This document provides 10 ideas for being a courageous rebel at work. It encourages resisting labels, knowing what's truly important, embracing discomfort, helping move good ideas forward, relying on disagreeable givers as thinking partners, communicating like an activist, practicing self-compassion, and maintaining optimism. The overall message is that small acts of thoughtful rebellion can make organizations more innovative and engaged if individuals focus on adapting, building resilience, and moving ideas forward despite challenges.

1. BE A COURAGEOUS
REBEL AT WORK
@Lois Kelly
FedEx DX2018
October 19, 2018

2. WHY ISN’T ANYONE
HELPING PEOPLE
INSIDE LARGE
ORGANIZATIONS?
2

3. 3

4. CAN WE HELP CURE
LARGE ORGANIZATION
DISEASE?
EMPOWER PEOPLE
WITHOUT POSITIONAL
AUTHORITY?
MAKE SURE GREAT
IDEAS LIVE?
4

5. 5

6. REBEL IDEA #1
RESIST LABELS,
ONE SIZE-FITS-ALL
6

7. •IMPORTANCE
•DISCOMFORT
•MOVING GOOD IDEAS FORWARD
•RESILIENCY 7

8. ONE IDEA THAT’S STICKING WITH ME…
WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME IN MY
PROFESSIONAL LIFE RIGHT NOW IS….
8

9. ON A SCALE OF 1 – 10 HOW
IMPORTANT IS THIS?
9

10. 5 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS VIDEO
10

11. WAIT, WHAT?
I WONDER WHY/IF?
COULDN’T WE AT LEAST?
HOW CAN I HELP?
WHAT TRULY MATTERS
TO ME?
11

12. REBEL IDEA #2
KNOW WHAT’S TRULY IMPORTANT
12

13. DISCOMFORT
ORG. SAFETY & REBELLIOUS ACTS
CROSSING THE SYNTHESIS SWAMP
REBEL ALLIANCES & WILD PACKS
13

14. 14

15. 15
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
“…a sense of confidence that the
team will not embarrass, reject or
punish someone for speaking up…
…a team climate characterized by
interpersonal trust and mutual
respect in which people are
comfortable being themselves.”
Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership
and Management
Harvard Business School
WE FEAR RISKS TO
OUR IMAGE
DISRUPTIVE
INCOMPETENT
NEGATIVE
IGNORANT

16. 16

17. SMALL ACTS OF
THOUGHTFUL REBELLION
NON-CORMING BEHAVIOR OVER 3 WEEKS
Voice disagreements
Express true feelings
Proposing unconventional ideas
MORE CONFIDENT, ENGAGED THAN OTHERS
More creative
Higher performance ratings by supervisor
Source: Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School 17

18. 18
I’m so excited.
This is an adventure.
PTGD(
POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH
DISORDER
@LoisKelly

19. REBEL IDEA #3
DISCOMFORT IS WHERE
THE MAGIC HAPPENS
19

20. IDEO MOOD MAP
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
20

21. “I speak to my brain as though
it is a group of children. Please
stop bringing this stuff up.
“Deciding that internal verbal
abuse is not acceptable
behavior is the first step in
finding deep inner peace.”
Dr. Jill Bolte Tayler
21

22. AM I TRYING TO SOLVE
THE RIGHT PROBLEM?
22

23. 23
BEING IN NATURE IMPROVES OUR MOOD AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES

24. REBEL IDEA #4
HELP EVERYONE MOVE
IDEAS FORWARD
24

25. TURN TO YOUR
REBEL ALLIANCE
25

27. MEMBERSHIP
• Demonstrated they get sh*t
done.
• Knows the rules and has,
circumvented the rules to get
things done for the betterment
of the company and team.
VALUE OF BELONGING
• Rebel Alliance members
informally support other members
on their initiatives.
27

28. WILD PACK SUPPORT PACK
DISAGREEABLE
GIVERS
28

29. REBEL IDEA #5
DISAGREEABLE GIVERS ARE
GREAT THINKING
PARTNERS
29

30. MOVING IDEAS FORWARD
MESSY MEETINGS
COMMUNICATE LIKE AN ACTIVIST
MAKING IDEAS CONTAGIOUS
30

31. REBEL IDEA #6
MEETINGS ARE NOT
PRESENTATIONS
31

32. HOW COULD THIS IDEA BE STRONGER?
SURFACE ISSUES, OBSTACLES
RELATIONSHIPS
AGREEMENT: MINIMALLY VIABLE ACTION
32

33. REBEL IDEA #7
COMMUNICATE LIKE AN ACTIVIST,
NOT A BUREAUCRAT
33

34. 34

35. 35
WHAT’S AT STAKE
PICTURE WHAT
COULD BE
SHOW IT CAN WORK BE POSITIVE & PITHY
Show how idea
relates to what
people want, and
what’s IMPORTANT,
valued, relevant.
Make the status quo
unappealing.
People support
ideas they think can
work. (But show
possible risks!)
Keep it short, pithy,
believable. Avoid
messaging fetish.
COMMUNICATIONS ESSENTIALS

36. “Leaders should start smaller.
They should make the case for
transformation through their
strong ties and let it reverberate
among those connections until
they convince themselves that it is
both real and necessary.
And then, leaders can let their
strong ties spread the word
through their own strong ties.”
BEWARE THE BIG LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
36

37. 25%
Committed
majority
37
10%
Unshakeable
belief
3%
Right
influencers
TIPPING POINTS FOR CHANGE
Science Daily Science Daily Analytics in HR

38. RESILIENCY
APPRECIATION
SELF-COMPASSION
OPTIMISM
38

39. 39
COURAGE
BRAVERY
HONESTY
ENTHUSIASM
PERSEVERANCE
Character Strengths & Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, Drs. Martin Seligman, Chris Peterson

40. REBEL IDEA #8
ADAPATABILITY IS THE SLEEPER
COMPETENCE FOR PROFESSIONAL
& PERSONAL SUCCESS
40

41. 41
Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman

42. 42

43. “A sense of appreciation is the
single most sustainable motivator
at work.”
Dr. Adam Grant, Univ. of Pennsylvania
43

44. VIA Institute on Character 44
CHARACTER STRENGTHS
APPRECIATED
77% of employees say they are
flourishing, engaged, able to
make things happen at work.
71% of employees who believe
their managers can name their
strengths feel engaged and
energized by their work.
VIA Institute on Character
WE ALL HAVE 24 UNIVERSAL, INNATE CHARACTER TRAITS

45. HUNT THE
GOOD STUFF
45

46. People who have self-
compassion are more resilient,
optimistic, and less likely to be
anxious or depressed.
Self-compassion is treating
yourself as you’d treat a good
friend. It’s being kind to yourself.
46

47. REBEL IDEA #9
SELF-COMPASSION CREATES MORE
RESILIENT PEOPLE AND
COMPANIES
47

48. KNOW WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT
GET COMFORTABLE WITH DISCOMFORT
MOVE GOOD IDEAS FORWARD
BUILD YOUR RESILIENCY MUSCLES
48
REJECT MEDIOCRITY & COMPLACENCY
BE MORE COURAGEOUS

49. WHAT ONE PRACTICE WILL I
COMMIT TO?
WHAT ONE WAY WILL I TRY TO
HELP OTHER REBELS AT FEDEX?
49

50. 50
COPE BETTER WITH STRESS
MORE LIKELY TO ACT IN SOLVING PROBLEMS
MORE PLANFUL IN DEALING WITH ADVERSITY

51. OPTIMISM IS THE
GREATEST
ACT OF REBELLION
@LoisKelly @RebelsatWork
51
REBELSATWORK.COM, FOGHOUND.COM
REBEL IDEA #10