Welcome to Merge's Monthly Mega Minute — a bite-sized, yet substantial and practical, nugget of information that you can use immediately to enhance your professional and personal success.

What bungee cords are keeping you tied to the past?

Imagine a bungee cord. One end is attached to a fixed object and the other is hooked to the back of your belt. As long as you stay close to the stationary end, the cord remains loose and there is no tension. But as you walk away, the slack in the cord will begin to tighten and you'll feel a pull on your back. Continue to step away and you'll find that eventually it will be a struggle to keep going. In fact, not only will the bungee cord hold you back from moving forward, but you will also be at serious risk of either losing your pants or getting smacked by a broken bungee.

All of us have bungee cords attached to us, links to the past that hold us back from moving forward. And the more we try to get ahead, the more the stress and tension grows forcing us to stay where we are. And often the fear of losing our pants or getting smacked by the broken bungee keeps us from continuing to try.

As we start a new year, it is a good time to reflect on and identify your bungee cords. What is holding you back from moving forward in your role as a professional and as a leader? Has a past error made you question your abilities? Have previous unsuccessful job interviews caused you to lose confidence? Is your lack of topic knowledge preventing you from contributing intelligently to discussions on the subject? Are your self-limiting beliefs blocking you from reaching a significant goal?

The bungee cords are not always obvious because each bungee has a different length. The short ones may be easy to identify immediately, but the longer ones only come to light once you start trying to stride forward. If you find yourself in similar undesirable situations repeatedly, it is very likely indicative of a bungee. The good news is that once you identify a bungee, you can take positive steps to unhook yourself from it.

So ... what bungee cords are holding you back? If you're willing to share, then I'm pretty certain that someone out there can offer you insights into how you can unhook yourself. You just have to be willing to put it out there. Please comment directly on the blog at www.turningmanagersintoleaders.com/blog so that others can respond and learn from your situation.

In The Globe & Mail: Five foolproof ways to destroy workplace trust

Workplace trust is essential to establish not only your reputation, but also to build a strong network of people who will help you throughout your career. In Merge's latest column in The Globe and Mail published on December 31, she spells out five unintentional behaviours you may be exhibiting that cause others think that you are not to be trusted. This link takes you to a pdf version archived on our site. The original article published behind The Globe's paywall, so if you're a subscriber, here is a link directly to their site: https://tgam.ca/2VlSTDZ

Coming soon: a new video series for 2019

In 2018, Merge created a series of short focused video clips on motivating employees, each one outlining a specific way that leaders can inspire, engage and energize their employees. The series was so popular that Merge has decided to use a similar format in 2019. The topic is still top-secret (shhh!), but she'll be making a video announcement on the Turning Managers Into Leaders blog next week, so stay tuned!

Turning Managers into Leaders

The Turning Managers into Leaders blog took a short hiatus over the holiday season. But don't worry, Merge is already ready and raring to go! In fact, this year our blog will turn ten years old, and we're so grateful that you have been such an important part of its creation and its growth. We look forward to another fantastic year of exchanging ideas and starting dialogues (and perhaps even some arguments), in the pursuit of becoming even better leaders than you already are!

That this month marks the 5th anniversary of Merge's regular leadership columns for The Globe and Mail?

Since January 2014, Merge has been a regular columnist for The Globe and Mail's Report on Business section, penning articles on a wide variety of leadership topics, all under the umbrella of Leadership Matters. In addition to her latest column which ran on December 31 (linked earlier in this issue of the Mega Minute), here are her last five columns. And if you'd like to peruse any of the others, you can always find them in the Article Archives at our website.

You are encouraged to distribute this issue of Merge's Monthly Mega Minute to friends, colleagues, and discussion groups, as long as the entire issue is included. Click here to Share with Others.

Are you receiving this Mega Minute from a friend or colleague? Sign up to receive your own copy, direct to your e-mailbox every month. Click here to Subscribe.

Do you want to read past Mega Minutes? Visit the Mega Minute Archives.

This e-mail is sent from mergespeaks Inc., the leadership and workplace communication training and development company founded by Merge Gupta-Sunderji. It is sent only to people who have opted-in to receive it. Rest assured that we respect your privacy, and will NEVER distribute your e-mail address to any other individual or company. EVER. PERIOD. If you no longer wish to receive e-mails from Merge, click unsubscribe.

Company address: 1110 - 5 Avenue NW, Suite 307, Calgary AB, T2N 0R6. Contact us at www.turningmanagersintoleaders.com.