How "nudges" became Home Depot's best leadership tool

How "nudges" became Home Depot's best leadership tool | practice | Change from the top requires empowerment at the bottom Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( May 11, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [How "nudges" became Home Depot's best leadership tool]( [How "nudges" became Home Depot's best leadership tool]( (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) By using "nudges" -- or follow-up exercises -- along with peer sessions and in-person trainings, Home Depot was able to create a successful leadership development program that boosted both engagement and skills, according to Michael Cabe, the company's senior manager of learning strategy. Cabe offers three lessons for companies that want to follow their strategy including how to create effective nudges that already enhance the skills leaders use on a daily basis. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (5/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Cabe says the home-improvement company hit on the best leadership development strategy through trial and error. "We tried to find the silver bullet. But, we found that the more ornate the solution, the less effective it turned out to be," [Cabe notes](. [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Change from the top requires empowerment at the bottom]( [Change from the top requires empowerment at the bottom]( (jayk7/Getty Images) Top-down management must meet with bottom-up employee transformation to create real company change -- or else end up with a muddled middle dissatisfying to everyone, writes Rachel Bellow, co-founder of the Bonfire career development program for mid-career women. Tools like training programs, such as those that promote accountability, and attentive listening can help with true culture change, Bellow writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (5/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Engage employees, ensuring they "feel seen and valued" and aren't overlooked, underutilized or feeling like they don't belong, [Bellow recommends](. Encourage employees to tell you what matters to them, and know that even little changes often make a big difference. Supporting caregivers boosts your bottom line Attend a caregiving webinar hosted by AARP to learn how to support and retain your employees who are caregivers. Working caregivers provide an average of 24 hours of care each week — the equivalent of a part-time job. This has impacted workplaces nationwide. To learn more[—sign up now.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Don't act cold when employees say they're burned out]( Don't act cold when employees say they're burned out (Ирина Мещерякова/Getty Images) Many managers never learned the drill for helping employees with burnout, but "stop, drop and roll" isn't too far from the emergent response they need from you, Noemie Le Pertel, CEO Institute for Global Flourishing, writes. Take the problem seriously, discover the root of their burnout, work with them on solutions and follow up, Le Pertel advises. Full Story: [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)]( (5/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Ask caring questions to gauge the depth and causes of their burnout, such as "Do you feel competent and effective?" [Le Pertel suggests](. Query them about exhaustion, other physical symptoms, cynicism and whether they've stopped caring as much about clients or colleagues. 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Why you may still want to leave]( BBC (5/10) [] In Their Own Words [] [MilkPEP CEO steps it up for women in sports]( Yin Woon Rani, the CEO of MilkPEP, shares how she had to unlearn the rule-following conditioning from her native Singapore and became a champion for underrepresented communities as she climbed the corporate ladder, and now sponsors women planning to run a marathon in the US. "This campaign is important to me, because even though a marathon is the same distance for anyone running, women often face significant disparities in terms of sponsorship, support and visibility," Woon Rani says. Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (5/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Why in-flight dining has taken a nose dive]( [Why in-flight dining has taken a nose dive]( (American Airlines) If your last flight featured a bag of peanuts or a packet of cookies as your in-flight "dining" options, it could make you wistful for the 1950s when passengers regularly dined on delicacies such as roast beef, stuffed guinea hen and eggs made to order. "Airlines in that era were prohibited from competing on price, so the only way they could compete was on quality of service," writes Diana Hubbell, who notes that some airlines still serve delicious food to those paying for first-class accommodations. Full Story: [Atlas Obscura]( (5/8) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [How Wendy's cooks up more sustainable dining]( In the quickservice restaurant industry, Wendy's is known as the 'Queen of QSR.' But as Wendy's continues to serve up tasty burgers and yummy Frostys, the company is also working to be the Queen of ESG. In this podcast, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer Liliana Esposito outlines the details of 'Good Done Right,' which is the name Wendy's has given to its ESG strategy. Esposito discusses numerous sustainability efforts Wendy's has embraced, including more sustainable packaging, responsible food sourcing and a next-gen design for its new locations. Full Story: [Sustainability SmartPod]( (5/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] The British Library houses one of the oldest printed books in existence. What language was it written in? Check your answer [here](. [Vote]( [Arabic]( [Vote]( [Chinese]( [Vote]( [Sanskrit]( [Vote]( [Urdu]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew [I have never flown first class](, so I don't know what kind of luxurious food one eats on the other side of the curtain, but I sure do love those Biscoff cookies they serve to those of us flying coach. What's the best -- or worst -- meal or snack you've had on an airplane? [Let me know](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! 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:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. 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