Why video meetings are exhausting and unsatisfactory

Let your team know what's expected of them right now | Discover the positive in the negative | Strategic planning must acknowledge uncertainty Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 28, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [Let your team know what's expected of them right now]( Leaders need to be specific about coronavirus-related communications when addressing the entire organization or conducting one-on-ones, writes Alaina Love. "Rather than the review being used to provide feedback on past performance, consider engaging in one-on-one discussions with your team to level-set the new reality and underscore your desire to support their success," she writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Discover the positive in the negative]( Mark Mathews returned to surfing after a devastating injury through the power of "cognitive reappraisal," which is the ability to see the positive even in the most negative situations, writes Michael McKinney. "Every setback is an opportunity to develop this mindset until it becomes a habit," he writes. Full Story: [Leadership Now]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Rewarding employees during a recession In a down economy, many companies struggle to afford rewards and recognition programs with their high markups, shipping costs and fees. [Come learn how to harness the power of Amazon]( to reduce spend by offering millions of rewards with zero markups. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Strategic planning must acknowledge uncertainty]( Companies need "a portfolio of bets" because there's no certainty in strategic planning these days, writes Matt Ranen. In addition, he writes, "a more flexible leadership mindset and a greater tolerance for change across your organization are imperative." Full Story: [Chief Executive online]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How 2 companies anticipated the pandemic]( Dr. Praeger's Purely Sensible Foods and Hint Water noticed the early supply chain effects of the coronavirus and reacted quickly, with Dr. Praeger's CEO Larry Praeger shutting down a facility in mid-March for deep cleaning and to give the company a few days to plan. "The one thing that we really wanted to instill in the employees was to make sure that they understood that if they weren't feeling well, they should not come into work, and their job wasn't in jeopardy," he says. Full Story: [The New York Times (tiered subscription model)]( (4/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [On-Demand Webinar] 6 Ways to Win with Video Video can help create a personal connection when you can't be there in person. [Watch this webinar on-demand]( to explore how to use low-cost video content to increase conversion and engagement rates across your inbound marketing, digital marketing, email marketing, and more. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [How to communicate better through frustration]( Everyone is frustrated right now, writes Dr. Mark Goulston, so communication should begin with empathy and encouraging the other person to vent. "Whatever the 'new normal' turns out to be, we will be in the best position to address it if we turn the 'old normal' of adversarial communication into learning to work together more amicably," he writes. Full Story: [LinkedIn]( (4/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( SmartBrief Originals Sponsored content brought to you by SmartBrief - [Solved: How HR managers can make working from home work]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [Free resources for educators during the coronavirus pandemic]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [FAQ: human resources and mental health accommodations]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [How will the coronavirus outbreak affect the plant-based food industry?]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting job searching]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [] Innovation & Creativity A weekly spotlight on making the next big thing happen [] [Why video meetings are exhausting and unsatisfactory]( There's room for innovation in virtual meetings because today's offerings fail to reproduce the sights, sounds and human touch of in-person meetings, writes Steve Blank. "Without the missing non-verbal cues, business is less productive, social interactions are less satisfying and distance learning is less effective," he writes. Full Story: [Steve Blank]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartPulse [] When your annual plan goes off the rails, how does your organization react? We try desperately and in vain to make the plan happen. 12.75% We keep the plan but accept that we'll fail. 6.18% We tweak the plan and do the best that we can. 66.02% We disregard the plan and write an entirely new one. 15.05% [] Are tweaks enough? When bad things happen to good strategic and annual plans, the vast majority of you say you "tweak it and do the best you can." You might be missing great opportunities or assuming gigantic risks with that approach. Usually when a plan goes off the rails it’s because of a massive external dislocation. Those can be opportunities to reassess everything you’re doing and plot a new course. Your competitors are reeling from those challenges, too, and while they're taking a "tweak and hope" approach, you have a real opportunity to compete differently in a new market environment. Press pause on the plan. Do a fundamental reassessment of your strategy given the new realities of the market. Make the changes you need to make today, and do so of your own volition rather than tweaking, hoping and waiting. Because the market will ultimately force you to change, and that’s a lot less pleasant than making the change on your own terms. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [ThoughtLeaders](. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He's the author of three leadership books: "[One Piece of Paper](," "[Lead Inside the Box](" and "[The Elegant Pitch](." [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: How do you react when you receive unsolicited and unexpected negative feedback? [Vote]( [I ignore it. I didn't ask for it in the first place.]( [Vote]( [I get defensive. I explain why the feedback is invalid.]( [Vote]( [I sit with it for a while. I have to stew on it before responding or acting.]( [Vote]( [I embrace it. I love all kinds of feedback whenever it's provided.]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Why your gut will keep you in a rut]( Smart decision-making requires pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, says Gleb Tsipursky, a behavioral economist and cognitive neuroscientist. "Otherwise, you won't address the anchoring effect, the cognitive bias of not going far enough from our current patterns even though we think we've done what we needed to do," he says. Full Story: [Nir & Far blog]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Researchers find way to give plants their own glow]( Scientists have successfully transferred DNA from naturally bioluminescent mushrooms to create tobacco plants that glow in the dark from seedling to maturity. The process could help researchers better study plants and create luminescent decorative plants and flowers, researchers say. Full Story: [CNN]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy & share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] When the impossible has been eliminated, all that remains no matter how improbable is possible. 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