WednesdAMA: Reader-Submitted Questions
While it’s true we get to do a lot of cool work with various companies, it’s no secret that our individual coaching is considered the crown jewel of The Threadsmith Group. If we can make one person’s life better through the coaching we provide, the business is a success.
BUT, not everyone is able to make the investment to get 1:1 coaching, and we believe in giving back to the community. So welcome to WednesdAMA, in which we take a mix of reader submitted questions and LinkedIn questions and answer them.
Reader-Submitted: “My team keeps missing deadlines, but they say they’re overloaded. How do I figure out if the problem is workload or process?”
First, assume your team is telling the truth and they’re overloaded. If they’re telling you they’re overloaded, what they mean is that they feel overloaded—even if the numbers don’t quite add up. That’s where you need to step in and dig deeper. Look at how work is assigned. Are people drowning in meetings? Are they waiting on approvals? Is everything urgent all the time? Are they being pulled in multiple different directions and don’t feel safe to say no to other people making weird “one-off” requests? Overwork and bad processes look the same from the outside, but solving them requires two different approaches. Your job as a leader is to diagnose before you prescribe.
LinkedIn: Your manager is constantly micromanaging your work. How can you regain control and excel under the pressure? “In the face of micromanagement, it's vital to practice effective stress management techniques. Engage in activities that help you relax, such as exercise, meditation, or hobbies. Ensure you're getting enough rest and consider talking to a professional if the stress becomes overwhelming. By taking care of your mental health, you can maintain composure and perform well despite a challenging work environment.”
NOPE. We're DITCHING this bullshit advice in 2024. You're not going to meditate and yoga and crochet your way out of your micromanaging boss stressing you out beyond all belief. You cannot excel under a broken system or a terrible manager. They will break you, every time, and that is in no way a reflection of you or your work or your worth.
Here's what you are going to do: polish your resume and do what you can to get out of there ASAP. You're going to get through this micromanaging nightmare of a boss by remembering, ah yes, I'm going to be OUT of this soon. You're going to set boundaries, hold them, and remind yourself that your mental health is more important than any job.
Let's stop promoting the idea that WE are the problem in our toxic work situations and if we just find the right breathing exercise it'll be solved. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Reader-Submitted: “Our meetings are endless and unproductive. What’s the best way to push for fewer, better meetings?”
Have boundaries around the types of meetings you’ll accept and attend, and then stick to those boundaries. No agenda? Not coming. A meeting to have a meeting to meet before the kickoff meeting? Noooopeee, send me the notes. A meeting that could be a couple of Slack pings or a Loom video? Bye.
Get comfortable with asking “Start asking, ‘What’s the goal of this meeting?’ If no one has an answer, cancel it or don’t show up. No one wants more meetings, but they keep happening because no one questions them. Be the one who does.
LinkedIn: How can you turn criticism into career growth?
Consider this: You don't have to accept critical feedback from someone you wouldn't go to for advice. So first off, ponder the validity of whether you actually care about this person's perspective or not.
As an example, I once had a boss tell me I wasn't "soft enough". That feedback is useless and was being used intentionally to put me down.
Instead of spiraling over it, I decided that feedback wasn't important to me and I'm not going to play into this idea that women aren't allowed to be direct and clear in our communication.
So you need to first decide if the feedback is from someone whose opinion matters or if it can roll off your back and be safely ignored. Then, if the criticism is warranted, dig in and ask, “How do you want to see me action this feedback?”. From there, you can turn that into an opportunity for growth and take the option to change. Or don’t. It’s entirely up to you.
The Threadsmith Group Approach
At The Threadsmith Group, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter advice. We believe in real answers for real people, backed by experience, strategy, and a healthy dose of common sense.
Got a question of your own? Send it in. Let’s talk about the things that actually matter.