By Steve Adubato, PhD

It's that time again. Time to make some New Year's resolutions. Most we'll break, but some we'll actually keep. In that vein, consider some communication and leadership-related resolutions for the New Year that can help you not just at work, but also at home.

For 2003, I resolve to...

Be more honest and candid in my communication. We're not talking about being mean or going out of your way to be hurtful. Rather, this is about being more up front so you don't have to keep track of all those little white lies. For example, at work if you haven't returned a call or taken care of a certain project because you have been swamped, don't say, "your message got lost", or "we're having problems with our computers." Instead, say, "I've really been swamped and I haven't had a chance to get to the project but I'll have it to you by Friday."

Cut back on how often I interrupt people. The key is to practice identifying a reason to actually listen and then becoming just a bit more patient. Hear yourself interrupting in your head, but hold back from actually doing it. This is all about practicing a new behavior. Once you do it enough it starts to become second nature, just like interrupting is now.

Not check my e-mail when I am on the phone or a conference call. Again, a lot of us do it, but don't kid yourself. When you do, you are not as effective. You are distracted and just not engaged the way you should be. Further, the other person knows you are doing it because something changes in your communication. You can't hear it but they can. Simply put, sometimes multi-tasking is not only overrated but a bad business practice as well.

Cut back on micromanaging. The old adage, "If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself" may be true in certain instances, but taken to an extreme can drive others around you crazy. Further, it lets them know you have no confidence in them and negatively affects their performance as well as their commitment to the team. Resolve to assign a project or task with clear direction. Make yourself available for consultation or coaching and get the heck out of the way. (Oh, yeah, set a deadline for the project to be finished so you don't have to be wondering about it every day.)

Reduce the number of slides in my next PowerPoint presentation. Look, more is not always better. In fact, less usually is. If you have thirty PowerPoint slides, try to cut back to twenty. If you have twenty, cut back to twelve. Don't use the slides as a crutch and don't think every piece of information you want to communicate needs to be on a slide. Remember, the presentation is coming from you, not the PowerPoint equipment.

Make a decision on a problem or issue I've been putting off for awhile. Procrastination is one of a leader's worst traits. You know who you are and you know what decision you are putting off. Don't think you are not hurting your team, organization and your reputation as a leader. You've been thinking about it long enough while considering all the options. So go ahead, decide already. Don't forget, not making a decision is in fact a decision after all that often results in lost opportunities.

Write to me with a communication or leadership resolution that you are committed to making. With a little luck, we can all make some progress. Happy New Year!