Efficacy Rate, Underperformer in team, T.D Jakes - Don’t Drop the Mic, Amplifying Voice in Organizations
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This weekly newsletter is mostly about the article, books, videos etc. I read or watch or my views on different topics which revolves around my head during the week. Now, let us dive into this week’s reads.
1. Efficacy Rate of Vaccines
Efficacy rate of different types of Covid-19 vaccines are getting discussed a lot these days. In Countries where more than one option is available, people are looking at efficacy rate of each vaccine and deciding simply based on percentages (95%, 94%, 84%, 75% etc.) which is best among these. Without knowing the right information, this comparison is being done and people are delaying their vaccine shot expecting to get their choice of vaccine to be given to them.
Efficacy is an ability to produce a desired or intended result. So how exactly this has been calculated? Efficacy is calculated by vaccinating list of people and after 14 days they are left in real-world conditions and monitored how many can get infected by virus. i.e., Say if 10 people are given a vaccine, and out of these in real world conditions only 1 person got infected with the virus, so Efficacy rate is 90%. Before one compare all the vaccines, they all need to subject to same conditions, which is not true. As each of these vaccinations are being developed in different countries and their clinical trials have occurred on different time of the year and around those time, the Virus wave in each country is different, so it is not valid to compare the efficacy rate. If anyone needs to compare, it would be after taking the vaccine which one keeps them away from hospitalization and death.
Here is the link to know the details, rather than just assuming the details based on Efficacy percentage.
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison
2. Underperformer in Team and while remote
We all have been working remote now more than a year and still many more months we will be remote till major population get vaccinated, however we get back to normal, the remote culture is going stay here for greater long term. So, learning leadership skills while being remote is a key thing which I always look out to learn. So, talking about one common point which many teams face. i.e., Underperformer in a team, especially when all team members are working remote. How do you tackle such situation? Very Ideal issue would be insufficient skills, lack of initiative, commitment, and poor attitude. But being working remote has made every one of us to look with another pair of eyes, so it is not easy to say these things without knowing the full picture. Let us see, what approach we should take in this case.
* Check what is different for the resource as creating now underperforming. Is it work, new work, skills, personal issue?
* Listen to your resource. Once you hear them, ask them what change they would do or expecting from you. What are our learnings from the discussions, action item can be on either of you?
* This is what learnt from one leader or observing one micro manager. Never tell Exactly what to do, how to do, Intention is to leave their work and their work ownership with them only.
* Give them all the information needed, ensure to have check ins with them. Let them know that you are ready for help and entire team as well. Every person in the team should rely on each other as its Teams work. Ensure each person is reaching out when lagging.
For the last part, I want to highlight here TEAM. Yes, teams can help their teammates a best. Most often I have seen a resource fallen off the radar is when his own team disowns him. When team supports the underperforming resource, they make him/her inclusive in every group discussion, issue discussion or help the resource in understanding his work more and help in completing deliverables. It is easier to thrive when team support is there, and team doesn’t allow any of their team member to fail.
Do share in comments what you would do.
3. T.D Jakes - Don’t Drop the Mic
T.D. Jakes shares how he discovered the power of a platform and audience, A person with a Mic has so much power in this world. He takes an example of great orators of history and how they have changed history through their communication. What wonderful about the talk was, he talked not just about stage communication, rather a communication across all stages of life. Here are key things which struck with me,
“Your future is never predicated on what you lost. It is predicated on what you have left.”
“Don't drop the mic, because destiny is in front of you, and history is behind you. And why would you live in your history when you can excel in your destiny?
Don’t run away from the person , rather run into them, listen to them, hear well, Don’t try to fix the person.
Most of the people stick to average or normal life, why only few takes such an exceptional journey of their life. Every one of us has a greater potential to get full filled in the life. For me, writing, reading is an extension from my daily job. why to care even if someone like this or even reads it, always do what you intend to do. There will be many saying what you are doing is not great or can be great, take the feedback which will improve your work, ignore the rest.
Listen to this interview, I ended up taking notes throughout the podcast as for sure it has many powerful quotes in an hour. Worth your time.
4. Amplifying Voice in Organizations
In many in-person team meetings or now Online Audio/Video conference meetings, you will always find a silent listener or a person who shares their point of view or feedback etc. but it’s not heard at all. We talked about this in our Diversity and Inclusion post earlier as well, every team member should feel the environment is safe enough to share their responses as well when in team discussions. No one should be afraid to speak up because of hierarchy or fear how one would understand and impact their career. It is very important that every meeting participant points are taken well, should not be overheard.
See the below link, where research also calling out to amplify your peer voice in such cases. if you notice in your meetings that your peer or cross team member who ever it is, if a participant ideas are overlooked, step in and amplify on their behalf to the group. We see this problem a lot, where specially meeting organizer or people with strong viewpoints tries to steal the show. In such cases amplify others voices to get them heard, this will also make you look good. Doing this you will be earning respect in other person eyes. Also, team gets to hear different ideas/solutions, so best one is selected. This will help you and your team, so please do so. Read the Abstract in below link.
https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amj.2018.0621
That is all for this week. See you again.
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