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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Teams That Spin Without Making Critical Priorities and Decisions
Teams that frequently discuss issues endlessly without reaching a decision are hugely ineffective. But it isn’t their fault. Sometimes the team leader just needs to make the call. Leaders who prefer to operate as a peer or cling to a commitment to consensus can create quite a problem for an otherwise effective group. In their…
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Rediscover The Skill Chart
Rediscover the Skill Chart. Skill charts were once a mainstay in organizations. As a way to measure performance progress, organizations identified the core skills required to do any job or role. They then produced a visual chart outlining the features of every skill and the proficiency levels of each team member.
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Promoting Candidness Starts With Leader Transparency About Major Decisions
Encouraging team members and colleagues to offer more candid views about how they see matters is a leadership challenge in many organizations. Cultures and leaders that unknowingly inhibit open and frank conversations are common, and the ways to fix the problem of highly guarded communication from those with lower status in an organization often requires…
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Denigrating a Peer Can Come Back to Haunt You
Not all peers are good people who deserve their place in the organization. Some peers hog credit, engage with others in passive-aggressive manner, don’t work very hard, or bad-mouth everyone else, including you. Given the opportunity, putting them in their place by exposing their bad behavior can be tempting. Waiting for the right moment to…
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Bowing to a Voice of One
You can’t please or satisfy everyone, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Good leaders design events and meetings that get to the most important topic to discuss but do so respectfully and inclusively. They don’t want team members or group participants to walk away feeling slighted or in any way upset by what transpired.…
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Everything Bagel Leaders
Some leaders say yes to every opportunity, challenge, initiative, and assignment. They commit their teams to perform at a high level for every idea and proposal that comes from above. Their inability to say No creates an unnecessary burden on the team that often leads to exhaustion, frazzle, and burnout. When everything becomes a priority,…
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Leadership, Well-Being, and the Power of the Natural World
hat if you learned that team members who are frequently exposed to a common ingredient display greater vitality and willpower, are less stressed and depressed, have a greater desire to be compassionate and supportive of others, achieve a higher mental clarity, and become more energized both cognitively and emotionally when working. A litany of research…
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A Great Attitude Without the Discipline to Excel
Before becoming attracted by a great attitude and investing in skill development, leaders would be best served to explore the personal habits and discipline of team members. A great attitude is only a game-changer if it comes with the self-discipline to make the daily actions connected to success. Those without may as well lack will…
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Refraining From Unilateral Decisions Applies to Everyone on the Team, Not Just Leaders
The best leaders establish this standard by discussing the idea of unilateral decisions (or the need to refrain from them) frequently with the team. Those conversations create an expectation that influences the behavior of both the team members and leaders. It reminds everyone of their obligations to each other. Refraining unilateral decision-making cultivates trust and…
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Accolades for Team Members Not Ready for Prime Time Foster Team Cohesion
Leaders who frequently give accolades to those “riding the bench” foster a different team mentality than do others. By recognizing the contributions made by those not yet ready for prime time, they impart a team ethic that advances morale and ensures everyone is engaged and involved. This places a check on the egos of those…