Episode 83: Noise and Signal

We've been on a break and I am very happy to be back . Thanks for following along , and we have 12 new episodes mapped out for you , centered on three themes . I've mentioned them already and you'll hear about them often Focus , priorities and alignment .

I'm also excited to share with you that those three themes are also wrapped up in an upcoming book called 39 Squirrels . If you're not familiar with the movie Up , there is a reference to focus in a particular scene where a dog , of course , is going to track the squirrel of course , is going to track the squirrel .

Many of us recognize that we might feel like we've got lots of squirrels running in our head in all different directions trying to do the things we do , and this is the third book in a series that will be out soon . The first two , 49 Chameleons and 29 Owls are now available on our website and by contacting our team .

And no , there's not really anything about animals in the books . They're all business and organizational effectiveness ideas for emerging leaders , advancing leaders and those people who just really want to make a bigger impact , and we're excited to tell you more about those if you'd like to reach out and talk .

Today's episode is called the Noise and the Signal . I've had many days and I suspect you have too where I am so busy all day long , and yet at the end of it I couldn't clearly say that I got anything to move forward . Consider for a moment how I view that moment , because that's the moment I know the noise won .

Because that's the moment I know the noise won . That's the moment I know the noise won . So what is noise ? Noise is the distraction , it's the overload , it is the feeling of spinning . It can be external endless emails , rapid fire meetings , interruptions , unclear requests . It can also be internal second guessing , perfectionism , people pleasing comparison .

And then there's organizational noise multiple priorities , unclear strategies , overlapping initiatives . We normalize noise , we say we're multitasking , when really we're just unfocused . We respond to everything , but not necessarily the things that deserve our best thinking . Noise isn't always bad .

It's just not as useful for the decision that is likely in front of you and when you lead from the noise , you stay reactive instead of intentional . Remember , in every conversation there are hundreds of things we could listen for . Are we listening to the right thing ?

And that insight that I have carried with me for a long time starts fully back giving Heather Woody credit for that one , because it's her techniques and coaching that help me do a better job of making sure that in each conversation , I'm listening for the right thing . In this example , what's the signal ? The signal is the clarity .

It's the next right step , it's your anchor . Signal might come from your mission , your values , a deadline that matters , feedback from a trusted team member , a question from a customer or a client that makes you rethink your approach . Signal often feels quieter , more grounded , less dramatic , but it's the thread that connects what you do to why you do it .

When we follow signal , we feel progress , alignment , focus , and when we ignore it for too long , we drift , our teams drift and we start reacting to things that don't actually move us forward .

Some time ago , I got a phone call from one of the CEOs I respect the most and in my work as an organizational psychologist , I'm just so honored to be in conversation with people in the really good times and in the times that we struggle the most . And this is one of the CEOs that I just respect the most .

I like how he runs his company and how he takes care of his people . And in that moment he called me and he said I'm failing my team . I'm like whoa , whoa , whoa , wait a minute . You're not failing your team . What's up with this word ? I just don't feel like I'm like whoa , whoa , whoa , wait a minute . You're not failing your team .

What's up with this word ? I just don't feel like I'm getting anything done for them . You know what ? We all have those moments and the reason I shared that particular example with you is because this is someone I know to be so good at what he does , takes such great care of his team .

But we all have moments where the noise is winning and my question back was what are the top three things you need to get done today ? I could have said just one , but I said three because when we name those three , then we can choose really out of those three . It helps us bring our thinking in . We can choose really out of those three .

It helps us bring our thinking in , clarify what's at the top of our mind and then pick what's next . He wasn't failing his team .

In fact , when we have those ongoing feelings , there are multiple reasons behind them and we're going to explore that a little bit more in this upcoming season as we tie focus priorities , alignment around confidence , and what does it take to move through those ?

Well , I'm happy to say that he went on and , of course , is still taking great care of his team and his company today . But I love the reminder . We all have those moments . We all need that little bit of reassurance , a signal from somebody else we're doing okay .

You don't need to eliminate all the noise , that's not realistic but you can train yourself to notice when it shows up and then shift back to signal

. Consider a couple of daily signal checks . What is my clearest responsibility today ? What noise do I expect to encounter ? How will I stay focused when it does ? And it does , pause before reacting and ask what's the signal here ? What really needs my leadership ? Teach this to your team too . Try saying let's quiet the noise so we can hear the signal .

Now , if that's not like you to say and they're not expecting to hear those words from you remember I do love a good sense of humor they might look at you at that moment and go what are you talking about ? Then send them the link for this episode .

But you need to build cues into your day A post-it note , a word on your screensaver , a calendar reminder , an alarm on your phone . Even 30 seconds of pause can reset your direction and , by the way , just give you a little more boost in confidence because you're clearer .

One of the most powerful things we can do as leaders is help others notice the noise and invite them to name the signals they see . Try this at your next team meeting . What feels noisy to you right now ? If you get them to understand how you mean the definition of noise , you might hear too many conflicting emails . We keep changing direction .

It's not clear what the priority is . Remember , these are not complaints . They're clues , clues that your team is struggling to find the signal . What are some other tools you might try ? Priority check-in Mondays what's our signal this week ? Project alignment what signal are we following as we work on this Supervisor check-in ?

What's helping you lead with clarity right now ? What's making it harder ? Or on a whiteboard or shared document , noise we can let go of and signals worth following . The best leaders don't just manage the noise . They teach their teams how to listen for the signal together . Your week ahead will be full of noise .

And here's your invitation Notice it , name it and shift toward your signal

. Guess what ? We have a new feature this season companion worksheets . These will help you map out for this episode , your own signal and noise and bring the practice to your team . So stay tuned . How to access that ? There will be a download available for all 12 episodes so you can deepen your learning further .

Thank you for joining me on the Workplace Chameleon . Keep smashing mental health stigmas and if today's episode helped you refocus and realign , even in the few minutes we share together , reflect on it , push it out into the world , if you would help our little team with that and use it to lead just a little clearer this week .

Until next time , keep leading with intention and learn something new today , day .