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Do you have periodic one-on-one meetings with each of your employees?
I would imagine we all INTEND to do that, but … things get busy. It’s not critical. So these powerful conversations get delayed.
I’d say you don’t realize just how amazing these kinds of meetings can be. What’s the point?
Well, primarily you’re:
Read the rest of this entry »There’s a powerful concept in the field of coaching called co-creation.
It’s also useful in the world of leadership because it says so much about aligning teams and engendering buy-in.
The traditional view of leadership is that the leader is the one who tells people what to do. If you have any significant experience at all, you know that this definition doesn’t hold water. Why? Because if you respect peoples’ humanity, you have to give them the ability to make their own decisions.
Read the rest of this entry »A leader’s primary reason for being is to instill hope.
Think about it: Why would an employee want to work for you? Because they hope for a stable life and valuable work, with people who make it interesting.
Why would a customer want to buy from you? Because they hope you’ll fix their problem or address a need they have.
Read the rest of this entry »Your relationships are built on single acts. Your organization’s culture is one conversation at a time.
It’s about the cumulative effect of many comments and actions. Each on its own may not feel that important by itself, but impressions are made by the totality.
That said, we all remember actions and discussions which had an immediate and lasting impact. I remember the time I told my boss that I would rather quit my job than do what he was requesting. That was nearly thirty years ago.
Read the rest of this entry »It seems like a lot of my thoughts this month are gravitating towards flexibility and resilience! This week I’d like to explore what it means for a whole organization to withstand the buffets of change.
Even thrive.
Last week I talked about core principles of perspective, readiness, energy, learning, and trust. Well, it turns out that groups of people exercise these characteristics as well.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many leaders in different kinds of situations, and it’s surprising how many get stuck on the “big picture” terms of Purpose, Mission, Vision, Goals, Values, Principles, Strategies, Priorities, and so on.
You might even be surprised where I end up with today’s message.
In my own language, I tend toward what feels like the natural English definition of the terms:
Read the rest of this entry »We try to make our businesses fairly resilient. Investments will fluctuate, customers will come and go, disasters will happen.
The smaller you are, the more you’ll feel it. That’s just the way it is.
But I don’t see leaders spending as much attention on critical roles that depend too much on a single person. Especially themselves.
Read the rest of this entry »As the boss, you may think that leadership is all about making the plan, communicating the plan, and measuring progress.
That’s kinda true, but it’s not the whole story. Not even the most important part.
The plans create a structure and organization. Great! But rarely do they create the focus and energy for getting results. That comes from where you spend your attention.
Read the rest of this entry »I’d love to participate, but I’m too busy right now.
It seems like busy-ness is the universally acceptable excuse for anything. We’re all busy, busy is good, and it’s the way we’ve defined life.
As a result, I’m finding it fascinating to be in a place of having more time to be intentional. I took a break from marketing my coaching business this year, and as a result I created a bunch of time to focus on my other priorities.
It’s a bit disorienting, honestly.
Read the rest of this entry »That quote is attributed to Peter Drucker, the amazing leader who helped redefine business in Japan and then around the world.
It’s good to remind ourselves that plans and strategies are fine – even necessary. But the real foundation of getting anything done is the culture of the organization.
This brings to mind a year in an organization I worked for about twenty years ago. The company was getting into serious financial trouble, and it was noted that growth in the number of employees was getting out of hand while the economy was headed the wrong direction.
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The Values-Based Business 