Sunlight, as the saying goes, is the best disinfectant. And it’s tempting to think that if we just shine a light on wrongdoing, wrongdoing will go away.

Hence when Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal came to light, German chancellor Angela Merkel demanded complete transparency in response. When contaminated meat or vegetables are recalled, consumer advocates demand more transparency from food supply chains. When obscure financial instruments threaten the global economy, transparency is the proposed solution. Whether the questions raised are about police officers’ use of force, politicians’ use of email, or managers’ use of compensation, the answer is the same: more transparency.

It’s never been easier to collect information on what we’re doing and to share that information with the world. But before we open up completely, we should be aware that transparency is not a universal solution — and may even create new problems.

https://hbr.org/2016/07/when-transparency-backfires-and-how-to-prevent-it

Have you ever thought about what happens to your employees right before they get to work? Sometimes we all wake up on the wrong side of the bed and just find it hard to get our bearings. At other times, we might start out fine, but have a horrible commute or a screaming match with a teenager just before going to work. Paying attention to the morning moods of your employees can pay dividends. In my research with Steffanie Wilk, an associate professor at the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University, we found that this start-of-the-day mood can last longer than you might think—and have an important effect on job performance.

https://hbr.org/2016/07/how-your-morning-mood-affects-your-whole-workday

As leaders and managers, our job is to fuel the positive energy of teamwork, and there are many sources of advice about it. This post is about how to deal with the negative energies of teamwork.

https://www.mindtools.com/blog/2016/07/18/leadership-uh-oh/

Becoming an Inspirational Leader

In this article, we’ll explore what transformational leadership is, and we’ll outline how you can become a transformational leader.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/transformational-leadership.htm

It’s easy to think that there’s not much “going on upstairs” for those that are sitting silently in your meeting but, often, this is a gross underestimation. There are an infinite number of reasons why a person might be inclined to silence in a meeting situation, but not having anything to say is usually not the most pressing.

It’s not that silent attendees have nothing to say. It’s more like they are lost for words… that their brain has temporarily severed the brain–vocal cord connection – something that, no doubt, we have all experienced at some time or another…

https://www.mindtools.com/blog/2016/07/08/lost-words/

One of the greatest barriers to moving outside your comfort zone is the fear that you’re a poser, that you’re not worthy, that you couldn’t possibly be qualified to do whatever you’re aiming to do. It’s a fear that strikes many of us: impostor syndrome.

So what can you do to overcome these feelings of inadequacy that so many of us experience?

https://hbr.org/2016/07/everyone-suffers-from-imposter-syndrome-heres-how-to-handle-it

Innovations that catch on mix familiarity and novelty, old and new.  Distinct, but optimally so. If something is too different, it requires such a shift in thinking or behavior that it often fails.  When the Apple Newton, an early predecessor to today’s iPhone, was introduced, for example, people had a hard time understanding why they needed it or how it would fit in their lives. The Segway faced similar challenges.

On the other extreme, if something is too similar, it doesn’t provide enough reason to change.  If this year’s software is identical to last year’s there’s no reason to upgrade.  If a competitor’s product offers the same features at the same price, there’s no reason to switch. But, as in the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, in between—not too hot, not too cold; similar enough to evoke the glow of familiarity, different enough to seem new—is just right.

https://hbr.org/2016/07/the-goldilocks-theory-of-product-success

Change is routine in today’s workplace. And, no matter what you do, you probably can’t – or shouldn’t – try to stop it. However, you can choose how you react to it.

If you can embrace and cope with change, you’ll be valued highly in your organization. You’ll be seen as a flexible and adaptable team player, and this reputation can open up many opportunities. If, however, you consistently resist change, you’ll be seen as “part of the problem,” and you’ll get left behind.

In this article, we’ll look at why coping with change is so important, and we’ll discuss a framework that you can use to deal with it more effectively.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/coping-with-change.htm

Many of us have experienced tension and conflict in meetings. This can be exciting and energizing, but it can also hurt the team’s progress and morale. If you’re in charge of a meeting and conflict occurs, what is your role? How do you restore peace? How can you assure that these conflicts don’t harm your work?

While you can’t always prevent conflict in meetings, there are many things you can do to stop disagreements from damaging your team’s wider goals. Consider the following:

• Can you set up your meeting to reduce the risk of conflict?
• How do you turn the conflict and tension into a positive force, and one that generates better solutions and results?
• Can you reduce the negative impact of conflict?
• How can you help those involved accept the situation when consensus isn’t possible?

We’ll look at each of these in this article.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_65.htm?utm_source=social&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tweetchatblog

Natasha’s boss mistrusted her. This wasn’t because she was incompetent – rather, it seemed to be a matter of principle for him.

He spent most of the day watching people to make sure they did their work correctly. He watched the clock to ensure that everyone’s lunch hour was exactly one hour long. He even checked their mailboxes to make sure they weren’t receiving personal messages.

Not surprisingly, Natasha and her colleagues resented their boss’s mistrust. As a result, they stopped making decisions for themselves; they just asked him what he wanted when a decision had to be made, and they stopped taking responsibility for what they were doing. This reinforced the boss’s belief that they weren’t capable of working under their own initiative.

Have you ever seen a cyclical pattern of behavior like this in your workplace? It’s common in organizations, and it’s illustrated in a simple model called the Betari Box.

In this article, we’ll show you what the Betari Box is, and you’ll learn how to use it to improve the mood of your workplace.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_82.htm