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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How Quiet Is Your Workspace?
Leaders seeking prolonged periods of quiet place themselves in environments where they can wean themselves off of distractions. And distractions are the enemy. Arranging your workspace to achieve complete quiet is no easy task. The buzz around any space is usually louder than we generally think. In many cases, the only way to create quiet…
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How Quiet Is Your Workspace?
The ability to concentrate on one task or idea without distraction or interruption is an increasingly rare skill. A world filled with sound bites, tweets, and abridged messages makes sustained attention exceedingly difficult. Bombarded by the constant inflow of information, we actually prime ourselves to be distracted. Every time we reach for the smartphone or
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When Sharing the Vision, Show People What’s in It for Them
Leaders who really know team members have a distinct advantage when describing the benefits of working toward the vision. They intuitively match what team members most desire in their careers to the challenge of achieving the vision. This makes the promise of sacrificing for the vision emotionally real and inviting. Leaders often talk about sharing…
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Leaders Who Make Lightning-Quick Decisions
When grounded in values and details, the unconscious becomes really good at quick decision-making. In fact, leaders often reach better conclusions quickly than they do when they engage more deliberately. The key is to feed the unconscious everything it needs to make a snap judgment. The more you know about the situation and how you…
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Learning a Person’s Backstory Creates a Powerful Connection
People follow very different pathways to become the colleagues or clients you now know. Just like you, a host of experiences, events, and people have shaped their lives. When leaders take the time to learn even a small slice of that backstory, the nature of the relationship changes. Knowing the backstory of another person’s life…
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Ask the Audience to Experience Your Message Directly
Asking audience members to stand and complete a task (such as point to True North) or turn to the person sitting next to them and engage in a brief activity (such as examining how they make a fist) can make a message come alive. When audiences are asked to complete a task with a prop,…
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Focusing Feedback on What Others Are Capable Of
Good leaders know exactly what team members are capable of and concentrate their efforts on assessment and feedback that matters. They do their best to eliminate judgments about qualities and skills that team members are unlikely to make progress on. This same commitment applies to family members, friends, and peers, as well. Stop expecting people…
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The Price of Leadership
Leaders who themselves can’t accept feedback cause grave concern about their ability to lead others. To avoid this doubt, smart leaders take a different tack when they disagree with feedback from their own leader. Instead of disagreeing or arguing with their leader, they ask a clarifying question or two and ask for time to digest…
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When Leaders Themselves Are Defensive to Feedback
Leaders who themselves can’t accept feedback cause grave concern about their ability to lead others. To avoid this doubt, smart leaders take a different tack when they disagree with feedback from their own leader. Instead of disagreeing or arguing with their leader, they ask a clarifying question or two and ask for time to digest…