Why you should document your successes

Delivering on what you promise is a simple way to excel | Read more from Joel Garfinkle on SmartBrief on Leadership | Lessons from Zillow's failed house-flipping Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( November 16, 2021 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading Edge [] [Delivering on what you promise is a simple way to excel]( Creating a "one-to-one ratio between say and do" is how you build trust with co-workers, says Andre Durand, CEO of Ping Identity. Adam Bryant writes, "It may seem tedious, but nothing beats making a note to yourself -- on whatever list you keep -- that you have to deliver something, and when it has to be done." Full Story: [Strategy+Business]( (11/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Why you should document your successes]( Keep track of successful projects, positive outcomes, praise and day-to-day responsibilities so that you're ready to impress when promotions or job interviews become available, writes Joel Garfinkle. "Quantifiable data is especially persuasive, in part because it measures the impact of your accomplishments," Garfinkle writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (11/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Joel Garfinkle on SmartBrief on Leadership Don’t lose business to complex language [Customer experience]( is everything related to a business that defines a user's perception and feelings about it. By taking a proactive approach to clear communication your company can drive loyalty and advocacy before a transaction has even taken place. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Lessons from Zillow's failed house-flipping]( Zillow's plan to buy houses and flip them for profit failed in part because of faulty data that created unrealistic expectations, writes Rita McGrath. McGrath explains why Zillow's planning was flawed and offers five assumptions for any company to watch out for in their own strategic planning. Full Story: [Substack/Thought Sparks]( (11/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( 7 things to know about carbon capture Carbon capture and storage will be essential to a lower-carbon future. [Sign Up Now]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Here's advice for communicating across cultures]( Communicating effectively across cultures demands that we be "a cultural ambivert" who looks for commonalities and recognizes whether a situation requires direct or indirect communication, write New York University professors Dan Bullock and Raul Sanchez. "Instead of seeing ourselves as the source of change, we as presenters must view ourselves as the catalyst for change," they write. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (11/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Free Lunch + Earn Recertification Credits Sign up for Wednesday's virtual workshop: Retaining Employees in the Era of the Great Resignation, and receive a $15 UberEats voucher toward one meal to enjoy during the event AND credits from the major players HRCI, SHRM and IHRIM!. [Register for Free]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartPulse [] How strictly do you enforce contract terms when someone backs out of a deal? Very: That's what contracts are for. There need to be consequences 42.22% Somewhat: If it's last minute with no good reason, we'll enforce. Otherwise, not really 41.21% Not strictly: We'll only enforce terms in the most egregious cases 13.56% Not at all: We may as well not have signed a contract 3.01% [] Terms matter. A large portion (42%) of you strictly enforce contract terms when one party backs out of a deal and another large portion (another 41%) enforce them if it's a last-minute change. Contracts have consequences. Parties should expect to be held to the terms of an agreement. The implication for you is, as you're going through a contracting process, being sure everyone clearly understands all the terms and that the triggering of a penalty clause won't cause excessively punitive consequences. Make consequences proportionate to the offense; otherwise you run the risk of permanently damaging a relationship or getting pulled into litigation which may be seen as a cheaper option than paying the penalty. Fair contracts with reasonable consequences are always a best practice. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: How effectively do you help your teams arrive at their own solutions rather than giving a solution to them? [Vote]( [Very effectively: Almost everything we do is the team's idea]( [Vote]( [Effectively: I help them often but sometimes drive my own solution]( [Vote]( [Not effectively: My solution often dominates the conversation]( [Vote]( [Not at all: I almost never use the team's solution and always default to mine]( The shift from net-zero to net-negative With many countries and companies announcing net-zero goals, Tej Gidda, Vice President and Global Lead for Future Energy at GHD, outlines how a "Supercharged Transition" can help shift those goals from net-zero to net-negative. [Learn more about why the future is NOW for energy](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] In Their Own Words [] [We need to ask why Welch's succession plan failed]( Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch's succession plan was heralded as a model of success, but his three handpicked candidates have all struggled as CEOs -- Jeff Immelt at GE, James McNerney at Boeing and Robert Nardelli at Home Depot. Ultimately, Welch's belief in preordained success and a refusal to look at outside candidates hurt GE, and "and it's probably time we started teaching why and how his once revered process created three leaders who underperformed in their roles as CEO," writes Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners. Full Story: [Robert Glazer]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [How Betty Crocker has aged over the past century]( Betty Crocker's image and appearance have changed over the past century, adapting with societal norms and gradually shedding the conceit that she was a real person, writes Clark University professor Elizabeth Blake. Betty Crocker was invented 100 years ago as a way for old Medal Flour's parent company to respond a flood of letters, many asking for cooking advice. Full Story: [The Conversation]( (11/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] James daSilva James daSilva Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! Thank you for reading and subscribing. I know you don't need to read SmartBrief on Leadership. Rather, you're here because you're on the lifelong journey of being a better leader, communicator and thinker. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note.](mailto:jdasilva@smartbrief.com) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Press Releases Sponsored Content [Milne Fruit Products Promotes Michael Sorenson to CEO and President]( [Post a Press Release]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to. C.S. 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