No matter what the strategic plan says, many of us are more attracted to something new that’s glittering on the horizon than we are to the goals that have languished on our to-do list for months. This weakness is as true for senior leaders as it is for the rank-and-file, but when a CEO or other senior executive is known for chasing shiny objects, a lot of people and projects can suffer.
What to Do If Your Boss Gets Distracted by Every New Thing
What should you do if your boss is constantly distracted by new ideas? In this piece, the author offers six strategies to cope with a manager who’s always chasing after another new project: First, agree on coded language (like “blue sky thinking”) to distinguish between what’s a real priority, and what’s just a dream. Second, develop a checklist tool that gets used to evaluate all new ideas. Third, start all meetings with an anchoring statement that makes clear what the meeting is about — and what it’s not about. Fourth, regularly check in with your boss to make sure they haven’t forgotten what they asked you to do. Fifth, agree to start on a “research” phase before committing to the whole project. And finally, encourage your boss to be part of the team executing the idea. A bit of healthy exploration is a good thing — but if your boss is constantly going on one wild goose chase after another, these tips can help you (and your team) stay on track.