Why middle management is a 2-way job | Simplicity can be a trap | Prepare today for the urgency of tomorrow
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[] [Why middle management is a 2-way job](
Executives have wide business and strategic context but know less about the technical work the higher up they are, whereas people near the front lines have more expertise but less context, writes Jacob Kaplan-Moss. This is where middle managers should focus, as they're a vital informational link between individual knowledge and executive insight. Full Story: [Jacob Kaplan-Moss]( (4/19)
[LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Simplicity can be a trap](
Employees should be able to quickly grasp organizational mission, values, policies, strategies, culture and performance ratings, but resist making these things so simplistic that they lose their meaning, writes TalentTelligent co-founder Bob Eichinger. "Consider being parsimonious -- meaning, to be as short and simple as needed to get the intention of the message across," he writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (4/20)
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[] [Prepare today for the urgency of tomorrow](
Urgency and patience overlap in that being patient creates the preparation and skills that are necessary when urgent action is needed, writes Scott Eblin, who relates the concepts to the yin and yang of yoga, a dance floor and a team's playbook. "You can't just keep urgently running the old pre-pandemic plays and expect them to work in a late-stage and post-pandemic world," he writes. Full Story: [Eblin Group]( (4/20)
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[] [Here are ideas for shorter, better video meetings](
Leaders can facilitate better video and remote meetings by making them shorter with fewer agenda items, limiting participants and incorporating chat messages into the discussion, says Karin Reed, CEO of Speaker Dynamics. "The challenge is for the leader to take a look at that chat and incorporate that into the verbal conversation," she says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (4/20)
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[] [Why humanity was essential to Best Buy's resurgence](
Why humanity was essential to Best Buy's resurgence Joly (JP Yim/Getty Images)
Best Buy's turnaround started by gathering high-level middle managers and collecting not only their ideas, but their stories, says former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly. "And afterward, we came to this conclusion: what we're going to try to do is treat each other as human beings -- treat customers as human beings -- and try to be an inspiring friend, for customers," he says. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (4/20)
[LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Why family-owned businesses should expand their bubble](
Family-owned businesses should welcome the energy and contributions of outside employees even while being clear about values and culture, writes Julie Charlestein, CEO and president of Premier Dental. "The very reason for bringing them on is to capitalize on the new ideas and fresh perspectives they introduce," Charlestein writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (4/20)
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[] [Tapestry-like garden photo takes top nature prize](
A drone shot of an English garden that has the feel of a tapestry has won the top prize in The Royal Horticultural Society's 2021 Photographic Competition. Other winning images include a closeup of a cactus, a pigeon poking its head out and a bird in flight over burning underbrush. Full Story: [Digital Camera World]( (4/19)
[LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note
[] Did you vote in this week's poll?
On Tuesdays, SmartBrief on Leadership's SmartPulse features ThoughtLeaders managing director [Mike Figliuolo]('s poll questions and analysis. Did you vote in this week's poll: How good of a negotiator are you? If not, check out [Tuesday's email]( and look at the [voting so far](.
[LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor
[] James daSilva
James daSilva
Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! I've had the great fortune of editing this email for nearly 10 years. Before that, I was a copy editor, including at a small daily newspaper in upstate New York. Thank you for reading and subscribing. I know you don't need to read SmartBrief on Leadership. Rather, you're here because you're on the lifelong journey of being a better leader, communicator and thinker.
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