TH!NKsulting!

SG asks,

"Information overload" is killing me. What can I do?

My take

Call 911. Quick.

Sorry, Just kidding.

SG, I can understand your situation. Two decades ago, we used to get information only in physical form (newspapers, magazines and books) and from other people. It was not easy to digest everything that was available then. Today, it is more complex. Every one of those methods are applicable today but technology has changed the game. We can now get information 24 hours a day (almost anywhere) using variety of gadgets and gizmos.

My take on information overload is slightly different.

First, some background to set the context for what I will be saying: The marketplace rarely pays for "knowledge." You get paid for "application" of knowledge. You may know a lot about a topic but unless you act to make something relevant to happen with that knowledge, marketplace does not care.

With that in the background, think about whether you can afford to be drowned in the "information overload." The answer is No.

The marketplace values accomplishments and that requires action. Action requires time and of course, knowledge. But if you are totally engrossed in amassing knowledge without having the time to apply it, all bets are off. Your actions are powerful based on what you know, who you know, who knows and how you know who you know. While all this is important, just remember that you can't substitute action for anything other than action.

Once you realize that you need "time" to "execute or act," automatically your need for "amassing knowledge that can't be applied" will start diminishing.

I worry when people complain about "information overload." Sometimes they don't even use the right term - it is usually the "non-information overload" that is affecting them more than the information overload. There is so much information that is being pushed out and "relevancy" flies out of the door as you start consuming anything and everything.

Here is a thought experiment

1. Assume that all of your sources for information just went dead and you are starting fresh.

2. Imagine a day where you are not receiving any information involuntarily - meaning if you want something, you are going after it, they are not sending it to you.

3. Take a look at your actions and see what information you need to support you to make your actions more powerful.

4. Take a look at what information you will go after to increase your capacity to contribute and grow.

5. If information you are presented with does not help you, ruthlessly send it to a triage and think - if you should spend time on that in the future.

In other words, start cleaning up at the source. For instance, you came to this site via somewhere. and you spent time reading through this article. Was this useful enough? Was it time worth spent? Was there an ROII big enough to continue to read this website. If not, ruthlessly eliminate it from your bookmarks or subscription lists. I know that I will lose you as a visitor but I also know that your time is valuable and with this time saved, you may be able to read something that you can apply.

[ Note to self: Raj, stop shooting yourself at the foot ]

Time is limited and you can't change that. There is also a LOT of good information out there. There is lot more good information being produced too. However, none of this good information will matter if you can't apply and make something out of it. Since everyone has the same time, whoever can produce more valuable accomplishments in this available time will win - leading to my original claim that execution mattes way more than the idea.

Summarizing the answer quickly with key points:

1. Time is fixed. So you need to "act" and produce valuable accomplishments within this available time. So start applying what you are learning.

2. Check information overload at source. No point in managing what should not have been entertained in the first place.

3. Check "non-information overload" and block it completely. Life is too precious to be spent on stupid stuff.

4. Lastly, always remember that "knowing is not doing but doing is doing."

Related Reading:

1. 9 ways people respond to online content at Lateral Action.

2. Barriers to knowledge transfer - Gabriel Szulanski reserach findings at Life Beyond Code

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Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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A "frustrated employee" asks

I am done very well in my career so far. But I have hit a roadblock. My Boss does not seem to understand me. I have taken a number of ideas to him but he never seems to latch on to any of them. It seems like I have hit a glass ceiling. What should I do?

My take:

I can understand your frustration. It is NOT fun when you put your heart into some idea and then it is blocked by something that is not under your control.

I am making an assumption here that what you are telling is the "truth." Please don't get me wrong - there is no reason for you to not tell the truth.  However, sometimes when you gain resistance to one of your ideas from outside, you tend to think that the only thing that is wrong is "the resistance." If only that resistance could be eliminated, the idea would flourish. Just a reminder that this is rarely the case and "the ability to execute" trumps "the ability to come up ideas" by a wide margin.

[ Read: Life Beyond Code - Help! Someone stole my idea! ]

So, just in case you have not done this, please pitch the same idea to someone other than your Boss - someone who can provide an objective feedback on the idea.

Note: Please don't pitch to "Yes Men" - who will get excited on any and all ideas.

When you pitch to the other people, please "listen" carefully to what they say and what they don't say. The signal that you want to look out for is a reaction that would show you that they are thinking - "This is so obvious, why have they not done it already..."

If you don't get those reactions from people that you trust, it is a good idea to take your idea back to the drawing board again. Your Boss was right to not give enough attention to it.

Now, let us take the case that your ideas are REALLY good but you are still not going anywhere. Then there a few possibilities:

1. Your Boss does not trust YOU enough: Your ideas may be the best, but you have to sell yourself first. Have you got the "permission" to give those ideas?

2. You don't have a powerful history of making things happen: Your past history is NOT an indicator of a future performance but it has a strong bearing how people perceive you. Build a rich history that makes it difficult for people to ignore you.

3. The Idea is NOT very important as compared to alternatives available; Ideas are never evaluated in isolation. There may be dozen other ideas in play and at this very particular moment, your idea may not stack up against other available alternatives.

4. Your Boss does not like you: Likeability is a filter that can change the color of what you say. However touchy-feely it might sound, pay attention to your likeability. It is a silent weapon that can help or hurt

5. Your Boss is busy: Your idea is very important to you but the timing of mentioning it is equally important. If there are burning issues that needs your Boss' attention, your idea will get pushed down to the bottom of the priority list.

6. You don't know how to sell your idea: Ideas are not something that are typically bought for their face value. They have to be packaged and sold. It is outside the purview of this post to cover "how to sell an idea" but there is enough literature out there on that topic.

7. Your boss is a jerk: Don't go there without evaluating and thinking through all the other options. Blaming your boss is the easiest way to shy away from responsibility and/or feel victimized.

Wish you the very best and may your ideas FLY!!!

Related reading:

1. Life Beyond Code: Three Stages of an Idea

2. Fee Book: Beyond Code (foreword by Tom Peters) - Please read chapter on Likeability

3. Life Beyond Code: Stop worrying about your idea and start focusing on execution

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Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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An  "Aspiring Networker" asks:

I am interested in networking but I don't have the time to connect to many people so that is limiting my ability to network better. What ideas do you have?

My take:

Networking is one of the most misused words that's out there. It is good to know that you are interested in "networking."  I understand that you don't have the time to build the network and that is bothering you. In this article, we will talk about both networking and time required to "network."

First, let us talk about time as it relates to networking. Look around some of the best "networkers" out there. All of them have the same 24 hours as you do. So it is really not the "time" - you can't have more time than anybody is else out there. 24 hours is what we have got. Good thing is they can't have more time than you have too. Time is a great equalizer.

So, if you can't "manage" time, then what can you do?

The only other possibility is "managing yourself" in the time that you have. That leads to the question on capacity.

Time is rarely the problem if you have enough "capacity to contribute meaningfully" in the time available for you. So, rather than focusing on the "lack of time" problem, start focusing on the "lack of capacity" problem - you have more control on it.

As you make a series of investments on yourself, your capacity to contribute meaningfully goes up. The higher your capacity, more you contribute and automatically your ability to spend time on "networking" goes up.

Having said that, let us look at the concept of "networking."

As I said earlier, networking is one of the most misunderstood concept out there. A vast majority of people out there think that attending events and collecting cards is "networking." That, I would say is the lowest form of networking. (Please read: What is NOT your Networking Score?")

If you want long-term success, what you need to focus on is building long-term relationships. Long term relationships are just that - they take a long time to build. The best analogy I have is that of planting a tree. You have to nurture it for years before it bears fruits. Imagine yourself maintaining a garden or grove where you are planting all kinds of trees. You will water them, feed them and ensure that there is adequate sunlight. You take care of eliminating the weeds if they crop up.

Then, only then - after a LONG time you can see some trees bearing fruits.

The rule is simple - keep giving meaningfully at every opportunity and build obligations. Notice that if you don't have adequate "capacity to contribute meaningfully," it will take you LONGER to make meaningful contributions. So, as you are focusing on building long-term relationships, invest equally or more in yourself to build that "capacity to contribute."

Here are two resources to consider, one on managing time (or managing yourself) and the other one on building long term relationships

1. ChangeThis: Making the Most of Your Time

2. Rajesh Setty: Lasting Relationships

A few related articles:

1. Life Beyond Code: Ways to Distinguish Yourself #34: Focus on the ROII

2. Life Beyond Code: Ways to Distinguish Yourself #112: Drop "one time use" policy

3. Life Beyond Code: 9 Ideas about "How NOT to overwork your Network"

And lastly, here is the A.D.D. special:

4. Life Beyond Code: Twitter Digest - Networking 101

Three books to consider (no affiliate links)

1. Love is the killer app by Tim Sanders

2. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

3. Dig your well before you are thirsty by Harvey Mackay (recommended by @kbedell)

Have a great week ahead.

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More about Rajesh Setty
Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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A Social Media Enthusiast asks:

How do I get the right return on my social media investment?

My take:

Since it is "social" media, it is a fundamental requirement that you are "social" to get the benefit of your participation.

Without a good social media strategy, chances are that you will engage in a lot of "social media activity" ( blogging, tweeting etc.) and at the end of the day, you will get tired by "social media fatigue."

The common tendency is to think that in order to be successful in social media, you have to do something "within" social media. That is only partially true. A lot of things that will help you succeed in social media are outside of the social media. Here are some things to consider:

1. The more powerful your personal brand, higher the effectiveness.

Whatever you say (irrespective of the social media) people are always looking at "who you are" before they decide on what is the value of what you said. Remember that not everyone will admit that their view of the content is influenced by the source. It is convenient to think that one should value the content based on the content and not the source. In real life though, source becomes important - way more important than you might be think.

2. The more accomplished you are, the more effective you are.

Unless you are a social media consultant or your business is social media, just by actively participating in social media, you will go nowhere. You need to have "valuable" accomplishments to make others take you seriously. Mind you, I am not saying that people won't engage with you if you don't have accomplishments but they may not transact with you just because you are "active" in social media.

[ I know that some of you will quote "exceptions" to this but for every exception (one who made it in social media,) there will be few hundred who will think that someday they will make it in social media ]

3.  The more valuable your contribution, the more effective you are

The bar for personal publishing has been lowered by social media. The tools are no longer a constraint. If you know how to write an email, you know how to blog and also spread the message of the blog post on variety of social networks automatically(thanks to Posterous)

So tools are not the problem - the playing field has been leveled there. The next thing is content. That is where you can make a difference. If you produce and publish great content every time you participate in social media, you will get noticed - sooner than later.

[ Just FYI - I love Posterous. In fact, you are reading this article probably on a blog that is powered by Poseterous ]

4. The stronger your relationships, the more effective you are

It takes a LONG time to build good relationships - online and offline. You might think you have a lot of close friends. The question to ask is - "do these close friends of yours think that you are in their inner circle?"

Social media or not, if you invest in the relationships and contribute to their growth, a part of them will reciprocate back and contribute to your growth.

5. The nicer you are, the more effective you are

Yes, there are exceptions where loudmouths are popular but typically nice people get ahead in social media. If you are nice and helpful, people remember you and want to help you back at the first available opportunity.

6. The longer you stay, the more effective you are

Longevity wins big time in social media. There are so many people that commit social media suicide prematurely. They want quick results and they want them now. Unfortunately like anything else, it takes time for you to see results in social media. You can see a lot of activity quickly but if you want to see "real results," it takes time.

7. The more knowledgeable you are, the more effective you are

Tools are simple but the knowledge about "how best to use them" is not simple yet. It is in your best interest to invest in learning how best to leverage all the social media tools. If you don't have the patience, you can hire an expert to help you educate on the tools and how best to use them.

8. More sophisticated your strategy, the more effective you are

One of the strengths (and weaknesses) of social media is that it is very easy to start taking action in social media. You can start "doing" things almost right away. Want to blog, tweet or setup a video - you can start doing all of them in probably minutes. However, thinking about a solid social media strategy will take time, energy and thinking. But that's what will make a difference in the end.

The analogy is that you can start running (participating in social media) but if you don't decide on the direction (strategy for participating in social media) you are running, you may not reach your goal.

Last but not the least:

9. The more humble you are, the more you get out of social media.

If you are a "know it all," you will not be open to learning and you will not be open to help. Social media as a domain is fast-changing and there is no way you can be an "expert" at any point in time. Your humility will keep you on your toes and will probably will keep you in a mood of wonder - always open to new possibilities.

A few related links:

1. Squidoo: Blogging Starter Checklist

2. Life Beyond Code: 10 Things They Didn't Tell You About Blogging

3. Life Beyond Code: 10 More Things They Didn't Tell You About Blogging

4. Life Beyond Code: 10 Additional Things They Didn't Tell You About Blogging

5. Life Beyond Code: 11 Ways to Kill Your Blog

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Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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Ming from Penang asks:

How do I overcome my Second Brain child syndrome?

(I tend to neglect implementing good ideas and projects, for pursuing new ideas which always seem to be more exciting at the time, until the next new idea comes along)

I have 3 very loved but neglected brain children.

My take:

Ming, thank you for asking this question. You brought up another common dilemma of super-talented people - "everyday overwhelm caused by new and exciting ideas."

The problem is clearly not a lack of ideas as you mention in your email. Super smart people have a ton of ideas. Let us think about an idea first. It is a typically a new possibility that does not exist in reality. It is an outcome of "seeing something that others didn't see." It is typically novel, innovative and cool. An idea stays as an idea until it becomes a reality. So a simple equation is

Current Reality + Idea + Execution = New Reality

Current Reality is what exists today. Your idea and the execution is what creates a new reality. Super talented people can see this new reality in their mind. However, seeing it is not sufficient but there is an insane amount of time, energy and resources have to be invested to "brilliantly execute" on the idea to see the "new reality."

So what is the problem?

The problem simply is that while super-smart people get really cool ideas frequently, the execution of these ideas still takes a lot more time. Since it typically takes a LONG time to execute on a single idea, along the way one can easily get distracted with an "even better idea" that comes along.

So, that's the problem so what's the solution?

Here are a four things to consider:

1. Your attitude about execution: Just remembering everyday that it's the execution and not the idea that will create the new reality will get you grounded. In fact, you have force yourself to come up with brilliant ideas to execute on your brilliant ideas. The creativity now has to move towards execution rather than creating new ideas. That means you have to re-visit your attitude about execution. Yes, you have a tendency to start things. Now how can you create a tendency to "complete" things that you started?

2. Your attitude towards getting help: Yes, there are people who can come up with an idea and take it from concept to reality - all without any external help. Those are typically exceptions and not the rule. Knowing your are smart, you might think that you can carry out the entire execution all by yourself but anything big needs help and support from a LOT of people. You might as well get used to that fact.

3. Build your network before you need it: Brilliant execution needs the support of a brilliant team. Good help is not easily available from your network unless you have invested in it. So go ahead and build your network way before you need it. Make a sincere attempt to help other people succeed in their projects and soon a sub-set of them will want to help you get your project succeed.

4. Get an accountability structure in place: Typically, you can escape from NOT executing your ideas if you have not announced it to the world. It is difficult to motivate yourself to keep a promise you make to yourself. If you can get that discipline, use it, if you don't, play with your emotions. Here is one idea for that. When you strongly feel a passion for one of your cool ideas, announce it to the world - tell your friends, blog about, tweet about it. Generally you are inclined to keep the promises that you make to others so this trick should work!!

Obviously, I am not covering execution in great detail here but wanted to give you something to think about.

Related Reading:

1. Life Beyond Code: Help - Someone stole my idea!

2. Life Beyond Code: Stop worrying about your idea and start focusing on execution

3. Life Beyond Code: You don't have to GO alone!

All the very best!

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More about Rajesh Setty
Blog: Life Beyond Code | Twitter: @UpbeatNow | Website: Rajesh Setty | Have a Question?

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DD asks:

A few years ago, a few friends and I started a company. We had worked on the product extensively but things fell apart as we could not work out the financial terms amicably. How can we avoid this in the future?

My take:

DD, first of all sorry to hear that things didn't work out last time.

FWIW, I have to tell you that what you went through is not an exception by no means. I have seen this happening for many first-time entrepreneur teams. I am not saying this in anyway to dilute or discount the pain that you must have gone through because of what happened to you. It is good that you want to take some precautions to ensure that this does not happen again. It is definitely not fun to go through this.

There are several things at play here. Since I don't have the specific details I will talk about a few things in general and I think you may find parts of it applicable to your specific situation.

One of the major sources of problems between co-founders comes from the way people evaluate "sweat equity." There was an extreme case that I came across a few years ago. There were 12 co-founders in that company. They had been working for almost a year and had "almost" built a product without discussing a business arrangement among themselves. When they finally got to discuss the business arrangement, it was too late as three out of the twelve people thought that they should each own 60% of the company because of their contribution. Since the math didn't add up to 100% and repeated negotiations didn't lead anywhere for a few weeks, they abandoned the project. Clearly the case of mismatch in perception of what "sweat equity" meant to each one of them.

The second big thing to consider is the "trust and fairness" equation between the co-founders. Do each one of them trust that everyone will watch out for the concerns of each other? If they don't, there is a current problem or there will future problem.

The third thing to watch out for is the lack of "adult supervision." Birds of the same feather typically flock together but that may not be sufficient to make the right decisions on complicated topics. For example, if four four super-talented technical geeks come together and start building a product, they might succeed on creating a great product but that is not sufficient to make that a company. There is so much more to it to build a company. However, when they are simply building a product, they might think that they can manage the other aspects because they are "smart enough" to do that. Delaying getting "good help" beyond a certain point may lead to a place where even "good help" won't be sufficient to recover from the damage that's already been done.

The fourth thing that each of the co-founder should remember is that relationships span beyond companies. Each co-founder will probably spend more time in the startup (meaning with the other co-founders) than with their respective families. If they view these relationships as a one-company stand, they are doing it wrong. There is a such a big investment that is being made that the returns simply won't justify if you are thinking of a "one-company stand."

Last but not the least, remember the old saying - "There is no greater inequality than the equal treatment of unequals." Co-founders may be very good friends in personal life but that does not mean that they are equals in business.

In summary, please remember another old saying - "it is better to own a small piece of something big rather than a big piece of nothing." When all the co-founders think long-term and want to make this a "true win-win" (not WIN-win) for all parties involved, startup life becomes way simpler than the alternative.

Wish you the very best.

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Boris Glants asks -

I love your idea of TH!NKSULTING! I had a question regarding personal branding that I was hoping you could help answer. I have a lot of seemingly divergent interests. I’ve been able to manage them by looking at them as projects that I as a person engage in. I always look for ways each project can help my other interests and it really becomes a time management issue after that. However when it comes to a personal brand, which takes some time to build – it seems strange to create a brand for each area of life I am interested in – suddenly start to feel like a I have a personality disorder. Is there a way to create one personal brand that encompasses my divergent interests? If so what steps do you suggest? Or is it a fool’s errand? And if so, how do you suggest I build the unique brands so that there is at least some interconnection between them?

My take -

Boris, thank you for asking this question. I have to say that this is a common problem for super-talented people - they don't want to be boxed within one box because simply they are good at many things. Put them in one box and they will probably feel like they have sacrificed something.

Let us first look at brands in general. Different companies have approached branding differently. Let's take two cases:

Coke, Pepsi and P&G have created individual brands for their products.

Virgin, Microsoft and Apple on the other hand have mega brands that are extended to their individual offerings.

The strategies are different but in both cases one thing is common - building a brand is hard work. It takes years and you may not find any return from this exercise for a long time.

Personal Branding is the same. Strategies can be different but there is no short-term gain with any personal branding strategy.

Since you (and any other person for that matter) have limited resources, time and energy (as compared to an enterprise,) I suggest that you focus on building ONE personal brand with one message.

[ Note: Many people confuse "activity in social media" with building their personal brand. Some people go to the extend of building a personal brand on building a personal brand. It gets very confusing. Please don't get sucked into the "social media activity" trap without a solid strategy ]

The bedrock of a solid personal brand (for me) is valuable accomplishments. So with your diverse interests, easy way to determine where you can build your brand is to think - "where will I focus my energy for the rest of my life to create valuable accomplishments?" Personal Brands without accomplishments are hollow and brittle. They are facades and should be avoided if you are looking for long-term success. If you think you will create valuable accomplishments in multiple interests, then rank them and choose the top most one as a focus area to build your personal brand.

You are not giving up your diverse interests just because you are focusing on building a personal brand on one of them. Once you get going, your diverse interests will add color to your personal brand. For example, if you know of an entrepreneur that you respect a lot, would you be happy or distracted if you learn that this entrepreneur is a rock star or a skiing champion? Typically, the respect you have for that entrepreneur goes up when you learn more about this person and his accomplishments in seemingly unrelated areas.

In summary, please make an investment in building a powerful personal brand in the domain where you can have the most valuable accomplishments - where you want to leave your biggest legacy. Next, strategically put your other interests to play to strengthen this personal brand.

All the best!

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CV asks

My manager does not notice my good work. What should I do?

My take:

Good work is rarely noticed - remarkable work is.

Think about it - good work is actually what you are paid to do. Managers are usually watching the "extra mile." When you do "remarkable" work, you are on that extra mile and will easily get noticed.

What is "remarkable" work?

For starters, it is something that is way beyond what you call "good" work. Work that is worth putting in the newspapers. Work that is worth announing in the company meeting. Work that will raise the bar for others who are engaged in similar work. Work that will set an example for others in the company. Work that makes someone voluntarily talk about it.

Please remember that your manager has his or her own concerns. You are part of the team and you are not everything. Your work, your career, your concerns may be VERY important to your manager but they are not EVERYTHING. One way to get noticed from your manager is to do something special that will help him or her to take care of his/her concerns.

Next, make it easy for your manager to recognize you. What is it that you have done that will make you, your division and your company proud that you are part of the team? If you have not done anything like that, then you have your work cut out.

Next, in the new world, you don't have to wait for your manager to recognize you. The tools and technologies have created so many opportunities that you can shine in a bigger playground - the world! When you do that, probably it makes it easier for your manager to recognize you.

Lastly, watch your attitude. When you say your manager is NOT recognizing you, you ceded the control to your manager. If instead, you change the question - "What should I have done differently to ensure that my manager recognized me?" - then you have still retained control and have more power.

All the very best!

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A Budding Author (name withheld upon request) asks:

I am planning to write a book on (topic withheld upon request.) Can we schedule a call to discuss and brainstorm ideas?

My take:

Actually No.

It may seem like a "cruel" reply so I will give you a few reasons for the "No" and then provide some suggestions at the end.

#1 Can't gauge the commitment from this request

There are several reasons for saying No. Over the years, I have met several people who wanted to write the book but upon closer inspection, they really didn't want to go through the pain of writing the book but mostly wanted the glory that is associated with the published author.

I am sure that you think you are an exception but I have no way of figuring that out. In order to do that I have to first invest my time without knowing you will follow through.

#2 You need a personal brand for the marketplace to see why you are "qualified" to write the book.

At the same time you are writing the book, you should be spending equal or more time building your personal brand to show the marketplace that YOU are qualified to write the book on this topic

Again, I have no way of finding out whether you are willing to make that commitment to build that personal brand.

#3 Writing a book is really the easy part.

It takes some time but with good help you can do that.You can watch a quick 10-minute video on "There is a book in your heart" (my talk at the #140Conf) to see how easily you can write a book. However the real big part happens after that. How do you make someone want to buy your book. There are 11,000 business books that get published every year just in the US alone. What will you "become" and what will you "do" to standout and get the attention.

If writing the book is the "tip of the iceberg," the surrounding part is the "iceberg."

Having said that, here are some tips:

1. Whatever is the topic you are planning to write the book, become an expert on that topic.

2. Produce some accomplishments that will show the marketplace that you are indeed an expert.

3. Start small. Start writing a column or a series of articles on that topic.

4. Start a blog on that topic.

5. Use social media to initiate and join conversations on that topic. You will automatically belong to a tribe on that topic.

6. Read the book "On Writing" by Stephen King. One of the best I have read on the craft of writing.

7.You can also make a better pitch next time. Here are some ideas:

7.1 You can make it relevant to me by pointing to something that I have written or commented on the topic.

7.2 You can demonstrate your thought leadership by pointing to the articles you have written on the topic.

7.3 Have a compelling elevator pitch for yourself that will make me want to talk to you.

7.4 In whatever subtle way, you can - include a compelling reason why I should invest time with you or the project.

Hope this helps. I wish you the very best with the project.

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Ashwin asks:

"I’m sure you’re well experienced in leading a team and currently I’m in a big quandary. How far does one give in to their own values in order for a team to work? For me, leadership is about garnering followership and working with a team to get to a common goal. But when there comes a point where you have to forgo a lot of your values in order for the team to “work”, what do you do?"

My Take:

Ashwin, without the specifics of knowing what "values" you are "sacrificing" for the sake of the team, I have to answer this at a very high level. So please apply this to your own situation accordingly.

My first request to you is to do an exercise to identity your values clearly. How do you do that? You can follow a simple exercise that is outlined in one of my blog posts:

Ways to Distinguish Yourself #9 - Know Your Values

My second request to you is to do a similar exercise to identity the values for your team.

You will notice that while your team values may not be exactly the same as your individual values, rarely will they be divergent.

In case you feel that you ARE indeed sacrificing your "core" values for the sake of your team, you need to revisit the reason why you took this job in the first place. Your values are what you identify with and when your work is taking you away from them, you are almost living two lives - one at work and one outside work.

The fact that you brought this question up shows that you are noticing a disconnect and it is best to address it head on.

Wish you the very best Ashwin. Please take care.

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