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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Developing a Strategic Negligence
It’s critically important for leaders to know what is important and urgent and what isn’t. Good leaders decide this on their own. Just because others see something as important doesn’t mean it is. By assessing the landscape of problems, opportunities, and tasks in their environment, good leaders can decide where they want to spend their
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If You Can’t Solve a Problem, Make It Bigger
Some problems defy resolution. They are either too complex, too full of negative history, or too big to address easily. The size and scope of some problems make finding a workable solution nearly impossible. That’s where systems thinking comes to the rescue. Systems thinking views problems and their components as a whole rather than just…
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We Don’t Get There Without You
Leaders naturally single out those team members whose contributions stand out. Those who take charge, operate with initiative, and drive assignments forward get the bulk of the praise and recognition from leaders. It only makes sense to focus on those out in front and who make things go. But great leaders don’t forget about the…
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Make Recognition More Specific
Good leaders recognize the work, effort, and outcomes of those team members who make a real contribution to important outcomes. Unfortunately, most leaders are too general in their acknowledgment and miss an opportunity to boost engagement and add jet fuel to self-motivation. Team members want to know when their work matters, and that their leader
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The Nudge of Thanking People in Advance
Thanking people in advance for something they would do anyway is simply a nudge and nothing more. But it works. Perhaps the most important thank-you nudges for leaders are: Expressions of appreciation for quality work before it has been completed. Thanking people for their candidness before they are candid. Thanking them for following group norms…
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How Far Should You Go to Accommodate a Superstar?
Leaders naturally treat their best team members differently than others. They give them more time, attention, responsibility, and information. When it comes to those with extraordinary talents and skills, leaders commonly give the Superstar the extra resources they need to perform at their best. Within reason, whatever the Superstar asks for, they get. Leaders smartly…
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What’s Your Strategy for Sitting All Day?
Sitting for long periods of time is an inescapable fact of life for many leaders. One downside of an increased dependence on virtual calls and meetings is equal dependence on a sedentary work style. The dangers posed by sitting for extended periods are well-known. Prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases,…
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What Does it Mean When You’re Told You Need to Be More Strategic?
A common recommendation leaders hear from those above them is to work to become more strategic. Thinking, acting, and engaging more strategically sounds like straightforward advice and feedback. But what does it actually mean? In some cases, the idea of becoming more strategic is exactly what it sounds like. The feedback points to the need…
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Leading People Who Know More Than You Do or Do Work You’ve Never Done
As leaders gain more experience and rise in organizations, they invariably lead people who do work they have never done and know things that they don’t know. As a result, leaders are often asked questions they cannot answer or even understand. So, how do leaders show up credibly to those who are more expert than…
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When a Question Becomes Feedback
Feedback can be carried by an infinite number of styles and expressions. People can be direct or indirect, specific or general, or focused on the past or present when they offer feedback. The goal is the same — to influence another person’s behavior. Sometimes, the less direct approach lessens the odds that the other party…