HOPELESSLY STUCK IN A WORK PROBLEM?
How often have you found yourself stuck in a work problem and just spinning your wheels over and over? It could be a co-worker conflict that seems to defy resolution, a group disagreement over a hiring decision, or a stalemate on budget cuts that have to be made.
THE OVERLOOKED POWER OF LISTENING
How often have you been told that you’re a good listener? Do you think you’re a good listener? What is a good listener? The concept of a good listener is undervalued or at worst completely ignored in organizations.
HOW CULTIVATING HUMILITY CAN SOLVE WORKPLACE TENSIONS
How often do we hear leaders openly admit their mistakes, say that they’re wrong or be honest about their shortcomings? In other words, how often do we see leaders show their humble sides? Not nearly enough.
IS YOUR WORKPLACE A NEVER-ENDING DRAMA?
A while back, a new client came to me exasperated that her workplace had fallen into nonstop gossiping and backbiting – one drama after another. All the signs were there. She saw too many spontaneous closed-door meetings, a rumor mill in overdrive and endless reports of how this co-worker was working against that co-worker. Sound familiar?
CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING FORMER “THICK-SKINNED” EXECUTIVE
The executive in this article’s title is me. Former executive I should say. I spent 20 years in charge of various departments, programs, work teams and budgets. For most of that time, I believed that part of being an effective leader meant being thick-skinned.
LACK OF SELF-AWARENESS LEADS TO LACK OF LEADERSHIP
If you were in charge of recruiting Uber’s next CEO to replace embattled Travis Kalanick, what qualifications would be at the top of your list? Given the recent publicity around Uber’s abusive workplace, one can only hope the company’s next leader knows how to create a positive and safe work environment, especially for women.
WORKAROUNDS TO DIRTY TRICKS: THE WORKPLACE MANIPULATION GAME
Recently I was listening to a manager complain about how her supervisor was not being upfront about her performance and on-going responsibilities. The manager took an extended vacation,and during that time her supervisor had reassigned some of her biggest projects to other team members. When the manager returned, she was surprised to learn of the changes.
THE RESTRUCTURE TRAP
If you’re a leader considering a restructure because your organization has stalled in some way, hit pause.Your well-intentioned efforts will likely make things worse.That’s the advice and prediction of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) executives Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman.They’ve looked at BCG’s work with more than 500 organizations around the globe (along with other research) […]
COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS CREATE DEEPER CONNECTIONS
Recently I was working with an organization where the senior executives and managers wanted to take steps to create a much tighter and productive working relationship between the two levels of management.
FOR HOME OR WORK: THE SCIENCE CASE FOR MEDITATION
Twenty years ago who would have predicted an ever-deepening relationship between the meditation and business worlds? Not me, and I suspect I’m in good company.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT: TWO QUESTIONS EVERY MALE EXECUTIVE MUST ASK HIMSELF
It seems a day hasn’t gone by lately without another prominent male getting added to the list of high-profile sexual harassers, many of whom have engaged in this abusive behavior against women for decades in the workplace with little or no accountability.
GREAT MANAGERS STAY FOCUSED ON THE BASICS
Recently, I was in a lunch discussion with a former work colleague about the qualities of an exceptional manager. I was curious about his thoughts because in my mind, he’s always been an exceptional leader, particularly in managing people. As we shared our thoughts on the topic, he had a simple reflection. He said that the problem with many managers is that they “don’t know the basics.”