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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Upward Feedback or Complaint?
Make it a rule never to offer a criticism upward without a solution or suggestion to go along with it. When leaders hear your commentary as constructive feedback and not complaint, they become more receptive to addressing the issue or problem. And they like you much better in the process! Talented team members don’t complain. They…
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When a Colleague’s Ideas Are Repeatedly Ignored
When a Colleague’s Ideas Are Repeatedly Ignored. If you know of a colleague who suffers from being ignored when they propose ideas, think about the reasons why and how to help them overcome the resistance they face. Having your ideas rejected on a regular basis is hugely disconfirming and undermines the confidence to speak up…
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Do You Think-to-Talk or Talk-to-Think?
In group meetings, those with a strong preference for one style can become impatient with those who employ the other style, often believing efficiency and effectiveness are at stake when this isn’t the case. The best leaders, who have their own preference of course, exhibit patience for both styles. They recognize that differences in how…
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Creating Bookend Routines
Creating bookend routines gives leaders the opportunity to maintain complete control over the most important parts of the day. This can be powerfully transformational, helping to create a sense of balance and continuity to days that seem to blur from so many tasks and issues. Consider creating bookend routines and rituals that work for you.
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Team Celebration Is the Glue That Binds People Together
With a tool this influential, why would a leader refrain from praising the team with an appropriate observance? The fear that celebrated team members will slack off or presume success before the work is complete is unfounded. Team morale gets a boost whenever big or small milestones and accomplishments are recognized through celebration. There is…
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The Right Leader for the Challenge
Because relationships, loyalty, and payback for hard work and past success color so many promotion decisions, selecting the best leader for the current challenge is exceedingly hard for organizations. Even Corporate Boards commonly struggle with this quandary, often landing on the wrong CEO for the task at hand. Such decisions have enormous consequences. Over time,…
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The Skills Required Before Accountability
The skill of following up, checking in, inquiring where things stand, or giving an update on their part is critical to performance. Unfortunately, many team members haven’t acquired this skill or the need for it. Leaders who demonstrate this skill through their example help others see the importance of follow-up, but it is not enough.…
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Energizing the Team That Faces Repetitive Tasks and Travel
Doing the same task or assignment is only monotonous if it is done with the same approach, with the same thinking, and with the same people. Asking people to expand their approach to include new facets, new people, and new learnings is the recipe for sustained invigoration. When travel to the same city and same…
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Leaders Can Put Too Much Faith in Personality Diagnostics
The best leaders accept the fact that the pursuit of 100 percent confidence in prediction is a fool’s errand. They work hard to stack the odds in their favor by understanding what creates success in the organization and what indicators and experiences to weigh in the decision process. Personality matters, but not more than experience,…
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Leading Those Who Rationalize Poor Performance
Requiring that team members accept full responsibility is sometimes the best path forward, but is often unnecessary and fights the human need for defensive attribution. The best leaders aren’t as concerned about the rationalization of why poor performance occurred. Instead, they ask others to focus on what they plan to do differently to change the…