FieldNotes
Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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Playing With People Better Than You
Occasionally allowing others with less skill to hitch a ride on your shoulder is the payback of asking others above you to do the same. Dedicate a portion of your practice and play for those more skillful than you. Compete the best you can and soak it all in. You may find your skills get…
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Taking Full Advantage of Business Trips
Business trips are a rich resource of learning and insight if we treat them that way and take full advantage of what is possible in a new city or venue. Travel is one of life’s greatest teachers, if you let it be. By focusing on experiences, not things, leaders can turn any business trip into…
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Teaching Quality Through Exemplars
When team members know what excellence looks like and can discuss the nuances with their leader, learning and skill accelerates. Leaders naturally know how to set an example for others. But by collecting and sharing exemplars, they infuse an immediate understanding of what counts as excellence from which others can learn. When people chase excellence,…
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Asking a Crafty Question Upward Can Carry an Indirect Punch
Once the feedback has been dispensed through the question, the key is to resist the temptation to argue about whatever their answer might be. The reply really doesn’t matter. Once the question has been posed, the feedback has landed. Let it sit there and have its impact. Don’t ruin the influence it will have by…
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Believing in People Before They Believe in Themselves
Some leaders ask team members to jump through hoops and over hurdles in order to prove their worth. As a team member shows promise and results, they devise yet another test to ensure that this colleague is really worth their time and investment. They have to earn every ounce of trust and responsibility this leader
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Learn to Separate the Problem From the Symptom
Learn to Separate the Problem From the Symptom. To identify a symptom, ask this question: What would we like to see more of or less of? Sales, customers, profits, talent, attrition, team conflict, and weak execution are common answers. These are not problems, but the signs of an underlying challenge worth identifying and resolving. To…
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Vividly Describe the Ideal Candidate
Comparing prospective candidates against a vivid description of the ideal candidate exponentially increases the odds of finding the best person for the role. Without painting the full picture of who a leader is looking for, it is nearly impossible to know who would fit best. Always overlay the ideal description on top of the candidate…
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When You Lose Passion for the Work
After giving a role everything you’ve got for a lengthy time, passion for the work can sometimes wane. It’s not that you’re burnt out or endlessly tired, it’s just that the enthusiasm you had for the work has diminished to the point where you have noticed it. You don’t look forward to engaging with others
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What If Character Were a Skill You Could Develop?
When we think of character, we normally think of enduring qualities of virtue. Noble traits like compassion, integrity, and courage come to mind, as do leadership qualities like loyalty, optimism, and curiosity. Common wisdom convinces us that cultivating a strong character is a pathway to a meaningful and productive life. So, the idea of character
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A Leader’s Relationship With Decisions
Teams always know exactly how committed their leader is to a decision.