Poor feedback only creates defensiveness

Turn controversy into opportunity | Be persistent against the temptation of change | Set SMART goals to carry out your strategy Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 8, 2019 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD](  [] Leading Edge [] [Turn controversy into opportunity]( Companies are increasingly being asked by employees to take public stands on issues, which requires leaders who can "be proactive about articulating the company's values and ensuring everybody understands them and the rationale behind them," says Denise Lee Yohn. Declaring corporate values will be insufficient if not followed by action, says Melissa Dodd, a researcher of employee activism. [Out of Office (Room)]( (8/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Be persistent against the temptation of change]( Adversity and uncertainty compel companies and people alike to think about starting over, but research suggests that businesses that persist do better in the long run, writes Steve McKee. "Change may appear romantic, but persistence is usually right," he writes. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Strategic Management [] [Set SMART goals to carry out your strategy]( Consider setting business strategy with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely goals, writes Dan Arens. "The more clear and succinct you are in outlining the strategy, the easier it will be to determine whether you are succeeding or not," he writes. [Inside Indiana Business]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [Poor feedback only creates defensiveness]( Feedback that is perceived as extreme -- destructive or withdrawn, respectively -- puts the receiver on the defensive and doesn't lead to positive change, writes Peter Dean, president of Leaders By Design. Instead, feedback should be clear, specific, empathetic and patient, he writes. [Wharton Magazine online]( (8/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Strategies for an effective group presentation]( When giving a speech as part of a group, uniformity of visual elements is important, as is rehearsing the presentation to root out overlap or missing information, writes Jim Anderson. "These can be powerful and effective speeches; however, they need to be put together a bit differently than our normal individual speeches are," he writes. [The Accidental Communicator]( (8/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] The Big Picture Each Thursday, what's next for work and the economy [] [How Prudential is preparing employees for the future]( Prudential Financial is being honest with employees about where work is headed and what skills they'll need to keep up, says Vice Chairman Robert Falzon. "[Employees] receive the honest conversation well because they're smart enough to know that anywhere else they go, they're going to be experiencing the same rate of change as where they are today," he says. [Quartz (tiered subscription model)]( (8/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Helen of Troy CEO: Creating an unstoppable culture]( Helen of Troy's cultural transformation became known as "Power of One" -- viewing the whole organization as a team that puts corporate success first. "And I myself was the first one who had to make the switch, role-model it, and people had to see that it was so authentic that it was the destiny of the company," says CEO Julien Mininberg. [Heidrick & Struggles]( (7/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [A staring contest could protect your beach snack]( A staring contest could protect your beach snack (Steve Bardens/Getty Images) Protecting your food at the beach can be as simple as staring down the seagulls looking to pilfer from you, according to a study from the University of Exeter. Gulls were quicker to go after food when they felt unwatched, although some "didn't seem to notice that a human was staring at them," said lead author Madeleine Goumas. [Reuters]( (8/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] More insights from SmartBrief Besides our more than 200 newsletters, SmartBrief publishes [original insights]( on leadership, food & travel, education and more. Here's what you may have missed: - [The "fresh vs. tech" food conundrum]( - [Tips for using coding, robots in the classroom]( - [Teach students to master the foundations of literacy]( - [Design for the experience economy: Buying the brand experience]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] A book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books. 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