We’re not scared of deleting negativity, creating psychological safety, or dealing with conflict in this Halloween issue of Planners’ Picks. We’ll also learn how and when to pick our battles and find awe in the most unlikely of places.
:: Image of the Week
Ctrl + Alt + Del for Life
Think about it—
Life’s got its own shortcuts.
Control?
It’s about mastering the only thing you truly can—yourself.
Emotions, reactions, choices—
All under your control, if you decide they are.
Alter?
Shift that mindset.
We get so used to old thoughts,
But growth requires new perspectives,
Different angles, better beliefs.
Delete?
Negativity.
That toxic self-talk, those doubts that creep in—
Delete them.
They have no place in the life you’re building.
Hit reset.
Start fresh,
With a better version of you.
“You cannot solve a problem if you are thinking on the same level you were when you created the problem.” – Albert Einstein
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
Finding Awe in Every Step
How can we feel connected to the world around us? Singer Diana Gameros tries to cultivate a sense of awe in the most unlikely of places. Listen to this episode of the Greater Good Magazine podcast where she speaks and sings about awe with Dacher Keltner.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/diana_gameros
“Wonder and awe allow us to transcend the ordinary…even to test our concepts of time and scale. We are, as they say, in the moment. Wonder inspires us to open our hearts and our minds to engender gratitude.” – Louie Schwartzberg, Gratitude Revealed Movie
:: Managing Up
Managing your Manager
Waiting for feedback? You’re doing it wrong – Here’s why managing your manager is critical: Gallup says 70% feel their manager doesn’t manage them well. See this infographic from Justin Mecham on LinkedIn on the top tips to build a great manager relationship.
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
Think Again by Adam Grant
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential, Originals, and Give and Take examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval–and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people’s minds–and our own. As Wharton’s top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he’s right but listen like he’s wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You’ll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don’t have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It’s an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Again-Power-Knowing-What/dp/1984878107
“Before you change the world, you have to change yourself.” – Bill George
:: Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging
Six Questions to Create Psychological Safety with Your Team Members
Jean Marie DiGiovanna shared 6 questions to help increase psychological safety with your team. They are meant to be asked in conversations and can help develop that foundation for more psychological safety. You should be asking these six questions in your next performance management review.
:: Work Culture & Team Development
Unlocking Organizational Success: How to Connect Personal Values with Corporate Culture
What many executives often fail to recognize is that you can’t have an agile organization without a culture of agile people. Everything organizations plan for is dependent on people who bring the best of who they are forward each day so that everyone thrives. These employees dare to converse, are curious, and operate from a place of values and groundedness.
If you’re a leader, it’s essential to understand that employees won’t enact a value just because you claim it as your own or state its importance on your company website. Announcing a commitment to a customer-first mindset, care, or innovation isn’t enough to make anyone feel a kinship with that value, let alone change their behavior. These statements are largely viewed with deep cynicism as empty rhetoric.
So what is the most powerful way to move values from rhetoric to demonstrable reality? Read Susan David’s newsletter to find out.
How to Deal with Team Conflict and Get Everyone Back to Work
You’ve got a clear focus on what matters most. Your team seems to work well together, but then you get that call: “I need to talk to you about …” or a team member explodes at their teammates and storms off the floor. It’s conflict, a disagreement, or a clash of personalities. Handle it well and you’ll build trust and influence. But ignore it or respond poorly and not only do you lose trust and credibility, but the conflict distracts your team from the work that matters most. Team conflict can feel like quicksand and a distraction from your work, but it’s an excellent opportunity to improve morale, productivity, and processes.
See what the team at Let’s Grow Leaders lists as 8 ways to deal with team conflict in this post.
https://letsgrowleaders.com/2024/10/18/how-to-deal-with-team-conflict/
“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” –THOMAS PAINE
:: Self-Leadership Development
Influence: The Unseen Key Behind Powerful Persuasion
Forty years ago, Bob Cialdini published a groundbreaking book on the power of influence. In our digital age, these rules may have become even more powerful.
Cialdini’s curiosity led him to write Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, published in 1984. Melding academic research on behavioral science with apposite case studies and personal experience, it arguably created the mold for “smart thinking” authors such as Charles Duhigg, Adam Grant or James Clear. After numerous updated editions, his book has now sold more than seven million copies, according to his publishers. Check out this post on the six principles of persuasion.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240918-influence-the-unseen-key-behind-powerful-persuasion
The Best Leaders Know How to Pick Their Battles — Here’s How to Choose Them Wisely at Work
Knowing when to stand your ground and when to step back can be crucial in the workplace. This article offers valuable insights on choosing your battles wisely, helping you navigate conflict, focus on what truly matters, and foster a healthier work environment.
:: Gratitude and Recognition
Pringle Award Nominations for University Staff Members Still Open!
Deadline: 11/11
The Pringle Award is an acknowledgement 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.
“You have to create a culture where everybody has an opportunity to be recognized.” – John Mackey
Magic in the Room #186: Meaningful Recognition
This episode of Magic in the Room was recorded onsite at the National Native American Human Resources Association’s 28th annual conference at the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, OK.
People who lead teams can (and should!) develop a new set of skills.
- One often overlooked skill is being about to intentionally recognize people’s efforts and character in a way that is meaningful.
- This is a skill that can be learned, it just takes some effort.
- In this episode of Magic in the Room, Hannah, Chris, and Luke discuss various types of recognition, and how to incorporate it into your team.
Listen in as the Purpose and Performance Group team covers this important topic!
https://www.purposeandperformancegroup.com/magic-in-the-room-186
Download a free guide around the topics in this episode at https://www.purposeandperformancegroup.com/mitrdownload
:: Upcoming Events
UW–Madison Diversity Forum
Registration is now open to attend the 2024 UW–Madison Diversity Forum — “Threads of Belonging: Navigating Differences and Building Community”— which will be held November 13 & 14 at Union South with options to participate in-person and online. As always, the Diversity Forum, hosted by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA), is free and open to the public.
The 2024 conference will focus on underscoring the importance of bringing our full selves to the collective while engaging with diversity and difference to gain new perspectives and facilitate growth.
Date: November 13-14, 2024
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m
Location: Union South / Online