Tools Archives - NOBL Academy

How to Make EPICS Decisions

Uncertainty, politics, timing, resources—making the right call is rarely easy. And when we talk about decision making, we often ignore critical aspects of the decision making process in favor of speed or own biases.

Tools

How to Define and Describe an Organization

It can be difficult to give order to the mess that is an organization. After all, business is the commercialization of human interaction and well, people are messes of complexity. Our tool, the Org Charter, helps make sense of all that complexity.

Tools

How to Make Better Decisions as a Team

There are lots of group decision-making models. Explore each and find one that works well for your group’s needs and circumstance.

Tools

How to Identify a Problem by Asking Questions

In a fast paced world, we tend to overvalue speedy solutions and mistake what problem we’re really solving for. Instead of rushing to a typical brainstorm, pause for a moment and generate questions.

Tools

Give Constructive Feedback with A Star and A Wish

You’ve probably heard of the “feedback sandwich”—a compliment, followed by a criticism, then another compliment. As someone giving feedback, this model feels safe and comfortable but for the person receiving the feedback it’s all too easy to learn to ignore any positive feedback as you wait for the “real” feedback. The next time you need to deliver feedback, try this format dubbed “A Star and A Wish” instead.

Tools

How to Conduct a 1:1

When you become a manager, or leader, your responsibility shifts. Your role isn’t to maximize the potential for the work, it’s to maximize the potential of those around you.

Tools

How to Write a Strategy Your Team Will Actually Remember

It’s 4:30pm on a Friday and your team has to make a critical decision by the close of business but you’re on an overseas flight, unreachable and unable to help. The team has two options on the table and both seem equally compelling although each have long-term consequences if they get it wrong. How will the team know, without being able to check in with you, which call is the right call to make?

Tools

Overcome Resistance to Change with Acceptance Planning

Change may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean people won’t try to stop it: Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s research has identified multiple reasons people resist change.

Tools

Evaluate Your Team’s Skills and Interests with a Roles Venn Diagram

It can be challenging to know what skills your team members have and how they want to develop their careers, not to mention how these interests ladder up to the tasks the organization needs. Moreover, all teams should periodically review how they’re spending their time and whether individuals on the team are happy with their workload.

Tools

Create a “Skills Inventory” to Allocate Work and Develop Team Members

It’s easy to fall into the habit of depending on specific people for certain tasks at work, but this can lead to overdependence on some team members and underutilization of others.