Work Brighter

Embrace the human side of leadership. In a new book, four McKinsey & Company senior partners show why leaders must connect with themselves first before they can inspire and empower their organizations.

The ‘inside out’ leadership journey: How personal growth creates the path to success.




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Five things high-performing teams do differently.
New research suggests that the highest-performing teams have found subtle ways of leveraging social connections to fuel their success. The findings offer important clues on ways any organization can foster greater connectedness — even within a remote or hybrid work setting — to engineer higher-performing teams. Doing so takes more than simply hiring the right people and arming them with the right tools to do their work. It requires creating opportunities for genuine, authentic relationships to develop.

The authors for this article from HBR present five key characteristics of high-performing teams, all of which highlight the vital role of close connection among colleagues as a driver of team performance.




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Human nature serves as both the root cause and the potential resolution to all the issues we encounter in the workplace. Have you ever found yourself awake in the early hours, dreading the approaching day, and imagining a future where artificial intelligence efficiently manages everything without the complexities of human behavior? A world where the challenges of irrationality, emotional reactions, impulsive decisions, and unpredictable actions are nonexistent. The most effective approach to overcoming these challenges is by gaining a deep understanding of what motivates and influences our employees.




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Sharing Leadership to Maximize Talent
Shared leadership involves optimizing the collective potential of all individuals within an organization by empowering them and providing opportunities to assume leadership roles based on their expertise. Given the increasing complexity of markets, the responsibilities of leadership often surpass the capacity of a single individual.

Implementing shared leadership may pose challenges, but it is certainly feasible and, in many instances, highly effective. For example, in a company specializing in web design user interfaces, the CEO role was too vast for a single person to handle. Consequently, the position was divided into two roles of equal standing, each with complementary skill sets and duties.

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How co-leaders succeed?
Co-leadership, where an executive, department, or team leadership role is shared, can result in more creative and strategic problem solving and wiser decision making. But it can also lead to unhealthy game playing in the pursuit of dominance and positioning for the next role, resulting in organizational misalignment, inertia, and confusion. It doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to become a political animal who spends their days looking to outmaneuver their co-leader. Instead, perform this role with integrity, canniness, and positivity, recognizing that it will feel uncomfortable at times. These seven strategies will increase your chances of making your co-leadership a success.




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Setting the Record Straight on Managing Your Boss | Everyone knows how helpful it is to have a positive relationship with your boss and that it’s up to you to make it work. But do you know how to best interact with your manager to get what you need, support her success, and excel at your job?

'You may have received advice on this subject before — but is the guidance you're receiving accurate? HBR surveyed common advice and consulted with two experts to evaluate whether traditional wisdom aligns with real-world experience and research.'

From Harvard Business Review




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Whether one subscribes to the belief that feedback is a valuable present or views it as a nerve-wracking experience akin to hearing unknown noises in the dark, as humorously stated by David Rock from the NeuroLeadership Institute, the truth remains that progress is unattainable without it. Improvement hinges on feedback, whether it involves measuring outcomes objectively or gauging reactions subjectively.

In the workplace, understanding our performance, the impact of our actions, and avenues for personal growth is vital. Nevertheless, based on diverse research and my own background as a coach for executives, substantial feedback from supervisors to subordinates, regardless of hierarchy, often falls short. This deficiency leads to disengagement, unnecessary revisions, and a pervasive feeling of uncertainty that hinders advancement.




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How does radical candour support psychological safety?
To provide effective feedback at work, it is essential to strike a balance between kindness and empathy while also being able to address behaviors or actions directly. 'Radical Candour' is a valuable tool in achieving this balance.

Being excessively kind in feedback, as Kim Scott defines it, results in 'Ruinous Empathy'. This term describes the act of being overly nice to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Cultivating a workplace environment based on kindness and trust is crucial for fostering psychological safety. However, 'Ruinous Empathy' goes too far by watering down constructive feedback to maintain a pleasant facade.

Scott suggests embracing 'Radical Candour' as a feedback approach. This method involves providing straightforward and sincere feedback while still considering the recipient's emotions. Unlike Ruinous Empathy, Radical Candour allows for honest communication while acknowledging the person's feelings and complexities.




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Three Myths About Your Strengths
The misconceptions about strengths: They are not fixed, weaknesses should not be ignored, and everyone has unique strengths. Strengthen your strengths, work on weaknesses, and embrace your uniqueness for personal growth.




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Focusing on your strengths is the key to successful personal development
What do you need to do in order to perform better in your role – or to progress in your career? Do you need to work on those things you’re not good at? Address your weaknesses? Get to grips with those bits of your job you don’t particularly enjoy but that have to be done?
For most people that’s what personal development means – it’s about focusing on your weaknesses in order to become competent in every aspect of your role.
Here’s a radical idea though. When working on your personal development, don’t focus on your weaknesses. Focus on your strengths.




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How to Tell an Employee They’re Not Ready for a Promotion

Navigating the situation where an employee is not adequately prepared for a promotion can pose a significant challenge. However, it also offers a valuable chance to strike a delicate balance. This entails addressing a potentially adverse scenario while seizing the opportunity to offer helpful feedback and guidance.





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The coaching helped her be a better leader; from input, feedback, guidance, specific tactics and helped to see things from other perspectives.




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Blog | Introducing the FHOCAL Model
In collaboration with Co-Creation Group Limited, this particular model is designed to promote a positive outlook on change by highlighting strengths and opportunities, aiming to elicit positive emotions.

Utilizing our inherent qualities and promoting individuals to concentrate on their strengths, FHOCAL demonstrates greater effectiveness compared to expecting mechanical reactions lacking emotional intelligence. This approach is adaptable and relevant at various levels, encompassing the personal, team, and organizational spheres. It not only assists individuals in adjusting to personal transformations but also aids leaders in nurturing committed teams and cultivating productive work environments.





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Research shows that effective leaders adapt their leadership style to meet the needs of different situations, whether it's a crisis, changes in team dynamics, or market conditions. This flexibility is important for achieving optimal results, with leaders switching between styles like autocratic and democratic based on the context.

Being versatile in leadership approaches leads to higher employee engagement, lower turnover, and increased productivity. Adapting one's leadership style is crucial for success in today's dynamic business environment.




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Article Archive | Case study for the health profession published on Management in Practice Managing a group that consists of highly skilled professionals like physicians can pose a unique challenge for administrators of medical practices.




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Discovering Your Authentic Leadership.
Uncovering Your Genuine Leadership. The evolving obstacles encountered in executive management in recent years have underscored the importance of a unique style of leader in today's world: the authentic leader.




Read the archive article from HBR https://buff.ly/2JqKScw

4 Steps To Building Good Work Relationships | Radical Candor
Developing strong and effective work connections is key to accelerating success. Discover how applying the principles of Radical Candor can help you foster positive work relationships. Introduction from Kim Scott.




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Dealing with a Hands-Off Boss

Having a manager who is hands-off can have both positive and negative aspects. While these types of bosses allow employees a lot of freedom and authority, they may also be too distant to step in when necessary, leaving employees feeling abandoned. Conversely, a hands-on manager can be problematic as well. Although they are quick to take action and can provide valuable insights, they may hinder employee empowerment by micromanaging and demanding excessive follow-up.




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Transforming your talent system to enhance performance and elevate employee experience involves implementing five key actions. These steps are pivotal in increasing your return on talent, establishing a culture of excellence within the organization.




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Understanding how our perception of time impacts productivity is crucial. Constantly checking the clock can hinder performance, while having a positive outlook on the future can enhance it. Managers who grasp this concept can effectively increase employee engagement.




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A Practical Plan for When You Feel Overwhelmed
When experiencing a sense of being overwhelmed, breaking down your day into manageable one-hour segments can be a useful strategy. Research suggests that breaking tasks into smaller time blocks can increase productivity and reduce stress levels. According to a study conducted by productivity experts, individuals who follow a structured hourly schedule tend to accomplish more and experience less burnout compared to those who operate in a more haphazard manner. By dividing your day into one-hour segments, you can make the most of your time and energy, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling daily routine.




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Stop Avoiding Office Politics | If you find yourself questioning your level of influence within your organization, whether others value your opinions, or if your group struggles to have disagreements resolved in your favour , it may be time to reassess how you navigate the political landscape present in every workplace. Constant distractions from external pressures could be a sign that adjustments are needed to ensure you receive the necessary resources, information, and attention you deserve.




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Employee Motivation: A Powerful New Model | Getting people to do their best work, even in trying circumstances, is one of managers’ most enduring and slippery challenges. Indeed, deciphering what motivates us as human beings is a centuries-old puzzle.

Some of history’s most influential thinkers about human behavior—among them Aristotle, Adam Smith, Sigmund Freud, and Abraham Maslow—have struggled to understand its nuances.

Archive post from Harvard Business Review

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Three Types of Overthinking — and How to Overcome Them
Many people look at overthinking as a monolith, when in fact there are three different types: rumination, future tripping, and overanalysing .

In this article, from Harvard Business Review the author offers guidance on how to spot and handle each of the three types of overthinking. Identifying the type of overthinking you or your team is dealing with is the first step in breaking free from its grasp — and more crucial than ever when the demand for quick yet thoughtful decision-making is high.




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An activity to assist your team in becoming more comfortable with disagreements is essential for fostering a positive team culture. Team leaders can promote healthy conflict resolution by implementing an exercise that highlights the unique contributions of each team role and the natural tensions that should arise among them. Visualize this by creating a circle divided into sections representing each team member's role. For each role, identify the distinct value it brings, the stakeholders it focuses on, and the typical tension it may introduce during team discussions. By emphasizing the intended interplay of different roles, team members will begin to understand that what might have seemed like personal conflicts are actually beneficial to the team dynamics. With increased awareness and a shared understanding, your team can navigate conflicts more effectively.





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Coaching helped me work out how to be visible in a useful way. It helped me see that disagreements can be reframed. It helped me uncover my mental blocks.

I have started speaking up - asking to do differently.




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Insights and Resources from Work Brighter |
Understanding individuals in more profound manners enables you to attract, involve, maintain, oversee, and enhance yourself and others more effectively. Our resources include guides, articles and blog posts.





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Blog | Introducing the FHOCAL Model
Developed in partnership with Co-Creation Group Limited this model aims to instill a positive attitude towards change by emphasizing strengths and opportunities to evoke favorable emotions.

By leveraging our innate characteristics and encouraging individuals to focus on their strengths, FHOCAL proves to be more effective than expecting robotic responses devoid of emotional awareness. Accessible and applicable across various levels, including individual, team, and organizational, this model not only aids individuals in adapting to personal changes but also supports leaders in fostering engaged teams and high-performing work environments.





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How to spot and tackle a line manager with poor management skills
Rooting out the issue
At some point in our professional lives, most of us have encountered the challenge of working under a subpar manager. They could have displayed bullying behavior or simply lacked effectiveness. Nevertheless, their impact on our daily work experience, job satisfaction, productivity, morale, and drive was significant.
When the primary cause of employee discontent often stems from their interactions with their superiors, it becomes crucial for senior executives and business proprietors to prioritize enhancing managerial practices.
This is especially vital considering the profound influence employee engagement (or its absence) can have on staff retention, customer contentment, and overall profitability.
However, identifying the issue and addressing a manager's bullying or inefficacy pose complex challenges.




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How to Become a More Empathetic Listener

When the subject of how to be a good listener comes up, psychologists often talk about the value of “perspective-taking” — that is, projecting ourselves into the lives of those we’re listening to. This has been shown to make us grow more generous and less prejudiced toward them, but it’s a flawed way to understand others, because it treats empathy as a solo sport, encouraging listeners simply to try to understand what someone else is going through.

What truly good listeners do, however, is work collaboratively with other people to understand them. Scientists call this “perspective-getting,” in which one person uses questions and active listening to understand someone else’s feelings. Perspective-getting boosts mutual understanding, improves relationships, and helps people discover common ground. In this article, from Harvard Business Review the author, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, offers readers guidance on how to practice perspective-getting and get better at it over time.





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