Research tagged with "Leadership"

Nobody likes a praise sandwich. So why do leaders keep giving it? Instead, organizations should make on-the-job learning on motivating skills a part of every day. The 5 steps to building apprenticeship cultures: Step 1: Start with a skill catalog. Step 2: Colleagues initiate the process. Step 3: Leaders and colleagues create on-the-job learning plans. Step 4: Leaders and colleagues work together to practice. Step 5: Colleagues seek endorsement.

The typical annual goal-setting process results in three major issues: gamesmanship, siloing, and demotivation. This year, what if you tried something different? We're not suggesting that you abandon your goals. Having a motivating alignment mechanism makes a lot of sense. Instead, follow this simple five-step process: 1. Understand the basic constraints. 2. Start with strategy. 3. Make prioritization the first part of your weekly rhythm. 4. Make problem solving the second part of your weekly rhythm. 5. Deep dive or delegate.

Companies spend way too much time in bureaucracy. Rather than focus on performance and impact, the most common operating systems focus colleagues on deflecting blame, earning a pat on the head, attaining the next promotion, and then getting out of there. This isn't performance. It's performance art. To build companies that can thrive in the future of work, leaders must learn only ten key frameworks. 1‍. Diagnose your organization's performance culture 2. Discover your total motivation 3. The performance & motivation connection 4. Operating models create motivation 5. Vision & strategy set the north star 6. Structure & roles create meaningful ownership 7. Performance cadences maintain the drumbeat 8. Habit-based leadership gives every leader a playbook 9. Skill-based talent systems make apprenticeship easy and fun 10. Play profiles match colleagues to work

‍Job descriptions are critical, so why are so many so bad? Job descriptions often serve as the first introduction a person has to their job. They set expectations and can help colleagues start with momentum. However, in practice, many job descriptions are uninspiring and not particularly helpful. To write exciting, useful job descriptions, infuse them with purpose, vision, and customer-centric storytelling.

As a leader, it can be extremely frustrating when your team struggles to solve problems. You don't want to micromanage, but you also need to land viable solutions that drive results - and do it quickly. Fortunately, there's a 6-step flow you can follow to solve problems effectively, inclusively, and efficiently. Frame goals as intriguing questions 1. Frame goals as intriguing questions 2. Share important context 3. Separate idea generation and evaluation 4.Embrace asynchronous idea collection and discussion 5.Categorize ideas to identify patterns and blind spots 6.Use clear criteria to choose ideas

In too many companies, too many people are stuck in a vicious cycle of endless meetings - to the point that in order to get any work done, they have to multi-task, paying little attention in most meetings. As a result of split attention, it becomes hard to get anything done in meetings, which typically spawns yet more meetings to pick up the slack. This burden is worse for a company's most skilled people, who tend to be pulled into every issue. Not only does this burn them out; it also means they have little time to develop their colleagues' skills. This dynamic is the direct result of the most common performance management systems. High performance in teams and organizations hinges on the frequency and quality of feedback loops. The "Law of Requisite Variety" suggests that systems must match the complexity of their inputs to perform well. Effective performance management should balance tactical and adaptive performance, ensuring both flexibility and alignment. To achieve this balance, organizations need high-quality, high-frequency feedback loops that motivate teams through play, purpose, and potential. Feedback should be mostly asynchronous to allow for deeper thinking and eliminate bottlenecks. Medium-form writing is effective for coaching and teaching first principles. By focusing on motivation, strategy, problem-solving, processes, and skills, organizations can create environments that drive sustainable high performance and adaptability in dynamic conditions.