The skills and behaviors we refer to as “soft” are the hard core of what drives success. The Carnegie Institute of Technology reports that 85% of success in business comes from your ability to communicate, negotiate and lead. Only 15% is attributable to technical knowledge. Soft skills, also referred […]
Read More →Is there a person on your team you KNOW you can rely on to get things done promptly and correctly? When you delegate to her, without question, you’re certain the task will be handled. No need to give it a second thought, just wait for the perfect end product to […]
Read More →The late, great Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The answer to whether it matters whether you make your employees feel good, is YES. Even Forbes.com agrees. In their article “11 Simple Ways […]
Read More →Terri, an outstanding individual contributor, has a resume that boasts a string of successes. Recently promoted, her new role involves leading people. She’s struggling to find her footing in a position that calls for an additional set of competencies. This challenge is natural. As Marshall Goldsmith says, What Got You Here […]
Read More →Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is profound wisdom for leaders who want high performing teams that produce excellent results, in a healthy climate. Here are a few […]
Read More →You can stimulate workplace learning and discussion that results in real change. You can help ideas gain traction – new ideas to enhance your organization’s culture, strengthen its leadership and improve its financial performance. How? Share books and articles. Share good ideas and best practices. Encourage discussion about new, forward-looking possibilities. Relevant, thought-provoking readings are […]
Read More →You’ve probably heard the news about an interim report issued by Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin on the systemic problems in the Veteran’s Affairs agency. The report intensified scrutiny and resulted in expansion of the number of VA facilities to be reviewed. If you’re a leader, consider allowing this situation to stimulate a deeper, broader […]
Read More →While facilitating a strategic alignment retreat with a CEO and his senior team, they struggled to identify exactly what to do to change the culture. Finally, having nothing that felt like a good idea, I convinced them to involve the next level down. They agreed. In the meeting with the broader leadership team – the […]
Read More →You’ve probably heard the news about an interim report issued by Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin on the systemic problems in the Veteran’s Affairs agency. The report intensified scrutiny and resulted in expansion of the number of VA facilities to be reviewed. As a leader, consider allowing this situation to stimulate a deeper, broader look […]
Read More →According to Barry Oshry, author and founder of Power + Systems, middle managers often feel torn, squeezed; caught between a rock and a hard place. They understand what top leadership expects, they know what the broader workforce wants, and, where there is a gap between the reality of top management and workers, middles become the […]
Read More →Curiosity, a natural activity of an intelligent mind, is peaked when presented with thought-provoking questions – questions that make the listener think. When we’re open to queries and view interrogatives, no matter how challenging they may, as an opportunity to explore a new area and learn something we didn’t know, we serve the process of […]
Read More →More and more, organizational experts, including the well respected McKinsey & Company, are confirming what I’ve believed for years: organizational cultural change is inseparable from individual change. The two must work hand-in-hand. Why? Because organizations don’t change unless people’s mindsets and behavior change. Manager or leaders, shift the way you think, speak and behave. Soon, […]
Read More →Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela are well known examples of the significant, life-altering difference one person can make in the lives of many. Yet, think about it: those who’ve had a profound, defining impact on the person and professional you’ve become are probably far less famous than those I’ve […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, My boss is an excellent manager and a very inspirational leader. However, I have a colleague, who I think is a good person, but who seems to very much resent this boss. This colleague is also very good friends with my boss’s boss. The colleague is now making life very difficult and […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, My boss is an excellent manager and a very inspirational leader. However, I have a colleague, who I think is a good person, but who seems to very much resent this boss. This colleague is also very good friends with my boss’s boss. The colleague is now making life very difficult and taking […]
Read More →Experts say the reason people throw temper tantrums into adulthood is because they work. This frightening behavior gets the tantrum thrower exactly what they want – even if it is at the cost of co-workers or workplace civility. The first step to taking the sting out of another’s workplace tantrum – whether it’s your […]
Read More →I meet a fair number of business leaders who say they are empathy-challenged. Empathy is the ability to recognize and identify the emotions being experienced by another person. It’s one of the five components of Emotional Intelligence. Because it enables others to feel like you connect with them, it is an important skill set for […]
Read More →I meet a fair number of business leaders who say they are empathy-challenged. Empathy is the ability to recognize and identify the emotions being experienced by another person. It’s one of the five components of Emotional Intelligence. Because it enables others to feel like you connect with them, it is an important skill set for […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, Any advice on how I can get more people to speak up in my meetings? ~John V. John, I’m glad to hear that you’re a leader who wants more voices in the conversation – more people engaged and contributing. Here are several strategies that have worked for a number of my clients. […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, Any advice on how I can get more people to speak up in my meetings? ~John V. John, I’m glad to hear that you’re a leader who wants more voices in the conversation – more people engaged and contributing. Here are several strategies that have worked for a number of my clients. […]
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