Fighting Off Stagnation

24 September 2020

When the pandemic first hit, you probably made some adjustments in your personal life, your work practice and even your organizational strategy. These were just temporary changes in order to deal with the immediacy of the situation – things would go back to normal soon. Well, it’s now more than six months later and you’ve probably slipped into some level of stagnation, as many of us have. Those short-term adjustments have morphed into the status quo and meaningful progress is becoming difficult to establish.

We all need a bit of a shake-up. A new perspective on the world. A new way of looking at things. A new approach. For this week’s newsletter I have put together some resources that will hopefully encourage us to think outside the box.

All the best,

Doug


Speed or Agility?

We live in a culture that prioritizes (and even demands) a certain level of speed. Yet, we don’t give enough respect to the art of stopping. Without the ability to stop, we can’t pivot – rendering us stagnant and obsolete. Check out these three tips to learn how to stop better and become more agile.

How to Say ‘No’

None of us have the mental-bandwidth to say yes to everything life throws at us; yet, most of us are also bad at saying ‘no’. Learn how to deliver a well-thought out ‘no’ or a strategic ‘yes’ and unlock a whole new level of efficiency and success.

Making Better Decisions

When it comes to making difficult decisions, the more minds the better, right? Well, maybe not. Group decisions often over-prioritize hierarchy and embrace agreement as opposed to dissent. These seven strategies can easily be implemented to make your team better at collective decision-making.

No Rules

Imagine an organization where you could be fired for not taking risks? Seems counter-intuitive and also a bit extreme. But that’s Netflix, one of the most successful companies in the world. Freakanomics Radio sat down with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to talk about their unorthodox approach to business.

Reading List

Looking to broaden your horizons? I certainly hope so. McKinsey & Co. has put together an incredible resource to explore new ideas: The 2020 Leadership Reading List. They have collected book recommendations from dozens of leaders, from business to politics to media and beyond.


Your Moment of Levity

The rarity of commodities is constantly in flux. As we as a society have ‘progressed’, one of the commodities that is becoming most rare is silence – but do we allot it enough value? This short immersive New York Times documentary explores the power and value of silence, hope you enjoy! (*best enjoyed wearing headphones!)

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