How to encourage healthy fear in your organization

COVID-19 has turned these truths into myths | 3 steps to bring innovative ideas alive in your company | People are more likely to help you with this approach Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( April 12, 2022 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [COVID-19 has turned these truths into myths]( COVID-19 has exposed old business paradigms such as exclusively in the office, the importance of looking busy and the supremacy of profits over employee well-being, writes corporate board member Ram Krishna Sinha. "Not surprising, an open and feedback-friendly business culture is being appreciated and encouraged, and non-hierarchical structures are being designed," Sinha writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (4/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How to encourage healthy fear in your organization]( Fear must be divided into two camps: the unhealthy fear of being attacked or punished and the productive "fear of competition, fear of bankruptcy, fear of being wrong and fear of losing," writes Ed Batista, quoting the late Intel CEO Andy Grove. Candor has its limits, but "some leaders tend to reward people who only bring good news -- which means they won't hear bad news until it's too late to do anything about it," Batista writes. Full Story: [Ed Batista Executive Coaching]( (4/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [3 steps to bring innovative ideas alive in your company]( Innovation can help companies create a competitive edge when it aligns with what makes your company different and has been through a proper brainstorming and prototype process, writes Alex Tapper, the head of innovation at Frogslayer. "By prototyping your best ideas, developing them just enough to serve as testable models, and then collecting feedback on the prototypes, you can maximize your resources and make more decisive decisions about how to proceed," Tapper writes. Full Story: [InnovationManagement (Sweden)]( (4/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [People are more likely to help you with this approach]( People are more likely to help you with this approach (Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) You're more likely to get help at work if you ask one person directly, outline specifically what you need them to do and don't apologize for asking, writes David Burkus. Following up with a thank-you that shares how their help made a difference means they'll be more likely to help again in the future, Burkus writes. Full Story: [David Burkus]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Why some clients prefer virtual meetings]( In-person meetings were the default for many businesses before COVID-19, but some professionals such as financial advisers say virtual meetings remain beneficial for clients, such as families where people are scattered geographically. "I do believe that's going to be the new world that we're in today -- that it isn't exclusively one or the other; it's this combination," says Don d'Adesky of Raymond James. Full Story: [Financial Advisor IQ]( (4/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our partners - [50 Tips on Effective Delegating]( - [10 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder]( - [Book Summary - The 5 Second Rule]( - [Free course - Microsoft Excel Training]( - [The 80 Best Micro Habits to Change Your Life]( [] SmartPulse [] How willing is your organization to put profits over people? Extremely: Profit comes first, no matter the cost 11.68% Very: Money is almost always the first consideration 33.95% Somewhat: We strike a good balance between people and profit 29.20% Not very: We value our people pretty highly 16.78% Not at all: People truly do come first in our organization 8.39% [] People first ... barely. While the poll results are unsurprising, they're disappointing. 44% of you point out that it's profit above people in your organization. For those whose organizations truly put people first, bravo. Your job as a leader is to continue to build on that culture and behave in ways that strengthen it. For those of you working in profit-first organizations, ask yourself this question: How much does it cost to replace an employee? What's the cost of low morale and low productivity? Because this is the price you'll pay by continuing to put profit first. An engaged workforce is a productive workforce. That engagement means putting people above profit, but the return on that decision is far higher than focusing on short-term financial metrics. Challenge yourself today to find one instance of putting people over profit and build on that momentum tomorrow. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: How effectively do your team members "manage up" and manage your involvement in their work? [Vote]( [Very: They pull me in as needed and keep me well informed]( [Vote]( [Somewhat: They involve me but not always in the most effective ways]( [Vote]( [Not very: They struggle to figure out how to involve me in their work]( [Vote]( [Not at all: They either involve me way too much or not at all]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Want to keep workers? Add value, not only money]( The pandemic-era exodus of employees illustrates what longtime professor Barry Schwartz has been saying for years -- workers want jobs that "add value to the world," not just money in their bank account. "If you look, industry by industry, the workplaces that end up at the top, within an industry, are the workplaces that are most attentive to what people care about in the workplace," Schwartz says. Full Story: [Behavioral Scientist]( (4/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Archaeologists unlock the secrets of 3,000-year-old pants]( An examination by experts of the world's oldest pants that belonged to a Chinese man roughly 3,000 years ago reveals that a variety of weaving patterns were used to give the pants durability and flexibility for horse-riding. Researchers had a modern weaver re-create the pants so they could better understand the techniques used by ancient weavers. Full Story: [Ars Technica]( (4/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] James daSilva James daSilva Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! Thank you for reading and subscribing. I don't read as many leadership books as you might think; most are extremely long versions of blog posts (which doesn't mean they can't help some people). One exception is Andy Grove's ["High Output Management,"]( which remains one of the best guides to being a good manager in a highly structured corporation. Middle managers have a bad reputation, one that is deserved in part, but Grove decades ago recognized another cause. [From Ed Batista's article today:]( "If you are a middle manager you face an additional fear: the fear that when you bring bad tidings you will be punished, the fear that your management will not want to hear the bad news from the periphery." People can observe. If pointing out the problem makes them the problem, or if their ideas are belittled but then stolen by upper management, they'll stop mentioning ideas and problems. In many cases, that's when the long decline of a team or business begins. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note.](mailto:jdasilva@smartbrief.com) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] A word to the wise is not sufficient if it doesn't make any sense. [James Thurber](, writer, humorist, cartoonist, screenwriter [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005