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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The 24-Hour Rule of Celebration and Mourning
The 24-Hour Rule of Celebration and Mourning
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When Processing Email Stands for Productivity
Email overload is all too real for many leaders. But setting boundaries regarding when to check your inbox and how much time you’re willing to commit to do so is essential for fighting overload. Consider mastering the use of email filters and templates to assist in your effort. The bottom line is that processing emails…
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The Pain of Leaving Your Team for Another Opportunity
Good leaders feel a deep responsibility for the team they have helped to create. Loyalty to individual team members and the team itself is top of mind when new opportunities arise. The idea of leaving colleagues who have sacrificed for the team leader and were often recruited by them appears particularly self-serving and disloyal. So
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Good Leaders Help Others to Recognize Harmful Patterns in Their Behavior
If the ability to discern patterns is a source of wisdom, then leaders are most wise when they make those patterns explicit for those they lead. No one gets better without understanding the patterns that get in their way. Good leaders call them out, knowing all the while that patterns are created by behavior and…
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When Was the Last Time You Used a Decision Tree?
The decision-maker starts with a presumptive question that serves as the foundation for the tree. For instance, the initial variable in the dessert example may be cost: Do we have an unlimited budget for the dessert? The answer Yes might take us to the next branch question: Do we have more than 24 hours to…
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People Want to Be Part of Something Special
Waiting for the next notable experience doesn’t prevent good leaders from creating distinctive and remarkable relationships with team members. By gaining a deep understanding of who people really are and creating the connections all people desire, leaders can forge thick relationships with team members that make them feel extra special.
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Leaders Who Own All of the Key Decisions
Some leaders can’t give up control or don’t feel comfortable unless they own all the important decisions for the team or organization. Even when they delegate less critical decisions to others, they maintain “veto power” over the decision. If they don’t like the decision, they get involved and change it. The idea of owning or…
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Good People Like to Help Good People
The idea you want to learn from this person and would do anything for that chance acts like a magnet to attract positive affect. Of course, sincerity matters most. If done just to create goodwill, the request will usually backfire. Most people are good souls. They hold positive values, stand for quality, and act with good…
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The Kiva Method for Inclusive Decision-Making
The tribal elders of the Hopi nation knew a thing or two about inclusive decision-making. They originated a decision-making process that is all but forgotten but is poised for a comeback. The so-called Kiva Method, drawn from the structures in which the decisions were made and devised generations ago, allows minor voices to influence more
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When It Comes to End-Users and Customers, It’s All About Reducing Friction
When It Comes to End-Users and Customers, It’s All About Reducing Friction