News & Tips

Don’t Soften Feedback

When I talk about balancing being directive and empowering as a leader, the distinction between being kind and being nice often comes up. Sometimes, folks who have to deliver hard-to-hear feedback soften it to the point where their teammate doesn’t clearly understand what they should do next. This...

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How to Get Useful Feedback from Liars

People lie to leaders. Usually it’s not malicious, but it’s always unhelpful. Team members who aspire to get along or get ahead… Soften criticism. Deflect tough answers. Over-state compliments. Authority corrupts interactions. If your team treated you like a subordinate, you might receive useful...

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Can Agile Make Wherever You Work a Better Place?

The Great Resignation continues to gather steam as people in their millions re-evaluate their relationship with work. But not everyone has the luxury or the bandwidth to quit, at least not right now. And there is no guarantee that a new job won’t be as much of a soul-destroying destination as your...

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