Build a great company on a powerful foundation!
Uh oh! Things have fallen apart!
Why is this the first time you’ve heard about it?
The answer is pretty simple. People don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, especially if they think there’s going to be an impact on them personally. Even casting blame on the group as a whole is uncomfortable. So people don’t hide the information … exactly … but they hope that they will find a solution given just a little more time.
Read the rest of this entry »So you’re building something that’s going to be really successful. Customers will be happy, and your employees will find purpose and make a living.
What’s beyond that?
The recent Artemis II mission got me thinking about perspectives which are much, much larger than I usually ponder. In the case of business leadership, this includes ripples you might be generating which extend far beyond your current business plan and even your lifetime.
So let’s think about that for a moment.
Read the rest of this entry »As part of my management training, I took a course named Crucial Conversations. The concept is that there are particular interactions you need to have which contain high emotional impact, and therefore warrant careful planning.
Workplace examples are where you might have to give tough feedback to an employee, or communicate a difficult decision. Typically what holds you back is the emotional response you expect from the other person, which generates some internal resistance on your part.
It’s not so much what needs to be said, as how to communicate to preserve the relationship. So it’s good to do some thoughtful planning. Here is the process I tend to use:
Read the rest of this entry »Small acts are the lubricant for a society that works.
I heard a presentation recently from someone who described how the small things can matter even more than big issues. In business, and in our society, we tend to pay attention to the Big Things because we think they’ll have the most impact.
But we should also pay attention to what he called the “small favors economy,” those seemingly insignificant things which matter because it’s part of being human. It could be something as simple as holding the door open for the person coming behind you.
Read the rest of this entry »What would happen if everybody in your organization was a leader?
I know what you’re thinking: sheer chaos. Everybody would be doing what they want to, all random and disorganized.
But in fact, it would be healthy thing to think about your people that way. Let me explain.
Read the rest of this entry »There are some horrendous fires going on in Nebraska right now, so it was the whole topic of discussion this weekend when I was talking with friends who are affected.
It reminded me of work that I did in disaster planning, and a conversation I had with my wife in 2013 when fires came within just a few miles of our house.
The question is: How do you possibly save what’s important? In fact, what is important?
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve found that people can put in amazingly hard work … for a while.
It’s not that people are lazy – they just get worn out. And our current society seems to love adding more and more stress, especially mental.
We need a break.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve had lots of opportunities to create and facilitate strategic plans.
A lot of people complain that these kinds of plans get put on a shelf after the flurry of activity, then never looked at again. Which is totally true.
But I’d like to offer a different viewpoint, a bit less pessimistic.
Read the rest of this entry »At times it might feel like you’re married to your business, your organization, your job. If you are a leader at the top, you may have even started this whole venture.
But really, this is just a passing moment in history. Much happened before you were here, and much will happen after.
The same goes with each person on your team, with an even shorter timespan. Someone might be with you for a few weeks, a few months, a few years. But it’s not their entire life.
Read the rest of this entry »Your boss leads YOU and the rest of the team, right? So what does it mean for a subordinate to lead their boss?
I’ve had a surprising amount of experience at doing this successfully over the course of my career, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned.
There’s a popular phrase “managing upward” but sometimes that has overtones of I need to limit the amount of damage that my boss does to me. I have to admit that there can be times for this, but it’s not the kind of collaborative relationship you’d like to build.
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The Values-Based Business 