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 Good Leaders Say No
“No” is a powerful word, full of strength and conviction. Sometimes it is the only word that works to convey a sense of closure and finality. “No” leaves little room for misinterpretation. The clarity it creates is unequaled. The downside of “No” is that it often disappoints people, can be too abrupt, and stifles discussion.…
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Without Career Clarity, High Talent Flies Away
Talent always wants to know what’s next. Talented people work hard to develop and grow their skills to be ready for the next opportunity and challenge. Because of the positive feedback they receive and the contributions they make, they feel entitled to one thing: clarity about what is being planned for them.
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Leverage Your Own Economies of Scale
Think about how to create new products, services, or offerings from the same set of factors you and your team are best at. The efficiencies this approach offers have a host of benefits, not the least of which is a hyper-focus on quality. Leaders rarely improve quality by cutting costs, but economies of scale prove…
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Group Wisdom: The Instantaneous and Anonymous Feedback From the Team
Good leaders are optimistic and positive, and they often design team meetings and off-sites to include a large dose of “happy talk.” During presentations and discussions, they paint a rosy picture of the enterprise, the vision and opportunity going forward, and the quality of the team and culture. While this pumps everyone up, it often…
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Your Feedback Beat Me Up
Negative feedback and criticism can sting. When anyone hears commentary that places their behavior or performance in a negative light, it can be shocking, especially if the criticism is unexpected or contrasts with what they believe is true. Feedback can evoke strong emotions when it touches upon personal insecurities or areas people feel strongly about.
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Maybe Catch a Spark
In the film A Complete Unknown, a fictionalized depiction of the early years and musical coming of age of Bob Dylan, a young Dylan visits a psychiatric hospital where his idol Woody Guthrie is suffering from Huntington’s disease. In the movie, Dylan shows up at the hospital unannounced. He not only gets to meet Guthrie…
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Elevating the Gravity of the Matter
To foster high team performance, leaders set priorities and direct the team to focus on issues that have the biggest impact on long-term success. But with so many ongoing projects, initiatives, and tasks, it is sometimes hard to break through the noise and elevate the urgency and importance of a particular issue without causing concern…
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Organizational Values Rarely Change But How they Apply Might
The best organizations in the world share a common feature. They have a long-standing commitment to a core set of values and principles that guide the enterprise and help it to navigate the many challenges and opportunities inherent in a fast-changing marketplace. In many cases, these values have stood the test of time over decades…
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Leaders Who Manage Others Poorly by Email
Email is a highly effective and efficient tool for sharing information. But it is a lousy medium from which to lead others. Leaders who depend on email to direct the team, encourage higher performance, send praise and admonishments, share feedback, and communicate strategy make a big mess of things. Because it lacks the social, visual,…
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Cultivating the Image of a Sage
Almost every team or organization has one. The colleague who doesn’t say much in most discussions. They sit back and watch while everyone else debates a topic or pounds out a conclusion or decision. They only enter the fray when they have something very special to say. Because what they offer is usually different and…