New research shows that fatigue from Teams, Zoom and other virtual meetings is a demonstrable neurological phenomenon. It differs from the fatigue experienced in face-to-face settings (brain images show that). Certain platform features, such as seeing our own faces, makes the fatigue worse. Scientifically-based strategies to address "Teams fatigue": 1) Mix in some audio-only meetings (eg, phone calls/conference calls): this reduces the cognitive load and means people can move about during the meeting 2) Try to stick with one platform: switching between Teams, Zoom, Google Meet etc, makes the fatigue worse 3) Practice "IT mindfulness": actively explore & adapt the technology to better suit your needs 4) Switch off the "self-view" function (so others can see your face on screen but you cant): in virtual settings, maintaining a continuous self-view can unintentionally affect both individual performance & group dynamics sloanreview.mit.edu/article/…. Newly published in @mitsmr. Graphic via @springroleinc.

Taking a systems approach to leading with kindness. An outstanding new paper - Dec 2024. Kindness means helping others do better. If, as leaders, we want to create a satisfying & meaningful career experience for colleagues which promotes optimal well-being & healthspan, we should focus on four domains for leading with kindness: 1) Agency - people having a sense of control/autonomy in their work lives 2) Collective effervescence - energy & harmony in groups of people with shared purpose 3) Camaraderie - social connectedness 4) Positivity - optimism & caring The paper sets out ten evidence-based systems for applying these principles. Each system can be viewed as an act of kindness: drive.google.com/file/d/15qA… By @espritdeswensen. Thank you Steve for giving me this link so the article wasn't behind a paywall.

How do we influence others? Recent research shows that the approach most commonly used by leaders is "selling" - getting others to agree by showing them your idea is the best/most beneficial. However, influencing by "selling" produces suboptimal compromises. Leaders who adopt a more collaborative influence approach (enlisting the support/cooperation of others, without relying on formal authority, to achieve individual or common goals, especially in the face of conflicting priorities/perspectives) get better outcomes from decisions. sloanreview.mit.edu/article/…. Via @mitsmr.