DoubleLine’s Post

Another light and fluffy Friday post. Have you ever chosen the objectively worse solution over something that, on paper, was a winner? Often, the weaker choice is cheaper.  Sometimes, it has some level of uniqueness - not everyone is using it, and some of us like individualism. The weaker choice might be just good enough for us. But what if it's not about the price or the feature set, or even about standing out? Sometimes it just feels better. Our subjective valuation, our gut feeling, our intuition - they all tell us we want it. Such decisions often teach us things. Even if things don't go as we planned. Even if what we chose was not 100% what we expected, it rarely can be described as a total failure. And there is a cherry on top - self-confidence, the ability to make choices and take responsibility and consequences. Do you remember any situation in your career when you went with the gut feeling over something objectively better?

For many, September begins a race to the finish line at work. Now is the time to ramp up contribution and push hard in those final interactions to optimize your impact for the year. While you might be in slow mode, it’s actually time to ramp up, and make the most of the next several weeks. Read the newsletter below for ways to get on track.

Welcome-ish New Year - Depends on What’s Next If your last year was like mine, there were some ups and downs. You might be asking yourself, “OK, what am I going to deal with the next 366 Days?” (You read that right. 2024 is a leap year and gives you an extra day.) If you haven’t yet, I suggest you wrap up your year powerfully. Reviewing your past before negotiating the future, gives you insight and helps you reflect. Your actions will help show you what is truly important to you and where you spent hour time. Reviewing the year shows places you thrived - survived - and when you felt most alive. Reflecting also helps determine what you need to resolve, and what decisions are left you be determined. (If you missed that post and tool, consider doing it first. Here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/gQxc3W2J) To welcome your new year powerfully, ask yourself: ❓What breakthroughs do I want to experience this year? ❓What do I want to jettison or leave behind from the past? ❓What’s working that I want to continue? Here’s a short, but mighty, tool to help you consider and plan for success in the new year. https://lnkd.in/gnZxgVHH Go Negotiate a Great New Year!!

Here’s what your top performers aren’t telling you: This week, I facilitated a day-long workshop for the 2% of top performers at a $5B company. When an unexpected “rabbit hole” appeared, we jumped straight in. Here’s what came out — and it’s not inconsistent with what we’ve heard thousands of other top performers say: 🔊 When poor behavior or consistently poor performance is tolerated, respect diminishes quickly. 🔊 They’re frustrated by colleagues not carrying their own weight, taking advantage of the autonomy and flexibility, and complaining about burnout. 🔊 Non-logical RTO mandates are interpreted as a power grab, or a lack of creativity at best. 🔊 If they have to come into the office only to Zoom with teammates not in the office, it’s a waste of their time. 🔊 If they don’t see a viable future, they’re likely moonlighting or interviewing. If you’re not removing barriers, you are a barrier. 🔊 Their decision to leave is made before they clue you in on their dissatisfaction. Question: What do you wish you knew about how your top performers think and feel?

Time, respect and holding your own weight. Top performers, as Joe Mechlinski said below, share their thoughts on what isn’t working. It reminds me of group work in school. Being stuck with people who don’t pull their weight. Doing a project that is a waste of time and energy when there is ‘real-work’ that needs to be done. And lastly, having that top performer head down a path of burnout. Your top performer won’t stay as your top performer if you aren’t listening or if you are allowing poor behaviour to continue with others. Have a read of Joe’s post below and let me know what you think.

The Five Opportunities of Good Fortune

What to do with firm footing, from Seth Godin: "If we’ve got tenure, a lifetime appointment or simply a really secure gig, what should we do with it? One option is to race to the bottom, to chase short-term self-focused outcomes and to see how much we can get away with. (Probably, quite a bit). The other is to take this rare chance to race to the top. To do things simply because they need to be done, not because we have to do them. The thing is, for all of us, our tenures are simultaneously more secure and more fragile than we realize. Might as well act accordingly." -------- 💡 how does that sit with you? As I read this, it struck me as interesting to think about passivity, status-quo, and mediocrity being potentially synonymous with the race to the bottom that Seth mentions! https://lnkd.in/eJRwdfNW

Revving Up for Q2: The Push for Progress! As Q2 is upon us, it's prime time for a fresh surge of ambition. We're 25% down the year, but I'm already sensing a 100% spike in opportunities and the energy to seize them. This quarter marks a crucial checkpoint to reflect and recalibrate. What worked in Q1? What didn’t? It's crucial to conduct that honest self-audit to stay on track for the goals we've set eyes on for 2024. Remember, Q2 isn't about dwelling on missed chances; it's the perfect moment to fortify your strategies. It's about taking stock, propelling ourselves forward with the wisdom gained from the past months, and sailing through the rest of the year with grit and resilience. 📈 Let's embrace the quarter as a chance to double down on our strengths and pivot where necessary. 💡 What are your key focus areas for Q2, and how do you plan to tackle impending challenges head-on? Drop your thoughts below – let's fuel growth, together! #Q2Goals #BusinessStrategy #CareerGrowth

Taking on the year and coming out stronger 💪 Starting a new year can feel like starting a fresh, new, clean slate. It can also make us take stock of our accomplishments in the previous year and can make us take an introspective look and see what requires improvements. Indeed, our accomplishments, (or lack thereof) can often motivate us to do better and be better. Read the full article here 👉 https://bit.ly/47r59qp #kmpblog

Would you rather earn £50k knowing that your colleagues earned £25k, or earn £100k knowing your colleagues earned £200k? In the face of it it’s a no-brainer, right? Surely the 100k. But a paper in the Wall Street Journal cited research that showed the opposite. On the whole, we would rather earn less for ourselves if we knew it was more than others, than earn more for ourselves knowing it was less than others. This reminds me of the old adage: comparison is the thief of joy. As an incredibly competitive person, I used to struggle with this. Constantly comparing myself to peers and friends. Who was ahead, who was behind. Learning - over many years - to turn that competitive nature inward has been revolutionary. Compete with myself. How can I be better than I was. Why has this been so important? Because it’s helped me to appreciate what I have. To appreciate the little things. To be content. And, not to confuse contentment with settling. Content that this is a journey, and to be content with where I am on that journey. I’d like to think I’d choose the £100k over the £50k in that scenario. After all, the only person impacted by that decision is me and mine. Good for thought. #thoughtoftheday #competitive #mindful