Don't apologize for being busy

Quick fixes rarely solve problems | Why companies should target more than one SDG | You can be funny even if you're not naturally funny Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( ADVERTISEMENT March 17, 2017 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Google+]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( [] Leading Edge [] [Quick fixes rarely solve problems]( Problem-solving is often confused with making short-term fixes that end up recurring down the line, writes Mark Miller of Chick-Fil-A. "The next time you think you've found a solution to a problem, ask yourself: What will it take to sustain these gains?" [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (3/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Strategic Management [] [Why companies should target more than one SDG]( Companies that try to follow the UN Sustainable Development Goals often are at a disadvantage when they focus on one specific goal at the expense of the others, according to a study from Tufts University. Businesses should choose several sustainability goals that fit with the company goals and identify key motivators to achieve them, according to the university's Bhaskar Chakravorti. [Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model)]( (3/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [You can be funny even if you're not naturally funny]( Incorporating humor in the right way can elevate a presentation and help engage the audience, writes Michael Grothaus. He [cites research]( and offers six tips to be more funny, including not trying to be a comedian, practicing jokes beforehand, watching your timing and acknowledging the audience immediately. [Fast Company online]( (3/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [When times are uncertain, start talking]( Times of uncertainty call for increased communication, including transparency about what leaders know and what they don't, writes David Grossman. "Most important, this is the time to share with employees what we need from them," he writes. [LeaderCommunicator Blog]( (3/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Smarter Living Get your mind and body right each Friday [] [Don't apologize for being busy]( People shouldn't feel guilty for telling friends they're busy because it's up to you to decide what is most important, writes Taylor Lorenz. "Prioritizing my schedule and keeping busy with the things that are most important to me has been key to my mental health," she writes. [Harper's Bazaar]( (3/15), [The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)]( (3/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Loneliness can kill you]( Loneliness, whether through isolation or simply living alone, has been found by research to increase the likelihood of death during a given period. One way to combat that and maintain friendships, especially for men, "is through built-in regularity -- something that is always on the schedule," Billy Baker writes. [The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model)]( (3/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [OpenTable CEO: "Pay attention to cues early on"]( OpenTable CEO Christa Quarles says that career success is often related to doing something you enjoy and care about. "My broader advice for women is to pay attention to cues early on in your career so that you can find what works for you -- which is as important as focusing on an industry -- and end up with a career that you want," she says. [The Huffington Post]( (3/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Queen Elizabeth II's death will go according to plan]( Queen Elizabeth II's death will go according to plan Queen Elizabeth II (Chris Jackson/Getty Images) The UK has a longstanding plan in place for when Queen Elizabeth II passes, as is customary for every royal death that can be anticipated, writes Sam Knight. "It will be 10 days of sorrow and spectacle in which, rather like the dazzling mirror of the monarchy itself, we will revel in who we were and avoid the question of what we have become," Knight writes. [The Guardian (London)]( (3/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [] Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change. Mary Shelley, writer [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( [Advertise]( [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback]( [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Jobs Contact - jobhelp@smartbrief.com Advertising - [Laura Thompson](mailto:lthompson@smartbrief.com) Editor - [James daSilva](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2017 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy policy]( | [Legal Information]( Â