
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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Unlearning is an Important Part of Learning
Letting go of outdated beliefs, inaccurate opinions, and unproductive habits makes room for new ideas and practices. The process of unlearning frees up mental space and allows leaders to adapt to changes in a fast-paced workplace. Unlearning isn’t about forgetting. It is about reevaluating and replacing.
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Start the Next Project Immediately
Start the Next Project Immediately
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A Team Member Repairing a Damaged Reputation Needs to Make a Sacrifice
It takes years to build a solid reputation on a team. But only minutes to destroy it. Reputations are fragile, especially when it comes to tight-knit teams. Doing an exceptionally wrong thing, in the wrong way, at the wrong time, can make a team member an outcast with everyone around them suspicious of their actions.
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Be Careful About How You Ask Your Leader for Advice
When confronting a complex or challenging issue, seeking the guidance of your leader can be a smart call. Not only can their insight and experience make a difference, but inquiring about their viewpoint can lay the foundation for a stronger relationship. Leaders naturally like to be asked what they think and enjoy the respect and
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Avoiding the Zebra Retreat
A Zebra Retreat is a term from medical decision-making that describes the tendency for doctors to shy away from pursuing a rare diagnosis (the “zebra”) even when the evidence strongly points to it as a possibility.
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Even When an Extreme Response Is Justified, Retaliation Is Judged More Harshly
Some leaders react, while other leaders retaliate. There’s a difference. Any time a leader reacts to “get even,” to “settle the score,” or to repay a perceived injustice, they are being retaliatory. Here’s the surprising fact: In all walks of life, the retaliator and not the offender commonly garners the negative press. This is true…
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Retaining the Talents of ‘Ready Now’ Leaders
Retaining the Talents of ‘Ready Now’ Leaders. As leaders and human resource professionals consider an organization’s succession plans, they often classify prospective promotees in three buckets: Ready in 3-5 Years, Ready in 1-2 Years, and Ready Now.
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Our Relationship with Others Depends First on our Relationship with Ourselves
Our Relationship With Others Depends First on Our Relationship With Ourselves
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Leaders Who Hijack Meetings
Passion and excitement are excellent qualities for leaders. People follow those who demonstrate confidence, strength, and conviction. Leaders who display an enthusiasm for ideas, decisions, and people draw people in and charge them up. Combined with a talent for telling engaging stories, impassioned leaders are hard to resist. It’s common for high-energy and passionate
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The Impact of Compressing Timelines
Parkinson’s Law suggests that work always expands to fill the time available to do it. People naturally plan their work to fill whatever time has been allotted. Leaders who give a team a month to do something find that it takes a month.





