Field notes
Field Notes
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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It’s somewhat astounding how often leaders who play favorites, manage work-life balance poorly, have difficulty delegating to others, and express high emotions when they are frustrated have experienced those same tactics themselves from a leader or role model in their lives.
Who and what we model after has a tremendous influence on what we do. Among the most common negative lessons leaders learn from others, one stands out for its pervasiveness and coercive effect on others: Micromanaging to get things done.
People don’t separate the content of feedback from the person giving it. The source of the feedback we receive is as important as the message itself. People judge the value of the feedback almost entirely on who is delivering it. Once those receiving the feedback conclude that the giver has the experience, skill, and context to make them believable, the judgment of motive takes center stage.
Why are so many clubs, volunteer organizations, and member-centric associations so poorly run? Despite the fact that there is nothing about the nature of such organizations that prevents them from being well managed and led, national surveys show that a minority of member-oriented institutions are viewed as being effectively managed and operated compared to other non-profits and businesses.
Impatient people simply can’t wait.
They want to hear the news, achieve the outcome, and talk through the problem right NOW. They’ve been told repeatedly over the years that they need to slow down, “hold their horses,” and accept what they cannot control. But they find waiting painful. Their intolerance for delay makes them anxious and unhappy while waiting for just about anything.
A popular maxim among communication professionals is that people “cannot NOT communicate.”
This adage refers to the idea that others interacting with you will draw meaning from everything you say and do, whether you want them to or not. All behavior is a form of communication, even when you are silent or not actively trying to convey a message. This is an important idea because it suggests that people should be more conscious about how others are interpreting them since they might want to influence those evaluations. Of the many possible readings people make of your behavior, three stand out for their importance: task, identity, and relationship.
The value of expertise is uneven and hard to measure. Those with the experience, know-how, street smarts, and acumen to apply their knowledge to important problems and opportunities will always be in high demand. In many cases, these experts demand an unusually high dollar for their wisdom, opinions, or solutions, and people still line up for their services.
