The (dreaded) weekly report

The world doesn’t need another podcast. But this post isn’t really about podcasts. It’s about the pressure to jump on what other organizations are doing – a newsletter, a blog, an influencer program, a local ambassador program, you name it.

These things could very well advance your organization. But “because everyone else is doing it” is not a strategy. And for us, these were intentional add-ons that pay returns.

Start with the problem you’re trying to solve or a specific audience you’re trying to reach. Then ask: Is this the best tool for that job?

If you dive into books or articles on building great organizations, you’ll find no shortage of frameworks, models, or operating systems. I’ve studied and used pieces of nearly all of them for about a decade now. But none quite fit the kind of organizations I’ve worked in: organizations created to solve big problems and create lasting impact.

After a decade of leading organizations, I’ve come to learn that every healthy and effective organization is built upon four foundations – Impact, Talent, Operations, and Ownership. And when these foundations are built well, they allow every corner of the organization to fire on all cylinders.

When’s the last time you sat down with a list of your direct reports and asked yourself what they need, what they’re struggling with, and what growth for them that week could look like?

Chances are, the answer is either never or it was a long time ago.

Weeks go by fast, I get it. But just as Cal Newport argues for regular, dedicated, focused, “deep work” time in his book Deep Work, you need that same sort of intentional management time focused on your team and their needs that week.

Something to try this week: Make a grid of your direct reports’ names and answer these questions for each of them:

1. What do they need this week? This isn’t about what tasks they need to do; it’s about what resources they need. It can mean taking something off their plate to focus on more important tasks, a day off due to approaching burnout, or simply recognizing a job well done. Figure that out, then get it for them.
2. What are they struggling with? This may be a more complicated question to answer, and you may get it wrong. Many employees don’t bring up challenges with their managers, so you’re often left guessing. But ask the question to yourself, then ask them in a check-in, “Hey, I get the sense/wonder if you’re struggling with X. Is that true?” It could open the door to a really important conversation.
3. How are they progressing in their role and career, and what challenge can I give them this week? This isn’t about their day-to-day tasks, but rather about them progressing as a person. It’s tempting to focus solely on immediate deliverables, but your people have aspirations and growth goals that deserve attention too.

That’s it: just three questions to ask about your team this week. Don’t wait until the performance review to have these conversations. As a manager, you have a duty to spend intentional management time thinking about them and their needs.

The biggest crisis facing young Americans today is a lack of purpose. They wander through life weighed down by hopelessness, convinced the future isn’t worth fighting for. They can’t afford basic necessities because of rising costs and stagnant wages. They’re told they’ll never have homes. Marriage and kids are, for many, out of the realm of possibilities. And to make it all worse, the climate doomers say they won’t have a future because climate change will suffocate us all.

The emptiness many young people feel today is profound, and originates from multiple sources, but one especially stands out: climate doomerism, the belief humanity is on an unstoppable march toward destruction, has become a defining feature of our generation.

The story told to millions of young people is the planet is dying, the system is rigged, and the future is lost. When that message becomes the moral framework for a generation, what hope is there?

One of the reasons I struggled in Spanish class was that I often confused the past tense with the imperfect tense. They looked similar, sounded similar, and both referred to the past… but they weren’t interchangeable.

Strategy and tactics are like that. Easy to confuse, but they play very different roles. It’s a common mistake, and I experience it often.

Think of strategy as the destination and tactics as the directions.

A good strategic goal should be simple and brief:

Increase brand saliency with Gen Z
Diversify donor base across three new geographic regions
Create a strong culture with above-average retention rates

The tactics are in the weeds: partner with Gen Z influencers, host fundraising events in X, Y, and Z cities, launch monthly employee surveys.

A quick gut check to help differentiate the two:

• If changing it would shift the overall goal, it’s the strategy
• If changing it would leave the goal intact but change how you get there, it’s a tactic

Strategy sets the direction, and tactics are the steps. If you and your team aren’t clear on the difference, you’ll end up debating details when you should be defining goals.

Today’s post is simple – please help the victims and communities affected by the devastating flooding in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. As of this post, the death toll is now over 80 people, and 10 young campers remain missing.

You can donate here.

Every dollar helps.