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.
Search Field Notes
-
I Already Do That!
It’s somewhat surprising to many leaders how often team members who receive actionable feedback and recommendations for improvement respond with, “I already do that!” This answer sometimes reflects a passive resistance to the advice; however, more often than not, the team member truly believes they are already performing the suggested action. They often lack an
-
Learn to Treat Senior Leaders as a Resource and Not as an Authority
More seasoned, experienced, and senior leaders often get involved with matters across the organization. In their attempt to add value and make others more effective, they commonly direct traffic, issue orders, call for meetings, and create strategies for addressing problems. They jump right over those below them who operate the ship. In their desire to…
-
What’s in Your Way?
Good leaders do everything in their power to remove obstacles that prevent team members from being the most productive they can be. Anything that stands in the way of a team member reaching their full potential and being the best they can be is ripe for discussion. Good leaders know that even when they are…
-
What a Suggestion Box Suggests About Your Team
Any group where everyone present can’t be heard or register their view because of the sheer number of participants will likely benefit from a suggestion box format. But for smaller teams, suggestions boxes impede openness. Good team leaders ask themselves if they would learn truly different ideas and suggestions with an anonymous format, like a…
-
Failure to Rescue
In the world of hospitals, patients, and physicians, there is a quality metric that speaks volumes about how well doctors and nurses think critically and attend to those who need them. Failure to Rescue refers to a delay in recognizing and responding to a patient’s needs or complications, usually resulting in death. As it turns out, a
-
Do You Know Who I Am?
Taking oneself too seriously is a challenge many leaders face and fail. In the heat of a conflict, it is a curse that makes everything so much worse.
-
The Right Practice Challenge Jump Starts Learning and Elevates Performance
Performers in any field get better by practicing difficult tasks. But only the right challenge at the right time allows performers to acquire and retain the important learning that improves long-term skill. Collecting and designing challenges for use now or in the future is a critical element for reaching higher levels of performance. What difficult…
-
Developing a Strategic Knowledge for Long-Term Credibility
What expertise do you have that is deeper and more robust than anyone else in the organization? Do you bring this strategic knowledge to many team discussions as a way of setting the standard for true expertise? It’s never too late or too early to begin developing such a deep and abounding expertise. Examine the…
-
Data Is Sometimes the Best Answer for Overcoming Resistance to Feedback
Some team members repeatedly resist the same feedback. They prefer to hang onto their self-view that the behaviors that derail them are not at issue. Others lack all awareness about what they do that negatively impacts others. They prefer their own wise counsel and pay little attention to what others suggest. As a result, they…
-
Apologizing for Other People’s Bad Behavior Underscores Your Values
When people observe others behaving poorly, rudely, or inappropriately, they typically shake their head and ignore the episode. Unless they know the transgressor well enough to predict their reaction to being confronted, most won’t take the chance to intervene. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something else they can do. Apologizing to the recipient of