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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Let Me Remind You Why This Isn’t a Democracy
Involving everyone, or even those directly affected, is not always practical or wise if it slows down the decision-making process. Opportunities lost and problems that spiral out of control are the outcomes of democracy in the workplace. Expertise is another significant reason why democratic decision-making doesn’t make sense in the workplace. In all organizations, specialized…
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Holding Others Accountable Starts With the Leader
Inevitably, a team member will underperform or fail at a given task or project. Holding that team member accountable for improvement is what leaders are required to do. But before they hold others accountable, the best leaders spend the time to discern exactly why failure occurred in the first place. The answer is often more
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Ask a Better Question
Asking great questions is a skill in short supply, even among some very good leaders. The benefits of great questions go beyond expanding knowledge and gaining insight. Well-constructed questions can build trust and rapport with others and guide them to, rather than tell them, what they are missing. Of the many tools of leadership, great
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Leaders Don’t Tell Jokes
There’s a difference between a joke and a humorous story. Jokes make fun of people and events. They get retold because the surprise they contain usually confirms a bias or hidden truth. But invariably, someone on the receiving end of the joke doesn’t hold the bias or see the truth. To make matters worse, they
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Keep Your Eye on the Reverse Gap
Looking backward at the reverse gap proves the power of the journey and injects a sense of optimism for the future. The personal satisfaction of acknowledging how much change has already occurred creates a unique feeling of gratitude for everything and everyone that has contributed to the positive transformation. That’s why those who have an…
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Promote Yourself Without Promoting Yourself
Those who are proud of their work and want their leaders to know, without coming across as self-promotional, simply feed their leaders with the updates and information they desire. Leaders always have an appetite to learn about those four topics. Avoiding taking credit or referring to yourself directly is the key. Learn to promote yourself…
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Agile Leaders Rely on a Network of Experts to Make Faster Decisions
The confidence to weigh options objectively is enhanced when leaders ask experts in their network to wrestle with the same choices they confront. No wonder agile leaders are seemingly more decisive than others. They get to conclusions faster because of their networks. How many experts who understand the issues you encounter are accessible to you?…
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Leaders Interrupt Bias Whenever They See It
Organizations are replete with hierarchy, status, and judgment. Clear lines of authority coupled with a clarity regarding quality standards facilitate productivity and desired outcomes. But the downside of authority and constant evaluation is real. The negative consequence of status and earned privilege, such as seniority, tenure, and leadership roles, is a workplace filled with unspoken
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The Secret That Isn’t
If our most dominate thoughts define us, then successful people work hard to eliminate or replace negative ones. They purposely chose optimistic and empowering thoughts over pessimistic and disempowering ones. The bottom line is this: Taking responsibility for what we think is of the utmost importance. While thinking positively does not guarantee results, it sure…
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A Good Strategy is Always Evolving
Changes in strategy rarely require abandonment or full-scale revision. Most strategies or plans evolve by adding pieces and emphasizing key issues. On occasion, a dynamic strategy must change course or revoke some of its working premises as changes in the environment require more than mere tweaking. Not to worry. There is no perfect strategy, nor…