SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 170,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How much do you think the upcoming election cycle will influence your business in the coming years?
- Tremendously: 36.93%
- Significantly: 32.79%
- Moderately: 20.98%
- Not at all: 9.3%
A lot on the line. Clearly, big shifts for business are expected after the election. Whether it’s taxes, health care, the economy or other issue-based changes, the vast majority of you are expecting a shake-up during the next few years. Given that, how are you planning for that uncertainty? Clearly, there will be one of two outcomes. Are you creating a contingency plan for either direction? One other citizenship public service announcement: If the election will affect your business this dramatically, I certainly hope you’re planning on voting to have your perspective registered. (read more…)
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 170,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How do you feel about our next generation of leaders?
- They’re going to be better leaders than we’ve ever been: 24.25%
- They’ll be as good as we are: 39.34%
- They’ll be worse leaders than we are: 36.36%
We’ve got some work to do. A leader’s job is to create more leaders. The notion that 36% of you are worried that the next generation of leaders will be worse than we are is problematic. That’s a big number and a scary result. If you answered the question that way, remember you’re charged with turning those folks into better leaders than we’ve ever been. Coach them, train them, and develop them. The generation after them will be glad you did. (read more…)
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 170,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: What is your perception of leaders who use buzzwords?
- They sound ridiculous and lose all credibility: 47.2%
- It’s distracting, but they can still get their point across: 40.65%
- I don’t mind when they use buzzwords: 9.19%
- It helps make their communication clearer via shared language: 2.96%
Stop the madness. About 88% of us are not fans of buzzwords. If that’s the case, why are they still so pervasive? Clearly, we all see the problem; we just need to step up and stop it. I implore all of you in the 88% to stop using the words (even occasionally) and, when you hear others use them, provide feedback as appropriate or ask them to speak plainly or more clearly. (read more…)
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 170,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How direct are you when providing unpleasant feedback?
- Very direct — I don’t hold back: 10.78%
- Direct — they get the message, but I sometimes soften it: 73.15%
- Somewhat direct — I can get a little wishy-washy: 14.69%
- Not at all direct — my message gets lost in other things: 0.95%
- Avoidant — I rarely provide unpleasant feedback: 0.42%
Feedback is a gift. Providing that direct, actionable, unmistakable feedback is one of the most critical aspects of your job. For those of you on either side of “direct” (either “very direct” or “somewhat direct”), recognize the risks inherent in that approach. Being too direct can shut your people down and make them avoid you because of fear of getting “ripped”; being somewhat direct risks them ignoring the feedback or diminishing its significance. (read more…)
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 170,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How well do your team members understand how their jobs contribute to the bottom line?
- Well — they generally understand their role’s impact on profit: 39.21%
- Somewhat — they know their work is important, but the link to profit is fuzzy: 27.57%
- Extremely well — there’s a direct link between their role and our profit: 27.4%
- Not at all — they have no understanding of how they contribute to our profit: 5.82%
So why am I doing this? We all want to contribute to something larger than ourselves. Giving people that clarity at work as to how their actions drive company performance will improve motivation and performance. If your teams aren’t clear how their actions and activities contribute, they’ll question their work more and be more likely to eventually leave for a more fulfilling role. (read more…)
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