According to “the super chicken model,” some organizations place value on star employees who outperform others. Despite this popular model, research shows that placing value on star employees does not create high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan explores the difference between team success and individual accolades and challenges each of us to define (and re-define) our leadership style. Heffernan smartly points out: “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people do.”

Q: When you work for a company for multiple years, you get comfortable with your daily tasks and duties. You might forget to be an activist or find ways to improve your job and learn new responsibility. What can you do to show your co-workers or boss you are ready to take on new tasks and duties? 

First, do a great job with your current tasks. A demonstrated track record of complete and accurate work product goes a long way. Second, tell your co-workers and boss that you are interested in completing new tasks and duties. When you speak up and ask for more responsibilities from your manager, you will be at the forefront of your manager’s mind when he or she considers delegating work.

There are several reasons why managers may shy away from delegating work. They might think it would take longer to explain the task than actually completing it themselves, feel guilty about adding more work onto another employee’s to-do list, or simply believe they’re the only ones who can do the job right.

Try to bridge the gap between your manager’s concerns and your desire to excel in the workplace.

What are you doing to enable learning in your organization?

What is your strategy for enabling and supporting employees to continually build new skills so they can be successful as their work changes? Employees are primarily workers rather than learners, so the context is always the work and the behaviors and skills employees need to be successful. It is not learning for the sake of learning, but it is targeted learning. It is critical to understand that everyone is responsible for learning; however, the roles they play differ. The manager focuses employees on work practices, provides frequent feedback, an acts as a coach for providing tips, ideas, and support for learning. It is the individual’s responsibility to step-up and offer their best work ethic to learn new tasks and processes. Teamwork makes the dreamwork.

what you wear matters when you work from home, research says

Are we really more productive in smart clothes, or are we just as effective in our “comfortable home clothes.” Research shows you’re better off dressing for the part. Our experts agree that you should choose clothes that give you confidence because this will boost your inner mood, especially on days when you don’t feel your best. Nicely done hair for a work meeting is a plus.

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