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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By focusing on who people want to be, what they want to experience, and where they want to land, leaders give team members something only they can provide. The potential impact of this conversation cannot be overstated.
Many of the most important things in life are free. They just take some time and genuine interest. This special conversation is one of them. Consider having it with each and every person you lead.
People are incredibly busy. So much so that scheduling meetings and calls is becoming increasingly difficult. Add multiple people to that meeting, and it is nearly impossible to find a time that works for everyone anytime soon. The mistake not to make is waiting to schedule the meeting.
Relationships are guided by a large set of unspoken rules. These rules (how candid we can be, when we can interrupt, etc.) allow the parties to interact harmoniously and productively, and without unnecessary conflict.
Rules govern almost everything that happens in a relationship. Without them, the parties would be in a constant state of ambiguity or upset. Without discussion, we agree on the appropriate ways of expressing emotion, how much we should disclose to those outside of the relationship, when we should apologize, and how quickly we should respond to each other, among hundreds, if not thousands, of other rules. Most rules are assumed. Until one of the parties crosses a line.
What if you were to focus on one 10-minute block at a time? With every 10-minute block you engage more productively, you make yourself more effective. Find 10 minutes today to do something uncommonly well. Now find another 10 minutes to do it again. Productivity is never an accident. Every 10 minutes can count.
It is a tragedy when the results of a self-assessment test rob people of the desire and willingness to do better. Do your best to learn everything you can about yourself. A deeper understanding is essential for becoming the best version of yourself, and self-assessments can assist you in that process. But don’t allow what you learn to dissuade you from the need and opportunity to grow and develop. Even a High D and Low C can learn how to respectfully disagree. Don’t let anyone tell you differently, especially yourself.
