Recommended reading: Distractions, management skills and personal brands

This week’s recommended reading is for our business leaders. We’ve taken a look across the internet this week to see how we can help you improve your managerial skills, connect with your colleagues and develop your personal executive style. 

With the evolution of communication platforms, and remote working, as well as changes to emotional dynamics at work, managers have had to evolve their skills fast. So to help you hone your style and perfect your approach to leadership we’ve rounded up some top tips and inspiring advice about communicating effectively and limiting distractions, while still being yourself. Have a read and see what you think…

‍Read Managers, Stop Distracting Your Employees

Managers, it’s time to stop distracting your staff. With remote work skyrocketing, many leaders have opted for software to check-in on their staff, as they can’t look over their shoulders anymore. But most of the software doesn’t monitor productivity, rather emails sent and meetings attended, causing staff to focus less on their actual work. So to get your people back on track and focused on the important tasks, HBR has come up with four ways to limit distractions and build an efficient team.

‍Read ‘Emails should be 80 words or fewer’: experts reveal 10 rules to optimise business communication

Feel like your communication at work needs to be tightened up? Guardian Labs and Mailchimp have 10 tips on how to write efficient and clear business emails and messaging so you don’t lose your colleague or client’s attention. These include adapting your message for the individual and remembering your audience is busy, so don’t bury the lead in a long paragraph! 

‍Read How To Develop Your Authentic Leadership Brand

Have you ever thought about your personal brand or reputation? We all have one whether we like it or not, and as you move up the career ladder and become more visible it’s a good idea to get a handle on how others view you. Forbes has four steps for you to identify what your brand is, so you can hone and perfect it into what you want to represent at work. 

‍Read Managing Your Team’s Emotional Dynamic

Emotions are contagious, you can sense how people are feeling just by looking at them, and if the vibe isn’t right, it probably won’t be a great day. HBR has looked into research about collective emotions and how interactions between individuals can affect the whole group. If people in your team aren’t getting along, it’s likely to spill over to everyone else. Have a read to find out how to regulate your team’s emotional dynamic and keep everyone on track.