Ben Brook’s Post

In tough times, clear principles can guide us toward the best decisions. As this article points out, principles go beyond "generic" mission statements and values. They are the element that truly sets your business apart. So what makes principles like Apple's "Digital privacy is a human right" work? Jack Fuchs, Scott Sandell, and Vikram Shanker explain that your principles should: 1) Offer behavioral guardrails 2) Be distinctive to your company 3) Be open to debate, 4) Be transferable across the organization 5) Be integral to your mission. #Principles #Leadership #Purpose

How do you help your teams, and your company, make better choices when facing difficult decisions? Well-articulated principles, distinct from corporate values or mission statements, can provide guideposts. In addition to improving organisational decision-making, established principles can help communicate the rationale behind difficult choices to customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. While the terms “values” and “principles” are often used interchangeably, the authors of this piece contend that conflating them may result in a missed opportunity. Values communicate aspirations, not strategies. Principles are more instructive and can empower employees to make decisions independently while staying aligned with the organisation’s mission. The article outlines the five critical attributes shared by strong principles, and how to approach developing them for your organisation.   https://lnkd.in/gqd88KKc via Harvard Business Review  Jack Fuchs, Scott Sandell, and Vikram Shanker #communications #leadership #impact

How do you help your teams, and your company, make better choices when facing difficult decisions? Well-articulated principles, distinct from corporate values or mission statements, are more instructive and can provide practical guidance. In addition to improving organisational decision-making, established principles can help communicate the reasoning behind difficult choices to customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. A Glass of Water works with organisations to address their complex problems and make positive change. Contact us to talk about strengthening your company’s decision-making capabilities. Read the full article here ⤵ https://lnkd.in/gidD9KEx via Harvard Business Review Jack Fuchs, Scott Sandell, and Vikram Shanker #communications #leadership #BetterBusiness #culture #change

I've recently read an internal ppt at Google to which I felt really identified with: "Why Heroism is bad" and I found out it was made a public presentation in SRE techcon 2015. It talks about why being a hero at a company, specifically in IT but probably aplicable to other companies, affects everyone: the company, the team and you. And although it's very temptating to be that hero and stay up late to finish a project, work over weekends to meet that SLA, among many other examples... you would probably end up doing work that's not relevant or covering up systemic problems that should be addressed. What to do about it? "Let things break" ! Here's an article I found that talks more about it, thanks Riccardo Padovani for the great post. How about you? Have you ever felt like a hero inside a company?

Former Google manager criticizes the company's management culture, citing the prevalence of small fiefdoms and the failure of senior leaders to make tough decisions. This highlights the challenges of decision-making and team conflict within the tech giant. #Google #ManagementCulture #TechIndustryChallenges

🌐 Navigating the Digital Enlightenment Age: A Paradigm Shift 🌍 As technology advanced, so did its exploitation by various forces. The Internet, once hailed as the great democratizer, has faced a darker turn. Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff notes the rise of authoritarianism, crime, and commercial manipulation. Yet, amidst this chaos, we have begun to fight back. Policies, digital literacy, and fact-checking signal the emergence of the Digital Enlightenment. 🔍 Rushkoff emphasizes that reclaiming our humanity amidst technological progress is key. Infusing our activity with humane priorities can combat the negative impact of technology. While challenges loom, the prospect of "cyber" critical thinking offers a shield against misinformation and unethical practices. 💡 The Digital Enlightenment Age unveils the imperative for leadership evolution. Starting with fostering psychological safety, leaders can guide their teams through these transformative times, ensuring growth and adaptation. Embrace the change, shape the future! 💪 A summary from my book “Safe to Great - the New Psychology of Leadership” The notion of Safe to Great has to include how leaders respond to and shape the digital world of work. #DigitalEnlightenment #Leadership #Adaptation #TechEthics #safe2great

Leading Organizational Change: Consider What It Means to Be a "Change Agent"

Leaders, have you defined & executed your companys principles rightly ? If not time to act ! - Stakeholder - Opertational - Organizational Principles are more than an abstract organizational concept. They are practical beacons for decision-making, they aid in effective communication, and they help activate a company’s strategy. As the world faces an array of challenges, from geopolitical shifts to digital disruptions, companies that articulate and adhere to robust principles will be better equipped to navigate the hard choices they will inevitably face. #principles #principlesmatter

I have completed the Cornell University "TAKE the LEAD Program," which is an online course that covers topics related to Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Time Management, and Career Exploration to prepare for post-secondary Education, Employment, and Civic Involvement This program provides nearly 20 hours of skills-based instruction. The content is designed to work well with other social and educational programs and give participants the tools they need to launch successful careers. A high-quality course, flow of information, and desired knowledge flow smoothly from this valuable course; it is professionally tailored to fit everyone from different disciplines and education levels. Through this course, I have learned how to define and differentiate between leadership and management styles, come up with strategies to overcome new leadership obstacles, assess motivational techniques, and determine when to use them. I've learned the skills needed to build relationships that are essential and crucial for my career growth as a leader. I learned to use the tools provided in this course to figure out what motivates people, how to evaluate leadership styles and examine communication with a leadership team. I became prepared to apply my newly acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. The main topics covered in this course are: 1. Becoming a Powerful Leader 2. Leading Without Authority 3. Managing Time and Priorities 4. Your Marketing Fundamentals 5. Competing with Entrepreneurial Thinking I will try to summarize each topic in the coming posts.

https://lnkd.in/eY-vB78s Mistakes will be made, but that’s good. Because that means decisions are being made. I love this response from Steve Jobs. From the focus of the customer and what they want through to the need to experiment and try new things - and be ok with mistakes! So often in organisations we are crippled from a lack of decision making. Leaders who don’t want to stick their neck out or rock the boat. For some, it is easier to just “do what we’ve always done” or “just work harder”. Then there are leaders who are prepared to reach for something new and to make a decision to try for something more. The 4 Day Week - Global clients I work with are 100% focused on what their customers need. They are equally committed to trialing new things, experimenting, making mistakes and iterating along the way. They make decisions and they make great change happen. Change isn’t easy. It takes commitment and consistency. It also takes courage to do things differently. But when you make that decision and you commit to the change, it is amazing to see the results that can come from it. What do you think? Have we lost the art of making decisions? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. #4dayworkweek #transformational