Modern work practices demand management excellence. And, you might never have seen management excellence—certainly not applied to you. If you can’t manage yourself, you can manage or lead others.

Have you ever thought, “If I could just avoid all this bureaucracy, I could get things done?” You’re right. Too many organizations think they’re helping the teams when those very practices make work more difficult to accomplish. Sometimes, all you need to do is stop demotivating people from doing the work. Innovative organizations don’t just innovate their products—they innovate their processes.

Do you ever feel caught between what your manager wants and what your team needs? Too much of what passes for management or leadership pushes people away instead of creating an engaging environment.

Many career ladders focus on a person’s solo achievements. But very few people actually finish anything alone. And we want agile teams to work together. When we reward “individual” achievement, we discourage agility. What if we based career ladders on agile behaviors we want to reinforce? Then, we can use collaboration and influence to see how a person contributes to the greater goals. Not only can we see our contributions more clearly, but we can then create our own remarkable careers.

All leaders require excellent feedback skills—both to offer and receive feedback. However, too few leaders get feedback training. Worse, no one knows how to support their teams in learning how to offer and receive feedback. That means the leader intervenes in the team, creating a power-over culture. Instead, leaders can create a power-with culture when they teach team members to offer each other feedback. That allows the team to create an environment that works for them. You can lead a feedback lab, so everyone can understand how to offer and receive valuable and respectful feedback. Valuable feedback focuses on the data and the impact of that data on others and the team. Armed with that information, people can see what and how to continue or change.

All leaders require excellent feedback skills—both to offer and receive feedback. However, too few leaders get feedback training. Worse, no one knows how to support their teams in learning how to offer and receive feedback. That means the leader intervenes in the team, creating a power-over culture. Instead, leaders can create a power-with culture when they teach team members to offer each other feedback. That allows the team to create an environment that works for them. You can lead a feedback lab, so everyone can understand how to offer and receive valuable and respectful feedback. Valuable feedback focuses on the data and the impact of that data on others and the team. Armed with that information, people can see what and how to continue or change.

Do you ever wonder where the time goes? The team thinks they can finish features faster, but the features often take longer than they expected. Or the team spends the last 80% of the time finishing the last 20% of the features. Then, they all learn no one uses those features. Or the management team wants everyone to create innovative products and services in a too-short time. Why? Because they want to go to the next project in the project portfolio. A real culture of innovation means shortening the learning time, in the team, for the product strategy, and with the corporate strategy. The faster we can learn, the faster we learn what does work for whom—and what doesn’t work for whom. We can use shorter feedback loops to focus on delivering what our ideal customers want and need. We can avoid doing work they don’t need. If you’ve ever been surprised by how long the work takes, the value of that work to the customers, or how to make time to innovate, learn to see and measure your feedback loops.