For many business leaders, September marks a return to the office after stress-free, sun-drenched days at the beach or a cottage with family and friends.

It’s a return to routines, time to refocus and finish the year by hitting targets set in January.

Lately, though, I’ve thought that September – rather than the start of the new year – is a better time to map out your goals and plan of attack for a successful year for your business and career.

It wasn’t that long ago that the hallmarks of a strong leader were never to let them see you sweat, always have the answers and never show vulnerability.
Fortunately, times have changed. A business coach colleague of mine, Jason, recently reached out to talk about vulnerability and leadership. That got me thinking more about leaders openly sharing the challenges they are facing with their teams. 

What are your summer vacation plans? Not planning time off? You probably should.

Time-off benefits include better health, reduced stress, increased creativity and productivity and enhanced job satisfaction.

Yet, I still work with many leaders who are reluctant to take vacations, or when they do, they can’t stop checking their smartphones for work-related emails.

Unfortunately, mental health struggles aren’t always apparent because people are so used to hiding it, and it’s sometimes a more complex topic to broach.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to connect with and support the mental health of our employees. 

It doesn’t mean you need to become their armchair therapist. Just asking someone how they are doing and letting them know they’re not alone can make a difference. Once the door is open, you may encourage them to get help and tell them what types of support are available through your company or outside work. 

Bad-behaving employees can affect your entire team and culture.

I’ve worked with leaders and teams in various industries and workplace environments, and I can tell you that when an employee starts acting negatively, it rarely stops on its own.

It tends to get worse, and can lead to hostility, uncooperativeness, project sabotaging and office gossip. 

It may be an awkward or uncomfortable conversation, but leaders cannot ignore this team-wrecking behaviour.

What’s your morning routine? I ask because an optimized wakeup ritual can change your entire day. If you recalibrate just a few things, you can boost your mood, creativity, and productivity – all as little as 10 minutes. I’ve been doing this for years and want to share some secrets to getting a good morning start.

Effective positive and constructive feedback improves team productivity and job satisfaction, yet many leaders I speak with seem reluctant to provide it.

I get it. Providing employee feedback may seem uncomfortable, especially if you don’t do it regularly.

Achieving goals will give your team a sense of accomplishment and, as importantly, some positive momentum. 

This doesn’t mean forsaking long-term planning. But we have to learn from the past two years of unpredictability that have scuttled many business and team goals and be ready to quickly pivot.

Leaders who respond with kindness, compassion and empathy can connect more deeply with their teams and leave them feeling supported and inspired.
Here are a few gifts to give your team this holiday season.

Why does trust matter?

More trust equals fewer office politics, more open communication and risk-taking, less drama and better collaboration and results

Many leaders I’ve coached avoid getting involved because they are afraid. I might make things worse; I’m not a counsellor, I’m not an HR professional. Some have the old-school (and outdated) mentality that this is work, and you leave your personal stuff at home. 

Others feel that if they take it on an employee’s problem, they have to solve it. 

These are some common barriers. But you don’t have to have all the answers to help.

As a manager, you can ask a simple question. How are you doing? No, really, how are you doing? Remember that you may be the only person asking them this question. 

Let them know you are there for them. 

Rest and recovery are the bedrock of the energy management work I do with many clients.

Now, I’m challenging leaders to start walking the walk by promoting re-energizing breaks during the workday.

You wouldn’t see an Olympic swim coach insisting their athletes train all day without proper rest. Coaches understand the science of recovery and the risk of burnout. The same applies to leaders and their teams.

Polls have shown that many employees will be more selective when choosing where to work post-pandemic, so it’s important that your workplace reflects lessons learned during this time in order to keep and attract top talent moving forward.

Boundaries are important for horses and humans.

As we return to the workplace post-pandemic, it’s an excellent time to set healthy boundaries at work and respect other’s limits.

Many think of boundaries as being negative, unfriendly or confrontational. But, in reality, the act of clearly and confidently setting boundaries at work is an investment in mutual respect, productivity, well-being and happiness.

You should have boundaries with your manager, clients, your team, peers, and in your personal life.

Whether at work or in my personal life, if I am willing to set a boundary with you, it means I respect you or love you enough to say this is how we are going to be optimized together. Here are my boundaries. What are yours?

A client I have known for years recently returned from a summer family vacation and sent me a note to share some of her reflections. She is a successful Senior Manager in her organization and a devoted mother. Over the past few years, Abby has worked hard at implementing the principles of Human Energy management into her daily routines and decided to apply these principles to her recent vacation.

Now is the ideal time to recalibrate and decide what works for you in your post-pandemic work and personal life. Listen to your gut, and be bold in your ask!

Whether it is something in your personal life, work or on your team, don’t just colour around the edges.at let me say things that I didn't even know I needed to say.

Spring is one of my favourite seasons because it’s a time of renewal and growth.

This is particularly symbolic for me this year. I have been undergoing some significant changes.

As most of you know, I've been coaching leaders and consulting with teams for well over a decade. Every couple of years, almost like clockwork, something shows up to energize me and takes what I offer to the next level.

Recently, I was talking to a colleague about a project that's very important to me. She responded in a way that surprised me, because it's a pretty uncommon response.

She listened. She really listened. She didn't interrupt. She didn't insert herself or make what I was saying about her. And when I finished talking, she asked questions that let me say things that I didn't even know I needed to say.

Every summer I nudge clients and readers to take a break. Even though 2020 is unlike any other, my call to take a break remains the same, with two serious caveats.

If you could design your life, what are your deal breakers? What things would you design everything else around?