What is a No-Brainer?

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When you hear that something is a no-brainer, does that mean it really is a no-brainer?

Often, there are things that you think will be easy to implement as a leader, and they turn out to be far more challenging than you thought.

Keep a radar out for certain phrases when implementing these changes. When you hear them, pay attention because it may indicate that it is, in fact, not a no-brainer. They might be cause for you to take a completely opposite viewpoint of the issue, the problem, or the project that you are talking about.

Often, there are things that you think will be easy to implement as a leader, and they turn out to be far more challenging than you thought. Keep a radar out for these phrases. Click To Tweet

Three phrases to keep an eye out for are:

  1. “I am sure everyone will be okay with it.”

When you hear this, understand that there are going to be a chunk of people who are not going to be completely okay with it, and many of those people will not alert you that they have a problem with it.

Surface the concerns of your team and get them to express themselves so that you can deal with them and move the project forward.

  1. “It is obvious.”

Things that are obvious for some people will not be obvious for others. Take time to explain it so that people understand the overall context, key parts, or meaning behind it. Once your team is educated, they will be less likely to be resistant and more likely to move the project along with you.

  1. “It will be quick and easy.”

This phrase goes on the assumption that you can work full time on a particular project or initiative when the reality is that a lot of your day is already spoken for. Often, it is not going to be quick and easy.

Instead, set a more realistic guideline. You can still push people but watch that you do not underestimate the amount of time, energy, and money that it will take to make a project a reality.

So once you have realized that a no-brainer is often not a no-brainer, then you are going to want to work on some of your other leadership capabilities, including how to communicate effectively with your team and how to motivate a multi-generational workforce. We can help with that through our Front Line Leadership Program.

No matter how we can help you, we look forward to always being there to help you be the best leader that you can be.