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New Research on Healthy Conflict
There is some new research that helps us understand the conflict behaviors that are associated with improved performance. I went through it and translated the findings into practical techniques you can use to contribute to high performance on your team (and added a bonus list of things not to do).
Facts Don’t Solve Fights
Are you smart, logical, armed with compelling evidence to support your case? Yeah, I thought so. Sadly, that’s not likely to do any good if you find yourself in a real argument with your colleagues. While facts are great for problem-solving, they’re of little use in conflict resolution. Read on to learn why facts don’t solve fights.
Unseen Work
I had an epiphany last week about the source of so much frustration and resentment on teams. I’ve labeled the problem, “unseen work.” In this post, I describe what unseen work is and provide a quick exercise you can do to identify and address any problems with unseen work before they trigger resentment on your team.
Your Value is in Identifying the Problem, Not Solving It
You’re smart. You have good ideas. You share them liberally. You create defensiveness. You get frustrated. Neil Gaiman offers terrific advice on why, when reviewing someone else’s work, you should identify problems but not propose solutions.
Exercise: Giving Feedback Gently
Sharing the new technique I’m using to help people give each other feedback without triggering defensiveness or self-doubt.
Improve Your Leading Indicators
Having a good set of leading indicators helps you manage any change initiative. Here’s what you might be missing from yours.
Season Finale
An unfiltered video post where I reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly of Covid for me and ask you to share with me your version.
Communicate More When You Know Less
Another personal story that illustrates a universal point. When there is uncertainty about the future, communicate more, not less. You don’t need all the answers to help alleviate anxiety.
Dealing with the Team Historian
Do you have someone on your team who responds to every question about the future with a statement about the past? Are they holding your strategic conversations back? Here are some tips to manage your team historian.
Do Teams Decide?
Most teams think that one of the most important activities they do as a team is to make decisions. I argue that teams don’t make decisions and those that try to are less efficient and effective than those that assign the authority for a decision to an individual. Does your team suffer with any of these symptoms of team decision-making?
Conversations About Racism
When I look at all the advice I’ve given about productive conflict, I realize that some of it applies perfectly to conversations about racism and some of it doesn’t. I’m revisiting my rules and revising them for how to fight the good fight when it comes to conversations about systemic racism.
How to Onboard New Employees Remotely
A few people have asked me how they can successfully onboard new employees when we’re still stuck in work from home. It’s possible, it will just require that you’re more deliberate about what you want the new team member to experience and more creative about how to make that happen remotely. Here are some strategies you can use to orient new employees in a work from home world.