review how the new arrangement is working for you, your employee, and your company. Be open to making adjustments based on feedback and fluctuating circumstances.

How is working remotely affecting your organization? Please share in the comments.

Ritual Respite

It’s back-to-school season! One of my friends adjusted her entire family’s bedtimes by fifteen-minute increments to prepare everyone for getting the kids to school on time. She understands the vital role rest plays in productivity. It seems counterintuitive in a society that values busyness. Let’s talk about how rest helps you do more.

Recovery: Rest allows your mind and body to recover from fatigue. Prolonged work without breaks leads to mental exhaustion, reduced concentration, and diminished problem-solving abilities. Rest replenishes your energy levels to improve your mental clarity, focus, and creativity. It also promotes physical recovery, reducing the risk of injuries. Extended rest periods, such as sleep, enable your brain to consolidate and integrate information. This improves your memory retention and decision making. Grabbing a fifteen-minute nap during your daily 3:00pm slump will recharge you more effectively than grabbing coffee, cola, or chocolate. Getting adequate rest regulates your mood, promotes emotional stability, and supports the higher-level cognitive processes you need to be productive.

Performance: Working for extended periods without rest produces diminishing returns. Taking regular short breaks during work helps combat your decline in attention and focus. You can’t work on a project for hours, then collapse at the end of the day to make up for the skipped rest periods. You can’t work at full capacity for weeks on end, then make up the missed rest with a week’s vacation. (Don’t get me started on all the paid vacation time workers have at their disposal and do not take.) Regular rest periods during your work day help you recharge, reboot, and retain high-level performance.

Innovation: Rest encourages your mind to wander, fostering creative problem solving and innovative thinking. Moments of relaxation can generate unexpected insights, connections, and out-of-the-box solutions. When you don’t make time to stop and think, you make mistakes you could have avoided. Stepping away from work and engaging in different activities stimulates new perspectives and brainstorms, ultimately boosting productivity. For example, how many times have new ideas come to you while taking a walk?

Well-being: Rest prevents the chronic stress continuous work causes. Not taking breaks negatively impacts not only your productivity but also your overall health. Rest and relaxation techniques, such as meditation, box breathing, or engaging in hobbies, help reduce stress levels. By managing stress, you can maintain a positive mindset, improve overall well-being, and approach tasks with enthusiasm.

Sustainability: Rest is essential for maintaining capacity and delaying burnout. Pushing yourself to the limit without taking breaks not only exhausts you physically, it also reduces your motivation and decreases your overall productivity in the long run. Incorporating rest into your daily routine optimizes your productivity, helps you achieve your goals faster, and ensures sustainable and consistent work-life integration.

What triggers have you set to remind yourself to take breaks? Please share in the comments.

The Cure

Work standards seem to change daily. For example: Should we go fully remote? Hybrid? Every employee everywhere in the office all at once? But there is a constant; the pressure for perfection. Perfectionism is like a virus spreading through your organization. Let’s talk about how embracing curiosity can help you cure it.

Help Yourself

If you feel like you have to get work done right the first time, every time, then you don’t want to work. Turning projects down puts you on the fast track to unemployment. But adopting a curious mindset puts you on the fast track to continuous improvement. Accept the project. Ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen?” Then plan for it. Having a plan helps you build confidence and resilience.
It’s likely that the worst will not happen, but a lesser problem will. When it does, be proactive. Demonstrate you can recognize problems, reframe them as challenges and opportunities, and brainstorm ways to move forward.
Perfection is neither necessary nor constructive. If perfection is your goal, then setbacks will emotionally devastate you and eventually lead to burnout. Curiosity, however, helps you bounce back from setbacks by focusing on the learning process rather than the result. You become more adaptable and better equipped to navigate the inevitable challenges.
Curiosity drives you to explore new areas, learn from different disciplines, and consider diverse perspectives. When curiosity is a habit, you perpetually broaden your knowledge base and develop your reputation as a skilled risk taker. Perfectionists often avoid taking risks, because they are afraid they will fail and coworkers will judge them for it.
Curiosity empowers you to step out of your comfort zone and seize opportunities for professional growth. Whether it’s pursuing a new project, volunteering for a challenging task, or taking on a leadership role. This is the type of talent every organization wants.

Help Your Team

If perfection is the standard your organization expects, then your team routinely feels like they failed. Perfectionism stifles creativity and innovation. On the other hand, curiosity sparks new possibilities. When you experiment and question the status quo, you find unique solutions to problems.
You can reframe failure as a learning tool for your team. The next time a coworker is blamed for missing the target, support them. For example, at the next team meeting say to them in front of everyone, “This is great. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. Since that piece did not turn out the way we wanted it to, what do you think we should keep and what do you think we should try next to get the outcome the client wants?” This turns the problem into a puzzle. It diffuses embarrassment and redirects thinking toward the next iteration.
A culture that promotes curiosity over perfection encourages open communication and collaboration. When team members are not afraid to ask questions and to seek help from colleagues, it fosters a supportive work environment where knowledge sharing and ideation thrive. In such a workplace, employees are more likely to feel engaged, valued, and motivated.

Focusing on curiosity over perfection is a powerful shift in mindset that can transform your approach to work. By embracing failure as part of the learning process, you build resilience, expand your skills, and create paths for advancement.

When a project at work does not meet expectations, how do you redirect your thinking toward curiosity? Please share in the comments.