Redefine Leadership: Short Takes Philip Cole

Learned behaviors are hard to replace, even if we want to do something different. But the world moves forward, and opportunities pass us by. What have you thought about doing, but haven't yet?

Always separate praise and feedback. The compliment sandwich not only doesn’t lessen the discomfort of feedback, it destroys the value of the praise. Here are some practical ways to resolve both problems, and avoid the well-intentioned but extraordinarily counterproductive compliment sandwich.

Imposter Syndrome is a myth. Not the feeling, but how we are told to handle the feeling. That discomfort and self-doubt is actually a learning marker, and with the proper support, it is a critical motivator for learning.

Shared accountability is where members hold each other accountable for the group's performance. Most organizations lack the strength of the functions of leadership that is necessary for this form of accountability. Here are four things ways you can encourage shared accountability.

The functional approach to leadership allows us to see feedback not as an annual performance process, but rather as an interchange that moves information from one place to another. Constant feedback shows the members of the organization where the group’s performance falls short of excellence. When we give constant feedback over time, it becomes a pattern of group behavior that allows each member to direct his or her own improvements. These seven tactics will kick-start your constant feedback habit.

(Part 2, Organizational Culture Change) Organizational culture is a symptom of work. To change culture, we have to understand how these elements enable work to be performed, and therefore why it is uncomfortable to change them. Then we can act on the work itself to shift the limits of what is possible.