Are you a leader who struggles to see the value of building relationships with your team? Do you see the personal stuff as a distraction? Harvard Business Review says this is a recipe for high turnover and lower productivity. They offer five ways to adjust your management style. Get Feedback. Ask key stakeholders to rate your focus on […]
Read More → If you’re a manager, you’ve probably experienced yourself switching between the roles of visionary leader and hands-on manager. Yet, the role of leader and manager are different. Each requires a particular mindset and set of competencies. Here are examples of when you should wear your manager hat. When dealing with day-to-day tactical, transactional tasks […]
Read More →During a recent workshop, a participant confessed his lack of empathy – a core dimension of emotional intelligence. He said, “I don’t have any, and I don’t know how to begin to think about feeling the way others do.” Given the laughter and head nodding from the others in the room, he was not alone. […]
Read More →Have you ever received feedback and wondered, “Where on earth did that come from?” It seems so not like you, hard to believe, downright wrong. Of course, sometimes, feedback is based on misperception. And, at other times, it may be a precious gift you don’t want to accept. Feedback that sounds foreign – unlike anything […]
Read More →A Leadership Style That Breeds Success In today’s highly-charged environment, humility seems to be under attack. Everywhere you turn, people are screaming louder, tweeting angrier and latching on to brash, boastful behavior. But its easy to see how this unapologetic style shuts down the free flow of communication. For businesses, where innovation and creativity are […]
Read More →Stretch goals – goals that seem impossible given current reality – have advantages. They encourage creative thinking and exploratory learning, according to Mindtools.com. And, they can have a downside, too. If the goal is truly impossible, it can demotivate and overwhelm team members. Increase stress levels and absenteeism. Result excessive risk-taking, causing mistakes that take […]
Read More →Celebrating Women’s History Month: Tools and Tactics For Women At Work In her weekly blog, author and organizational development expert Dr. Anne Litwin sites study after study that conclude that women perform better than men in areas of leadership, management and decision-making. Yet women only make up 3 to 4 percent of CEO’s worldwide. For […]
Read More →The folks at Mind Tools say an average office worker receives about 80 emails per day. If your message is one of 80, or more, it can get lost in the shuffle. As creators of solutions, Mind Tools has developed several tips that will help your emails get noticed and answered. Don’t over-communicate. Write only […]
Read More →Does teamwork and collaboration characterize your approach to managing and leading? Are you able to get your team members to contribute at levels you deem effective and desirable? The best managers and leaders do. Here are a few tips from their playbook: Set stretch goals – individual and team. Regularly, discuss progress, challenges and opportunities. […]
Read More →Are your goals for the year ahead on your mind? I’m thinking about mine. For the most part, we’re accustomed to writing SMART goals: Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound. This year, experiment with by adding another take on your process. Create a ‘Want’ and a ‘Don’t Want’ list for each goal. Here’s how: At the […]
Read More →What are your thoughts about the idea of being self-made? Recently, I saw a man wearing a t-shirt with the caption, “SELF-MADE!” It was written in CAPS and seemed to scream at me, emphasizing the point. It got my attention, perhaps because earlier that day a client and I talked about how interdependent we really […]
Read More →When it comes to behavior change, did you know that asking questions could be more influential than making statements? Did you know that posing questions in a way that invites a “Yes” or “No” response can more effectively encourage the desired behavior than a declarative statement? The results of a 40-year research study conducted by […]
Read More →In her book “Strategize To Win,” Carla Harris writes about performance currency and relationship currency. Performance currency comes from doing your job well, building a strong track record through stellar performance and delivering on time and above expectation. Performance currency is most important to build when you’re starting out. Early on in your career, it […]
Read More →Resistance is data. Don’t make it a problem. Don’t push against it, get angry, or wonder, “What’s wrong with them?” When I say resistance, I’m referencing those moments when you feel others are working in opposition to you. They’re saying, “No,” for no apparent reason, countering your good ideas, being confrontational and unhelpful, fighting against […]
Read More →Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, author of Not In God’s Name, writes about the rise in religious extremism and violence committed in the name of God. While being interviewed about his recent book, the show’s host asked him why he toned down some of his commentary from earlier writings on the subject. Rabbi Sacks replied, “I recognized […]
Read More →The CEO was clear on the objectives of the leadership team’s summit. My job was to design the meeting and facilitate the group’s work. I asked him what he thought would be the most important contribution I could make, as their facilitator. His reply: “Keep us focused on the strategic. We tend to get into […]
Read More →To sell your ideas to others, and even over resistance, use these tips: First, be clear about what you’re selling and it’s value to all stakeholders. To clarify your message so nail it every time you discuss the idea, write out your talking points. Make your core message short, succinct and easy for others to […]
Read More →I enjoy ads and commercials. The good ones stick with me. I’m impacted by their images, sounds and words. The best ones have a dramatic tagline or slogan – a succinct, repeatable core message about the product or service that conveys the essence of what the company wants you to believe and remember. They’re designed […]
Read More →If you lead a company, a department or team, a career or a family, you need a strategic thought partner…someone who can help you dream possibilities, weigh opportunities, think through options, and confidently confront challenges. You need someone who sees you objectively, can help you identify ways to leverage your strengths and work on […]
Read More →Lift your head up and look around. I bet there are new people in your workplace. If so, reach out, say hello, extend a warm welcome. Do something that demonstrates you’re aware of their presence. You might be surprised by the big difference a small gesture can make to a person who is still […]
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