Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
What’s Your Participation Style?
How do you participate? At work, at home, in meetings… in life? Many think of participation in terms of sports or games: being a good team player, “playing fair.” But participation goes way beyond the court or field. Consider that your participation has a direct impact on the results you achieve and the life you’re [...]
Feeling Overcommitment Burnout?
“I can’t keep up with all of my commitments and I don’t want to let them down. But my heart isn’t in it any more…” Are you like this person who recently lamented that she was overwhelmed at work and was trying to balance all of her volunteer and networking commitments too. So you keep [...]
Turning Delegation from D’oh! To OOHH!
“D’oh!” That’s what Bart Simpson says when something goes wrong. Why is delegation one big “D’oh!” for a lot of people? There can be some fear about delegating tasks or projects because without proper planning, a lot of things can go wrong. How often have you said something like this? “I can do it faster.” [...]
Empty Net? Try The Other Side Of The Boat.
When asked if she had a favorite time in her life, 91-year-old Dorothy, blind and balancing herself on her walker, responded boldly: NOW! ??? Now ??? As an observer, what I saw was all of her closest friends were gone, she couldn’t see, had trouble with her remaining teeth, relied on a walker and rarely [...]
Accountability – How to Go From Red to Black.
Looking for a way to turn the bottom line from red to black? Think about this: Accountability is the new “black.” Leadership without accountability is a sham. Managing change can’t happen without accountability. Effective communication requires accountability. Delegation, Profitability, Performance Improvement, Team Building, Strategic Planning … Accountability is the foundation for success. Why, then, have [...]
3 Tools for Clear Communication
One way to reduce the clutter in your communication and get what you want is to “make a request.” A “request” is similar to an invitation. When you receive an invitation, you can accept it or decline. In addition, a “request” can provide an opportunity for a counter-offer. When you start a sentence with the [...]
The High Cost of Change
The Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered in 1997 that direct consequences of organizational change (including changes in leadership, a lack of communication or miscommunication), had the following effect: Productivity dropped 75% from 4.8 hours/day to 1.2 hours/day Social chat and gossip increased more than 100% from 1.5 hours/day to 3.2 hours/day Retraining increased 25% from [...]
Quit Throwing Money Down the Drain
Guess where I saw the binders of a new client’s past strategic plans? On the top shelf in the utility room, next to the toilet…Seriously. Have you ever spent a lot of time and money on a project that never got off the ground? Here’s one reason why this can happen. Tunnel Vision. Sometimes groups [...]
Management by Abdication
“I’m a hands-off manager,” the freshly minted MBA grad said to her new boss about her new staff. “I trust my employees to do their work and keep me informed. If you want more detail, talk to them.” Excuse me, but how could a new manager in a new company think that is ok? Wisely, [...]
A “Blooming Desert” is Not a Vision
At the end of the day, the team described their current state like “a pack mule or a bomb scene.” Their desired state for the future looked like a “desert in bloom.” This isn’t a vision. This is just plain stupid and a waste of time and money. As many organizations struggle to re-define or [...]
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