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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Where Do You Stand With Your Leader?
Leaders commonly expect team members to check in with them when engaging in important tasks and assignments. Some leaders insist on being asked for their views, while other leaders simply want to be kept up to speed on what has transpired. Looking at a composite of conversations leaders have with team members, we can generalize
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Gratefulness Is More About the Future Than the Past
Gratefulness Is More About the Future Than the Past. When we are truly grateful, those around us can sense the awe and optimism we have even with the future’s uncertainties. This energizes others and inspires the kind of hope they need to become more grateful, as well. As the old maxim goes, ”A grateful mind…
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Teaching Grit
The Hard Thing Rule is the daily practice of something outside your comfort zone. It is a practice that includes a bounty of feedback and requires a deep commitment to finish or achieve the end goal. Engaging against that daily challenge requires an individual to alter their normal tendencies, teaching them to develop more Grit.
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The Secret of Olympic Motivation
Good people want those they care about to be proud of them. The desire for that pride can sometimes be the push they need to overcome the obstacles preventing them from ultimate success. For Gregory, like so many other Olympians, the secret to motivation was to want his family to experience the thrill of victory…
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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
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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
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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.