This week we’re kicking off the football season, bumping up against the volleyball season, and pushing toward the start of the 2024 fall school semester on campus.
How can we use the hidden patterns of the day to build the ideal schedule? Why is asking so hard? How Do You Interview for Character? These questions and more are answered in this week’s PP news. Enjoy!
:: Image of the Week
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
WHEN: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don’t know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork.
Timing, it’s often assumed, is an art. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink shows that timing is really a science.
Drawing on a rich trove of research from psychology, biology, and economics, Pink reveals how best to live, work, and succeed. How can we use the hidden patterns of the day to build the ideal schedule? Why do certain breaks dramatically improve student test scores? How can we turn a stumbling beginning into a fresh start? Why should we avoid going to the hospital in the afternoon? Why is singing in time with other people as good for you as exercise? And what is the ideal time to quit a job, switch careers, or get married?
In When, Pink distills cutting-edge research and data on timing and synthesizes them into a fascinating, readable narrative packed with irresistible stories and practical takeaways that give readers compelling insights into how we can live richer, more engaged lives.
https://www.danpink.com/books/when/
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton
:: Communication
The Hardest Word to Say
Do you know what one of the hardest words to say is? It’s a tiny, three letter word and many of us find incredibly tough to say. Any guesses? It’s ASK.
Why is ASKing So Hard? Believe it or not, “ask” might be the easiest word to spell, but it’s one of the hardest to use. I never—never—see it misspelled, yet it seems like we all struggle with it. So, why do we cringe at the thought of asking for something?
- Fear of Rejection
- Fear of Being a Burden
- Desire to Appear Strong
- Unrealistic Expectations
- Vulnerability
- Seeming Transactional
According to Psychology Today, asking can be super affirming and connecting: “Reflect on the pleasure you’ve experienced from helping other people, and share that joy by enabling the people who care about your success to help you whenever they can.”
Helping others actually makes people feel good! When we ask for help, we might be empowering the person we’re asking. Crazy, right? So what does this have to do with Neurodivergence?
For our Neurodivergent (ND) friends, asking can be even trickier. Past experiences might make them fear judgment, misunderstandings, or just the simple difficulty of expressing their needs. The ND individual might hide behind a mask, making it even tougher to ask.
For Neurotypical (NT) folks, it’s crucial to create a safe space for ND individuals. Assure them they’re valued and heard. In ND/NT relationships, cultivating safety, understanding, and a sense of exploration when asking for anything is key. And guess what? It’s invigorating! So, next time you need something, just ASK! You might be surprised by the positive response you get.
Taken from the Mandate to Elevate Newsletter, by Mariah & Byron Edgington, who are committed to changing the narrative around Neurodivergence as a benefit, not a deficit. https://www.mandatetoelevate.com/
:: Fostering Kindness and Empathy
The Kindness Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Fostering Kindness and Empathy at Work
Workplace challenges are more complex (and dynamic) than ever. And, in the meantime, organizations continue searching for effective ways to improve employee well-being and productivity. Is it possible that the answer lies in something as simple yet profound as kindness?
Kindness at work goes beyond mere politeness or pleasantries. It’s a powerful force that can truly revolutionize organizational culture, boost employee engagement, and drive business success.
But what exactly does kindness at work look like, and how can organizations harness its potential?
In this post we will examine how kindness creates a positive and thriving culture, strategies for implementing kindness initiatives, challenges you might face along the way, and how to measure the return on investment of your kindness efforts.
:: Self-Leadership Development
How to Keep Growing
Senior and C-suite leaders can’t merely espouse the importance of learning and growing; they have to practice what they preach in perpetuity to stay nimble. In this Chief Executive piece, David Novak, retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, writes that leaders must avoid “the stagnation trap” as they achieve success, and remember that “any of us can become better, more active learners at any point in our careers or life.” He recommends five foundational habits that contribute to lifelong active learning.
1. Invite more truth-tellers into your life. “I’ve been lucky enough to have some amazing truth tellers in my life . . . I didn’t always want to hear what they had to say, but I made myself listen.” Novak advises: “Find your truth tellers. Encourage them to speak up. Make it safe for them to be honest and open”
2. Learn to see the world the way it really is. “Delusional people don’t learn well, which is why active learners keep orienting themselves to reality. Our truth-tellers can help, but we need to do more to avoid interpreting events based on what we wish rather than what is.”
3. Give away credit for successful ideas. “If you want to encourage people to share more of their brilliant ideas with you, give away the credit as often as you can. Recognize people for their valuable contributions every day. And take the heat for the ideas that don’t succeed.”
4. Prime your brain for learning. “For years, as the CEO of KFC and then Yum! Brands, I had an embroidered pillow in my bedroom that just said, ‘PLAN.’ It was a reminder to take time every night to prepare for the following day—to review my meetings, read analyst reports, check in on major projects and more. I wanted to walk into every day ready to listen, learn and deliver my best.”
5. Teach. “Research has shown that when we teach or give advice, we are better at taking that advice ourselves . . .The process of sharing our knowledge forces us to simplify it, break it down to the essentials, and codify it so that it can be digested and understood. That simplification process helps us understand it in new and better ways, or sometimes helps us test and clarify our ideas.”
Get the full story here: https://chiefexecutive.net/5-habits-for-ceos-who-want-to-become-better-active-learners/
“The Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past.” – Rishad Tobaccowala
Transcend Leadership Struggles Through Your Strengths, with Lisa Cummings
Lisa Cummings is the founder of Lead Through Strengths, a firm supporting building strengths into your team’s culture. She’s also the host of the Lead Through Strengths podcast. Lisa is a Gallup-certified strengths coach and has trained over 20,000 people in 14 countries. Today, she facilitates offsites and retreats to help leaders and their teams go deep on utilizing their strengths well.
When challenges arise in leadership, we sometimes miss what’s right in front of us. In this conversation, Lisa and I discuss how to zero in on your core strengths and utilize them to address new challenges that arise.
Key Points
- Lisa began her StrengthsFinder journey through the First Break All the Rules book. Dave began his with the Soar With Your Strengths book.
- Many of us value what we’ve worked hardest to achieve, but those areas aren’t typically our core strengths.
- The talents appearing on the bottom of your StrengthsFinder assessment are the approaches that tend to drain you and lead to burnout.
- It’s helpful to focus on removing blind spots. Those are most often hidden in our top strengths.
- When new leadership issues come up, aim your top strengths at them. Often, there’s an opportunity to reframe challenges in the context of your strengths.
The Future of Leadership: What’s Next for Leaders Webinar Replay
Kevin Eikenberry is the author of Long Distance Leader, a book CSN featured in our book club series a few years ago. Kevin continues to put resources out for leaders and recently hosted a webinar on the changing leadership landscape. The replay of Kevin’s webinar, The Future of Leadership: What’s Next for Leaders in The Distributed World of Work, is now live. Watch this video for some insights on leading teams in person, or as hybrid and remote models.
“Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks
:: Work Culture & Team Development
How Do You Interview for Character?
“What does this person add that is different or missing from our culture?”
Most interviews tend to focus on skills, experience, education and whether this person is like them (even if that’s an unconscious bias). It does little to reveal who that person really is, what motivates them and how they will work with others. Read Rachel Botsman’s article on rethinking what we seek in our interviews with regard to character and culture.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-you-interview-character-rachel-botsman-c4nnf/
Teamwork: The Skill You Can’t Afford to Ignore
No one is born knowing how to interact with different personality styles, handle difficult interactions, or show empathy when frustrated. You can learn how to do it, though.
Learning teamwork can be difficult because it seems like it should be obvious. How many times have you heard the following?
- Listen to what team members are saying and pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Acknowledge and appreciate the unique strengths each team member brings.
- Try to understand the other person’s perspective before jumping to conclusions.
None of this is new! This is common sense, right? Maybe until you actually have to do it.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teamwork-skill-you-cant-afford-ignore-darcy-luoma–quf5e/
:: Diversity and Inclusion
Shifting Mindsets, Transforming Cultures with Dr. Gena Cox, Minette Norman, and Sara Taylor
“When leaders don’t act inclusively, others won’t either.” – Gena Cox
Diversity offers many benefits but only in organizations with inclusive cultures. So, what can business leaders do to foster inclusive organizational cultures? Listen in as Dr. Gena Cox, Minette Norman, and Sara Taylor share key insights about the current urgency to invest in organizational culture and dive into the transformative power of inclusive leadership.
Today’s professionals are drawn to organizations that prioritize human-centered approaches and inclusivity. The insights shared by these authors offer valuable guidance to help you cultivate such an environment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-8PGYFLKhw
Learn more about their books and work:
- Sara Taylor, “Thinking at the Speed of Bias” – https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/book
- Minette Norman, “The Boldly Inclusive Leader” – https://www.minettenorman.com/
- Gena Cox, “Leading Inclusion” – https://genacox.com/
“Equality applies the same rules and advantages to all in an attempt to treat everyone fairly. While used with the best of intentions, the results are rarely equal.” – Sara Taylor
:: Upcoming Events
CSN Presents: Maximizing Employee Growth with the Knowledges and Skills Hub
Join us for an engaging online workshop designed specifically for managers eager to drive their team’s professional development to new heights. Learning and Talent Development is proud to introduce the Knowledges and Skills Hub, a powerful new tool created to enhance employee growth and career progression.
In this workshop, you’ll discover how the Knowledges and Skills Hub can empower your team members to overcome obstacles, bridge skill gaps, and elevate their performance. We’ll guide you through the features and benefits of this resource, providing you with practical strategies to integrate it into your management practices. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped to leverage the Hub to support your employees in advancing their careers, ultimately contributing to stronger team performance and overall success.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the core features of the Knowledges and Skills Hub.
- Learn how to identify and address skill gaps within your team.
- Gain insights on using the Hub to support career development and performance improvement.
- Explore practical examples of how to integrate the Hub into your daily management practices.
Date: September 17, 2024
Time: 1:30-2:30 pm
Register here: https://go.wisc.edu/uw1a16
Virtual LeaderCon
Virtual LeaderCon is an annual virtual leadership event that supports the growth and development of leaders across the globe. Over 2 days, you’ll hear directly from practitioners and industry leaders on the most pressing and emerging leadership and learning topics. This is hosted by
Learn from today’s top leadership experts in an engaging and interactive virtual learning environment, get answers to your most challenging questions and win prizes, books and more! This event is free for the general public (Basic option) for its two-day agenda. You can come and go as you please, so don’t feel like you need to be available for all of it. Pick the session that interests you and learn from these world-class experts.
Virtual LeaderCon creates a community of learners. You will learn from the experts, and also from the insights, experiences, questions, and camaraderie with other learners – your peers – around the world. Since the sessions are live and interactive, you can engage with these peers in real time – and even connect with them for further post-event learning too, if you choose.
Some sessions currently in the schedule:
How Grit and Disciplined Duty Forge Indomitable Teams – Jan Rutherford & Jacquie Jordan
Boldly Inclusive Leadership – Minette Norman
Master Your Minutes: Time Management Secrets for Success – Mary Abbajay
How to Work with (Almost) Anyone – Michael Bungay Stanier
Navigating Workplace Conflict: How to Have More Influence, Less Drama, and Better Collaboration – Karin Hurt & David Dye
And more!
Dates: September 18-19
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm online