What if you knew it would all work out?
What if we could get to Yes, AND?
What if we knew when to quit?
And what if you lost yourself in the service of others?
All of these things are possible with the help of Planners’ Picks this week. Enjoy these resources, and we hope to see some of you at the Employee Benefits and Resource Fair at Union South today. CSN will have a booth with information and giveaways.
:: Image of the Week
What If?
You’re haunted by your fears:
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“What if I can’t do it?”
“What if it’s not worth it?”
That uncertainty about the future permeates the present, turning your days into stressful experiences and leaving any progress feeling insufficient.
But what if you felt confident that it would all work out?
If those fears about the future went away, would the present moment be more enjoyable? Could you, perhaps, face your challenges with more courage, and celebrate your wins with more confidence? Could this perspective make the process of moving toward that future a better experience?
From thenewhappy.com weekly newsletter.
“If you do not know where you are going any road will take you there.” – M.N. Chatterjee
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
Getting to “Yes And” — The Art of Business Improv
Amidst the deluge of advice for businesspeople, there lies an overlooked tool, a key to thriving in today’s fast-paced, unpredictable environment: improvisation. In Getting to “Yes And” veteran improv performer, university professor, CEO, and consultant Bob Kulhan unpacks a form of mental agility with powers far beyond the entertainment value of comedy troupes. Drawing on principles from cognitive and social psychology, behavioral economics, and communication, Kulhan teaches readers to think on their feet and approach the most typical business challenges with fresh eyes and openness. He shows how improv techniques such as the “Yes, and” approach, divergent and convergent thinking, and focusing on being present can translate into more productive meetings, swifter decisions, stronger collaboration, positive conflict resolution, mindfulness, and more. Moving from the individual to the organizational level, Kulhan compiles time-tested teaching methods and training exercises into an instrumental guide that readers can readily implement as a party of one or a company of thousands.
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Art-Business-Improv/dp/0804795800
The UW-Madison Leadership Improv team meets monthly — Visit https://it.wisc.edu/it-community/committees-groups/uw-madison-it-connects/leadership-improv/ for more information on that opportunity to build your leadership muscle using improv skills.
:: Self-Leadership Development
If You Are a Leader Who Has Lost Motivation, Here’s What You Can Do
As the leader, you are the one expected to inspire and help your teams to stay motivated during challenging and difficult times. There is an expectation that you remain upbeat and positive. But what happens if you’re not? What happens when you as leader lose motivation, and you need motivating yourself? Leadership coach and author Carol Stewart has some suggestions.
“The right time was yesterday. The best time is now.” _ Shane Parrish
Annie Duke On How To Know When To Quit
Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion with over $4 million in tournament winnings, has seamlessly transitioned from the poker table to the world stage as an acclaimed author, speaker, and consultant. Best known for her bestselling books Thinking in Bets and Quit, Annie recently earned her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
In this episode of the Elevate Podcast, Annie sits down with host Robert Glazer to share key insights from her poker career, her unique approach to decision-making, the value of thinking in bets, and why knowing when to quit might just be the ultimate skill. She also dives deep into the psychological forces that hold us back from making better choices.
We all have things that we should quit instead of investing more time, money, or other resources. In the heat of the moment, it’s difficult to accurately assess whether it’s right to quit, as our emotions can cloud our judgment. Duke emphasizes the importance of knowing your “quit criteria”: the conditions under which it is more prudent to walk away, rather than persevere.
Tame Your Fear of Losing
Duke also discusses the concept of prospect theory, which dictates that people fear losses more than they value equivalent gains. Prospect theory makes quitting more difficult because we are unwilling to take a “loss” by giving up on something we’ve committed to. This loss aversion keeps people in jobs that no longer inspire them, in underwater stocks, or in relationships that no longer serve them.
One of the most powerful cognitive traps is the sunk cost fallacy, which prompts us to be reluctant to quit things that we’ve already invested in. In business and life, clinging to sunk costs can keep you stuck in bad situations. The best decision you can make in any situation is to think about what you would do in the moment if the past did not exist, as that’s usually the right choice.
What’s something that you are afraid to quit? More importantly, are you clear about your quit criteria?
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1S33tZIDQoGBDA35o2Tx8b
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.” – Kenny Loggins
:: Work Culture & Team Development
Leading through Conflict: Mastering Conflict Thoughtfully
Conflict is an inevitable part of the workplace and relationship building. For some, it’s the uninvited guest in a meeting or the storm cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Yet, within the dynamics of conflict lies the potential for extraordinary leadership and team building.
Paula Rauenbuehler, CEO and Founder of Leading UP, LLC, led a discussion at Sophia Partners on mastering conflict thoughtfully. Her background in emotional intelligence and neuroscience helps drive tangible results and can help you lead through conflict. Find details of that presentation here:
:: Developing Better Habits
Navigating Transitions: How to Maintain Good Habits When Your Routine Changes
Habits are easier to keep when we have a predictable, consistent schedule. For most people, when we do things in the same way, at the same time, every day, we experience less decision fatigue and we rely less on our own willpower to stick to our healthy habits—they become automatic.
However, at various times, we may experience major shifts in our routines, which can make it harder to maintain the habits that keep us happy and healthy.
See Gretchin Rubin’s ideas on maintaining good habits when your routine changes.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
:: Gratitude and Recognition
Pringle Award Nominations for University Staff Members Now Open
The Pringle Award is an acknowledgment of University Staff excellence, named for Elizabeth S. Pringle. The winner of the Pringle Award is selected from all submitted nominations reviewed by a five-person Committee of University Staff Shared Governance. The winner of the award receives $1,000 in compensation, which is added to their paycheck and, please note, is subject to normal tax deductions.
Anyone can submit an award nomination, regardless of their staff designation, Faculty, Academic, or University. The person that it is submitted on behalf of must be University Staff and must have completed their final probation. Please consider recognizing someone in the University Staff who is deserving of this award. Nominations may be sent to the Secretary at john.lease@wisc.edu by November 11, who will provide them to the Committee for review.
:: Inclusive Leadership
Give Career-growing Nudges
In The high-return activity of raising others’ aspirations, economist Tyler Cowen explained that when he was Director of Admissions for a graduate school, he found that some people applied only for a Masters program. They didn’t realize that it was common to apply straight to a Ph.D. program, skipping over the Masters.
Perhaps they were the first in their family to apply to graduate school. Maybe they didn’t have mentors who guided them on this unwritten rule during their undergraduate studies.
Regardless, Cowen would look out for strong candidates who had applied for a Masters and offer them Ph.D. admissions.
He wrote, “At critical moments in time, you can raise the aspirations of other people significantly, especially when they are relatively young, simply by suggesting they do something better or more ambitious than what they might have in mind. It costs you relatively little to do this, but the benefit to them, and to the broader world, may be enormous. This is in fact one of the most valuable things you can do with your time and with your life.”
Let’s consider how we might give a simple nudge to a marginalized colleague to help them grow their career. Perhaps to pursue a promotion. Or volunteer for a high-profile assignment. Or offer to give a stakeholder update at an upcoming meeting.
Suggesting they stretch themselves and that you believe in them could make a huge difference.
From the Better Allies Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/393cd48f9b9e/5-ally-actions-sep-20-2024?e=6ad6c46384
:: Communication
How to Shift from Hostility to Empathy in Political Conversations
In tough conversations, science suggests a way to bridge divides and foster understanding: by appealing to other people’s values. Lead with curiosity instead of judgment, and ask clarifying questions as opposed to trying to force your opinion upon others. The Greater Good Science Center has a short video on how canvassers might approach strangers around political conversations.
“It takes a great man to be a good listener.” – Calvin Coolidge
:: Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership: How to Transform Your Leadership Style
When we think of powerful servant leaders, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela may come to mind. All served their communities with tremendous humility, compassion, and dignity. Servant leadership is a transformational leadership philosophy that puts the well-being and growth of others first.
In times like ours, in which fostering engagement, enhancing staff well-being, and preventing staff burnout are high on the agenda of many leaders and organizations, we have much to gain from revisiting the principles of this model.
“Key qualities of servant leaders are humility, ensuring followers’ development, listening, sharing in decision-making, behaving ethically, and promoting a sense of community. The idea is that when followers’ needs and well-being are prioritized, they are able to achieve their goals, and this flows upward so that the leader’s and the organizational goals are met in turn.” – Canavesi & Minelli, 2022, p. 414
In this detailed article from Positive Psychology, let us examine its core features, psychological benefits, and how servant leadership can serve us on our mission of being outstanding leaders.
https://positivepsychology.com/servant-leadership/
:: Upcoming Events
Last Call to Submit a Proposal: UW–Madison Information & Technology Leadership Conference (I&TLC)
Last call: Don’t miss your opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences by submitting a proposal to the upcoming Information & Technology Leadership Conference (I&TLC)! The I&TLC is for employees who have leadership roles or aspire to lead. The planning committee is looking for presentations that engage the information and technology communities in conversations around leadership development, problem-solving, team building, and other aspects of leadership.
- Proposal deadline: October 10
- Conference date: December 3
- Keynote speaker: Laura Patterson, former CIO of the University of Michigan
For more information, visit the I&TLC website or contact the planning committee.
Servant Leadership Monthly Meetings at UW-Madison
Are you familiar with Robert Greenleaf and his ten principles of servant leadership? The next Madison Area Servant Leadership Meetup October 18th from 8:30-10:00 am CST. We connect over Zoom, and welcome people from UW-Madison and beyond in a welcoming environment of learning and sharing our experiences.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
Last month, we discussed one of Greenleaf’s principles of Servant Leadership, Building Community. This month, we will continue this topic from a different perspective and ask you to bring some stories about community building you’ve witnessed or initiated. We’re also interested in your observations on how the quality of our communities has changed post-COVID and what we need to do to nurture these relationships. A full agenda can be found here, and we welcome everyone to join us, even if you did not attend in September or have never been part of this group.
Join the Zoom Meeting 10/18 @ 8:30 am:
https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/96004032917?pwd=V0Naa2VNWEE3WGF3RHM1WnpVL3ZsUT09&from=addon
Meeting ID: 960 0403 2917
Passcode: 031378
Leadership and Management Development Conference
Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 4:15 pm
Location: Union South
Join emerging and advanced leaders from UW-Madison and the Madison community for a full day of professional development to develop the skills to lead and manage more effectively. Participants will walk away with skills that can be applied to their own work as well as their teams and organizations. Participants do not need to be in a position of direct leadership to attend and benefit from the Leadership and Management Development Conference.
Campus Supervisors Network planning committee members will be having a panel discussion on leading multi-generational teams during this conference! Please come and support us as we share stories from our work environments.
Register by October 14, 2024 to secure your participation at the conference. Registration Fee: $135 for UW-Madison and affiliates, $175 for non-affiliates. Fee includes workshops, keynote session, continental breakfast, and lunch. All sessions will be in person at Union South. No livestream or recordings will be provided.
https://hr.wisc.edu/leadership-and-management-development-conference/