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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A Primer on Humility While Touting Achievement
Philosopher Blaine Pascal reminded us, “If you want people to think well of you, do not speak well of yourself.” But since Pascal wrote those words in the 17th century, we have learned much about modesty, humility, and letting others know what you have achieved. As Pascal correctly inferred, bragging about one’s accomplishments is a…
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Organizing Yourself Relationally
When leaders think of being highly effective, efficient, and organized, they naturally turn to thoughts of strategy, tasks, and tactics that promote productivity. As they set their daily and weekly calendars, they organize themselves in terms of what must get done and how to efficiently complete the most important and urgent tasks. Given the sheer…
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Why Team Members Tolerate a Tyrannical Leader
Like people, leaders come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. Along the continuum of benevolent to malevolent, a small slice of leaders has developed a harsh and highly coercive style, bordering on cruelty. They berate, admonish, embarrass, ridicule, and threaten their way to the results they believe are more important than people. In far too
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When to Remind Team Members They Are Part of Something Bigger Than Themselves
When to Remind Team Members They Are Part of Something Bigger Than Themselves
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When Delivering Bad News, Is It Better to Surprise Others or Give Them Advance Notice?
When Delivering Bad News, Is It Better to Surprise Others or Give Them Advance Notice?
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Reinforcing a Team’s Identity
Teams that work together over a long period of time commonly develop an identity distinct from the organization’s culture. How team members see themselves in relation to others on the team usually reflects how they have overcome obstacles or solved problems consistently in the past. For instance, teams might see themselves as scrappy, competitive,
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Give Me Some Feedback About My Feedback
As author Ken Blanchard emphasizes, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” But not everyone wants to eat that breakfast. It’s not enough for leaders to simply offer the feedback team members need. Promoting a healthy appetite for feedback is the job of every good leader. That starts with knowing how your feedback lands. The point…
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Cautiously Learning From the Success of Former Leaders
Organizational success is more complex than leaders often recognize. Many uncontrollable factors play an oversized role in the results organizations and leaders enjoy. Issues like market conditions, competitors asleep at the wheel, regulations, the timing of new products or services, and the introduction of new technologies, among many other elements have a tremendous influence on how leaders
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How Much Discretion Do Your Team Members Have to Execute the Strategy?
Strategy naturally flows down from the top of any organization to the teams and individuals below. Team members receive this strategy and are asked to execute it in a fashion to achieve important outcomes. Over time, execution processes often become highly defined and prescriptive on purpose. The consistency most organizations desire benefits from a highly
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Why Diversity and Inclusion Are So Different
Why Diversity and Inclusion Are So Different. Inclusion doesn’t occur in days or weeks but is measured in months. A sustained focus on involving diverse talent and seeking their views is what brings the power of diversity to the team. The rich tapestry of diversity is woven into the fabric of a team when leaders…