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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Is Your Organization Scrappy?
We reserve the word “scrappy” for people, teams, and organizations that operate effectively with limited resources. Because they don’t enjoy abundant assets, scrappy leaders and organizations must generate creative solutions to solve problems that others throw people and money at. Scrappy organizations make the most of what they have. It’s a hands-on and DIY (Do It Yourself)
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What Leaders Should Never Pay For
A workplace environment where leaders and peers commonly celebrate and acknowledge team member achievements and contributions can best be described as a “culture of recognition.” Such a culture emphasizes high performance and values individual and team success, which thereby boosts morale, motivation, and engagement.
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The Ingredients of a Culture of Recognition
A workplace environment where leaders and peers commonly celebrate and acknowledge team member achievements and contributions can best be described as a “culture of recognition.” Such a culture emphasizes high performance and values individual and team success, which thereby boosts morale, motivation, and engagement.
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No Competitor is as Dangerous as an Uncommitted Team Member
The true enemy may be within the walls of the organization. Ask team members to anonymously rate how many of their colleagues are fully engaged and committed to the short and long-range goals of the organization or team, and you are likely to be surprised at the estimate.
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Taking Away the Excuse for Inaction
People who want to avoid acting or executing often ask to “study” the problem or issues. By engaging in serious inquiry about a problem or decision, they create a delay that inhibits action. Whenever people are feeling uncertain, uncomfortable, or less expert, it is not uncommon for them to suggest that studying or thinking more…
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“Guard Against” Advice
Good leaders anticipate the challenges and issues faced by team members and move to prevent them from becoming problems. They provide invaluable advice when they offer a caution or warning about a potential quagmire. When given in a caring and positive way, these “guard against” messages can avert an unfolding issue or thwart an unseen…
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Helping Reticent Team Members Find the Courage to Speak Up
The reasons people have for doing what they do reveal a great deal about their character, values, fears, and needs. This is especially true when we examine why people speak up and register their views with others.
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The Humility Myth
Humility is a superpower when possessed by competent and experienced leaders. Humble leaders draw the respect and admiration of everyone around them. By engaging others with humility, leaders build trust, deepen relationships, become more approachable, and create an atmosphere of openness and collaboration.
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When Team Members and Performers Reach a Plateau and Stop Developing
It is quite common for top performers to reach a level of performance where they stop making gains in their skills, outcomes, and insights. When they reach this plateau, they seem incapable of improving any further. Psychologists call this stall in improvement “arrested development,” and it happens to just about everyone at some point. As
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What Leaders Everywhere Can Learn From Disney Magic
At Disney’s theme parks, Magical Moments are planned events. “The Cast,” as Disney calls their park staff, are charged with a series of staged activities to enhance the guest experience and make it memorable. For instance, each day a family is chosen to officially open the park, a child is asked to introduce each live