You probably got your position because you were one of the smartest people on the team. Knowing much and being smart are certainly advantages to you and your organization. If you are leading a team, however, you create a lot more value for the organization when you bring out the best in others. To do … Read more
I recently heard my pastor tell the following story: A college professor entered the empty classroom and wrote on the blackboard. As the students arrived and took their places he revealed the board and announced, “These are your exam questions. Please begin. I am going to be writing the exam questions for the next period … Read more
Happy, engaged employees are good for an organization. Research from every conceivable angle consistently shows they are more creative, make better decisions, produce more at higher levels of quality and service, and bring more heart to their jobs. As a bonus, happiness is contagious; it spreads like a virus that leads to deeper engagement … Read more
One of my coaching clients is looking for a new job. The client’s company is paying for coaching services while the client’s boss is simultaneously doing everything he can to confuse, disconnect and disengage his staff. The client did not intend to use coaching as a career change. Once I introduced language about boundaries and … Read more
When I was a young supervisor fresh from college I was thrown into a turbulent division experiencing 400% growth. The lead underwriter took me under her wing and taught me valuable lessons for dealing with that kind of chaos. “Never leave a problem file sitting on your desk over a weekend,” Jackie taught me. “Problems … Read more
Just as you hold a story about yourself, you hold assessments about others. This is a human thing – to create assessments about others as a shortcut to interaction. Notice that when you are in a leadership role, your assessments matter a great deal more than if you are merely a coworker. The theory of … Read more
I practice yoga, and over the winter I attended a workshop on Inversions (all the “upside down” and hand balancing poses). For the past two years I have worked my practice daily, and achieved a Headstand last year (imagine, at age 55, learning to stand on my head!). The next level of challenge for me … Read more
For ten years I have issued an annual reminder to leaders regarding performance feedback and relationship-building. The reminder always shows up in December or January.
You know what? That’s too late!
John O’Nolan via Compfight Ah, you expect so much – of self and others – on the job. How much of the stress you experience comes from trying to juggle too many roles, goals, and projects simultaneously? Take a hard look at your current goals. As a human being, your maximum capacity is four to … Read more
Many managers look to the annual performance appraisal as a time for goal-setting and calibration. It is an important event, but for the feedback-starved associate, that’s like being in school and getting no teacher input until the report cards come out in June. Let’s face it: the annual performance review cycle is a relic of … Read more