Why Feedback Doesn't Work, with Charles Jacobs, author of Management Rewired

Chances are as a leader you'll be faced with having to give someone constructive feedback this week. Yet have you noticed how people often aren't quite as open to the feedback as you'd like them to be?

Chris Hogan, who talks about a process called Courageous Conversations, says the key when you're receiving feedback is to avoid blaming, complaining, and explaining. That's courageous advice, for sure, and easier said than done.

Charles Jacobs recently released a book entitled Management Rewired: Why Feedback Doesn't Work and Other Surprising Lessons from the Latest Brain Science. Whether it's giving feedback, leading change, or other challenges that face leaders, Charles has some helpful insights based on the most recent brain science.

I was able to catch up with Charles recently while he was relaxing in the Caribbean! Enjoy the interview! To learn more about Charles, I invite you to check out his website at http://www.managementrewired.com/.

I consistently hear from my executive coaching clients that navigating conflict is a real challenge. Because of that I created an engaging e-learning offering entitled Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Deal With Conflict More Effectively. As a thank you for listening to this podcast, you can get $50 off the cost of a license. Instead of $149, you can get your hands on this practical learning to help you manage conflict more effectively for only $99. Just use the coupon code of OCT-ROCK-50OFF.

Hey, if you're enjoying our podcast episodes I invite you to tell your friends and colleagues! They can listen on the web at http://www.i-leadonline.com/podcast or on iTunes at http://bit.ly/ppcast.

If you have a follow-up question, or if you'd like to get a free copy of Charles' book, send an e-mail to podcast@i-leadonline.com. A copy of Management Rewired will go out to the first person who requests it!

Thanks for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Why Feedback Doesn't Work, with Charles Jacobs, author of Management Rewired

Labels: brain, conflict, employee engagement, leadership, managing change, motivation, podcast

posted by Andy at 7:30 PM

The Myth of Multitasking, with guest author Dave Crenshaw

Clearly we are a culture of jugglers.

Whether working with my executive coaching clients or talking with participants in our keynotes and workshops, without a doubt most people are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time to do it.

So we multitask. Or so we think.

One of my favorite books from last year is Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina. I'm a card carrying geek in a number of categories, one of which is learning about how the brain works.

Just think how much better we could learn, communicate, influence, and more if we really understood how the brain operated. That's what Brain Rules is all about.

One of my favorite lines from the book says, "If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle!" Though you can find plenty of pundits that will pontificate about the collaborative benefits of cubes, I've yet to find a brain expert that backs that up!

As the subtitle of the book states, Brain Rules has 12 principles to help people better understand how the brain works. The 4th rule is Attention: We don't pay attention to boring things. Dr. Medina discusses how we are better at seeing patterns and abstracting the meaning of an event than we are at recording details. He also illustrates how emotional arousal helps the brain learn--emotions help keep our attention and burn the memory in.

But Dr. Medina's discussion on multitasking is what really caught my attention. Bottom line: the brain's attentional spotlight can focus on only on thing at a time. There is no such thing as multitasking.

You and I might argue, "How can this be? I'm multitasking all the time!" Dr. Medina goes into all the brain scientist geek material to back up his assertion. And here's why it all matters. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50 percent more errors.

I say this fully aware that you might be listening to this cast while you're driving. Be careful as it's not just cell phone calls that distract you while driving!

Whether in the car or in the workplace, distractions are taking their toll. As someone who is passionately interested in helping people get more done with less stress, this whole topic strikes a nerve with me.

Which leads me to another recommended brain book entitled The Myth of Multitasking, written by Dave Crenshaw.

Dave is our guest on this cast and shares insights on why multitasking actually hurts our productivity. During the interview Dave encourages you to take a free multitasking test on his website at:
http://www.davecrenshaw.com/andykaufman

Don't miss the free offer at the end of the cast! Here's to a very focused day for you! Thank you for subscribing to the People and Projects Podcast!

Episode 03: The Myth of Multitasking, with guest author Dave Crenshaw

Labels: brain, multitasking, podcast, productivity

posted by Andy at 11:52 AM