Jessica Weisz

The Minefield of Inept Framing Framing questions that sidestep core issues are a minefield that blows up the best of intentions. That’s universally true. To illustrate, here is an abridged story from my upcoming book: "What’s Next" If you want to hear more of how it worked out, pose the question in your comment and I will tell you. Anne is a writer who works for a youth educational organization. She curates and edits books written by the youth in the organization’s programs. She works from home; loves her job. Twelve people in the organization work for the program in which Anne is engaged. Anne’s contract will soon end. The need for her work is ongoing. Anne and Harold, her boss, want to renew the contract for another year. But… Anne wants greater autonomy to make creative decisions about the books. She is the only person in the organization with the skills needed. She and Harold have often discussed her autonomy. Harold wants all program team members to provide input on creative decisions. He thinks that approach aligns with their cultural norms, creates a greater sense of team ownership, and stronger staff support. That sounds good on paper. But it's an unrealistic perception about what happens in real-life. Anne knows that getting input from inexperienced people slows the process, and reduces the quality of the published work.      Her initial thought was to ask: What would it take to negotiate a new contact that would allow me to have the autonomy I need to do even more outstanding work and still satisfy the needs of the organization?  It's the wrong question. Because Anne’s needs are addressed, but the question does not reveal the right context for discussing those needs. The core issue is missing, thus everyone is not on the same page.  The core issue is trust. Harold does not trust Anne’s approach. It conflicts with existing cultural norms. He fears it will erode teamwork, diminish group ownership, and upset camaraderie. Also, Harold wants to avoid the discomfort of change. He frames his discomfort in the context of cultural norms, so his position seems logical, and in the best interests of the organization. This is a classic example of fear disguised as leadership. Anne's question must frame both barriers – Harold’s fear and his lack of trust. The contract itself is not the issue; it only translates a mutual agreement to writing. Anne’s question should be, what would it take to structure my working agreement to allow me the editorial authority and freedom I need to produce outstanding work that meets or exceeds our current standards, and do it in a way that has everyone strongly supporting it. In this framing, Anne has addressed trust, and including staff support as part of the solution will eliminate the discomfort of working outside the organization’s cultural norms. Anne and Harold can now focus their discussion entirely on Harold’s self-created barriers. She used it. It worked.

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Growth is complex, but at JIRAH Growth Partners, we've mastered the art of navigating it. For over 15 years, I have help guide owner-managed companies and charitable organizations to significant growth, with some clients experiencing revenue increases of over 300% in just 36 months. By focusing on research-informed strategies and customized recommendations, we ensure your business development and revenue growth strategies are purposeful and effective. Ready to join the ranks of our success stories? Let's talk!

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My new personal website is updated: Chenadam.ca If you’re looking for storytelling, presentation, or narrative coaching, and you’re willing to go a bit deeper – hit me up :) #storytelling #coaching #entrepreneur

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Disappointing that the The Logic didn't do a bit more homework as all sectors are not equal. This week the Business Development Bank of Canada said its venture investments in life sciences have generated an average internal return of 22.6% over the past decade, well above levels for information technology and clean technology. While IRR out-performance is nice, what is even more important is DPI. On this measure it would appear, based on CVCA and Pitchbook data, that since 2019 CDN LS companies account for more than 70% of realized distributions to limited partners invested in CDN VC funds. That is performance you can put in the bank.

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Start Your Friday with This Game-Changing Productivity Insight! Why hustle harder when you can work smarter? Before you dive into your to-do list, take a moment to rethink your approach to productivity with this powerful advice from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits: “Productivity matters most for the tasks you dread. But here’s the catch: instead of obsessing over how to speed them up, ask yourself, 'What would I love to spend time on, even if it took longer?' Focus your energy on starting what excites you, rather than just rushing through what doesn’t." Let this be your Friday reminder: Success isn’t just about getting more done—it’s about choosing the right things to do. Enjoy your day! #OaktreetalentLeadershipTips #Strategyjobsaustralia

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If you want to be taken seriously in your business communications, read on  👇 AI is taking over the world in (mostly) positive ways, but I have to say this. Anytime I see a LI post or comment, and it’s painfully obvious that it was written using ChatGPT, a small part of me dies. It takes everything in me not to eye roll and sigh. Please, PLEASE don’t do this. Do this instead. There is one tool that I swear by that has improved my writing 10X. And that tool is Grammarly. ✍ For only $75 all of my emails, posts, memos, documents, etc all sound perfect with my tone, cadence, and verbiage. I’ll never write anything professionally ever again without using it. And the free version is great, too! And for those in my LI and Gmail inbox once or twice a week - I recommend you do the same. 🙂

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We work, heads down to deliver collective healing to the world! Let success be the noise, that's my mantra. It is note worthy that PEERX.AI was amongst 50 other novel startups part of the Alberta Innovates delegation in SXSW. Meetings, gatherings, conversations, pitches, projects - I'm seasoned by now, and therefore, secured opportunities for us. All is actionable! #growth #investments #partners #clients #talent - We have them in the funnel, cooking something special for the world. We work hard in silence, aiming to let our users speak of the value we bring. 4 months into the year, really feels like 13. A waterfall of announcement upcoming. Tony Yousefnezhad Jaret Hargreaves Laurent Andriot, Executive MBA - It's the purposeful work we do that matters. Our key stakeholders Damarys Zampini Dominira Saul Evan Hu Natoya Abiola, MBET Jeremy Krol Andrew Greenshaw Rosalie Simard, MBA - It is a hard climb, without you it would be in the dark. Incubation partners Platform Calgary LE CAMP - 🚀 #savinglives is our purpose. #peerx is the infinite peer connections amplified by AI. ✌🏾 https://lnkd.in/gNP7upjS

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