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When I was working for Corporate, yearly evaluations were the norm. I noticed that every employee would skip over the ten pages of recognitions for job well done, and immediately look at the “Areas for improvement” on the last page.
It frustrated me as a manager, because it completely imbalanced the focus of our conversation.
The truth is that people get a lot more traction from focusing on what they’re good at rather than what they’re not.
Read the rest of this entry »When you’re dealing with people, things rarely go exactly to plan.
Why is that? Because we’re all imperfect and broken in our own ways. It’s one of the things about being human.
If you’re a leader, you’ve also taken on the role of organizational healer. You may not feel qualified, but this is something you can’t fully outsource.
Because it’s core to leadership.
Read the rest of this entry »We all do dumb things and make mistakes.
But this isn’t about “following the rules” and “doing things right.” That’s an immature way of viewing things, which is fine when you’re eight years old.
Being beyond that, I recognize that I have done things to injure others’ feelings, damage relationships, and push people into cynicism and doubt.
Read the rest of this entry »There’s nothing which drives employees more nuts than being an unpredictable leader.
Careful! Predictable doesn’t mean boring. It means that your team can learn how you’ll make decisions and what is valued in the organization.
When they feel that you’re just making things up as you go along, that’s what drives them crazy.
Read the rest of this entry »The fires in the Los Angeles area over the last couple of weeks have been absolutely devastating.
As a leader, one of your roles is to address the impact of various disasters for your organization. So you create backup plans, for computers, equipment, and people. It’s not fun, but necessary to keep things humming as best you can.
But the deeper impact is what happens inside your employees.
Read the rest of this entry »I’m an analytical guy, and I feel most comfortable when a I have a plan that pulls together. I’d like to think that this is an asset for my various leadership roles.
However.
The absolute best vacation our family ever had was when we had three weeks, a campervan, and no agenda except to show up at the Sydney airport on a specific day. The sense of freedom was unbelievable.
Read the rest of this entry »This is often the time that we move into a positive, energizing, forward-looking mindset.
This is a powerful leadership tool, because it connects to your team’s desire to do something which makes a difference. Together.
I often see organizations which have goals which boil down to “do what we did last year, but 10% more.” That can have some value for certain kinds of people, but only if they believe that they have a direct impact on the team’s result.
Read the rest of this entry »This is a great time to get your mind away from the craziness.
Sure, not for everybody. If you’re in retail, it’s likely things are still intense. Or maybe you’re connected to year-end activities.
Nonetheless, there’s always the need to step back and let your body and mind heal from all the stress. If not now, then hopefully soon.
Read the rest of this entry »Are you fully engaged in what you’re doing?
I find that many people I talk to are just … doing the work. Getting by. Busy.
And there are times you need to be there. Doing my taxes isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but I do them anyway because it’s a commitment I take on. But I have to confess there’s not much passion there.
Read the rest of this entry »Real growth happens in the grey areas, the paradoxes, the places where easy answers fail.
— Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO
This quote is from an interesting article I read recently. It got me thinking about one of the leadership challenges – applicable in business and in one’s personal life.
We spend a whole lot of time trying to put things in order. A defined process, with steps and checkpoints and owners. Quantifying results with numbers and graphs and analyses.
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The Values-Based Business 