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.
Search Field Notes
-
Resolving Wicked Problems
Some problems defy a solution. Whereas most difficult problems can be reframed or divided into parts to be solved, wicked problems present leaders with a more unique challenge. Wicked problems are complex and multi-faceted, with competing advocates that cannot escape engaging one another. The issues inside a wicked problem are typically ongoing and need a…
-
The Key to Reading Micro Expressions
Reading people is a prized leadership skill and critical for leadership success. Great leaders adapt the style of their messages and approaches based on the audience and situation. They are better able to craft the right message when they accurately assess what others are thinking and feeling. That’s where micro expressions come in.
-
Do You Truly Motivate or Just Bribe Others to Raise Their Game?
People are motivated by a wide variety of needs and desires, including praise, autonomy, higher purpose, status, belonging, and challenge. Chief among the needs leaders tap into to compel action and inspire higher performance are incentives. Incentives include anything people desire that they would change their behavior for. Promotion, title, resources, time, affection, and special privileges
-
When Advocacy Crosses the Line
Good leaders are strong advocates, confident in their views, and have an ability to persuade others through sound and compelling arguments. Persuasive advocates believe deeply in what they are proposing and marshal passion and enthusiasm to make their case. Passion sells, but it can sometimes go too far. Without meaning to, strong and passionate advocates
-
Connecting Goals to Criticism Shows Others You’re Trying to Help and Not Hurt Them
People don’t separate the content of feedback from the person giving it. The source of the feedback we receive is as important as the message itself. People judge the value of the feedback almost entirely on who is delivering it. Once those receiving the feedback conclude that the giver has the experience, skill, and context…
-
The Country Club Mindset
Why are so many clubs, volunteer organizations, and member-centric associations so poorly run? Despite the fact that there is nothing about the nature of such organizations that prevents them from being well managed and led, national surveys show that a minority of member-oriented institutions are viewed as being effectively managed and operated compared to other…
-
For the Hopelessly Impatient
Impatient people simply can’t wait. They want to hear the news, achieve the outcome, and talk through the problem right NOW. They’ve been told repeatedly over the years that they need to slow down, “hold their horses,” and accept what they cannot control. But they find waiting painful. Their intolerance for delay makes them anxious…
-
How Are Others Interpreting What You Say and Do?
A popular maxim among communication professionals is that people “cannot NOT communicate.” This adage refers to the idea that others interacting with you will draw meaning from everything you say and do, whether you want them to or not. All behavior is a form of communication, even when you are silent or not actively trying…
-
Know Your Worth
The value of expertise is uneven and hard to measure. Those with the experience, know-how, street smarts, and acumen to apply their knowledge to important problems and opportunities will always be in high demand. In many cases, these experts demand an unusually high dollar for their wisdom, opinions, or solutions, and people still line up…
-
Developing Team Members With a Proactive Attitude
Every leader wants a team of proactive colleagues who anticipate needs, issues, and opportunities and step up to address them without being asked. By anticipating problems, roadblocks, and opportunities and acting on them before they arise, proactive team members make life easier for leaders and for each other. Proactive team members develop an eye for