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Do You Need to Protect Your People?
“I’m very protective of my people.” That’s a line I heard last week from an executive addressing the question of whether it’s ok for members of the executive team to give feedback to one another’s direct reports. What do you think? Is it necessary to “protect” your people? What would be the necessary ground rules for you to be willing to let your peers give feedback directly to your team? Hmmm… fun questions!
Why You Should Stop Using Adjectives
I love language. I have always adored selecting the perfect word to convey exactly what I mean. At least until I realized that those gorgeous, expressive, sumptuous adjectives that I love are little rascals. How could your management benefit from ditching the adjectives?
The Importance of Transitions
If you’re working from home, you have the huge benefit of not having to commute. But research shows that the ideal commute isn’t no commute. A commute allows a natural transition between your personal roles and your work roles. Here’s how to recreate an effective transition when you’re working from home.
When Not to Apologize
A sincere and direct apology can do a world of good. Unfortunately, a misplaced apology can send mixed messages and impact your leadership. Do you agree with me that apologies are out of place in these three situations?
Good and Bad Apologies
There is a good way to apologize and there are many, many bad ways. This week, I provide the formula for a good apology, one that increases trust and confidence. And for fun, I share a laundry list of bad apologies, some of which you might have heard from your own colleagues over the years.
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.