Donât start negatively, and donât start small. People will often focus on little details as a way of masking a lack of any clear, coherent, big thoughts. If you start petty, you seem petty.
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...itâs about creating an environment in which you refuse to accept mediocrity. You instinctively push back against the urge to say Thereâs not enough time, or I donât have the energy, or This requires a difficult conversation I donât want to have, or any of the many other ways we can convince ourselves that âgood enoughâ is good enough.
Be decent to people. Treat everyone with fairness and empathy. This doesnât mean that you lower your expectations or convey the message that mistakes donât matter. It means that you create an environment where people know youâll hear them out, that youâre emotionally consistent and fair-minded, and that theyâll be given second chances for honest mistakes. (If they donât own up to their mistakes, or if they blame someone else, or if the mistake is the result of some unethical behavior, thatâs a different story, and something that shouldnât be tolerated.)
That was the source of so much of his and the companyâs success, and I had immense respect for Michaelâs tendency to sweat the details. It showed how much he cared, and it made a difference. He understood that âgreatâ is often a collection of very small things, and he helped me appreciate that even more deeply. Michael was proud of his micromanagement, but in expressing his pride, and reminding people of the details he was focused on, he could be perceived as being petty and small-minded.
Managing creativity is an art, not a science. When giving notes, be mindful of how much of themselves the person youâre speaking to has poured into the project and how much is at stake for them.
It starts with framing. Explicitly emphasizing the complexity or novelty of a situation helps put you in the right state of mind.