Use this strategy to right-size your workforce

Focus on these 4 areas to end performance review stress | practice (split each time) | Use this strategy to right-size your workforce Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( March 22, 2024 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [X]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Focus on these 4 areas to end performance review stress]( [Focus on these 4 areas to end performance review stress]( (courtneyk/Getty Images) Make performance reviews more effective and less stressful by focusing on a team member's strengths and asking them what's working well, where they're struggling, what they're learning and what do they want to try next, writes workplace well-being teacher Michelle McQuaid. "While providing feedback people may find hard to hear can feel uncomfortable, there is nothing kind about robbing people of the opportunities they need for learning and growth," writes McQuaid. Full Story: [Psychology Today]( (3/21) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Researchers found that [three factors create high-performing teams](: being inspired by the company's mission, having a chance to use their talents and feeling committed to doing quality work, McQuaid writes. By focusing more on what's going well and less on what's not, employees can see how their skills are contributing to the big picture. [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Use this strategy to right-size your workforce]( [Use this strategy to right-size your workforce]( (AndreyPopov/Getty Images) Being strategic about headcount management can help companies control costs, streamline operations and avoid overstaffing and layoffs, writes Tushar Makhija, the founder and CEO of TeamOhana. "It provides headlights that allow the company to look forward rather than make difficult decisions in the face of economic challenges," Makhija notes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (3/21) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: There are [four components to strategic headcount management](, writes Makhija, including an audit of existing employees, tracking hiring to create forecasts and scenario planning. "The crucial element here is that scenarios become a year-round planning exercise that helps leadership accelerate decision-making as the company grows or as the market changes." [] Smarter Communication [] [Female leaders squash the lies meant to hold women back]( Bonnie Hammer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal, says her career has been one long lesson in dispelling the myth that women must stay in their lanes and avoid mixing work with play to succeed, which she includes in her new book, "15 Lies Women Are Told At Work ... and the Truth We Need To Succeed." Other female leaders lay waste to such lies as "You can't have it all as a working parent" and "You can't be emotional if you want to be taken seriously." Full Story: [Success online]( (3/18) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Don't believe that advocating for yourself is shameless self-promotion, warns Monica Xuereb, chief commercial officer for Loews Hotels & Co. And [never buy into the idea that it's OK to settle for less](. Whether it's your salary, your responsibilities or your position, "[e]very time you settle for something less than you deserve, it colors your identity and self-worth in a negative way," says Franchesca Van Buren, founder and CEO of Insight Therapy Solutions. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Nonverbal Communications Skills -- The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [Best Practices for Email Etiquette]( - [11 Habits That Will Give You A Complete And Successful Life]( - [Creating Positive Habits - The Ultimate Guide]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Check your alignment before using AI as a growth strategy]( Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (3/20) [] - [Take these proactive steps to avoid financial troubles]( JD Supra (3/21) [] - [How to stabilize a business after an economic shock]( Forbes (tiered subscription model) (3/20) [] Smarter Living Get your mind and body right each Friday [] [If you're over 50, chances are you're not sleeping well]( [If you're over 50, chances are you're not sleeping well]( (Pixabay) An analysis of self-reported sleep data from 200,000 people showed that nearly 4 in 10 adults over age 50 were not getting adequate sleep to function during the day, investigators reported in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. Researchers noted that factors may include smartphone use, changes in caregiving responsibilities and work-related and socioeconomic uncertainty. Full Story: [Psychology Today]( (3/19) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [At the Deep Sleep Hotel, the emphasis is on "deep"]( When you check in for the night at the Deep Sleep hotel in Snowdonia, Wales, you're given boots, a hard hat, a headlamp and a guide to take you 1,400 feet below the surface -- a trip that will take about four hours and includes dark caverns, a zip line and some tight spaces. When you arrive, you'll find a climate-controlled cabin equipped with Wi-Fi, a bathroom and meals served from a pouch. Oh, and each night will set you back about $500. Full Story: [CBS News]( (3/17) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] When Twitter founder Jack Dorsey created a profile and posted the first tweet, what did he type? [Vote]( [hi, i'm @jack]( [Vote]( [just setting up my twttr]( [Vote]( [put a bird on it]( [Vote]( [tweet me back @jack]( [] Away from the Office [] Breathtaking mountain view Breathtaking mountain view (Candace Chellew) Last weekend, our family took a drive up to Blowing Rock, N.C., to enjoy the final ski weekend of the season at Appalachian Ski Mountain. Most people were skiing in short sleeves on the manufactured snow as Spring climbed up the mountainside. This photo is one of the scenic overlooks in Blowing Rock. Have you been somewhere beautiful lately? [Send me a photo to share](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew Getting some sleep must be on my mind, as today's brief reveals. As someone who is (cough, cough) over 50, I can attest that [getting some solid z's can be tough these days]( due to many factors, including those listed in the article. While I find the Deep Sleep Hotel fascinating, I don't have the guts to make the four-hour trek to bed. I'm also a bit claustrophobic and don't think I could handle being 1,400 feet below the surface. Give me sunshine atop a mountain any day! Wherever you find yourself this weekend, I hope you get a chance to sleep in! If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] Who Said It? Not only are you not always right -- when you are wrong, you are the worst wrong you can possibly be. Fran Lebowitz or Madeleine Albright [Check your answer here.]( [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) [SmartBrief Future]( Copyright © 2024 SmartBrief. All Rights Reserved. A division of Future US LLC Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.