I have a couple of bad habits I’d like to break.  So I’m always open to suggestions on HOW.  The good news is, there’s more than one way.  The bad news is, only you can determine which one works for you – there’s no ‘right’ answer.

According to James Cleary, there are 3 ways to break a bad habit.

1. Elimination – cut it off entirely.
2. Reduction – drop to the desired level.
3. Substitution – replace the bad habit with a good one.

All three can work. It just depends on what you want to achieve.

Everyone must agree on the vision and goals, but how to get it done is up to individuals and small teams who are closest to the work. – Dan Rockwell

I believe in this with all my being.  I worked for a guy who paraphrased this as “Tell me what do or tell me how to do it, but not both”.  He was referring to his wife.

It applies to all relationships but especially to your employees.  When you let them figure out the “How” you will be amazed at what they come up with.  Okay, not always, but if we hire well and then do a good job of articulating the goal and the guiding principles, our employees will flourish.  And that’s the best way to make your business flourish.

In the age of social sharing, people who work together know more and more about each other. In general, this is a good thing for peers and leaders. Research shows our brains respond positively to people when we feel a personal connection with them. We try harder, perform better, and are kinder to our colleagues. Command and control management is on its way out, and bosses who practice empathy and make an effort to connect with their subordinates are in.

Finding the right balance between sharing and oversharing is not easy. But with practice, it can be done. As a leader, it’s your job to understand the powerful role your emotions play, and to harness them in ways that will help your team succeed.

Here is a great article from Harvard Business Review on the topic.

(If link won’t work, you can download a pdf here)