Leadership

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  • 7 Tips to Sell Your Ideas Like a Motivational Speaker

    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro
    sshapiro
    30 Apr 2012 | 4:49 pm
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro“You don’t listen!” All of us have likely heard these words spat at us in frustration at some point in our lives. And guess what, it’s true! The fact is that no one listens. In a previous OPEN Forum article, I wrote on how to more effectively hear what others are really trying to say. By recognizing how you listen (or more accurately, don’t), you can then better understand the way others listen. This in turn arms you with the ability to speak in a way that will have you be heard. Effective innovators and business leaders…

  • If “Why should anyone be led by you?” is such a stupid question, why does it stump most leaders?

    Team Building and Leadership: Create-Learning
    mike
    2 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Enjoying a good discussion and when writing “Why should anyone be led by you? That’s a dumb question.”  there was hope that someone would respond, challenging the assertion that it is a dumb question. Below is what was shared on the Organization Development of Western New York LinkedIn page. The other person will be kept anonymous (unless I get their permission to share their name on the blog) Other Person in response to the original blog post Hi Mike! I found your comments to be interesting. A question: If “Why should anyone be lead by you?” is such a stupid question, why does…

  • Leaders: You Can’t Really Manage Change

    Linked 2 Leadership: The Leadership Collaboratory
    Anil Saxena
    14 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    During a recent project that involved whole scale transformation of a client’s system to manage, hire, compensate, reward and recognize, 65% of their employees are who drive their profitability. The concept of managing change really is a fallacy. Traditional Change  There are many statistics indicating that traditional change management is only successful in approximately 30% – [...]

  • Leadership & The Power of Listening

    N2Growth Blog
    admin
    7 May 2012 | 1:25 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth Great leaders are great listeners, and therefore my message today is a simple one – talk less and listen more. The best leaders are proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners. They recognize knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening. Take a moment and reflect back on any great leader who comes to mind…you’ll find they are very adept at reading between the lines. They have the uncanny ability to understand what is not said, witnessed, or heard. In today’s post I’ll quickly examine the…

  • Education is Leadership; Leadership is Education

    SteveFarber.com
    Steve
    31 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm
    On Sunday morning I talked with Courtney Dwyer of San Diego’s CW channel 6 about education, leadership, and using one to re-energize the other–and about the Re-Energize Education event this coming Thursday night. If you’re passionate about education (and in San Diego on Thursday), it’s not too late to register to join us for this phenomenal evening. Over 700 people are on the boat (literally as well as figuratively) so far. Please share this video and spread the word:
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    HBR.org

  • Putting Facebook in Perspective

    Mark Bonchek
    16 May 2012 | 2:12 pm
    Every day brings some new bit of information — or hype — about social business. If you actively follow the social space, it's easy to get caught in the never-ending stream. If you don't, you may find all the talk about social overwhelming. So it's useful to step back, gain some perspective and see the bigger picture. And it is a big picture. Communication revolutions like this have happened before, but you have to go back to Gutenberg in 1450 to find one as significant. Before Gutenberg's printing press, monks laboriously produced written manuscripts and few people could read. The…

  • The Inexperience Advantage

    Daniel Gulati
    16 May 2012 | 10:53 am
    Ever been shut down by someone who supposedly knows more than you? It happens to me daily. I get denied by people that are more senior, more polished, and more knowledgeable than me. I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed professional rejection, but I try my best to dust myself off and move forward, reminding myself that that a series of controlled failures are necessary for eventual success. Not surprisingly, I'm not the only one getting ignored because of my inexperience, and the rejections can be downright vicious. Just last week, Kate called me in tears after attending a media conference with…

  • Are Women Held Back by Colleagues' Wives?

    Lauren Stiller Rikleen
    16 May 2012 | 10:33 am
    The new millennium has not brought much progress for women seeking top leadership roles in the workplace. Although female graduates continue to pour out of colleges and professional schools, the percentages of women running large companies, or serving as managing partners of their law firms, or sitting on corporate boards have barely budged in the past decade. Why has progress stalled? A recent study suggests the unlikeliest of reasons: the marriage structure of men in the workplace. A group of researchers from several universities recently published a report on the attitudes and beliefs of…

  • Great Businesses Don't Start With a Plan

    Anthony K. Tjan
    16 May 2012 | 10:29 am
    You want to start a business. So you need a plan, right? No. Not really. As part of the research for a book I'm co-authoring — Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck, due out in August from HBR Press — my colleagues and I interviewed and surveyed hundreds of successful entrepreneurs around the globe to better understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur and build a really great business. One of our most striking findings was that of the entrepreneurs we surveyed who had a successful exit (that is, an IPO or sale to another firm), about 70% did NOT start with a business plan. Instead,…

  • The Myths That Prevent Change

    Roberto Verganti
    16 May 2012 | 10:14 am
    You probably think that the barriers to innovation are negative elements of your organization — that is, the wrong people, behaviors, and processes. But the most subtle and pernicious barriers to innovation may be the seemingly positive myths about what has made your organization successful. Every organization has myths about who are the great leaders, what are the behaviors to admire and imitate, what business you are in, what customers want, what are the best skills to run a process. Whenever someone proposes an idea, it is explicitly or implicitly screened with the myths.
 
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    Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog

  • Real Leaders Don’t Boss

    16 May 2012 | 3:14 pm
    Ritch Eich says that Real Leaders Don’t Boss. “Real leaders are rare in today’s fast-moving, financially driven world. In their place are fast-track wannabes and imposters, intent on instant gratification in the form of quick (and unsustainable) bottom-line results.” As Eich observes, there are far too many bosses and not enough leaders. Bosses who are too narrowly focused, see employees as tools, are respecters of position, controls rather than empowers, and sets expectations for others that they wouldn’t wish on themselves. Eich identifies and then dedicates a chapter to each of…

  • 5 Leadership Lessons: The Leader as Strategist

    15 May 2012 | 2:13 am
    The Strategist is not a book about strategy, but a book designed to equip and inspire you to be a strategist. Author Cynthia Montgomery, says we have reduced strategy to a right-brain exercise and have lost sight of what it takes to lead the effort. The essential component of the strategy-making process is the leader. Leaders must not ignore or underestimate their crucial and ongoing role as a strategist. “Strategy is not a destination or a solution,” writes Montgomery. “It is not a problem to be solved and settled. It’s a journey. It needs continuous, not intermittent, leadership. It…

  • What Matters Now

    9 May 2012 | 12:54 am
    What Matters Now by Gary Hamel is probably one of the most important books you could read this year. It is an invitation to rethink the fundamental assumptions we have about capitalism, management, institutions, and life at work. It is, as Hamel describes it, “a blueprint for creating organizations that are fit for the future and fit for human beings.” The book is divided into five fundamental, make-or-break issues that will determine whether your organization thrives or dives in the years ahead: values, innovation, adaptability, passion and ideology. Here are some of his thoughts that…

  • Get Real. Get Outside.

    7 May 2012 | 12:01 am
    In a print campaign directed at people immersed in the modern digital world for garden power tool company STIHL Australia, we are encouraged to discover the simple joys to be found outside. “Get Real. Get Outside.” It was developed by Whybin\TBWA\Tequila (Australia).

  • Stuck? Flip the Script

    3 May 2012 | 12:41 pm
    Flip the Script is about approaching everything in your life with a new mindset: you can’t control circumstances but you can manage them. Author Bill Wackermann says that the first step is to “embrace the notion that turning a situation around and creating new opportunities takes the desire to face yourself as you really are and a willingness to see the potential that could be hiding right in front of you.” Wackermann believes that anything can be flipped—any expectation can be turned upside down. It is a skill that can be learned and developed through practice. The book is divided…
 
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    OPEN Forum Articles

  • Special Feature: A Winning Company Culture

    16 May 2012 | 9:15 am
    From Erik Rhey: Culture affects so many aspects of your business, including profitability, turnover, employee satisfaction and your own happiness. That's why we are tackling the big issue of company culture in our May Special Feature. In Part 1 of this series, our experts show you how to define “company culture” and its impact on your business. Management and culture expert Bruna Martinuzzi explores the four kinds of cultures that exist and tells you how to determine which model fits you. And our Culture Beat columnist, Alexandra Levit, will give you tips on building a strong…

  • Fostering a Strong Company Culture

    16 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    From Alexandra Levit: Greg Smith, formerly of Goldman Sachs, recently wrote an op-ed in The New York Times about why he was leaving the company. The piece is an eloquent testament to how a strong culture affects organizations. Goldman would probably prefer to block out this PR nightmare, but Smith put it out there: "Culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs’s success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients. The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients’ trust for…

  • What Culture Is Right for Your Business?

    16 May 2012 | 8:45 am
    From Bruna Martinuzzi: “If you do not manage culture," says Edgar Schein, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, "it manages you. And you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.” Culture has a significant impact on a company's long-term economic well-being: A 2000 study published in the Harvard Business Review found that company culture can account for nearly a third of financial performance. This is too high an impact to ignore. An encrusted culture can sometimes impede a company's adaptability and prevent it from changing course in order to…

  • Chef Thomas Keller on Building a Supply Community

    16 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    From Donna Fenn: There are plenty of entrepreneurs who will tell you that corporate culture informs every facet of how they manage their companies.  But those who walk that walk are rare. And those who extend that philosophy to their suppliers and business partners are even rarer. Count Thomas Keller among them. Keller, the owner of two Michelin three-star restaurants–The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., and Per Se in New York–knows that the fishermen, foragers, gardeners, and farmers who supply his restaurants with the freshest ingredients are an integral part of the…

  • Chef Keller's Kitchen: A Collaborative Environment

    16 May 2012 | 8:15 am
    From Donna Fenn: Don’t call Thomas Keller a “celebrity chef.” He bristles at the term. “You wouldn’t call Tom Cruise a celebrity actor, would you?” he asks. “I’m just a chef.” Well, not exactly. Chef Keller sits at the helm of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, which includes two Michelin three-star restaurants: The French Laundry, a Napa Valley gem; and Manhattan-based Per Se, where I recently chatted with Keller about his journey as an entrepreneurial chef. “I think I've always been an entrepreneur,” he says. “I have…
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    Management-Issues

  • The psychology of bad advice

    16 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Advisors confronting a financial conflict of interest give more biased advice to multiple, anonymous recipients than they do to identifiable individuals, new research has found.

  • The relationship web

    14 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Whether we are aware of it or not, our lives are giant webs of inter-connectivity. How many people do you interact with every day? And how many of these do you see as being real people to be seen, acknowledged, appreciated and valued?

  • Happy Defender of the Motherland Day

    14 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    If you ever need to be reminded of the fact we live in a multicultural world and function on a calendar other than the one your fathers and mothers used, just try arranging meetings in the merry, holiday-strewn month of May.

  • The three legs of leadership

    14 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Leadership effectiveness depends on three things. Your knowledge of the job, your place in the working environment and your ability to relate to others. Remove any of these three legs and – like a stool – you're heading for a fall.

  • A new philosophy for leadership

    10 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    The current paradigm of leadership is broken. What we need in its place, says Professor Ken Starkey, is a model of leadership grounded in humility and balancing a concern for self with a concern for others.
 
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    Michael Hyatt’s Blog

  • #012: The 5 Marks of Authentic Leadership [Podcast]

    Michael Hyatt
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    In this podcast episode, I talk the essence of authentic leadership. What is it? Is it simply influence or is it something more. I have always been fascinated by this topic. Perhaps because I enjoy creating models that try to explain something people want to know about. Click to Listen Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in browser | Download Episode Outline In the last few weeks, I have been interviewed several times: at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, the Catalyst Dallas Conference, and then a couple of interviews for my new book, Platform. Because I my blog is mostly about leadership, the…

  • 4 Ways Supervisors Frustrate Their Employees—Are You Guilty?

    Michael Hyatt
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    When I first became President of Thomas Nelson, I began hosting an event called “Pizza with the Prez.” Once a month I invited a different workgroup to have lunch with me—without their supervisor being present. Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/J-Elgaard This event provided an opportunity for me to get unfiltered feedback. It was one of my favorite activities. It also proved to be one of the most productive. It confirmed what I thought was true: The further you move up the chain-of-command, the less likely it is you will get the truth. Information is often filtered,…

  • 3 Characteristics of the New Marketing

    Michael Hyatt
    14 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Every morning while getting dressed I have The Today Show playing in the bathroom. I enjoy catching up on the news and getting the forecast for the day’s weather. At least until the commercials come on. It’s not that I am opposed to advertising per se. I’m not. I understand that television producers have to monetize their content. What I object to is the fact that these commercials—especially the ones from car dealers—are several decibels louder than the program itself. Evidently, the pitch man thinks he can bludgeon me into submission by yelling at me. This is…

  • Special Discount for Upcoming SCORRE Conference [Announcement]

    Michael Hyatt
    12 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Special Discount for Upcoming SCORRE Conference The next SCORRE Conference will be held in Vail, Colorado, October 17–20, 2012. We will begin the official promotion next week. However, we are making a special, pre-promotion offer to my readers. (That’s you!) Here’s the deal: If you register any time before Monday, May 14th at 5:00 p.m. CDT, we will give you another $200 off the regular price. Don’t miss this opportunity. This is your chance to take your speaking and communication skills to the next level. To take advantage of this special offer, register with the coupon code HYATT.

  • Andy Andrews Interviews Me About Platform [Podcast]

    Michael Hyatt
    11 May 2012 | 7:00 pm
    “Andy Andrews Interviews Me About Platform” by Andy Andrews Listen to this podcast on my website… In the Loop05/11/2012 In this podcast, bestselling author Andy Andrews and host, Andy Traub, interview me about my new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.
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    Knowledge@Wharton

  • Everyone's Problem: Looking Beyond the Wal-Mart Bribery Case

    9 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    In a case that continues to reverberate across borders, Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer, announced recently that it has started its own probe into allegations that executives at its Mexican operations made hundreds of illegal payments to help expedite the opening of new stores. According to legal and ethics experts at Wharton and elsewhere, the case raises broader questions about how multinational companies conduct business in foreign countries.

  • State of the Unions: What It Means for Workers -- and Everyone Else

    9 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    Labor unions have long had a position of prominence in American business and political life. But their influence has been on the decline in recent decades as membership ranks have dwindled. The increasing irrelevance of unions will have far-reaching implications, Wharton experts and others say, including the loss of one of the few ways that working class Americans can engage in the political process and become educated about labor laws. Corporations will feel the effects as well -- and they won't necessarily be positive, experts add.

  • Special Report: Europe Struggles to Hold Itself Together

    9 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    Dramatic economic and financial developments in Europe never seem to quit. In the latest news, several eurozone countries have slipped back into recession, bringing a backlash against austerity policies into full swing. Now, the election of Socialist President Francois Hollande in France may offer a path to more growth-oriented policies, but big questions remain about which ones are economically -- and politically -- viable. To help clarify the implications for business and investors, Knowledge@Wharton has prepared a special report on the challenges facing Europe.

  • Etsy Seeks Scale without Losing Its 'Street Fair' Aesthetic

    9 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    Etsy was launched as a ragtag website for artists and craftspeople to sell their wares. Today, it has become one of the Internet's most prominent tastemakers. As the company grows, experts caution that it must be careful not to alienate its faithful shop owners and customers by going too commercial and straying from its independent, artsy roots, or by becoming bogged down in privacy and seller credibility concerns.

  • Investor Sentiment and Stock Prices: Explaining the Ups and Downs

    9 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    Academics, traders and money managers are forever trying to figure out what makes stocks rise and fall. Some influences are clear, like the price gain after a company reports strong earnings. But other behaviors are mystifying. For example, why do shares of companies with fast asset growth sometimes do better than expected according to standard measures like earnings? And why do they sometimes do worse? New research by Wharton finance professor Robert F. Stambaugh and two colleagues shows that market-wide investor sentiment is a key influence in such stock return anomalies.
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    Learned On by Andrea Learned

  • Game-changers for Sustainable Business Education? Coursera and edX

    Andrea Learned
    11 May 2012 | 4:31 pm
    We are living in history-making times.  Thanks to “edtech” partnerships like Coursera and edX, free, world-class university courses in a wide range of topics are now offered online.  And, the potential for educating people in the ways of more sustainable business thinking (among many other topics) – and for students at any level – is incredible! So, let my lastest HuffingtonPost piece serve as a call to action.  Will your alma mater jump in to start helping future generations of business leaders see through a more sustainable lens?  Here’s hoping, and…

  • Entrepreneurial Sustainability

    Andrea Learned
    11 Apr 2012 | 7:52 pm
    Much as the talk seems otherwise, corporate sustainability leaders and change agents may still need to function like an annoying little sister or brother.  Eventually, companies will (should) notice the truth behind the nagging, and take steps to re-balance their values and fully commit to a sustainable future. However, as even multinational corporations are (or seem close to!) approaching their respective sustainability pivot points, the emerging entrepreneurial side of sustainability and social change also deserves attention. As I wrote in my latest HuffingtonPost piece, I’ve…

  • Consumer Life Transitions Toward Sustainable Change

    Andrea Learned
    7 Mar 2012 | 6:43 pm
    A recent New York Times piece on how Target uses data analytics to reach pregnant women with their ad campaigns (at just the right time) got me thinking.  How can sustainable businesses leverage their awareness of life transition decision-making to better serve consumer needs, and possibly inspire some behavioral change along the way?  In this, the final piece for my SustainableBusinessForum series on women and sustainability, I use pregnancy, an urban move and retirement as three possible scenarios for doing just that. Here’s my bottom line: While the data analytics budget of most…

  • Your Sustainable Career

    Andrea Learned
    11 Feb 2012 | 1:58 pm
    When you get to be a certain age, or possibly before then, your career path can look like a long, disconnected, chain of jobs.  But, when you take the “it all fits together” systems perspective, the natural beauty – and sustainability – emerge.  I’ve been thinking about this as I fill in all the bio and profile sections on social networks lately.  What do I put into a space that allows for 200 characters?  Is the crucial thing about me that I am a marketing to women expert, or that I’m a writer, or communications strategist, or social media coach,…

  • Abigail Rodgers Sees Sustainability As a Corporate Leadership Beacon

    Andrea Learned
    3 Feb 2012 | 3:50 pm
    While Abigail Rodgers, VP of Global Sustainability Strategy and Communication for The Coca Cola Company, had a lot of great insight to share in my latest SustainableBusinessForum piece, her idea that sustainability serves as a corporate leadership beacon my have been the most important.  If they are looking for it, I’d guess that many a corporation involved in sustainability is noticing a similar pattern: that many senior leaders, and perhaps mainly women, seem to flock to those positions and roles that are of and about furthering it. Rodgers’ career experiences and reflections,…
 
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    Great Leadership

  • The 6 Passages of Leadership and Management

    14 May 2012 | 11:30 am
    Unless you are an heir to a throne, people usually don’t begin their careers leading a large organization. There’s a progression of passages, or at least there should be. Charan, Drotter, and Noel wrote about six leadership passages in their classic book The Leadership Pipeline. However, they use the terms “leadership” and “management” interchangeably. There’s a big difference, right? What if we took a simplified version of the Pipeline model, and mash it with a distinction between leadership and management? We’ll call it The Great Leadership & Management Passages Model…

  • Avoiding the Mistakes All Leaders Make

    11 May 2012 | 11:36 am
    This guest post by David Grossman wasn't meant as a response to Beth Armknecht Miller's recent The Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make - the timing was just coincidental.  Someone tweeted in response to Beth's post: "I made all of these - does that make me a great leader?" I'd say it could help, as long as you learn by your mistakes. In that case, why not double down and make 10 mistakes? (-: Avoiding the Mistakes All Leaders Make In my experience, every large organization has at least one thing in common… There isn’t a single senior management team that doesn’t…

  • New Study IDs Best Companies for Leadership​, Innovation

    8 May 2012 | 3:19 pm
    Hay Group just released its seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study. Is this just another one of those touchy-feely, nice to do awards? Not at all. The Best Companies for Leadership consistently outperform their peers. Over a 10 year period, the Top 20 companies produced a 5.39 percent shareholder return, compared to a 2.92 percent shareholder return generated by the S&P 500. Each year, I publish the list of companies and a summary of the findings (see below). This year, I also interviewed Susan Snyder, senior principal in Hay Group's Leadership & Talent Practice…

  • The May, 2012 Leadership Development Carnival

    6 May 2012 | 6:16 pm
    Welcome to the May edition of the Leadership Development Carnival! For those of you that may not be familiar with the Carnival, here's a refresher: 1. A blog "Carnival" is typically a collection of recent blog posts organized around a common theme, in this case, leadership development. Although there are lot's of places a reader can go to get aggregated free content these days, my readers still seem to appreciate the monthly Carnival collection. Bloggers like them because it's an opportunity to reach new readers. 2. I've been hosting the Carnival for a few years, and for the last couple…

  • The Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make

    3 May 2012 | 11:22 am
    Guest post by Great Leadership regular contributor Beth Armknecht Miller: The Top 5 Leadership Mistakes: which one would your team members say you make? Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of leaders many who have displayed specific leadership shortfalls, that when improved, have had a positive impact on the effectiveness and profitability of the organization. Both new and experienced manager/leaders can make these top five mistakes; which one is your Achilles heel? And what is your plan to improve? 1. Focusing on the Urgent and not the Important How much time are you spending on…
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    Get Internet Famous with Alejandro Reyes

  • If It Doesn’t Sell, It Isn’t Creative

    Alejandro Reyes
    7 May 2012 | 1:14 pm
    Pretty much true. From Copyblogger Advertising legend David Ogilvy hated the word “creative” in the context of the work his firm did for clients. In fact, he forbade the word be used in the office. The job of advertising, Ogilvy rightly maintained, was to sell the product or service. If it didn’t do that, the advertisement was a failure, no matter how “creative” any of its other attributes. Madison Avenue has continually failed to heed Ogilvy’s advice. Will you? Like this graphic? Get more creativity and content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

  • Design to ‘Convert!’: Interview with Ben Hunt

    Alejandro Reyes
    2 May 2012 | 3:11 pm
    Design to ‘Convert!’: Interview with Ben Hunt http://www.searchenginejournal.com/design-to-convert-interview-with-ben-hunt/43127/ Do you think he is right that “web designers can kill you” (business-wise, at least)? What do you think are some of the biggest mistakes that web designers continue to make when creating websites? Absolutely! Left unchecked, web designers can demolish any effectiveness your website may already have. The worst mistakes are: ♦  Designing the packaging, instead of the content. ♦  Underestimating the sovereign importance of great writing.

  • Social Media’s 1st Baby Turns 4 – Happy Birthday Sadie

    Alejandro Reyes
    23 Apr 2012 | 2:52 am
    4 years ago marked one of the most important days of my life.  The birth of my daughter Sadie Loren really was a game changer.  When she came into this world, my life really changed and my outlook on life did as well.  It really put things into perspective for me as a young man and entrepreneur that was getting ready to become a Daddy. Social Media’s 1st Baby I call Sadie “Social Media’s 1st Baby” because not only did we use Ustream to show off Sadie to my wife’s family that was 2 states away, but I tweeted it and we had another 75 “friends” from…

  • How To Build a Rockstar Personal Brand (TALK SLIDES)

    Alejandro Reyes
    11 Apr 2012 | 10:32 pm
    I had the priveldge of a speaking tonight at Sacramento State’s American Marketing Association RountTable event.  I was the keynote last year and was asked to come back and speak this year again. I’m really excited about tonight’s talk as some of these kids are about to be launched into the ‘real world.’  So I am taking this serious tonight as I feel I have some stuff that I can really help them in their career, business, and in life. I’m wrapping up a post talking about some of the things below but this is just a quickie for ya. 3 Tips to Building a…

  • The Metoric Rise of Draw Something [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Alejandro Reyes
    3 Apr 2012 | 1:15 pm
    Created by MBAOnline.com You know I’m a sucker for Infographics so I thought I’d share this one from MBAOnline.com.  If you haven’t checked out Draw Something, you need to.  It’s super addictive & fun. This Darth Vader drawing is probably my favorite one’s I’ve seen so far. One Thing I’ve Noticed About These Mobile Apps One thing I’ll be writing about soon is one of the interesting thing that I’ve noticed about a few of these mobile apps that I use is the access you have sometimes to people you might have not connected with on sites…
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    800 CEO Read

  • Jack Covert Selects – The Good Food Revolution

    800-CEO-READ
    10 May 2012 | 5:49 pm
    Tweet The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities by Will Allen, Gotham Books, 272 pages, $26.00, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9781592407101 For an average-sized book, there is a lot within this one. From the title, one might expect sociological research on trends in organic food, or an analysis of a health food business and how they became successful. While it certainly has traces of those things, it is so much more. This book is by and about a man named Will Allen, who grew up around farming, played professional basketball, managed a chain of restaurants, was an…

  • Jack Covert Selects – The Reinventors

    800-CEO-READ
    10 May 2012 | 5:43 pm
    Tweet The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical Continuous Change by Jason Jennings, Portfolio, 256page, $26.95, May 2012, ISBN 9781591844235 The once vital Main Streets of America are all but out of business, boarded up or filled with antique stores shopping the delights and detritus of another era. Jason Jennings visits the main street of his own abandoned hometown at the beginning of The Reinventors to use it as a metaphor for “what will happen to you, your job, and your business unless you become a reinventor completely committed to constant radical change and…

  • Jack Covert Selects – How Will You Measure Your Life?

    800-CEO-READ
    10 May 2012 | 5:38 pm
    Tweet How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth & Karen Dillon, Harper Business, 240 pages, $25.99, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9780062102416 Clayton Christensen is a business theorist who, in 1997, wrote the renowned Innovator’s Dilemma which introduced the idea that most well-established companies are overtaken not by behemoth competitors but by “disruptive” innovations that rise up and cut down giants in part because the giants were oblivious to the threat, and/or unable to invest in new emerging technologies. Christensen is also a dedicated professor…

  • LeaveSmarter: Stephen Shapiro

    Jon
    10 May 2012 | 4:09 pm
    TweetYesterday, Stephen Shapiro was in town for our private LeaveSmarter event, sponsored by BMO Harris/M&I Bank and Whyte Hirschboek Dudek. His talked focused on ideas from his recent book, and 800-CEO-READ Business Book Award winner for 2011, Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition. According to Shapiro, the main problems we have with being innovative, is how we think about things, the kind of questions we ask, and what we already know about the challenges we face. Here’s a clip from his talk that gives examples of this:   Following this, Shapiro…

  • ChangeThis: Issue 94

    dylan
    9 May 2012 | 4:43 pm
    Tweet Unleashing the Creative Reservoir: The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited by Richard Florida “A new social compact—a Creative Compact—can turn our Creative Economy into a just and Creative Society, in which prosperity is widely shared. While driven and shaped by economic logic, the key institutions and initiatives of the future will be shaped, as they always have, by human agency.” Build This: Your Culturematic Laboratory by Grant McCracken “Ruled by pragmatism and play, your laboratory is fast becoming the place you come to look out into the future. This the bridge from…
 
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    Agile Management | NOOP.NL

  • What's Your Reason to Join the Stampede?

    Jurgen Appelo
    16 May 2012 | 10:37 am
    Why do people register for the Stoos Stampede in Amsterdam? Let’s try and make some educated guesses by using the champfrogs schale. Curiosity I am sure plenty of change agents are curious to know how this new kind of event will play out. Will it lead to actionable results for organizational transformation? Will it lead to nothing? No better way to know than to be there. Honor Maybe some will feel it an honor to be there. It will be the first “stampede” under the Stoos umbrella name. And there are already rumors that others will follow on other continents. It’s great to be among the…

  • Deferred Terminology

    Jurgen Appelo
    15 May 2012 | 7:38 am
    Oh, how we love discussions about terminology… Is my course about management or leadership? Are the problems we discuss complex or complicated? Do the teams need coaches or mentors? Should they have responsibility or accountability? Are we being agile or lean? The discussions about terminology go on and on. Yes, I’ve been guilty about this too. I love a good fight about a few letters, every now and then. :-) But does it matter? After more than a decade we should know that we can make good progress in our work despite uncertainty, fuzzy boundaries, diverse opinions, and minimal…

  • People Don't Ask Questions

    Jurgen Appelo
    14 May 2012 | 10:21 am
    People don’t bother with understanding. Really, they don’t. When I tweet something like “Maybe it’s interesting to care more about polar bears” I get replies in the form of “It is a bad idea to own penguins” or “Indeed, global warming is a big problem”. But I was neither referring to penguins, nor ownership, nor global warming. When I complain about something like “Riding my bicycle is a real pain” half a dozen people will suggest that I switch to a submarine or a spaceship. But submarines and spaceships are totally different kinds of things than bicycles. They…

  • My 2nd Book is Out: How to Change the World

    Jurgen Appelo
    8 May 2012 | 12:18 pm
    From complexity thinkers I picked up that it is good to experiment, in safe-to-fail ways. Well, I’m now experimenting being a self-publisher, and I perform this experiment with a little book (or booklet) called How to Change the World. It was already available earlier in PDF in both A4 and Letter formats. But people have been asking for Kindle and paper versions. And where there’s demand, there should be supply. So here it is… Order How to Change the World on Kindle Order How to Change the World in Paperback The new booklet is based on my popular How to Change the World presentation,…

  • Eating Elephants

    Jurgen Appelo
    7 May 2012 | 3:31 am
    How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. My Big Projects I started working on my third book. It requires a significant amount of research (and some writing). Every week I read, and every week I write. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But no week goes by without at least some progress. I could even measure it, if I wanted. (But I know I’m moving forward, so I don’t bother.) I am also cleaning up my contact lists on Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and other websites. It’s a huge task. I have 4,000 “contacts” in Gmail alone. But every week I set aside 30 minutes, and I clean up a…
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    Philanthropy Journal - Management/Leadership Articles

  • Lower-cost alternative to an audit

    10 May 2012 | 10:27 am
    At a quarter to a third of the cost of a full audit, an ‘agreed-upon-procedures’ engagement can provide a nonprofit with many of the benefits of a more comprehensive evaluation.read more

  • Structuring an endowed nonprofit

    16 Mar 2012 | 4:20 am
    In donating assets to your own nonprofit, you should carefully consider how to classify this organization.read more

  • Effective board recruitment, Part 2

    10 Feb 2012 | 4:34 am
    With a strategic and intentional board-recruitment plan in place for your nonprofit, it’s time to get started.read more

  • Effective board recruitment, Part 1

    20 Jan 2012 | 4:31 am
    Identifying and recruiting the right board members for your nonprofit takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes, but the right recruitment plan can yield a committed and effective board. read more

  • The power of the interim executive director

    13 Jan 2012 | 4:32 am
    With leadership transitions increasing, nonprofits should consider interim executive directors, temporary leaders who can take the helm of an organization, help the board and staff address important issues and lay the groundwork for the following leader’s success. read more
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    Michael Lee Stallard

  • Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?

    Michael Lee Stallard
    18 Apr 2012 | 3:55 pm
    Check out this excellent article in The Atlantic entitled “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”  Some eye-popping statistics and quotes from the article include: In 1950 less than 10 percent of American households contained only one person.  By 2010, nearly 27 percent had just one person. A 2010 AARP survey found that 35 percent of adults older than 45 were chronically lonely as opposed to 20 percent a decade earlier. Roughly 20 percent of Americans — about 60 million people — are unhappy with their lives because of loneliness. “Across the Western world, physicians…

  • Is Your Workplace Killing You? WCBS News Radio Interview

    Michael Lee Stallard
    31 Mar 2012 | 10:22 pm
    New York City’s WCBS News Radio 880 ran portions of an interview I did with daytime host Pat Farnack.  Here are links to the segments and full interview: Is your workplace killing you? Worse than Toxic Snakes in Suits Nick the Doorman How to Flourish Full Interview (14 minutes)

  • Sympathy is NOT Empathy

    Michael Lee Stallard
    24 Mar 2012 | 11:43 am
    Connecting with people requires empathy i.e. you feel the emotion another individual feels.  This is different from sympathy where you recognize the emotion but don’t feel it. In Fired Up or Burned Out, I wrote about the company Cranium and how it designs “high five moments” into its games.  High five moments are times when people connect via the shared empathy of joy (remember that we define “the force of connection” as shared identity, empathy and understanding).  When you are interacting with people you want to connect with, feeling and expressing emotion…

  • Articles, Media on Leadership, the Science of Connection, and Taking a Creative Risk

    Michael Lee Stallard
    6 Mar 2012 | 6:33 pm
    Last week I met Frances Hesselbein, head of the Frances Hesselbein Institute, over a delightfully long lunch at the Waldorf Astoria.  Peter Drucker once called Mrs. Hesselbein America’s best leader.  I’ve written about her remarkable leadership of the Girl Scouts of the USA.  At one point in our lunch I mentioned a quote from Psalm 78:72 about King David’s leadership of Israel.  The New Living Translation of the Bible states it this way: “he cared for Israel with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.”  It’s a variation of the “Task…

  • New Media on Connection

    Michael Lee Stallard
    17 Feb 2012 | 5:10 pm
    Tomorrow I fly back to the U.S. after a 10-day trip to Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Edinburgh where I taught seminars for the Institute for Management Studies, spoke at ITV, saw several friends and spent a couple days on vacation with my wife, Katie. While here, I learned about several new items of media coverage related to connection. Several items came from my friends Sean Witty and Jay Morris. Here are the items below. Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk’s research on the importance of connection to babies and their ability to connect Mental Heath Foundation of the UK report on rising loneliness…
 
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    Leadership and Management / Turning Adversity to Advantage

  • Slips, Violations and Mistakes

    brucelynn
    16 May 2012 | 2:42 am
             Tim Harford offers up his own taxonomy of failure in his book Adapt… Slips – You do something you didn’t mean to do (through clumsiness or lack of attention). Mistakes – You do the act on purpose, but with unintended consequences. Violations – Someone deliberately does something wrong. Harford discusses the challenges of each, especially the difficulty in even identifying Mistakes and Violations. They are harder to spot and lead to even more insidious failures…’Latent Errors’: “The more safety systems there are, the less likely latent…

  • Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure

    brucelynn
    15 May 2012 | 3:17 am
      Self-delusion is just one of the failures Tim Harford explores in his ace book, ‘Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure”. He offers up brilliant insight into why humans are wired for screwing things up including 4 dangerous self-deceptions that prevent people from embracing failure… Denial. Examples of people plowing ahead with ill-conceived plans despite numerous pieces of feedback about its flaw. Sunk Losses. “The second trap our minds set for us is that we chase our losses in an attempt to make them go away. Recall Frank, the luckless contestant on Deal or No Deal:…

  • Bad Things

    brucelynn
    14 May 2012 | 2:26 am
      Until it happens to you With his own characteristic adversity-facing humour, Hugh MacLeod reminds us of failure that not only surrounds our lives, but also will occasionally infiltrate our own. Something we need embrace more often in the spirit of appreciation… “When you’re a kid, you hear about bad things happening, earthquakes, foreign wars, car crashes.. but of course at that point of life, they’re still kinda out of reach. Abstract. Things that happen to OTHER people, or so it seems then. Then stick around for long enough, and then some of those bad things land on…

  • Laughing at Cancer

    brucelynn
    13 May 2012 | 5:44 am
      Albert Espinosa is very much the man of the day. He combines the off-beat humour evocative of Edward Lear whose bicentenary is celebrated this weekend, with a fascinating story of cancer survival which is celebrated with last night’s Moon Walk and today’s first (Aberystwyth, Wales) of a series of ‘Race for Life’ events. “Ha ha, I’m a cancer joker with 4.7 lives” Sunday Times piece (paywalled) by Matthew Campbell chronicles author and comedian Albert Espinosa and his lighthearted take on this heavy subject… “’I wasn’t expecting any of it,’ he says. ‘I always…

  • Hairy Ordeal

    brucelynn
    12 May 2012 | 7:12 am
      “There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I’ll braid my hair today?" So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmm," she said, "I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. ‘Well,’ she said,…
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    Seth's Blog

  • Digital analogs are no longer sufficient

    Seth Godin
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    The parking meter was rebooting. I guess we're supposed to walk to the other end of the garage and find one that's working. We're seeing digital awareness coming to just about everything. In this case, it was the parking meter near the library. Of course, it's not really a parking meter, it's a centralized fee collection system that saves the town a lot of money. It's easier to collect from, certainly, it doesn't waste the time of meter readers (who get alerted as to what spaces aren't paid for, as opposed to checking them all) plus it doesn't let a new parker enjoy a few minutes of the last…

  • Hard work on the right things

    Seth Godin
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    I don't think winners beat the competition because they work harder. And it's not even clear that they win because they have more creativity. The secret, I think, is in understanding what matters. It's not obvious, and it changes. It changes by culture, by buyer, by product and even by the day of the week. But those that manage to capture the imagination, make sales and grow are doing it by perfecting the things that matter and ignoring the rest. Both parts are difficult, particularly when you are surrounded by people who insist on fretting about and working on the stuff that makes no…

  • Worldliness

    Seth Godin
    14 May 2012 | 4:41 am
    Intelligence is the combination of knowing a lot about a little while you also know a little about a lot. Deep domain understanding helps you create analyses. Your ability to understand how a particular system (no matter how small) works allows you apply a confident analysis to new systems you encounter. Once you know everything there is to know about nuclear physics, soccer or the praying mantis, it makes it easier to understand new systems. At the same time, it's impossible to be smart without also being aware of the wider world. That's because it's the random interactions and the…

  • The reason the customer is always right...

    Seth Godin
    14 May 2012 | 4:08 am
    If you insist that they are wrong, they stop being your customer* (if given half a chance). People spend their time and attention and money in places that make them feel valued. *There's nothing wrong with asking customers who are wrong to leave. Just be sure you do it on purpose.

  • Dedicating the merit

    Seth Godin
    13 May 2012 | 4:02 am
    For an author, one of the nicest parts of the traditional book is the dedication page. The dedication is far more than an acknowledgement to someone who helped you write the book, it's a permanent signpost, a capstone to the work of a year or more. Even if the person you've dedicated the book to can't read it, the writer benefits from the knowledge that a connection was made and that a memory was preserved. Here's the thing: you can dedicate just about anything. A project, a meeting, a tweet. You don't have to tell anyone but yourself. This blog post, like all the posts before it, has a…
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    CEO Blog - Time Leadership

  • The Winner's Brain

    Jim Estill
    15 May 2012 | 6:49 am
    I have always had a keen interest in the brain -  how it works and how to improve it.I read a great book The Winner's Brain - 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success by Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske.  It is about maximizing the brain for success.One of the points is the ability to thrive despite adversity.  I have always ascribed to Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap.   And having a failure does not make you a failure.  True failure is not trying.  Although I ascribe to those, it is always worthwhile to have practical tips to make these sayings become…

  • Niche can be a Competitive Advantage

    Jim Estill
    7 May 2012 | 5:19 pm
    I have been a niche player all of my life.   I choose small markets and learn to be dominant in them.    I prefer to be big in a small market. Working in a niche allows focus on specialties.  The more you do of the same specialty, the easier, cheaper and faster you get.As I grow, the niches get bigger and bigger.   Just because you are a niche player does not mean you need to be small.I wrote a blog entry on the Canrock blog called "A Fat Wallet is the Enemy of High Investment Returns" (this is a Warren Buffett quote).  In that, I talk about the advantages of…

  • How to improve Klout Score

    Jim Estill
    3 May 2012 | 8:28 am
     When I first heard about Klout I naturally assumed it was KKK speak for someone in the Klan with power.  Or perhaps the Klan enforcer who clouts people.Klout is a scoring system that weighs influence in social media.There is a great book Return on Influence - The revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing by Mark Schaeffer that inspired this post.  His book explains Klout and how it works in detail (although the nature of these things is they always keep a mystery about how they arrive at the numbers and they always change).My Klout score is 43 and…

  • Rippling

    Jim Estill
    25 Apr 2012 | 8:20 am
    I tend to get much of my inspiration through reading.  It is fast, always available and easy.  I sometimes find a book resonates well with me but when I go back later, I wonder why I thought it was so good.  And sometimes I think is abook is bad but when I re-read it a year later, I love it.  I think different books speak to us based on the stage and current challenges we face. Beverly Schwartz wrote a book called Rippling - How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World.Social media has changed the way most of us do things in a huge way in the past…

  • Just Some Stuff

    Jim Estill
    23 Apr 2012 | 8:55 am
    Josh (my grandson) continues to thrive (need to start with the truly important stuff first)++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Great press for one of the Canrock investee companies HonestlyNow in Blogher.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Canrock was awarded a $4.5M funding from NY state to invest in start up businesses.   Now begins the work of finding (actually, that part is fairly easy), nurturing and helping them grow.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++While other people might think the weather is bad here (it is raining), the gardens desperately needed the rain.  A friend knows I am an…
 
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    Management Craft

  • Remember when we were courageous? Seemingly fearless?

    Lisa Haneberg
    14 May 2012 | 9:38 pm
    I was walking on the treadmill tonight while listening to my iPod. I have a playlist of up tempo songs great for walking. The song "Relax" came on from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I thought about something I did when I was in my early 20s to this song... Get your mind out of the gutter.... Before I tell you what I did, let me come clean and admit I was a serious disco queen. A total disco freak. I loved it all, especially the somewhat funky stuff like Depeche Mode, the Cure, Eurythmics, etc.. I also had a thing for Barry White, but who didn't? One more thing before I tell you what I did to the…

  • Most imp question: How should I live? #management

    Lisa Haneberg
    14 May 2012 | 7:33 am
    As a leader, we impact our life and many others. The question I have posed above is fundamental to how we shape our brand of leadership. We all choose - whether we realize it or not - how we will lead. In each moment we are making a new choice. Whatever we do, we choose it, and we are therefore responsible for having done it. It takes effort to act consistently with our chosen way of life - to manifest the leader inside. It takes courage to resist the urge to tone down our boldness or turn up our meekness. We push the mute button for fear of being labeled something. For fear of standing out…

  • Give Feedback that Fills the Spirit #management

    Lisa Haneberg
    10 May 2012 | 9:02 am
    This is a portion of a real email: “Super! Very well done. Exactly what I requested.” After seeing this, and feeling its effect, it got me thinking about how some people are so much better at providing feedback and reinforcement than others. A message like the one above, sent in a timely manner so that the “what” is very clear, not only reinforces expectations and provides feedback, it buoys the spirit. We all want to hear that we nailed it. I have known managers who would never tell someone he or she did an amazing job and this is a shame. Bad, bad manager! The power of being fully…

  • De-Fragging the Organization

    Lisa Haneberg
    2 May 2012 | 4:32 pm
    Do you remember when we used to de-frag our hard drives? Those were the days. All we had to do was push a button and all the disconnected bits would find each other and come together. Gaps filled and errors fixed themselves. After de-fragging, our computers work better, faster, and did not suffer from spastic glitches. We would go about our work until it was time to de-frag again. If only we could push a button and do the same for our organizations! We need to de-frag our workplaces but it takes more than a single action. Think of all the things that get fragmented: Communication streams.

  • Contingent Accolades, AKA Praise-Request Email Sandwiches – They will backfire, so don’t do them!

    Lisa Haneberg
    30 Apr 2012 | 12:09 pm
    I have been thinking about this topic for some time and was not quite sure how to approach it. Why? Because the inspiration for this post comes from the frequent requests I get by email to interview an author, do a guest post, do a link exchange, advertise on the blog, etc.. I get many every week, usually a few a day. Inevitably, the email begins with praise about a post. Lisa, I really loved your posts about XYZ and think that your idea is right on. Some call me brilliant! Insightful! Enjoyable! It makes a girl’s head swell. And then it deflates. Everything would be peachy and wonderful if…
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    Three Star Leadership Blog

  • Boss's Tip of the Day: Think small

    Wally Bock
    16 May 2012 | 9:25 am
     Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss.  Contact Wally  about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. If you're a boss, you know that every day is a challenge to do better. This tip is based on the same research I used to develop my programs and the Working Supervisor's Support Kit . Think small The common advice is to think big and stretch your boundaries. That's good advice, but there are times as a boss when it's best to think small. Catch…

  • 5/15/12: By and About Leaders

    Wally Bock
    15 May 2012 | 3:00 pm
     Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss.  Contact Wally  about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. I think that's one the best ways to learn leadership isn't studying "leadership" at all. Instead, study individual leaders in their natural habitat and decide what they do that you want to try. Articles by and about leaders and interviews with them are mini-case studies that show you an actual leader in a real situation. That's why, every week,…

  • Boss's Tip of the Day: They pay attention

    Wally Bock
    15 May 2012 | 9:25 am
     Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss.  Contact Wally  about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. If you're a boss, you know that every day is a challenge to do better. This tip is based on the same research I used to develop my programs and the Working Supervisor's Support Kit . They pay attention You may think they're not paying attention, but they are. If you're the boss, your team members listen to what you say and they watch what you…

  • The CEO as Liar

    Wally Bock
    14 May 2012 | 3:00 pm
     Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss.  Contact Wally  about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. The Wall Street Journal headline doesn't say it all, but it does say most of it: "Thompson Resigns as CEO of Yahoo." The short story is this. Scott Thompson was hired as CEO by Yahoo in January. They evidently didn't take a real close look at his credentials. Thompson claimed a computer science degree that wasn't even offered by his college…

  • Boss's Tip of the Day: Remember who you work for

    Wally Bock
    14 May 2012 | 9:25 am
     Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss.  Contact Wally  about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. If you're a boss, you know that every day is a challenge to do better. This tip is based on the same research I used to develop my programs and the Working Supervisor's Support Kit . Remember who you work for You work for an organization that has rules and a culture. Your actions should follow the rules and match the culture. That's how you…
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    Rajesh Setty » Blog

  • 9 Ways to Ensure that You Don’t Get Good Help

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    11 May 2012 | 1:39 pm
    Here are 9 ways to ensure that you DON’T get good help: 1. You Feel entitled to receive help This is the number one reason most people go wrong. Nobody is entitled for anything. An exception may be with members of your circle of love but other than that you got to earn your way into getting good help. 2. Your timing is Wrong Mediocre help is everywhere and good help will ALWAYS be scarce. This means people who can provide good help are busy. Sometimes they are VERY busy. You catch them on those times and your chances will be slim. 3. You are an opportunity cost rather than an…

  • The 110% Question

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    10 May 2012 | 1:04 pm
    Giving your 110% to something or the proverbial “walking the extra mile” is generally good. There is one dilemma that comes with it. If you don’t notice it, you may end up putting your energy in the wrong place. The Wrong Question The dilemma or the catch is in situations where you have to stretch and go beyond the call of duty. Let’s take a hypothetical situation where you are bringing your 110% into the game. Unfortunately, the situation is such that your 110% is not sufficient to make things happen. It requires a lot more from you. One option is that you keep giving…

  • The curious case of “Show, Not Tell”

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    10 May 2012 | 1:22 am
    “Show, not tell” is something that works every time like a charm. This is simply because the burden of proof is no longer in question once you show. Even people who just “tell” know that “show, not tell” is better. The Articulate Incapable A class of people who are “articulate incapable” are creating a new kind of problem for everyone else. Once someone has had a bad experience with one or more “articulate incapable” people, they suspect everyone else. Because they don’t know whether you belong to the class of “articulate…

  • Burden for Some or Blessing for Many?

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    9 May 2012 | 1:59 am
    Ask anyone a simple question: Do you want to be a 1) burden for some OR 2) blessing for many Rarely will anybody pick the option 1. Nobody wants to be a burden for some. Besides, it would be politically incorrect to pick that choice, don’t you think? So, it is safe to assume that 99.9% of the people will pick option 2. They want to be a blessing for many. In other words, intention-wise, we are all doing good. Majority of the people want to change the world for the better. Then, why do you think we have so many problems? The answer is in the old adage – “knowing is not doing…

  • My job is done!

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    7 May 2012 | 9:18 pm
    The real problem is not with the problem who don’t get their job done. They will be weeded out sooner than later. The problem comes when people just get their job done AND nothing else, consistently and over a long period of time. Think about it. It seems like unfair to complain about people who get their job done. Why blame them? The birth of mediocrity Mediocrity is not meeting the standards expected. That would be non-performance. Mediocrity takes birth when people choose to do JUST what is required of them. If everyone in a department, takes that approach, the choreographer (the…
 
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    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro

  • Expectation Creates Dissatisfaction (and what to do about it…)

    sshapiro
    15 May 2012 | 2:52 pm
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroWhile on vacation recently, I thought to myself, “This is perfect.”  The weather was nice.  We had a great hotel room.  The food was wonderful. Was it really perfect? Were there nicer rooms, better food, and warmer climates?  Indeed. Comparatively speaking, it was not truly perfect. But perfection in such matters is a state of mind.  A situation is perfect purely by declaring it so. There are no absolute measures of perfection for things like vacations. Unfortunately, instead of appreciating what is, many look for the flaws.

  • Exception Handling Continued

    sshapiro
    4 May 2012 | 10:02 am
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroIn my AMEX OPEN Forum article, “Design Your Business to Handle the Exception, Not for the Exception,” someone commented that simplification is a better strategy than segmentation.  And I wholeheartedly agree. Car manufacturers do this when they use common parts and reduce the number of configurations to reduce costs and complexity. Having said that, if you want something special, you still have the option of getting aftermarket modifications. But sometimes eliminating options is not an option. A company’s strategy…

  • 7 Tips to Sell Your Ideas Like a Motivational Speaker

    sshapiro
    30 Apr 2012 | 4:49 pm
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro“You don’t listen!” All of us have likely heard these words spat at us in frustration at some point in our lives. And guess what, it’s true! The fact is that no one listens. In a previous OPEN Forum article, I wrote on how to more effectively hear what others are really trying to say. By recognizing how you listen (or more accurately, don’t), you can then better understand the way others listen. This in turn arms you with the ability to speak in a way that will have you be heard. Effective innovators and business leaders…

  • Innovating Water Treatment

    sshapiro
    25 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroIn my latest American Express OPEN Forum article, I talked about how designing to handle the exception, not for the exception can improve efficiency and reduce costs, while increase overall performance. [If you didn't read that article, please do so before proceeding] When I first wrote that article, I included a potential use of this concept as a way of solving our clean water challenge.  But during editing it was cut, so I decided to include it here… Our aging water infrastructure provides potable water to a large percentage…

  • Design to Handle the Exception, Not for the Exception

    sshapiro
    24 Apr 2012 | 8:03 am
    Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroWhile going through security at the airport the other day, I was reminded of an important design and innovation concept. Things were going smoothly until a bag was flagged during the X-ray procedure. The luggage was held on the conveyor until an authority could conduct a manual inspection. At the same time, a similar problem arose on another line. Everything ground to a complete halt. Although it took only 5 minutes to get the lines moving again, during rush hour that was all it took for the queues to grow out of control. Many years…
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    Orrin Woodward LIFE Leadership Team

  • Challenge Groups & Community

    Orrin Woodward
    16 May 2012 | 6:16 am
    The Challenge Groups kicked off around the country this week and the feedback has been amazing. Communities are essential to the health of individuals, families, and society. The LIFE Business builds communities and bonds them together through the Mental Fitness Challenge. If you attended a Challenge Group last night, please share your thoughts and highlights. Here is one of several articles I have written on community. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward The Desire For Community The more I read, the more I realize the true secret to success in business and life is related to the strength of…

  • Resolved to Change

    Orrin Woodward
    15 May 2012 | 12:38 pm
    A person either hates losing enough to change or he hates changing enough to lose. These are the two options available to anyone at anytime. The Mental Fitness Challenge is a program of personal change designed for the person that want to grow, change, and win at the next level. What areas in life would you like to improve? What are you doing to create the appropriate changes in your life? Here is a video describing the changes George Washington made to change. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward

  • Living the 13 Resolutions

    Orrin Woodward
    14 May 2012 | 7:38 am
    George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Jonathan Edwards were all eighteenth-century colonial Americans who made a difference in the world. What did they have in common? Each developed resolutions to live their lives by. Today, the Mental Fitness Challenge (MFC) captures the wisdom of the ages into a 90-day program for long-term success.  What is the life you have always wanted to live? Many know what they want but are unsure how to get there. The MFC is a road map to help you get there through my new book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. Here is a short video describing the process in the…

  • LIFE Business Seminars

    Orrin Woodward
    13 May 2012 | 4:20 pm
    Happy Mother’s Day, everyone! Laurie and I are back from Denver, Pennsylvania, where we had a super day with the leaders from the Penn teams. Passion, excitement, and results were on display as the recognition went on and on! Details and techniques on how to grow the LIFE business through the explosive growth of the Mental Fitness Challenge were shared, along with a talk from the RESOLVED book. A huge congratulations to Tony and Sharon Hoffman for hitting the prestigious RT rank! Here is a picture that I took from stage. This was the rowdiest Pennsylvania seminar that I have ever…

  • The LIFE Business

    Orrin Woodward
    11 May 2012 | 10:23 am
    Imagine a business where the product is a better you. Imagine a business where 70 percent of the point dollars flow back to the community. Imagine a business founded upon an award-winning leadership team. Imagine a 90-Day Mental Fitness Challenge Program where you receive self and 360-degree assessment tests, 16 CDs, 3 books, numerous weekly videos, and even a community in which to apply the principles learned. Imagine all this for well under $300, and you have imagined LIFE! LIFE is turning the dream business into reality by changing the rules of the game. If you are looking for a…
 
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    MBA Depot - Latest Content

  • Article from the Archive: How to Speed Up Your Startup

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    When it comes to launching Internet companies, you can't be fast enough. Here are lessons in speed from a leading VC, the founder of an e-business incubator, and a team of anthropologists studying work and life in Silicon Valley. Author: Katharine Mieszkowski Source: Fast Company Subject: Entrepreneurship

  • Career Resources: 7 signs you're acing a job interview

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    Job interviews are stressful, not least of all because it's hard to tell if you're on your way to the next round or being crossed off the short list altogether. In a first interview, it's very rare for an HR person or hiring manager to offer you a job right off the bat. But there are some signs that you might be getting a call back shortly -- or even a job offer. Here are seven to look for: Author: Amy Levin-Epstein Source: CBS News Subject: General Help - Interviewing
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    The Chief Happiness Officer

  • Working time through the ages

    Alexander
    30 Apr 2012 | 8:39 am
    Wikipedia delivers again, this time with a great overview of working time – from the stone age to today. A few nuggets from the article: …early hunter-gatherer societies enjoyed more leisure time than is permitted by capitalist and agrarian societies;[5][6] For instance, one camp of !Kung Bushmen was estimated to work two-and-a-half days per week, at around 6 hours a day.[7] Aggregated comparisons show that on average the working day was less than five hours.[5] … The automobile manufacturer, Henry Ford, was an ardent proponent of shorter work hours, which he introduced…

  • Ed Diener’s FAQ on happiness is all kinds of awesome

    Alexander
    24 Apr 2012 | 7:07 am
    Often you Google one thing and end up with something else and that’s how i discovered that Ed Diener (one of the world’s leading researchers in positive psychology) has an FAQ on Subjective Well-Being and that it is awesome! It’s quite comprehensive (which is great) but it’s also nuanced and doesn’t try to give easy answers when there aren’t any. Here’s an example: Q: What is your advice to those who want to be happy? A: As I have said repeatedly, I have no simple, easy answer that will make everyone happy. Some people with serious problems need to…

  • The brain likes surprises

    Alexander
    23 Apr 2012 | 1:49 am
    According to research, we become a happier when good things happen to us (duh!) but the effect is even bigger when good things happen to us unexpectedly: Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine researchers used Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans to measure changes in human brain activity in response to a sequence of pleasurable stimuli. They used a computer-controlled device to squirt fruit juice or water into the mouths of 25 research participants. The patterns of the squirting were either predictable or unpredictable. The researchers found that the MRI scans showed a brain area…

  • Weekend Woohoo

    Alexander
    20 Apr 2012 | 3:00 am
    I just found this video of a Disney World cast member (which is what they call employees) rocking out during a parade: That’s happiness at work right there :o) Also check out the comments on the video: This lady always dances her heart out every single time that parade passes through. Way to go Barbara! Lots of fun to work with her on Main Street. She out performed the parade performers! Get it girl!!! Do you ever do your job in a way that is worthy of filming and putting on YouTube?

  • Vroooooom

    Alexander
    18 Apr 2012 | 12:42 pm
    One problem with electric scooters is that they’re just too silent – other people have no idea you’re coming. Fortunately, you can fix that problem, advertise your business AND make people laugh at the same time. Here’s how: What would your company’s motor-sound be like?
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    TerryStarbucker.com

  • Not Just a Job: Seeing (and Accepting) The Higher Calling of Leadership

    Starbucker
    13 May 2012 | 4:53 pm
    I remember the first time I became a leader. I was in eighth grade, and we were in the middle of tryouts for the upcoming middle-school football season.   The previous year I had languished as an unhappy (and very ineffective) left guard, and the team had been winless the past two years – in fact, because we were a private school going against much larger public middle schools, we hadn’t even scored a touchdown the year before. This year I was going to be the quarterback. I had practiced throwing the football in my back yard very intently that summer, using the roof of our…

  • The 12 Essential Traits of The Modern-Day Leader

    Starbucker
    6 May 2012 | 5:33 pm
    What does it take to be a successful leader in the 21st Century? This is a question that has already filled the “Management/Leadership” shelves in the local (and virtual) bookstores many times over – and we’re only 12 years into this century.   Chances are you’ve read one, two, or more of these books looking for answers that resonate and inspire. I’ve read many of those books too, and while I’ve found them helpful, there was nothing that beat the actual experience of being a leader, where I could get a chance to synthesize all my accumulated lessons into a (hopefully) cohesive…

  • Great Leadership And The Wisdom Of Chocolate Covered Kale

    Starbucker
    29 Apr 2012 | 2:54 pm
    Like many others here in Portland I’ve been increasing my consumption of a certain vegetable – one that has magical powers “It’s a superfood!”, the stores proclaim.   Low calorie, low fat, high in essential vitamins and minerals, etc, etc, etc…. That’s all good, quite good in fact, but there’s one big problem with it. It doesn’t taste very good. Kale, in its raw state, is pretty darn bitter. So, to make it more palatable, chefs and health food stores all around town are coming up with ways to combine it with other yummy things, with…

  • The One Leadership Secret That Will Never Involve A Mobile Device (or Any Computer)

    Starbucker
    22 Apr 2012 | 2:22 pm
    “We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.” – Sherry Turkle We are living in an extraordinary era where digital communications has revolutionized the way we live, work, and play. For those of us old enough to remember a world without “devices” or “portables”, the possession of all that computing power and global reach in the palms of our hands is awe inspiring. But yet it scares me, more and more with each passing day. It scares me because I feel we are losing…

  • The 3 People That Stand In Your Way Of Business Success (and How To Push Them Aside)

    Starbucker
    15 Apr 2012 | 2:57 pm
    For every person that can help you on your way to business (and personal) success, there are many more that can do just the opposite – serve as big barriers that make the task that much more challenging. There are three people in particular that you need to be wary of, because you WILL encounter them along the way.  One you will see EVERY DAY. How can we move these barriers aside, and reach strongly towards our dreams? Let’s start with Person #1. The Naysayer “You can’t do that!”  “Are you out of your mind!”  “No way”   The Naysayer…
 
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    Management and Career » Stanley Bing

  • Recession recovery blues

    Bing
    2 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    If the downturn is receding, why is my mood indigo? By Stanley Bing FORTUNE -- Spring has sprung. The grass is riz. So it's reasonable to ask where the birdies is. Because I don't know about you, but I don't see no birdies. I'm tense. I'm nervous. I guess you could say that my consumer confidence is sort of ... leaky. Why should that be? All signs point to a slow and steady recovery. Slow and steady is good. As we know, it wins the race. And yet ... there's this pricking in my thumbs. Perhaps I should consider the reasons why, as usual, I am wrong about this kind of thing. First of all, and…

  • Your taxing IRS FAQ

    Bing
    11 Apr 2012 | 10:17 am
    No taxation without obfuscation. It's the American way. By Stanley Bing FORTUNE -- This document will help you understand the United States Internal Revenue Code, Title 26 of the U.S. Code (26 USC) as you prepare to file your 2011 returns. Fitting this service onto a single page has necessitated abridgements. The actual tax code is more than 3 million words long and would fill 7,500 pages if printed on letter-size paper. For further elucidations, and an invoice, consult your certified public accountant. Here are some of your most frequently asked questions: What is income? Income is anything…

  • B-School confidential

    Bing
    21 Mar 2012 | 4:00 am
    Will the next generation of MBAs be up to the task of running our great commercial enterprises? By Stanley Bing FORTUNE -- I dropped by a famous business school the other day to do what death eaters do when we go to feast on the souls of the young. We talk to them about our industry. We tell them how we got where we are today. Where am I today? At my desk, deconstructing a muffin and thinking about how the world will belong to them in just a few years, or perhaps decades. I mean, we're not going anywhere. But eventually we will, kicking and screaming. And then the world will be their oyster.

  • Poached eggs

    Bing
    29 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am
    What happened when the farmers tried to protect their chickens: a fable. By Stanley Bing FORTUNE -- Once upon a time there was a farm that produced high-grade eggs for the entire world. This farm, nestled in the hills on the southern end of the very western coast, was small considering the quantity of eggs it produced, but it was successful and proud of its output. The proprietors had grown fat and prosperous, which they felt was only right and just, since their eggs were admired from one corner of the globe to the other. They spent day and night at their art, and took exceedingly good care…

  • Best Companies: The quiz

    Bing
    8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am
    Does your employer belong in the pantheon? Could it be that the answer depends on where you stand? By Stanley Bing FORTUNE -- We've done our best to identify corporations that are a pleasure to work for. But we couldn't possibly list them all. Maybe your company, too, is a party on a half shell! Take this quiz and find out. When I go to work in the morning, I ... A. Smile a little secret smile to myself. B. Do a crossword puzzle on the train. C. Have a sphincter the size of a pinhead. The clothing I am expected to wear to work ... A. Is a badge of honor. I wear it to sleep. B. Is a uniform.
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    Weekly Leader

  • Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 87 – Hap Klopp, Conquering The North Face: An Adventure in Leadership

    podcast@weeklyleader.net
    13 May 2012 | 10:26 pm
    This week Peter speaks with Hap Klopp, ex CEO of The North Face and author of Conquering The North Face: An Adventure in Leadership plus Pam’s Research Report of the Week about diversity in top leadership teams and more great podsafe music from Wolf Larsen. Research Report of the Week McKinsey Quarterly: Is there a payoff from [...] Related posts: Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 83 – Leadership Communications Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 45 | Leadership Lessons from the Dancing Man Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 86 – Facebook, Instagram, Corporate Governance. What’s…

  • Learn From Failure | Chief Learning Officer [del.icio.us]

    weeklyleader
    12 May 2012 | 7:51 pm
    Instead, learning leaders should look for areas where calculated failures will bear dividends — both individually, in terms of leadership development, and organizationally — as a means to spark innovation, growth and organizational performance

  • Fanatic Discipline and Productive Paranoia: Notes From ASTD Day One [del.icio.us]

    weeklyleader
    12 May 2012 | 7:49 pm
    The real crisis we are facing – whether it’s in our organizations or in society at large – isn’t the continued sluggish economy. It’s a lack of transformational leaders.

  • Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 86 – Facebook, Instagram, Corporate Governance. What’s the big deal?

    podcast@weeklyleader.net
    1 May 2012 | 10:16 pm
    This week Pam speaks with Doug Y. Park, Principal, DYP Advisors and Bob Frisch, Managing Partner, Strategic Offsites Group about Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, leadership and corporate governance. Weekly Leaders Doug Y. Park, Principal, DYP Advisors Twitter: @DougYPark Bob Frisch, Managing Partner, The Strategic Offsites Group. Author, Who’s in the Room: How Great Leaders Structure and [...] Related posts: Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 80 – 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role Weekly Leader Podcast Episode 83 – Leadership Communications Weekly…

  • 5 Ways to Teach Your Millennials to Lead | Diversity Executive [del.icio.us]

    weeklyleader
    18 Apr 2012 | 8:44 am
    Many of the innate qualities millennials bring to the table could make them excellent leaders in the future, given the right preparation now.
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    ManagingCommunities.com

  • 90% of Conversations in Social Media About Banking Occur in Online Forums

    Patrick
    14 May 2012 | 11:42 am
    photo credit: in search for a new country of residence Recently, Jason Falls shared an interesting fact with me. According to his research, collected through NetBase, 90% of the trackable conversations occurring online around banks and bank products were in online forums. Ninety percent! 5% related to consumer reviews, 3% on blogs and less than [...]

  • How to Properly Use the Word “Forums” and the Term “Online Community”

    Patrick
    10 May 2012 | 3:28 pm
    photo credit: avlxyz Once in a while, I run across an article that uses the word “forums” or the term “online community” in a weird, misleading way. What disappoints me most is when someone does this when they are claiming to have expertise in this space – they have community in their job title, they [...]

  • Why We Don’t Allow People to Link to Their Own Tutorial Sites on PhotoshopForums.com

    Patrick
    7 May 2012 | 2:27 pm
    photo credit: outcast104 On PhotoshopForums.com, we don’t allow people to link (outside of their signature) to tutorial sites that they are in some way affiliated with. Even if the tutorial answers a question that has been asked. To some, this may sound strange. But, for us, it speaks to the intent of participation and the [...]

  • Online Communities Can Use Kickstarter and Crowd Funding, Too

    Patrick
    3 May 2012 | 3:11 pm
    I recently backed a project on Kickstarter for the first time. The project was for “A Show with Ze Frank.” It was successfully funded (raising $146,752, well exceeding the goal of $50,000) the new series from Mr. Frank is well underway. I have loved his past work and was excited to see him back doing [...]

  • Post and View Community Management Jobs on ManagingCommunities.com!

    Patrick
    30 Apr 2012 | 4:11 pm
    photo credit: bgottsab ManagingCommunities.com is regularly visited by community management professionals of all experience levels. Many of which are in need of employment or looking to further their careers. If you are looking to hire a community management professional and find qualified candidates, the people who read ManagingCommunities.com are who you are looking for. Whether [...]
 
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    Lolly Daskal

  • Integrity Is An Inside Job

    lollydaskal
    15 May 2012 | 6:20 am
      For the past few weeks we have been talking about integrity and its source.    We have come to realize that integrity is driven by a force, but where does this force come from and how is it defined?    Our force is defined by;    Knowing youself. – We need to examine and engage in self awareness. As leaders with integrity, we need to know who we are and what drives us, what triggers us and what excites us.    Aligning beliefs  In life and leadership, we will face moments when we need to make difficult moral choices. Our choices will reveal…

  • The Source of Integrity

    lollydaskal
    22 Apr 2012 | 7:11 pm
     Last week, we blogged about Why Were You Not?    We made the discovery that integrity was the anchor of our heart; the commitment of being who we are deep in your soul.    So many of you have written to me, saying it was a very difficult and deep.    And I agree.    Exploring your anchor is difficult.    Remembering and rediscovering of who you are is not easy.    But to do so, we must go to the source.    The source of integrity.   Integrity- English    Having integrity is being honest and having…

  • Why Were You Not

    lollydaskal
    9 Apr 2012 | 1:34 pm
    There is a tale of a chassidic rabbi named rabbi Zusya. Zusya was a timid man, a man who concealed more than he revealed.   One day Zusya stood before his congregation and he said,  When I die and have to present myself before the celestial tribunal, they will not ask me,  ‘Zusya why were you not Moses?’ because I would say ‘Moses was prophet and I am not.’   They would not say ‘Zusya, why were you not Jeremiah?’ for  I  would say ‘Jeremiah was a writer, and I am not.’   And they will not say ‘Why were you not Rabbi Akiba?’ for I would…

  • Don’t Throw The Bear In The Road

    lollydaskal
    17 Mar 2012 | 7:28 am
       The other day, as I was expressing some frustration about a situation, my good friend  Jacqueline Voncken  a brilliant consultant, said something in Dutch that caught my ear.    “beren op de weg gooien”    I asked her what that meant and she said “Don’t throw the bear in the road.”    Her words stopped me in my tracks.    Throwing the bear in the road is: selling yourself short denying your appreciation belittling yourself before you even have a chance to show up discrediting your gift asking “Will I ever be good enough?”…

  • Trust Your Inner Wisdom

    lollydaskal
    10 Mar 2012 | 3:48 pm
    Sometimes, I ask leaders what has made them successful?    Many do not mention intuition at all, even though they might claim the importance of their inner wisdom as they make decisions.    What is inner wisdom?    Inner wisdom is a tool for quick and ready insight    It’s a gut feeling, a sixth sense, an inner knowing, an instinct.    It’s a hunch, a stillness, a quiet inner voice.    Inner wisdom is not a magic switch you can turn on when you need counsel.    Yet your intuitive mind tells your logical mind where to…
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    Lead on Purpose

  • Guest Post: Leadership—Why Passion Still Matters

    Michael Ray Hopkin
    5 May 2012 | 8:40 am
    By Melissa Crossman We associate the term passion too much with magazine ads for perfumes or movie clips about doomed love. According to business leadership gurus Tim Elmore and Glenn Llopis, it needs to be a term we associate more with our careers and work life. At most Monday morning staff meetings, voices rarely stray from a monotone unless a colleague mentions a leisure event he attended over the weekend. Managers either cajole or threaten — whatever method seems more productive this month — to enlist staff support for the upcoming week’s planned projects. Another…

  • Conversations that win

    Michael Ray Hopkin
    28 Apr 2012 | 11:12 am
    You want to win. Whether you are an athlete, an actor or a business leader you are “in the game” to win. You might be competing in a major event (e.g. summer Olympics in London) or in a crowded market (e.g. productivity software); regardless, you want to win. What does it take to set you apart from the competition? In sports it’s pretty easy; you win competitions (ok, it’s not ‘easy’ to win for most of us, but it’s easy to measure). In business it most often comes down to the bottom line; how well your products and services sell compared to your competition. Measuring is not…

  • PCamp Utah and the “unconference” explained

    Michael Ray Hopkin
    21 Apr 2012 | 4:00 am
    In the technology world, conferences have grown into huge events that attract thousands of participants and occupy massive convention centers. Hosting technology conferences has turned into an industry driven by big money and advertising. The value to individuals has diminished as the industry has commercialized. Enter BarCamp. BarCamps sprouted up in 2005 as the unconference way of gathering and sharing ideas. They are open, participatory workshop-like events where the participants provide the content and attendees collaborate to learn and grow in their specific areas of interest. The…

  • Five must-read blogs

    Michael Ray Hopkin
    14 Apr 2012 | 6:10 pm
    Today’s post focuses on five blogs that have been great resources for me. These blogs and their authors have not only shaped my thinking but also inspired me to dig deeper and work harder. These are great blogs and I highly recommend you click through and spend some time learning from their authors. Leadership: One of my favorite leadership blogs is Art Petty’s Management Excellence blog. Art writes about all things leadership, and he does a great job of explaining key points in a practical way. Purpose: One of the most positive people I know is Dr. Paul Jenkins (“Dr. Paul”). His…

  • The desire to learn

    Michael Ray Hopkin
    7 Apr 2012 | 10:15 am
    One of the key tenets of leadership is learning. Great leaders are learners. They read voraciously. They write and teach what they learn. Learning is as much a part of their life as eating. Cultivating the desire to learn is vital to your success as a leader. Tip 5 in Management Tips: Harvard Business Review states the following: Successful leaders keep their minds open to new things because they know that no matter how high their level of mastery, there is always more to discover…. When facing challenges, even ones you’ve faced many times before, adopt a learner’s approach—ask…
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    Recovering Leader

  • Land Critical Conversations Right the First Time

    david@leadershipunleashed.com
    7 May 2012 | 4:32 pm
    Many key discussions end with one or more people in a holding pattern.  Unfortunately, it's often after the fact that we realize something was missed or left unaddressed. Whether an interview, tough discussion, sales opportunity, executive team or board meeting—the many variables in the room (personalities, agendas, politics, etc.) can take you off course, diverting you from your main objective(s). Near the end of such important meetings, I’ve found that asking one of the following questions is a surpsingly simple and powerful way to arrive at the right destination in a timely way,…

  • 3 Powerful Practices for Aloof or Distant Leaders

    david@leadershipunleashed.com
    4 May 2012 | 4:52 pm
    If you tend to be introverted, shy, too busy to be responsive, or intentionally aloof / distant, as I posted recently, approachability’s pragmatic leadership value is likely eluding you. That wall you’ve built around you, whether intentionally or not, alienates you from critical ideas, feedback, input, and your people’s higher-level motivation / engagement—needed for them to do their best work. So what to do about it? I realized in my recent post I talked about the “what” and the “so what,” but not the “now what?” What's the coaching suggestion I'm making here, in the real…

  • Over-thinking Challenging Situations

    david@leadershipunleashed.com
    19 Apr 2012 | 2:59 pm
    The outcome you achieve after facing a challenging situation—for better or worse—is limited by your assumptions or “story” going into it. In fact, walking into almost any potentially difficult conversation, our understanding is at best incomplete, no matter how much forethought we’ve given it. It’s human nature to prepare for what may be difficult, particularly if we are under normal stress. We tend to rehearse in our minds what we will say and do, so as not to get caught off guard, which, while understandable, causes its own problems. For example, an executive client was…

  • Listening to Your Struggle’s Message

    david@leadershipunleashed.com
    16 Apr 2012 | 9:31 pm
    In Western culture we tend to think anything worthwhile should be difficult. Along those lines, it’s easy to miss when a struggle is trying to tell you that it’s time for a change. Fixated on our goal, we soldier on, trying ever harder. Then, exhausted, we see in hindsight that the signs were reading, “I need a change” all along. Thinking about you during times of struggle, let’s consider two scenarios, both with different outcomes. Think back to a job or time when you were truly fulfilled with something you did: a problem you solved, a project, a company you ran, or even a game of…

  • Recovering Leader More User-Friendly

    david@leadershipunleashed.com
    16 Apr 2012 | 9:30 am
    Over the last few weeks I've updated 300 of my posts here by adding them to a large category index, directly accessible with a click from the category list in the right column.  My hope is that doing so will now make my content easier to find, and quicker to access for readers and subscribers like you. Because this process entailed re-posting many items, your feed or subscriber notificaitons may be wonky this week.  So my apologies in advance if your feed from Recovering Leader suddenly looks odd, or you get a bunch of items.  This should be a one-time thing. Meantime, feel free to give me…
 
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    Infused Web | Print | Design

  • Cover Art for John Taglieri Lucky #9 Digital Music Release Designed by Infused Web

    admin
    20 Apr 2012 | 2:13 pm
    The new music release Lucky #9 from John Taglieri just made its debut this week, breaking in at #2 on Hot New Releases and #20 on Adult Alternative Amazon.com charts. This is John’s 9th CD release of his music career. He had a really good feeling about its release, which hints as to why it is entitled Lucky #9.  If the Amazon chart debut is any indication of its success, he was right on target! The cover art for the release was designed by Joe Duhamel, Co-Owner & Art Director of Infused Web. Joe has extensive experience in graphic design (22 years), including 20 years as a design…

  • #KeepItCountry with Joe Bachman

    admin
    21 Mar 2012 | 12:22 pm
    If you’ve been following us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may have noticed that we’ve recently partnered with emerging Modern Country/Pop Music Artist, Joe Bachman.  Joe takes his performance to stages up and down the East Coast  (from Joe’s 2nd home, Key West, FL to Killington VT)… as well as in Chicago, Ohio, San Francisco, the Bahamas and beyond! Averaging an astounding 200-250 shows per year throughout his amazing career, Joe’s high-energy live show captivates audiences from ages 7 thru 70 wherever he performs. With the recent release of his debut album…
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    Pink Slip

  • That’s one small step for chickenkind

    16 May 2012 | 2:25 am
    I am entirely in favor of anything that will get today’s kids interested in science. And that includes mascots. After all, I know how powerfully mascots can work. For didn’t Reddy Kilowatt inspire in me a lifelong interest in things electrical? Why, not only do I know how to change a fuse, and – better yet – flip a circuit breaker, I also have rewired many a lamp. I know that you see the lightning before your hear the thunder. And one of my favorite clients ever is an electronics engineering company. I owe it all to Reddy Kilowatt, just as I owe my lifelong commitment to preventing…

  • Is there any job worse than being a “funny” birthday clown? The answer is ‘Yes.’

    15 May 2012 | 2:24 am
    As an admitted clownist, I must confess that I do not approach any variation on someone making a living as a clown with an open mind. I see “clown” and I don’t expect that I’ll come away from the story nodding my head and telling myself, ‘nope, I hadn’t thought of that use of clowning, and it’s a good one.’ I dunno. Maybe there are actually clowns out there who make kids in hospitals happy. (Or maybe those poor little ones are too sick and frightened to say ‘back the f off, buster.’) Anyway, I did not welcome the news that there’s a joker out there who’s trying to make…

  • When the Dimon turns out to be cubic zirconium

    14 May 2012 | 1:09 am
    Of all the bankers who “starred” in the recent ongoing financial system crises, Jamie Dimon had the best reputation. JP Morgan Chase, which he leads, was perceived as (and perhaps actually was) the banking system’s shining city on the hill.  Dimon was a perennial Institutional Investor All-Star Executive, and even was named the industry’s MVP (CEO of the Year) in 2011 – a year in which he was paid a cool $23M. (Source: Wikipedia.) Jamie Dimon was the industry’s face-saver, its savior, its saving grace, proving that a bank could actually be run well and profitably, without the…

  • Sometimes you feel like a Nutella, sometimes you don’t

    11 May 2012 | 1:26 am
    Although I am a complete and utter chocaholic, I’m not much of a Nutella fan. Maybe it’s that it’s too hazel-nutty, and not chocolate-y enough for my liking. Maybe, like James Bond’s shaken-not-stirred martini preference, I prefer my chocolate liquid (e.g., Hershey’s syrup) or solid (almost any chocolate candy), not in the netherworld of a “spread” that Nutella represents. Yet I am fully aware that there are many Nutella aficionados, and have been since I was in grad school at Columbia in the 1970’s and I was introduced to this treat by an Italian-American classmate. I found…

  • Greener Pasteurs

    10 May 2012 | 2:58 am
    One of the “gotcha” questions that seems to be popular with presidential candidates is the price of some pedestrian everyday household item like a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, a gallon of gasoline. While it would certainly behoove anyone hoping to be president to have some sense of what us “average Americans” grapple with, day in/day out, I actually don’t hold it against someone running for the highest office in the whole wide world if they don’t spend a lot of time pushing a grocery cart or filling ‘er up. If you do spend a lot of time pushing a grocery cart or filling ‘er…
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    Ed Batista: Executive Coaching & Change Management

  • The Work and The Job

    edbatista
    16 May 2012 | 3:14 am
    We often talk about "my work" and "my job" as if they're interchangeable concepts, but it's important to distinguish between them. I define "work" as a vocation--a calling or a personal mission that provides us with an intrinsic sense of meaning and purpose. A "job," in contrast, is a set of responsibilities we fulfill in exchange for various forms of compensation. We get paid to do the job, but the work is its own reward. On the job we ultimately answer to someone--customers, superiors, board members, investors; in our work we ultimately answer to our own consciences. We can change jobs…

  • Dan Oestreich Interviews Me

    edbatista
    22 Mar 2012 | 11:56 pm
    Dan Oestreich is a coach I respect immensely, and when he asked to interview me for the March issue of his newsletter, I couldn't agree fast enough. He graciously agreed to let me re-post our interview here, and the results are below. It seems noteworthy that while I've enjoyed getting to know Dan through his thoughtful essays and interesting tweets, this interview reflects our first in-person conversation. That says something to me about how our online networks allow us to connect with like-minded people and develop meaningful friendships when we take the risk to be ourselves. Many thanks,…

  • In Defense of Normal (A Coaching Manifesto)

    edbatista
    14 Feb 2012 | 3:16 pm
    By definition, coaching and other services aimed at helping people be more effective and fulfilled as professionals must challenge established norms, from clients' internal mental models to the surrounding organizational culture. But even as we're challenging these norms, coaches and our clients must also find ways to work within them. In a word, for coaching and other interventions to achieve their goals they must be perceived as normal--stimulating and thought-provoking, certainly, but also applicable under everyday conditions. But too often coaching and related services are perceived as…

  • Tiny Gestures (and Emotional Bids)

    edbatista
    13 Feb 2012 | 2:01 am
    A brief follow-up on the theme of safety and trust I discussed last week: Very rarely (if ever) do we establish these qualities in a relationship in a single dramatic act. Much more often safety and trust are established over a series of interactions through countless tiny gestures. These gestures take the form of one person making some effort to connect--an emotional bid--and another person responding in any way that acknowledges that effort.  Examples include: I disclose something about myself, and you express interest or reciprocate. I express curiosity about you, and you share…

  • Taking the Plunge (Safety, Risk, Learning and Growth)

    edbatista
    9 Feb 2012 | 11:11 am
    I've written before about the importance of safety as the foundation for the risk-taking and experimentation that are essential precursors to learning and change. In any setting where we're seeking to grow and develop, it's essential that we feel safe with each other and trust each other. In the absence of safety, trust and emotional intimacy, our efforts to learn and grow will be severely hampered. And this applies everywhere--not only in explicit learning environments such as the classroom, a workshop or a coaching relationship, but also in our day-to-day organizational and personal lives.
 
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    Sanders Says

  • What Tim Draper Looks For In A Startup

    Tim Sanders
    10 May 2012 | 5:09 pm
    Last week, I attended the startup conference in Mountain View, CA.  It was the center of the startup universe.  There was even Startup Village, a trade show meets speed dating center, where CEOs or techies pitched their ideas and prototypes.  At the end of the row was the Draper Fisher Jurvetson booth, with Tim Draper taking pitches.  Seriously.   During the general session, Draper talked for 20 minutes about his experiences as a venture capitalst and angel investor.  The burning question for him was this: "What does it take for DFJ to green light an investment…

  • About my new venture: Net Minds

    Tim Sanders
    7 May 2012 | 11:57 am
    It's time for me to spill the beans about a startup I've co-founded.   The company is called Net Minds, and we are a networking service that partners authors with all the talents they need to produce great books that are effectively promoted.  We believe the future of publishing is in groups, think joint ventures.   Currently, if you have an idea for a book, you either go the traditional route (sell the book to a corporate publisher) or self-publishing.  The former is harder than ever to achieve and the latter is ... the wild wild west.  We are in the middle: offering…

  • Why Lunch Is A Bad Setting For Real Business

    Tim Sanders
    26 Apr 2012 | 10:37 am
    One of worst techniques you'll pick up in business is "let's do lunch."  It sounds like a great device for conducting business, be it a pitch or project work.  Often, your offer is accepted, after all, we have to eat!  It sounds less ominous than, "I'd like to setup a meeting to come talk to you about X."   While it's easy to arrange, conducting real business during the meal is like running an obstacle course or conducting an orchestra with one hand tied behind your back.  Think about all the distractions: The server, the food, the cleanup, the other people eating,…

  • Three compensation innovations that will change your culture

    Tim Sanders
    16 Apr 2012 | 7:19 pm
    That which is compensated, is motivated.  Nothing more, nothing less. Between my speaking and consulting, I have many opportunities to compare comp plans and the resulting corporate cultures they create.  If you want to have a strong customer service culture, for example, you'll need to aim all compensation plans at achieving it.  If you want to have a strong entrepreneurial gene in your, generously reward the risk takers.   It's sad, though, that in sales cultures, we get stuck in the Quota/Bonus pay out trap.  By trap, I mean that most companies reward sales and…

  • Is Your Company Culture All In?

    Tim Sanders
    6 Apr 2012 | 12:03 pm
    Recognition experts Adrain Gostick & Chester Elton have pivoted from recognition to culture with their new book, All In: How The Best Managers Create A Culture Of Belief and Drive Big Results. And well they should, as today, culture is more important to your company than ever.  Why? Transparency, the cloud and a new generation that needs a dollup of purpose with their paycheck.  Bad cultures are now a matter of JobVent record.  With the cloud, startups spring up like weeds, requiring less capital than ever.  The Millenials will bail on a bad boss, a negative group or a…
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    Coaching Tip: The Leadership Blog

  • Pre-Employment Assessments

    John Agno
    16 May 2012 | 7:20 am
    There is no question that business priorities are shifting.  In its 2012 CEO Challenge report, The Conference Board identified the top two business issues CEOs care about right now: innovation and human capital.  Together, these two priorities will determine how successful organizations are in the years ahead. It is no surprise that the issues CEOs identified as challenges are permeating throughout organizations.  It has left many talent management professionals asking two questions: How can we best determine what skills and behaviors we will need to meet future business…

  • Life's Aha! Moments Encourage Introspection and a Search for Meaning

    John Agno
    10 May 2012 | 3:57 pm
    As a 17-year-old college student, I had a near-death experience (before it was categorized as such) during an automobile accident.  During this intense positive experience, I said to myself, "If this is what it is like to die, it's not all bad."   For I was at peace; calmly watching my "life review" play out while time seemed to stand still.  That experience forever changed how I lived the rest of my life; for I no longer feared death nor failure as I led a passionate life.  People like me who have experienced…

  • Rethink Leadership for the XX Factor

    John Agno
    7 May 2012 | 2:03 pm
    You would think the problem would be solved by now. Business and government leaders have been talking for decades about advancing more women to top leadership and professional roles. Young women today are entering the workforce better prepared and more ambitious than ever, with more education and higher career aspirations than men. In the executive suite, the idea is no longer even controversial. When McKinsey & Co. asked senior executives at 60 big companies recently why they are trying to advance women, "they laughed at us," says Dominic Barton, McKinsey's global managing…

  • U.S. College Football at Risk--Leadership Needed

    John Agno
    5 May 2012 | 10:11 am
    In the May 3, 2012 "Football A Game at Risk" at  http://www.bighouseblog.com/ the posting began, "We all love football, you wouldn't be on this site right now if you didn't.   We love the athleticism of the players, game strategy and to be fair the contact.   It's a great watch.  I'm sure you feel similar to myself when I say there isn't too many better things in life then walking to the big house on a 72 degree day to watch the Wolverines play a rival.  The air is electric and there is a smell of grills working overtime at each…

  • Are You a Strategist?

    John Agno
    2 May 2012 | 3:08 pm
    A New Understanding of Strategy An essential component of the strategy-making process that has been ignored for decades is: You.  The leader.  The person who must live the questions that matter most. This is about gaining a new understanding about what strategy is, why it matters, and what you must do to lead the effort. Does your company matter?  That's the question every business leaders must answer. Can you answer it?   If you cannot, or if you're uncertain of your answer, read this book:  Cynthia Montgomery: The Strategist: Be the Leader Your…
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    Predictable Success » Blog

  • Join me on the Predictable Success one-day intensive

    lesmckeown
    8 May 2012 | 3:04 pm
    Hi there - I know you’re busy, so let me get right to the point: 30-second ‘Do I Care?’ Summary: The next Predictable Success One-Day Intensive arrives in Boston on June 7. This will be of interest to you if: (1) You are charged with the growth of your organization (a business, division, department or project, whether for-profit or not-for-profit) or the high performance of a group or team; and (2) You want to radically accelerate your progress. If neither of the above apply, feel free to hit ‘back’ at this point and save yourself some time – I promise I…

  • SOBCon, Inc, Fierce Loyalty, New Videos, Book Groups | New at Predictable Success

    lesmckeown
    7 May 2012 | 2:37 pm
    I just returned (literally, today) from presenting at SOBCon 2012 - That's me with another speaker, the ever-popular Chris Brogan right there. If you have any involvement in / responsibility for / interest in digital marketing, SOBCon should be near the top of your list. In addition to Chris and me, speakers this year included Tim Sanders, Steve Farber, and of course the hosts, Terry Ste Marie and Liz Strauss. Get it on your schedule.  I'm also delighted to announce a new platform for Predictable Success – and in one of my favorite venues, too – details follow below,…

  • Synergistic teamwork at its most (impressively) basic

    lesmckeown
    25 Apr 2012 | 7:35 am
    If you manage or work in or with teams of any sort, you must watch this video. Note the instructions given at the start, watch what happens, then listen carefully to the question asked right at the end: This is an example of a team working Synergistically at the most basic level.

  • This Week in Predictable Success: 22 April 2012

    lesmckeown
    22 Apr 2012 | 9:32 am
    This was an interesting week of contrasts… Too much 'V', not enough 'P': The once high-flying law practice of Dewey & LeBouef imploded almost overnight, showing what happens when you have uncontrolled Visionary leadership. (Their dizzying web site perhaps gave a clue to the likely future effects of the  vertigo-inducing approach they took to growth.)  Too much 'P', not enough 'V': On the other hand, the sad spectacle of Yahoo's agonizingly slow decline continued, with yet another example of overly-Processor-ized leadership demonstrating…
 
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    Management by Baseball

  • Inventors Gone Wild: Krispy Kreme Donut Burger Trumps Texas-Size Cholesterol Catharsis

    j
    15 May 2012 | 12:36 pm
    Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought. - Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi The Texas Rangers are playing great baseball, as of today, projected out to an 103-win season. That's an Alaska-sized pile 'o wins, but amazingly, the meme that munching Texas types this season is The Boomstick, a  24-inch hot dog with chili, cheese and jalapeños with an underlying slab of wood to carry the frelling thing. Unlike the team's front office & manager (relentlessly intelligent, elegantly designed to do the job), the Boomstick is the Anna Nicole Smith…

  • Avoiding Change Manglement, Ichiro-Style

    j
    27 Feb 2012 | 11:37 am
    Observer effect: The act of observation changes the object being observed Like most normal people and baseball players, Ichiro Suzuki prefers to do things his own way. Like almost all successful baseball players, and like many (though not most) normal people, he is committed to his employer's success. And it looks like there's a big change coming in both how he will do things and in his employer's success. It's the result of a many-year Change Management initiative that has been barely committed to over the years, sometimes desultorily, sometimes not at all, the luke-warmness of it created by…

  • Art Imitates Life, but The NFL Imitates Baseball

    j
    9 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Back in late 2009, I wrote about (then new) Detroit Lions Head coach Jim Schwartz & his Tampa Bay Devil Rays'-style project to remake the sad sack of the NFL, a team which had gone 0-16 before his tenure. This last weekend, that team not only made its way into the NFL playoffs (somewhat of an accomplishment) but acquitted itself most-genuinely in the game against a superior opponent, losing only in the last quarter. The Management by Baseball description of how Schwartz proposed to turn the team around is worth attending to, especially for managers trying to turn around failed companies or…

  • Jon Daniels - Part IV: Rangers' GM Attacks a Diseconomy of Scale

    j
    25 Dec 2011 | 6:13 pm
    This is the final installment of the March, 2007 interview Jon Daniels did with me. He'd gotten his first G.M. job as the nexus of a team that had never gone to a World Series, and now with him in place, they've achieved enough excellence to get to two Series in a row.This part deals with an issue more and more managers have to deal with in a globalized business world -- communicating effectively and keeping people on course and pulling together in a system where the work is distributed over more remote workplaces -- a Diseconomy of Scale that is both common and usually fatal. And, btw, my…

  • Jon Daniels - Part III: Lessons in Changing Direction (A Reprise from 2007)

    j
    3 Nov 2011 | 10:13 am
    In the last entry, I continued the conversation Texas Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels had with me in March, 2007. In this segment (one more to follow), Daniels talks about his initial moves on first inheriting management of a organization that has plenty of room for improvement. First moves are, as I try to hammer home, critical and usually set the limits of what a manager can achieve in the organization. His approach worked well enough that three years later (the planning/change horizon in major league baseball is usually six seasons, sometimes five) his front office team…
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    Great Leadership

  • The 6 Passages of Leadership and Management

    Dan McCarthy
    14 May 2012 | 11:30 am
    Unless you are an heir to a throne, people usually don’t begin their careers leading a large organization. There’s a progression of passages, or at least there should be. Charan, Drotter, and Noel wrote about six leadership passages in their classic book The Leadership Pipeline. However, they use the terms “leadership” and “management” interchangeably. There’s a big difference, right? What if we took a simplified version of the Pipeline model, and mash it with a distinction between leadership and management? We’ll call it The Great Leadership & Management Passages Model…

  • Avoiding the Mistakes All Leaders Make

    Dan McCarthy
    11 May 2012 | 11:36 am
    This guest post by David Grossman wasn't meant as a response to Beth Armknecht Miller's recent The Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make - the timing was just coincidental.  Someone tweeted in response to Beth's post: "I made all of these - does that make me a great leader?" I'd say it could help, as long as you learn by your mistakes. In that case, why not double down and make 10 mistakes? (-: Avoiding the Mistakes All Leaders Make In my experience, every large organization has at least one thing in common… There isn’t a single senior management team that doesn’t…

  • New Study IDs Best Companies for Leadership​, Innovation

    Dan McCarthy
    8 May 2012 | 3:19 pm
    Hay Group just released its seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study. Is this just another one of those touchy-feely, nice to do awards? Not at all. The Best Companies for Leadership consistently outperform their peers. Over a 10 year period, the Top 20 companies produced a 5.39 percent shareholder return, compared to a 2.92 percent shareholder return generated by the S&P 500. Each year, I publish the list of companies and a summary of the findings (see below). This year, I also interviewed Susan Snyder, senior principal in Hay Group's Leadership & Talent Practice…

  • The May, 2012 Leadership Development Carnival

    Dan McCarthy
    6 May 2012 | 6:16 pm
    Welcome to the May edition of the Leadership Development Carnival! For those of you that may not be familiar with the Carnival, here's a refresher: 1. A blog "Carnival" is typically a collection of recent blog posts organized around a common theme, in this case, leadership development. Although there are lot's of places a reader can go to get aggregated free content these days, my readers still seem to appreciate the monthly Carnival collection. Bloggers like them because it's an opportunity to reach new readers. 2. I've been hosting the Carnival for a few years, and for the last couple…

  • The Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make

    Dan McCarthy
    3 May 2012 | 11:22 am
    Guest post by Great Leadership regular contributor Beth Armknecht Miller: The Top 5 Leadership Mistakes: which one would your team members say you make? Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of leaders many who have displayed specific leadership shortfalls, that when improved, have had a positive impact on the effectiveness and profitability of the organization. Both new and experienced manager/leaders can make these top five mistakes; which one is your Achilles heel? And what is your plan to improve? 1. Focusing on the Urgent and not the Important How much time are you spending on…
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    CIO Blogs

  • Google Currents for iOS, Android Does One Thing Better Than Flipboard

    James A. Martin
    16 May 2012 | 1:03 pm
    Google’s answer to Flipboard for iOS, Currents, can’t compete with Flipboard's deep social-media integration, sharp interface and better content selection. But if you’re an Android user or you're frequently on the go without Wi-Fi, Google Currents deserves a place on your mobile device.read more

  • Android Targeted by 75 Percent of All Mobile Malware

    Al Sacco
    16 May 2012 | 11:26 am
    This week's Android security update spotlights findings from an F-Secure report that suggests Android is by far the leading target of mobile-malware authors, along with a demonstration from a recent conference that showed a number of glaring Android security holes. read more

  • Gadgets Galore: Why the Post-PC World Means More Electronics

    Paul Mah
    16 May 2012 | 7:16 am
    In the modern "post-PC" landscape, you may be able to ditch your laptop or desktop computer, but you'll still end up carrying more gadgets than you did before, according to CIO.com blogger Paul Mah. Here's why.read more

  • iPod Owners: Did You Know You're Suing Apple?

    Bill Snyder
    15 May 2012 | 3:35 pm
    Apple has been hit with a class action suit by iPod owners saying that the company has made it unfairly difficult to play songs if they haven't been purchased on iTunes. Unless you opt out, you're part of the suit.read more

  • Who Wants To Be CEO, Anyway?

    Tom Kaneshige
    15 May 2012 | 12:45 pm
    As former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson steps down, we are reminded of that fatal flaw shared by tragic Greek heroes, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and modern-day CEOs: hubris.read more
 
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    IMD Business School - Tomorrow's Challenges Articles

  • MANUFACTURING STRIKES BACK

    Stéphane Garelli , ,
    14 May 2012 | 7:53 am
    IMD | Country Development - After a golden age of ultra-globalization, the new buzzword is reindustrialization. IMD Professor Stéphane Garelli says the ability to manufacture locally will be crucial to a country’s competitiveness in this new era.

  • ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

    Karsten Jonsen , ,
    10 May 2012 | 9:17 am
    IMD - Humor at Work - Humor is a part of every work environment. Used effectively, it can help in many situations but can also be a double-edged sword, IMD Research Fellow Dr. Karsten Jonsen explains.

  • JUST IN TIME FOR THE CHINESE GOLD RUSH

    Howard Yu , ,
    10 May 2012 | 8:46 am
    Growth in China - IMD - After a decade of export-based growth, China’s leaders are aware that future growth must be driven by domestic consumption. Howard Yu explains that for shrewd companies, there’s a gold rush ahead.

  • HAVE ECOLABELS HAD THEIR DAY?

    Ralf W. Seifert ,Joana M. Comas ,
    3 May 2012 | 8:46 am
    Eco Labels- IMD - We’ve all seen at least a few of the more than 431 ecolabels now in existence.  A study from IMD and EPFL explores their effectiveness.

  • PRICE: THE NUCLEAR WEAPON OF MARKETING!

    Dominique Turpin , ,
    3 May 2012 | 8:45 am
    IMD – Pricing Strategies - Slashing prices isn't the same as having a marketing strategy. IMD President Dominique Turpin says that when you cut your price, there’s often no way back.
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    thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

  • Beware of an Old People Culture

    Mike Figliuolo
    16 May 2012 | 12:03 pm
    Today’s guest post is from Bob Herbold, the long-time Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Corporation and author of What’s Holding You Back: 10 Bold Steps that Define Gutsy Leaders (CLICK HERE to buy your copy). You can read more about Bob at the end of this post. The stories we’ve been reading these past few [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.

  • Why Product Simplicity Always Wins

    Mike Figliuolo
    14 May 2012 | 6:02 am
    We humans love to complicate things.  The more crap we hang off of a product, the better we think it is.  The more engineering that goes into it, the more we can sell, right? Wrong. Simplicity wins.  Every time. (iPod, anyone?) As an entrepreneur, I get to hang out with other entrepreneurs (and we act [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.

  • The Road to Value – Part 2

    Mike Figliuolo
    9 May 2012 | 12:02 pm
    Today’s post is by Thomas Butta, Founder and CEO of 21 Weeks. You can read more about him at the end of the post. Here’s Thomas: In The Road to Value (Part 1) I revealed a powerful way to lead a changing or emerging industry by developing a roadmap that delineates the way to create and [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.

  • The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership

    Mike Figliuolo
    7 May 2012 | 6:02 am
    Yes, I recently wrote about the 7 deadly sins of entrepreneurship.  This is the same construct but instead on the topic of leadership.  Hey, don’t judge me – if Hollywood can take a good concept and reuse it with a different angle, so can I. Leadership is perilous territory.  People’s lives are at stake (sometimes [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.

  • The Balancing Act – Self versus Collective Leadership

    Mike Figliuolo
    2 May 2012 | 12:02 pm
    Today’s post is by Jan Rutherford – author of The Littlest Green Beret. You can learn more about Jan at the end of the post. The thing about leadership development is that it all starts with everyone’s favorite subject – themselves.  Self awareness is the starting point for effective leadership, and it’s always interesting to [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
 
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    The Garlington Report (TGR)

  • Yahoo takeway: Time to restate resumes

    13 May 2012 | 9:09 pm
    By now the business world has learned the inevitable: Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has resigned due to pressures stemming from fabricating or "over-inflating" a computer science degree on his resume. The crime, however, is never as bad as the cover-up. Thompson's defense that he essentially didn't know about the infraction until a 2004 vetting process when he joined PayPal and that he hasn't noticed

  • Why do CEOs lie on resumes?

    3 May 2012 | 4:16 pm
    http://allthingsd.com/20120503/dan-loeb-alleges-discrepancies-on-yahoo-ceo-scott-thompsons-resume-related-to-computer-science-degree/ Or more to the point, why isn't degree inflation caught more during the interview process? Answer: Shoddy recruiting processes, which obviously didn't catch this too big to be minor oversight on the Yahoo CEO's resume. Then again, lying has become an accepted

  • An unconventional and inspiring winner

    9 Apr 2012 | 11:00 am
    As adults we're often told that dreams are for children, or the young at heart. Nothing could be further from the truth despite real world pressures that tend to squeeze aspirations out of our hearts and minds.Watching the final round at the Masters yesterday, which coincided with Easter Sunday, it was almost impossible not to feel some level of emotional connection with the improbable winner,

  • Are you ready for the 1st Annual ELF?

    1 Apr 2012 | 10:09 pm
    We thought more regular readers might enjoy a post developed in the spirit of the season called Hilaria. It's the 1st Annual Executive Leadership Flashdance, or ELF for short. Here you go:1.) MF Global Founder and former New Jersey Governor John Corzine was last seen boarding a Virgin Airlines flight into outer space. His pilot was none other than Richard Branson who finally has found an

  • 'Big Change is Coming' Hint: Hide!

    16 Mar 2012 | 12:33 pm
    So a friend emails two hours ago and asks, "have you seen this?" It was in reference to the New York Times op-ed by former Goldman Sachs vice president Greg Smith (btw: Goldman has 10,000 other employees holding the same title.) The little shot heard round the media world didn't quite register with my friend who by every admission is a technology guy.Then yesterday a Tweet trends towards a great
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    Business Wisdom: Words to Manage By

  • Close Follower?

    Bill Matthies
    16 May 2012 | 2:36 pm
    "Be not the first by which a new thing is tried, or the last to lay the old aside." Alexander Pope 17the century English poet I understand the problems associated with being the "point" on the "arrow", but I think I'll continue to error on the side of too soon versus too late. At least in business. You?

  • Through You, Me

    Bill Matthies
    15 May 2012 | 2:47 pm
    "Other men are lenses through which we read our own minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson 19th century US poet/essayist If we're paying attention. In fact the reaction to us and our ideas coming from others, is a much better indicator of who we really are than most anything we come up with for ourselves. Again, assuming we look for it.

  • Now That We Know What's Wrong . . .

    Bill Matthies
    14 May 2012 | 3:30 pm
    "The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.  What will yours be? Unknown Most of us know how to complain, however, complaining is not contributing. If problems are only identified, never solved, well . . .

  • Carrots and Sticks

    Bill Matthies
    11 May 2012 | 2:11 pm
    "There are two levers for moving men, interest and fear." Napoleon Bonaparte Late 18th/early 19th century French general Just as in business. Which do you use most often? Which are you more likely to respond to?

  • I Hope There's More

    Bill Matthies
    10 May 2012 | 2:40 pm
    "Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper." Francis Bacon Late 16th/early 17th century British statesman Much success begins with hope, and, when that's all there is, much failure as well.
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    Mitch's Blog

  • Awakened Leadership By Alan Shelton – A Book Review

    Mitch Mitchell
    15 May 2012 | 8:53 am
    When I was asked if I’d review this book and write a review about it, I thought it was going to be the normal style of leadership book that I’m used to. For full disclosure I was sent a copy of this book for free, although it’s an early draft of it, and the book goes on sale today so it’s a coordinated effort in marketing the thing. Having said that, we all know I’m going to be honest about it; that’s my style. The book is titled Awakened Leadership, and the writer is Alan Shelton. It’s not necessarily a book on leadership as much as it’s a book…

  • Are You Listening?

    Mitch Mitchell
    14 May 2012 | 8:50 am
    I’ve written only a few posts on the topic of listening, and it turns out the last one I wrote was back in June of 2008, almost 4 years ago, when I wrote a post titled Try Listening For A Change. I wrote a post in 2007 titled Learn To Shut Up and one in 2005 titled Are You Listening To Your Intuition. by Dheepak Ra via Flickr It’s amazing how long it’s been since I’ve touched upon this subject, especially since it seems to come up more often than not. As an example I’d like to tell this brief tale about me, my mother, and a place where she likes to go to get…

  • 3 Examples Of Bad Reasoning Via Health Care

    Mitch Mitchell
    11 May 2012 | 8:55 am
    Every once in awhile I talk to someone about their business and I can’t figure out their reasoning for doing the things they do. Then I think about it a bit and I realize that most bad decisions come because of worries about money in some fashion. Of course it doesn’t help when bad consultants then come in and give bad advice, and because your issues are sufficient enough you grasp at every little thing they say without asking the proper questions. Companies do this sort of thing all the time. How often do we hear of company layoffs where they’re going to save a million…

  • “Step Away” Leadership

    Mitch Mitchell
    9 May 2012 | 8:32 am
    Two weeks ago I finished reading an interesting book titled The ABC of Sales: Lessons from a Superstar by Daniel Milstein. I got the book as a free Amazon download, which was good because I thought I was downloading a book that was going to give me sales tips, and if I’d purchased it I might have been mad initially. Instead it turned out to be a book about a guy who emigrated to the U.S. from Russia as a kid and worked his way through language difficulties and biases against people from Eastern Europe to eventually become the CEO of a major real estate financing organization that he…

  • Do You Forget To Give Positive Responses?

    Mitch Mitchell
    7 May 2012 | 1:18 pm
    I have an interesting cadre of friends, and I like that because it makes life interesting. For the most part I feel like I’m on the same wavelength with them, but I do have a couple of friends who seem to differ with me on a great many things. I have one friend where, almost everything I ever say to him, in some fashion he has to disagree. It pretty much doesn’t matter what it is; if I say it then it has to be wrong. What eventually happens, though, is someone else says the same thing to him and suddenly it’s totally correct. Every once in awhile he’ll own up to it;…
 
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    Bait, Tackle, Ice, Advice and Beer Blog

  • Leadership & Planning – Do you do it for you?

    Melissa Laughon
    10 May 2012 | 11:29 am
    I often blog about the importance of planning for your organization.  Today, I’m reminded of the importance of leading and planning for your personal life. Today, May 10 would have been my sister-in-law, Nel’s, birthday. She passed away a little over one year ago from Alzheimer’s.  She was someone that I respected in so many ways … her leadership, her loyalty, her sense of humor, her creativity, her stick-with-it-ness,  her wisdom, her joy and I could go on and on. Nel is why we moved our life to Richmond, VA. It was second quarter two years ago when: Nel’s early…

  • Edo’s Squid Menu: Innovation @ Work

    gayle
    4 May 2012 | 1:57 pm
    There’s a great little Italian restaurant on Harrison Street between Franklin & Grace Streets in The Fan district of Richmond called Edo’s Squid.  It’s right on the VCU campus upstairs over Stuffy’s sandwich shop where they give you a free straw with every drink.  The food at Edo’s Squid is good and fresh.  They serve a lot of seafood as you can tell by the picture of the menu I’ve attached.  I snapped the picture because I thought it was an innovative use of a flip chart.  The menu changes frequently and it’s a lot easier to take down the…

  • Start. Stop. Look. Listen.

    Tom Laughon
    3 May 2012 | 11:47 am
    “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” - Ernest Hemingway Start. To start with, I am being audacious enough to ask you to do more than just read my blog post, although I am thankful that you have at least read this far and hopefully will stick with me until the very end. What I am asking you to do is to let the end of my post be the beginning of a new journey for you. In fact, I am going to make this a short post, shift the task tension to you and simply suggest, if you follow my lead, and add your own egg to the cake…

  • Take Advantage of Second Quarter

    Melissa Laughon
    25 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am
    If you have your plan in writing, hopefully you’re looking at it on a daily/weekly basis to monitor progress and make adjustments to the plan as necessary. If your plan isn’t a living document that is part of your routine, at a minimum you should be taking the time on a quarterly basis to put things on pause, review your plan, assess performance, address accountability issues, make adjustments & communicate what’s on the horizon for all hands. One of the quotes that we all keep posted in and around our offices and reference often is, “Money Matters. Performance Counts. Time is…

  • Good News: Local Job Numbers Increase

    gayle
    24 Apr 2012 | 1:29 pm
    Monday, April 23, 2012 Richmond Times Dispatch Metro Business cover article about the Top 50 employers in the Richmond area stated the area’s largest private employers had 101,204 FTE workers as of 1/1/12. An increase of 12,292 new jobs or 13.8% over 2011. That’s a very encouraging sign. Things are looking up.
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    The Merrill Dubrow Blog

  • Attention Researchers – I Need Your Opinion…

    Merrill Dubrow
    16 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    With all the changes that have been taking place in the research industry I have been giving a lot of thought to changing our tagline. Currently our tagline is: Strong brands start with smart research What do you think about our current tagline? What do you like about it? What words do you think we should change? Should we include words like ‘global’, ‘insight’, or ‘information’? I really appreciate your thoughts and look forward to reading your comments.

  • What Do You Do When You Are Overmatched?

    Merrill Dubrow
    14 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    A few weeks ago I was watching my son play in a lacrosse tournament. I quickly noticed that the team he was playing against was much bigger, faster, older, and clearly more skilled. As the game started that became much more evident as his opponent was scoring on every possession and stopping them quickly. The interesting thing wasn’t that they were down 7-0 in a matter of minutes; or that they were without question overmatched. The interesting thing was how they handled the situation. Sometimes it is easy to give up. Sometimes it is easy for the players to get down. Sometimes it is easy…

  • 6 Things My Mom Taught Me… Happy Mother’s Day!

    Merrill Dubrow
    11 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    My Mom is still one of the funniest people I have ever met. She doesn’t try to be funny all the time but what she says and how she says it always cracks me up! This Mother’s Day will be even more special than normal since I will be spending it in Florida with my mom. Over the years (since I am old so there a lot of years) she has taught me, or at least tried, to teach me a number of things – here are 6 of my favorites: As an athlete, be competitive. Well into her 70’s she still moves around the tennis court very well, tries her hardest, and gets to a lot of shots that she…

  • The Time To Refinance Is… Now!

    Merrill Dubrow
    9 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    A few years ago I think I refinanced my home loan 3 times in 14 months. My rate went lower and lower, there was never any cost to do it, the closing was always in my office, and frankly it couldn’t have been any easier. I have been reading that 15/30 year mortgage rates are at the lowest rates since 1950! Yes, you read that right, since 1950! My current rate is about a half a point higher and I am thinking about refinancing again… Isn’t the time to refinance (perhaps again) right now? Have you refinanced recently? What is your new rate? How much money did you save? How easy was…

  • I Just Started Watching Storage Wars (Please Stop Laughing) And I Love It!

    Merrill Dubrow
    7 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    It’s amazing how many shows there are on TV these days. It seems like there is a different show that starts almost every day. A few weeks ago I was in control of the clicker and after flipping around for several minutes I ended up watching Storage Wars – and now I watch it all the time. I find it fascinating that people can make something from nothing. They can see value in an item that an average person thinks is worthless and the cast is (in my opinion) a collection of misfits, but is absolutely hysterical and works well together. The cast includes: Barry Weiss, Darrell Sheets and…
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    timmilburn.com

  • Purpose: The Soul Of Leadership

    tim milburn
    15 May 2012 | 7:53 am
    /NOTE/ The following is a guest post by Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn/Ferry International Leadership is less about analytics, and much more about aligning, motivating, and inspiring others. It is empowering people so that their decisions and actions are in line with the overall values and strategy of the organization. Effective leadership begins with purpose. Purpose is the “why” of the organization. Its companion, vision, is the “what” – a picture of what the organization will look like when purpose is realized. Based on my conversations with leaders around the globe–which are…

  • One Tool To Manage Your Greatest Asset

    tim milburn
    14 May 2012 | 11:52 am
    We are all given 24 hours in a day. No one gets any more or any less. But the way each of us spends time makes all the difference. Did you hear that? I used the word, “spend.” We often use that word when talking about our time. This is because time is a valuable resource that we use like money. And even though we each have different amounts of money, we all have the same amount of time to spend each day. Time levels the playing field. If you can spend your time wisely, you’ll make a better investment of that resource than the person who spends his or her time foolishly. Unfortunately,…

  • Finding The Right Formula For Change

    tim milburn
    11 May 2012 | 10:31 am
    You might have been drawn into a leadership position because you had some idea of how things could be better. You stepped into this role hoping to leave things better than you found them. You wanted people to be better off because you invested yourself into the process. You didn’t want to be part of the problem, so you worked hard to become part of the solution. You realize things can’t stay the way they are in order for the situation to get…well, better. Here’s the thing: Whenever someone talks about better, it means change is coming. Better = change! (although change…

  • Video: Got A Minute #10: Be A Problem Solver

    tim milburn
    9 May 2012 | 10:35 am
    The minute you try to accomplish something significant in life, you are going to run into problems. Problems are part of life. In fact, I often say that problems are job security for leaders. People respond to problems in a variety of ways. In this video, I talk about the different responses people have to the problems they face. In the midst of all of the common reactions, there is an uncommon reaction to problems that immediately increases one’s influence: it is the ability to solve problems. If you’ve got a minute, then hit play to find out this week’s tip to increase your…

  • Change The Narrative And You Change Everything

    tim milburn
    8 May 2012 | 3:19 pm
    We all tell ourselves stories. We tell stories about how we met certain people. We tell stories about the idiosyncrasies we’ve acquired. We tell stories because stories help us give meaning to the events of our lives. Some people don’t like to think about life as a story because stories don’t seem real. They equate story with fiction. That’s too bad. I’m finding the best lives are often filled with the best stories. I’ve noticed whenever we encounter a situation that doesn’t seem to have a story attached to it, we will make one up. We’re good at…
 
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    Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog

  • Management Improvement Blog Carnival #166

    John Hunter
    10 May 2012 | 11:19 pm
    Tim McMahon is hosting the Management Improvement Blog Carnival #166, highlights include: Performance Organizations – Art Smalley answers why is there such a resistance to creating learning organizations and why are leaders letting the future deteriorate without doing anything about it. Trust – Cornerstone of Performance – George Rathburn explains that teams lose trust in their leaders when they fail to show trust and respect in their teams. Lean Snake Oil Cures What Ails Ya – Mike Wroblewski takes some creative license to explain Lean and it benefits but warns against secrets to…

  • Long Term Thinking with Respect for People

    John Hunter
    9 May 2012 | 4:48 am
    Toyota nearly went bankrupt near 1950 and had to lay off a third of their employees. A huge focus of the Toyota Production System as envisioned by Taiichi Ohno was to secure the long term success of the company. The priority of doing so is easier to see when you respect people and are in danger of witnessing the destruction of their careers. I can’t find the quote (maybe Jon Miller, or someone else, can provide one), but I recall one along the lines of the first priority of management is providing long term viability of the company (my sense is this is first due to the respect of the…

  • Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System

    John Hunter
    3 May 2012 | 7:56 am
    In this post I explore my thought about what lean (lean manufacturing, lean thinking…) means. The way I think about it is that lean manufacturing sprung from Toyota. It seems to me the lean manufacturing name was meant to capture the entire Toyota Way. Capturing the whole of what that encompasses isn’t possible in 1 or 2 or even 10 books so it wasn’t done completely. To me the difference between lean manufacturing described early on by Womack and Jones and the Toyota Way was more about what can be captured and conveyed than about an intentional creation of “lean”…

  • Management Improvement Carnival #165

    John Hunter
    2 May 2012 | 4:29 am
    Matt May is hosting the 165th Management Improvement Carnival. He takes a look at the wonderful manifestos posted at ChangeThis. ChangeThis really is wonderful, if you haven’t already been looking at what they offer you are in for a treat (and have quite a bit to keep you busy for awhile). Highlights from this management carnival edition include: How Habits Work (and How They Change) by Charles Duhigg. His point: “Most of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decision making, but they’re not. They’re habits. Countless people, from Aristotle to…

  • Management Blog Posts From November 2006

    John Hunter
    26 Apr 2012 | 7:33 pm
    I have selected a few great posts from the Curious Cat Management Blog back in November 2006. What Could we do Better? – There are many important ideas to improve management. This is one of the most important tips to aid improvement that I know of: it is easy to do, brings huge benefits and most organizations fail to do it. Ask your customers: “What one thing could we do to improve?” Ackoff’s F-laws: Common Sins of Management presents 13 common sins of management, such as: Managers who don’t know how to measure what they want settle for wanting what they can measure…
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    Management Excellence by Art Petty

  • New Leader Tuesday-Gaining Critical Context for Your Team’s Mission

    Art Petty
    15 May 2012 | 9:05 am
    Many first-time leaders are given the equivalent of “battlefield” promotions with no more context than, “You’ve done a great job, you’re in charge.” If you end up on the receiving side of this “Go get ‘em Tiger,” philosophy of leadership development, it’s important for you to quickly gain context for your team’s role and accountabilities.

  • Just One Thing-Vary Your Routine For A Change

    Art Petty
    14 May 2012 | 9:23 am
    Routines are comfortable..and at the risk of being redundant, habit forming. Eventually, routines become mind numbing. Here are five ideas to help jump-start your thoughts on breaking the routine:

  • Leadership Caffeine-7 Suggestions to Strengthen Your Group’s Performance

    Art Petty
    7 May 2012 | 8:13 am
    Performance counts. Efforts are nice, but ultimately, you are evaluated on the results of your team, not the amount of work you put into achieving your results. Here are 7 ideas to promote high performance with your team:

  • Leadership Caffeine Podcast-Getting Ahead with Joel Garfinkle

    Art Petty
    4 May 2012 | 11:19 am
    Unfortunately, good work alone is not always enough to stand-out from the crowd. In a noisy, competitive workplace, where others choose us for big projects and new opportunities, finding a way to stand-out...while not becoming one of those aforementioned obnoxious characters, is a fact of life. Joel Garfinkle, a leading executive coach, speaker and author, offers some excellent and practical guidance on this important but awkward topic in his latest book, Getting Ahead-Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level.

  • 6 Ideas to Help You Move Forward on What Matters

    Art Petty
    3 May 2012 | 9:37 am
    Whether professional or personal, it seems that most of us carry around ideas and dreams that inspire us and give us hope for our future. Unfortunately, many of us don't do much more than think about those dreams as they age and then spoil in our mental cellars. Here are 6 slightly different ideas to help you get going on pursuing yours:
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    The Six Disciplines Blog

  • The Reference Guide To Performance Excellence

    11 May 2012 | 9:04 am
    One of the best resources about the Baldrige Performance Excellence framework  is "Your Reference Guide to Performance Excellence" (published by NIST) which explains the benefits of Baldrige and the tools, approaches, and resources available to you. What Is Performance Excellence? What Baldrige Offers You What Makes Baldrige Different Begin Your Journey Benefits of Submitting a Baldrige Application More Learning Opportunities Watch this video - and see how Six Disciplines can accelerate your Baldrige journey.   More ...Category: Excellence

  • Why Take The Baldrige Journey?

    7 May 2012 | 9:34 am
    On the National Baldrige Performance Excellence website, there's a great article entitled Why Take The Baldrige Journey? Organizations everywhere are looking for ways to effectively and efficiently meet their missions and achieve their visions. Thousands of organizations use the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to guide their enterprises, improve performance, and get sustainable results. This proven improvement and innovation framework offers your organization an integrated approach to key management areas: Leadership Strategic planning Customer focus Measurement, analysis, and…

  • Top Leadership Study Reveals Key Process For Innovation

    3 May 2012 | 7:02 am
    The Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, today released its seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study and Top 20 list. The study ranks the best companies for leadership around the globe and examines how those companies nurture talent and foster innovation in their ranks. This year, no surprises  - General Electric topped the list, followed by Procter & Gamble, IBM, Microsoft and Coca-Cola.  Highlights that you may find of interest from this year’s study: All of the Top 20 companies (vs. 68% of all other companies) say they provide structured opportunities for…

  • About Baldrige and Six Disciplines

    30 Apr 2012 | 8:26 am
    The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence provide a framework for understanding performance management. They reflect validated, proven best-practices against which an organization can measure itself. Baldrige criteria has been accepted nationally (including individual states) and internationally,  as the model for performance excellence: a common language for communication among organizations for sharing best practices   Watch this short video with Paul Worstell, (former president of PRO-TEC Coating Company and 2007 Baldrige Performance Excellence recipient) as he talks about…

  • The ROI of Performance Excellence Programs

    24 Apr 2012 | 8:44 am
    Six Disciplines® is a total performance excellence program. By integrating a proven best-practices methodology and innovative Outlook software, we help you to build an effective culture of continuous improvement, enabling you to achieve predictable and measurable growth.  The desired end result is different for each of our clients, but it's usually centered around growth, higher productivity, improved profitability and greater overall goal accomplishment.   We're often asked by prospective clients about the ROI of the Six Disciplines program.  The best answer is to look at our clients.
 
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    SteveFarber.com

  • Party Like a Rock Star

    Steve
    26 Apr 2012 | 1:39 pm
    You may not have heard the name, John Segall; you may know him as Jay Jay French. Still doesn’t ring a bell? OK, how about the band, Twisted Sister? Or their songs, “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” or “I Wanna Rock”? There you go! Twisted’s famed front-man, Dee Snider is the guy…well…out front, but Jay Jay is the founder of the band, the manager of the brand, and one hell of a guitarist, to boot. He is, when all is said and done, a savvy business guy, a philanthropist (have a look at his Pinkburst Project) and the consummate entrepreneur. And,…

  • The (Most?) Fundamental Leadership Question

    Steve
    20 Apr 2012 | 4:43 pm
    Are you frustrated with some of the things you’re seeing around you at work?  Do you wish that “those people” (whomever they might be) would just get their acts together and give you the resources, support, time, etc that you need to do what you need to do?  Do you find yourself saying something like “If these freakin’ customers would just leave me alone, I could get my job done around here”? Well…you are human.  I get that.  And we all have to deal with at least some people who need attitude adjustments–or maybe even lobotomies. I get that,…

  • Of Airports, Kit Kats, and Brainlessness

    Steve
    23 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pm
    Every couple of years, I like to take out this old essay, brush off the dust, and shove it back in the spotlight. Maybe this time it’s because I’ve given up eating sugar, so it’s a way to satisfy my still abating sweet tooth. Whatever the reason, I hope you get a kick out of it. This was my very first published piece. Originally titled An Airport Story, it ran in Tom Peters‘ old newsletter, On Achieving Excellence, and in The San Jose Mercury News. And I have to admit that after all these years (I think it first went to print around 1996, maybe?), I still think…

  • 5 Words You’ll Never Hear on the Campaign Trail

    Steve
    10 Feb 2012 | 3:52 pm
    In this (and every) election year, I find myself amazed all over again at the phenomenal effort our elected and would-be elected officials put into the denial of their own mistakes. They don’t ever want to fess up to anything, it seems. 5 words you’ll never hear on the campaign trail: “Here’s How I Screwed Up.” I get it; I understand their motives.  They want to get nominated, elected, or re-elected, and they don’t want to give any more grist to their competitors’ meat-grinding mill than absolutely necessary. They want to look perfect.  They want to…

  • Education is Leadership; Leadership is Education

    Steve
    31 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm
    On Sunday morning I talked with Courtney Dwyer of San Diego’s CW channel 6 about education, leadership, and using one to re-energize the other–and about the Re-Energize Education event this coming Thursday night. If you’re passionate about education (and in San Diego on Thursday), it’s not too late to register to join us for this phenomenal evening. Over 700 people are on the boat (literally as well as figuratively) so far. Please share this video and spread the word:
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    Survival Leadership

  • How of Happiness--Post#11--Goals

    14 May 2012 | 6:36 pm
    Commit to Goals: Pursuing goals is important because it gives you a feeling of control over your life, boosts self-esteem, adds structure to life, improves time management, and may socially connect us with others.a.    Intrinsic goals (ones that are inherently satisfying or meaningful to us personally) are far more powerful than extrinsic goals (what others want or what we think we “ought” to do).b.    Authentic goals, rooted in a person’s core values and interests, result in happiness and more likelihood of accomplishment.c.    People who…

  • How of Happiness: Post#10--Savoring

    12 May 2012 | 6:32 pm
    Savor Life’s Joys: Savoring is about getting joy and happiness from thoughts or behaviors of the past, present or future.a.    Get happiness from savoring the joys of the present…a hot cup of coffee, a sunset, watching a great basketball game, or just sitting still. People who develop this present state of savoring are less prone to depression, guilt, shame, or stress. b.    Reminiscing about favorite memories of the past can produce intense pleasure. People good at this experience gratitude and self-confidence and are less likely to be hopeless or…

  • How of Happiness: Post#9--Forgiveness

    10 May 2012 | 6:30 pm
    Learn to Forgive: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.” ~Buddha.a.    People who forgive are happier, less depressed, hostile or angry; they are happier, healthier and more agreeable.b.    Practice forgiveness: Appreciate being forgiven yourself…how it felt when someone forgave you. Imagine forgiving another who has hurt you—just thinking about it changes how you think. Write (but you don’t need to send it) a letter of forgiveness to someone who has hurt or…

  • How of Happiness: Post#8--Nuture Relationships

    8 May 2012 | 6:28 pm
    Nurture Relationships: Building bonds between friends and family.a.    Happier people have stronger bonds with their friends and family. Their social lives are rich and deep. Bonded pairs/mates have a distinct advantage in nature. They’re more likely to survive the elements of life. Social support, especially during stress periods, helps people live longer and happier.b.    Strategy for Strong Relationships at Home:i.    Invest time (strong partners talk 5 hours more per week according to marriage researcher Gottman). Express thanks even for…

  • How of Happiness: Post#7--Avoid Overthinking

    6 May 2012 | 6:25 pm
    Avoid Overthinking and Social Comparisona.    Rumination is rethinking negative thoughts over and over again. This pernicious cycle recirculates negatively biased thinking, interferes with concentration, makes problem solving difficult if not impossible, and leads to pessimism and ultimately depression. So, stopping rumination is one way to protect yourself.b.    Social Comparisons: Upward social comparisons can lead to feelings of inferiority, distress and lower self-esteem, but downward comparisons may lead to guilt or even fear of something similar happening…
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    Learn This

  • Mission Trip to Port Salut, Haiti

    Mike King
    6 May 2012 | 5:23 pm
    I’ve supported an ongoing mission from my Church for several years and have been wanting to go see it in Haiti for some time.  Well the opportunity came up this spring to join a small team on a short term mission trip to help them with a leadership conference, the new church plant that has just started running for the last 4 weeks and to build some pews and signs for the new Church building.  I was happy to help in these areas and I had a fantastic trip where I learned a lot. First thing I learned was just how beautiful Haiti is, despite everything you might see and hear on the media…

  • How to Eat Well and Improve Your Mood

    Mike King
    14 Apr 2012 | 7:54 am
    I’m happy to introduce another guest author, Andrew, today on a new subject here on LearnThis.ca, eating well and foods that affect your mood.  I personally eat a good balanced diet and drink massive amounts of water, but many of these I’ve not researched or read directly.  I hope you learn some new ways to impact your mood and improve your diet from the article.  Please add your experienced and comments below! You’ve heard it before: you are what you eat. Pop culture spends a lot of time talking about the “science” of mood and food. Some of it’s legit,…

  • How to find a job using social media

    Mike King
    31 Mar 2012 | 9:40 am
    Today, I introduce another guest author, Christian Arno, with his excellent article on how you can use social media to help find yourself a job. Being unemployed is never an ideal situation.  The situation is nearly as bad if you are in the wrong job and not having much luck getting another position, whether it is a career change or advancement in your current sector. However, since we are living in the age of social media, help is at hand. Social media is something that should not be underestimated when you are looking for a new job. Because competition is rife for employment, every…

  • Engaging in Personal Development

    Mike King
    28 Mar 2012 | 8:17 am
    I am happy to introduce a new guest author today who has been in the field of personal development for many years.  I was asked for several writers to describe what impact personal development has had on their lives and Anita provides us with her account of it in her life below.  Please we’d love to see any comments and discussion on the topic and feel free to connect with her using her contact info at the end of the article. I have engaged with personal development for over 20 years now.  On the one hand it saved my life. At the other end of that spectrum it has been the making of…

  • Resources: February 2012

    Mike King
    3 Mar 2012 | 8:06 am
    A great list of top leadership blogs from Managing Leadership    From those blogs I’ve seen some great content recently: 5 ways to be Coachable Good Supervisors Acknowledge Good Employees Leadership Development without the Straight Lines  Additional Articles / Resources 30 Books I’m Glad I Read Before 30 A cool resource for 50 Places Where You Can Get Free Books Online Top 10 Things That Determine Happiness Found Miss Minimalist’s list of 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life Here is an interesting music video about renewable and free energy Free program to help you start your…
 
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    Lindsey Pollak: Generation Y Career Expert, Gen Y Speaker, Millennial Expert, LinkedIn Spokesperson, Career Expert » Blog

  • Guest Post: 4 Simple Career Tips for College Grads

    Lindsey Pollak
    14 May 2012 | 9:54 am
    Are you graduating this year or thinking about your post-college career prospects? Check out these simple, effective tips from Lauren Berger, the “Intern Queen,” who completed 15 internships (!) throughout her four years of college. Berger is now CEO of www.internqueen.com, a free internship site where students can both apply for top-notch opportunities and read Lauren’s blog on how to make the most of them. Lauren is also the author of the new book, All Work, No Pay: Finding An Internship, Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience. 1. Determine what…

  • Lurk First (and 4 More Tips on Getting the Most out of LinkedIn Groups)

    Lindsey Pollak
    30 Apr 2012 | 9:53 am
    Interested in finding a new job, switching careers, attracting more clients or building a stronger professional network? LinkedIn Groups is the place to be. Groups provides opportunities to meet and engage in discussions with members of your industry, your alumni community or other professional interest areas. Becoming active in LinkedIn Groups is like attending a professional conference every time you log on. To join a group, start exploring the Group Search page, which has recently been updated to make it easier for you to find the most valuable places to network. Then click “Join” for…

  • Ask Your Career Questions! Join Lindsey on April 25 for a Twitter Chat with the U.S. Department of Education

    Lindsey Pollak
    20 Apr 2012 | 8:00 am
    I’m excited to announce that I will be answering your questions during a one-hour #AskFAFSA Twitter chat on Wednesday, April 25, at 4pm EST, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. Here is their announcement and details on how to participate: In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, the U.S. Department of Education’s @FAFSA will hold a special #AskFAFSA Office Hours with guest host Lindsey Pollak, a bestselling author, keynote speaker and internationally recognized expert on next generation career trends. We’re excited to have Lindsey join us at such an important…

  • How LinkedIn Company Pages Can Help Your Job Search

    Lindsey Pollak
    5 Apr 2012 | 2:22 pm
    According to a recent LinkedIn poll, the single biggest job interview mistake people make is not knowing enough about the company to which they’re applying. With all of the research tools available on the Internet and elsewhere, it is now easier than ever to avoid this mistake. You should always visit a potential employer’s own website first. Then, for additional information and up-to-the-minute insight, proceed directly to LinkedIn Company Pages. A LinkedIn Company Page is a centralized location to learn about a company’s operations, current news, products and services, employees,…

  • On the Harvard Business Review Blog: How to Curate Your Own Personal Job Feed

    Lindsey Pollak
    21 Mar 2012 | 10:36 am
    Remember the days when looking for a new job involved the Sunday newspaper classified section and a black magic marker? Thanks to technology, looking for a job today seems to require an advanced degree in data analysis. There are millions of positions posted online across an ever-changing landscape of job boards, company websites, social networks, apps, and more. What’s a job seeker to do? You have to become a curator of your own personal job feed, narrowing down all of the various websites and listings to a truly personalized stream of opportunities. The best way to do this is to set…
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    The SA Blog

  • What would Oprah do?!

    nope
    16 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    It will soon be a year since The Oprah Winfrey Show went off of the air. Like clockwork my TiVo was set to record Oprah on a daily basis, and sometimes it would accidentally record an episode twice as though it wanted to make sure that I watched it. Oprah was my go to person for information on a topic, for advice on how to deal with a certain situation, or even the place I went to for an ugly cry. I can honestly say I’ve probably seen every episode of Oprah in my adult years and in vulnerable times have been known to sometimes ask, WWOD – “What would Oprah do?” I must…

  • Tuesday Tally: Fall Planning

    nope
    15 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    Your browser doesn’t support iFrames Vote for this poll here.

  • Let’s Call it the National Professional Exchange

    nope
    9 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    “When all think alike, then no one is thinking.” – Walter Lippman. I really enjoy attending conferences.  I hear some interesting talks and chat with some impressive professionals.  At the same time I recognize how outdated their structure and format are.  Apparently other professionals have been feeling the same way (Check out Erika Thompson‘s delicious Stack with links to most of the conversation).  I might be a little late to this party but I  I wanted to throw a thought into the ring. The conversation’s I read centered around reconstructing…

  • On constitutions and other leadership stuff

    nope
    7 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    The impetus for this post is a gripe I have about student organization constitutions. Many universities require student groups to generate a constitution as a prerequisite for recognition. Yet how many of our offices have constitutions? How many of our campuses have constitutions? Does any group you belong to anywhere–besides the United States of America and maybe the Rotary Club–have a constitution? (Do an Internet search on “organizations with constitutions” and you’ll get a slew of university “how to” pages for their student groups.) My primary concern: relevance.

  • #SAchat Transcript — 5/3/12 — Welcoming New Staff Members

    nope
    4 May 2012 | 11:10 am
    Thanks to everyone who participated in our #SAchat focused on Welcoming New Staff Members. This week’s topic produced 532 tweets from 62 student affairs professionals, graduate students and undergraduates interested or working in the Student Affairs field! Full Transcript View as a Google Document What are some other topics you would like to see us cover? Please let us know your ideas and feedback to keep #sachat growing strong. Until next week, (if you haven’t already done so) please make sure to LIKE our Facebook Page. Thanks for your continued support!
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    It\'s Getting Hot In Here

  • Climate Action Chicago Joins NATO Summit Protests

    Sparki
    14 May 2012 | 7:43 pm
    Solidarity is no longer a four letter word. NATO (and the Chicago police) will be meeting Occupy Chicago and thousands of anti-war activists and anti-capitalists in Chicago this week for mass protests. The city has responded with heavy handed repressive ordinances and police tactics (sound familiar?). Regardless thousands will be marching and taking action on a whole range of issues from the war in Afghanistan to austerity to immigrant rights to climate change. In fact, direct actions began this morning as 8 anti-war activists were arrested in Obama For America’s offices in Chicago…

  • Connecting the Dots: Dirty Money and Politics in Montana

    nickengelfried
    6 May 2012 | 3:11 am
    Cross-posted from the Coal Export Action On Saturday, as part of the international Connect the Dots day of action organized by 350.org, activists in Missoula, MT highlighted the connection between dirty money, government, and climate change.  At the Missoula Farmers Market, organizers from the Blue Skies Campaign, Occupy Missoula, and other local groups enacted a creative street theater routine to draw attention to the Montana Land Board’s support for Arch Coal at the expense of ordinary people and the climate. In 2010, the Montana Land Board voted 3-2 to lease coal tracts in the…

  • Climate Impacts Day “Connects the Dots” Between Extreme Weather & Climate Change

    jamiehenn
    4 May 2012 | 1:56 pm
    Striking images and video are beginning to stream in from over 1,000 events in more than 100 countries where people are “connecting the dots” between climate change and extreme weather. The events are part of a global effort called “Climate Impacts Day” organized by the international climate campaign 350.org. Over then next 24 hours, our crew at 350.org is going to be working hard to compile these images and get them out to the public and press. As Bill McKibben wrote yesterday, It’s time for each of us to get involved in the full-on fight between misinformation and truth.” Filed…

  • Report Highlights New England’s Green Initiatives

    craigaltemose
    26 Apr 2012 | 1:10 pm
    State of the Movement report shows emerging move away from fossil fuels Posted on behalf of Sam Akiha, Communications and Research Intern at Better Future Project As a reminder that sustainability is not an annual event, Better Future Project today released The State of the Movement: New England’s Transition Beyond Fossil Fuelsa new report thatcatalogues sustainability efforts throughout the region. The report details dozens of local projects that are not simply about recycling or solar panels; rather, people investing time and energy to transform their community one garden, one street, or…

  • Boston Tells Bank Of America: “No Coal”

    Sparki
    26 Apr 2012 | 11:13 am
    Reposted from the RAN Understory On Tax Day, RAN Boston activists joined a national day of action targeting Bank of America over….. well… everything. Bank of America currently pay no taxes to the government, yet received massive bailouts after they crashed the economy. They are currently the largest forecloser of homes in the U.S. and the largest funder of the coal industry. They’ve laid off tens of thousands of their own employees, while bestowing their execs with lavish bonuses. It has just been recently reported that CEO Brian Moynihan’s salary quadrupled in the past year. Early in…
 
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    Managing Leadership

  • Reverse-engineering leadership

    Jim Stroup
    4 May 2012 | 2:27 pm
    Have you ever had a boss that clearly had his (or her, of course) act together? He seemed to have all the answers, could grasp the core issue of a problem and resolve it on the fly, and understood every aspect of the business from everyone’s perspective – employees, vendors, customers, even prospects. This all made him the focal point of everyone’s attention. Everything emanated from him, and everything that was sought but not found could be asked of him. This is all pretty heady leadership material, isn’t it? But wait, there’s more: In spite of these superlative…

  • All about the leader

    Jim Stroup
    16 Feb 2012 | 3:13 pm
    We have been reviewing the argument against individual leadership in modern organizations. We have discussed the problems with the concept being associated with the person rather than the work at hand or the organization, the stoutly advanced but wholly unproven contention that the extraordinary qualities of individual leadership touted by the modern leadership movement (MLM) can be taught, the disturbing disjunct between the aims of personal leadership and those of organizations – and, certainly, between the presence in an organization of MLM-style leadership and organizational…

  • A Baker’s Dozen for 2012

    Jim Stroup
    1 Jan 2012 | 3:04 pm
    It is time once again for the always pleasant task of offering a New Year’s list of recommended additions to your daily reading. While the Mayan calendar may be winding down this year, the value of these authors and their insightful writing surely won’t – I expect they will remain valuable sources of thought-provoking and actionable insight, as they have been for many years for me, and as I hope they will be for you for many years to come. Please do bookmark this page and give them all a thorough visit over the next week or so. You undoubtedly will be glad you did. Here they are, in…

  • Pod people

    Jim Stroup
    18 Dec 2011 | 10:44 am
    As the modern leadership movement’s (MLM) many and various advocates compete for attention, we inevitably find ourselves being bombarded with simplistic insights, each one, its “discoverer” will argue, the very cornerstone of a brave new world that can be built only on its foundation. As it happens, if you can dismiss the ludicrous promises made for many of these, what is left may still be useful to peruse, even thought-provoking and helpful. Unfortunately, though, the intensity of our angst over how we each individually relate to the pseudo-vital subject of leadership can…

  • Real people

    Jim Stroup
    17 Oct 2011 | 2:26 am
    The purpose of this current discussion is to identify the key and fundamental problems with the notion of individual leadership in modern organizations as it is professed and propounded by the modern leadership movement (MLM); to outline the case against this misguided concept. Many of these have been addressed to one extent or another, as well, in other discussions on these pages. But today’s subject is one that belongs firmly in our current topic. It is easily among the most astoundingly ill-conceived, and even dangerous, of the many bafflingly preposterous claims made by the MLM. It…
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    Bird's Eye View

  • Responses to Obama's Embrace Of Same-Sex Marriage

    Wf360
    16 May 2012 | 2:26 pm
    Last Sunday, I was in the congregation at All Souls Unitarian Church in Manhattan when Assistant Minister Lissa Anne Gundlach gave her sermon.  She started by acknowledging President's statement, earlier in the week, fin favor of legitimizing same-sex marriage.   The congregation erupted in spontaneous, enthusiastic cheering.  It was a surprising moment for me, surprising in the intensity and exuberance of the response to her remarks.  I was caught up in the enthusiasm and have thought about it since.  Is this particular congregation especially interested in gay rights?  Well, yes,…

  • Jim Steyer And Talking Back To Facebook

    Wf360
    15 May 2012 | 2:06 pm
    I joined a small group of Stanford alums one evening last week to talk with Jim Steyer, the peripatetic guy who manages to be a well-loved professor at Stanford, the Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media (a big think tank focused on media and families), an author, a civil rights lawyer, father of four kids, and probably more I don't know about. Jim is passionate about media's impact on kids, both good and bad.  The book he is touting just came out last week and it's entitled Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age.  Jim makes a…

  • Koreans Can Learn Power Of Conversation From New Yorkers

    Wf360
    14 May 2012 | 12:21 pm
    My name is Yun Jeaung Chung from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea studying urban planning and design.  In my six months in New York City, I have experienced a great deal of interesting and meaningful events.  My internship at Wf360 is one of the most memorable. I met great people here and was able to be part of creative projects and brilliant ideas. The Inner Circle is one of Wf360’s programs that engage senior executives to discuss timely business topics. I’ve seen how many great ideas come out of it. It is not just a simple breakfast meeting; I now realize that the ideas and thoughts…

  • Is Dutchess Kate Changing The Conversation About Hats?

    Wf360
    11 May 2012 | 4:15 pm
    Are hats making a comeback?  I mean, aside from the annual women's lunch at the wonderful New York Conservatory in Central Park, an annual affair now referred to as the "Hat Luncheon," where women wear wonderful concoctions on their head. And, of course, the Ascot races. And, I guess hats are a big deal in Louisville at the Kentucky Derby. What about the rest of the time?  Are hats cool again?  Hedda Hopper, the famous gossip columnist who hobnobbed with the best of them in the early 1900's, is supposed to have once said "I can wear a hat or take it off, but either…

  • Will Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Declaration Change Conversation?

    Wf360
    10 May 2012 | 1:42 pm
    Regardless of what some of the pundits are saying, President Obama's statement yesterday was audacious.  He didn't have to do it: many leaders in the gay and lesbian community say their troops were planning to vote for him anyway.  And yes, it looks like his hand was forced by Vice President Biden's televised support for same sex marriage last Sunday. Nonetheless, as Mike Bloomberg has opined, this is a big deal.  No civil rights activity endorsed by a sitting US President has failed to eventually become law.  What I've been thinking about is the conversation around…
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    Management Skills Blog

  • Calibrate the Level of Work

    Tom Foster
    16 May 2012 | 7:01 am
    From the Ask Tom mailbag – Question: Your workshop on Time Span makes perfect sense. I see things in my company that I now understand. It was all there, but now I understand why? How much of this do you share with the organization. My executive team immediately got it, but how far down in my management team do I go? Response: You assume that Time Span, as a concept, is complicated. It’s not. Time Span is simply the “by when” of a goal. Do you talk about goals with your management teams? Do you talk about tasks and activities associated with those goals? Do you…

  • Full Speed Off the Cliff

    Tom Foster
    8 May 2012 | 4:51 am
    From the Ask Tom mailbag – Question: I just joined the HR team here, working on a project to identify the complexity of mental processing of our team members. I just wanted to know, is there any effective tool/test available to identify the 4 types of mental processes. Can you please suggest other techniques apart from interviews to identify the 4 processes. I would be required to use this for recruiting and to assess the (CMP) of current employees. Response: STOP! You are headed in the wrong direction off a cliff. I know you think you want to get inside the heads of your employees and…

  • Flowcharting the System

    Tom Foster
    4 May 2012 | 3:46 am
    “So, what does it take to create a system like that?” I asked. “To create a system that would notify for rejected parts along with lead times for replacement parts and alternate suppliers?” Valerie was shaking her head. “I know our computer software pretty well and to program that functionality would be pretty expensive.” I reached in my bag and pulled out a handful of 3×5 index cards. “Suppose I said that you were not allowed to modify your software and the only tool you could use were these 3×5 cards? Now build a system. Let’s start…

  • What a System Delivers

    Tom Foster
    3 May 2012 | 3:44 am
    “Well, I thought our team did pretty well, given the circumstances,” Valerie continued to protest. “Yes, they did,” I replied. “And those circumstances should never have existed. To come down to the wire and find you are missing 500 critical parts on an order should never have happened.” Valerie shifted in her chair. “But stuff happens.” “Yes, stuff happens all the time and that’s why your system should detect these conditions. When did you find out that your supplier had shipped 500 defective parts?” Valerie looked to the…

  • System Detection

    Tom Foster
    2 May 2012 | 6:36 am
    “But, we got the parts in and shipped the units. I thought we handled that quite well,” protested Valerie. “You are right, your supervisor did a good job. That’s what supervisors do. But your work, as a manager, was not done,” I replied. “The job of the manager is to create the system. When you discovered you would be short of parts, it was your supervisors job to go find the parts, but it was your job to ask Why didn’t our system anticipate this shortage? Why didn’t our system detect this shortage as soon as the order was placed into our…
 
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    The Enlightened Manager Blog

  • New Download: Creative Thinking Toolkit

    cheri@emergenceconsulting.net (Cheri Baker)
    16 May 2012 | 12:41 pm
    Hey Enlightened Managers, I just wrapped up my newest toolkit, this one is all about Creative Thinking and it's got 10 activities to help you strengthen your creative abilities.  It took me a month longer than I expected to get it out, because I kept finding more to add to it! :) Creative Thinking Exercises: 1. A Numbers Game - Learn what it means to “think outside the box.”2. Failure and Triumph - Reflect on your attitudes towards failure.3. Roll the Dice - Increase your ability to find strange connections4. The Right Environment- Set up your own “artist’s loft.”5.

  • Embracing your Fears to Find your Courage

    cheri@emergenceconsulting.net (Cheri Baker)
    14 May 2012 | 2:55 pm
    I had a great networking coffee with a friend-of-a-friend today, and it reminded me how often I hear statements like the following: "I'm so impressed by how confident you are." "I'm amazed that you can speak in front of large groups, that sounds really scary." "How did you find the guts to start your own business?" It's very sweet and generous when someone compliments me, and certainly I take these comments to heart.  Everyone likes a little validation, and I'm no different.  But I admit I find the praise to be a little strange. Action…

  • Blurring the Line: Personal Finance Classes & Organizational Success

    cheri@emergenceconsulting.net (Cheri Baker)
    7 May 2012 | 12:07 pm
    Where is the line between the role of the employer and the role of society?   Over time, this line gets blurred or it shifts.  One example is employee wellness.  Twenty years ago, the idea that employers would spend money to encourage employees to do more exercise would have sounded silly.  This is your workplace after all, and  your HR department isn't your Mom! Employers intervened of course because they realized that healthy employees are less expensive and probably more productive.  They saw a business benefit. I'm going to advocate for one more…

  • Endless Possibilities on the Road to Pullman

    cheri@emergenceconsulting.net (Cheri Baker)
    2 May 2012 | 11:59 am
    When this message posts on the blog, I will be driving along the Columbia River that borders Washington and Oregon, en route to Pullman where I went to college.  A nice little road trip to a place that means a lot to us. College wasn't the easiest time in my life, but I do remember that there were some great moments.  My Mom drove me across the state to campus a few times, and we would laugh at the odd monuments (The giant golf ball on Route 26) and hunt tumbleweed.  Yes, tumbleweed!  As a resident of Tacoma on the west side of the state, I had never seen a…

  • Monday Musings: Our Lives are Not Binary

    cheri@emergenceconsulting.net (Cheri Baker)
    30 Apr 2012 | 1:32 pm
    Hey Enlightened Managers, Happy Monday!  This message comes to you fresh from the Belltown Starbucks where I'm doing my blogging just a few steps from the whirr of the espresso machine, watching people flow in and out of the room in caffeinated waves. I'm reminded today that it's good to go with the flow sometimes.  Five months ago my hubby and I had planned to take this week off to relax and recharge, and I goofed up by scheduling a speaking engagement in Portland OR right in the middle of the week.  So I'm in this state of half-vacation, half-working which…
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    Women in the LEAD

  • BEING a Leader: Learning from One Another

    Debbe Kennedy
    4 May 2012 | 6:51 pm
    When I was a young aspiring leader at IBM, I was fortunate to have been mentored in the distance by Frances Hesselbein, who at the time was the CEO for the Girl Scouts of America. I had seen her in a classic film by Warren Bennis called THE LEADER WITHIN. At the time, there weren't a lot of women in leadership roles to emulate. We were just making our way. What I remember about seeing her in this film in one of my early Management Development classes at IBM was that she was so human in her way of engaging people and interacting. She also seemed to have a classic beauty about how she…

  • WOMEN: Is it me you're looking for?

    Debbe Kennedy
    1 May 2012 | 7:51 pm
    Once in a while we unexpectedly are reminded that our most reliable mentor is inside of us. This weekend, by chance, I ran across the quote from a little book of "pearls and gems" from Richard Bach. It's a keeper. "If you want to meet someone who can fix any situation you don't like, who can bring you happiness in spite of what other people say or believe, look in the mirror, then say this magic word: "Hello." How will you use this precious gift? Warm regards,Debbe Debbe KennedyFounder, Global Dialogue CenterHome of Women in the Leadauthor, Putting Our…

  • CHANGE, PATIENCE, and REINVENTING Ourselves

    Debbe Kennedy
    19 Apr 2012 | 9:34 am
    It seems the best of us are impatient for results in our lives. Whether it is the urgent pressures we feel to create life for our families, reaching for our career goals, dreaming of financial stability, finding peace within a busy life, wishing unexpected troubles would disapper or sometimes, finding the love and personal security we long for as women. Oh, we want so much for things to happen that sometimes we disturb the process. We push our timetable on things sometimes forcing a premature birth before its time has come. As I write, a few memorable disappointments come to mind when I…

  • WOMEN: Leadership Lessons from Rosa Parks

    Debbe Kennedy
    14 Feb 2012 | 11:25 am
    Some leaders teach us lessons that transcend time, situation, and distance. It is as if they show up, creating opportunities for us to become more ourselves, if we are willing to listen and learn from their journeys and contributions.As I've been watching recent reactions to change in many directions, I've thought many times of Mrs. Rosa Parks' example, as the well-known Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in the US. Her remarkable contribution that unknowingly was the catalyst that opened the way for people of color, women and all people, shines brightly on us all. So what…

  • Remembering My Mother's Gifts

    Debbe Kennedy
    7 May 2011 | 12:42 pm
    Maydelle had a unique spirit all her own. She was a little over five feet tall. She developed her own "style of beauty" as she called it and it came with her share of complexities. Outwardly, she had an sense of OPTIMISM that was often  infectious --- and she did have a way of brightening a room that needed it. A friend's first impression of her at a gathering one time in her mid-life always stayed with me. He said, "I watched your mother floating around tonight in her BLUE dress. I felt sure any minute, she would be bursting out to say, "Life is a BIG balloon!"…
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    Women on Business

  • How To Use A Blog And Social Media To Make More Money!

    Shanda Sumpter
    15 May 2012 | 8:46 am
    Great news! You can make more money by using social media and blogging together. Warning—Typical Excuse From Busy Women: I don’t have the money and I don’t have the time! What I am about to share with you can change the scope of your life by saving you time and making you some well-deserved passive income. In fact, this post explains how women are happier working from home. However, you will have to work through a learning curve that may take you thirty days or so.  But know that it’s worth every penny you’ll receive from doing the work. To start, make sure that you have a blog on…

  • Top 3 Ways To Get Women To Buy

    Deborah Skye King
    14 May 2012 | 7:50 pm
    Women love engagement, connecting with one another and networking, it’s in our blood! Have you ever told a girlfriend of a great new product, clothing line, TV program or spa that you just adored? When I am looking for a great massage no matter what country I am in, I phone up a girlfriend or use Facebook to ask the question, I get immediate referrals and why. Now, that is one of the top ways to connect and engage with other women, ask a question. Zumba has taken off along with other dance-fitness courses, one thing I notice is that women are gathering for health reasons, but also for…

  • 22 Financial Do’s and Don’ts to Help You Be Successful in Business

    Gayla Baer
    11 May 2012 | 5:20 pm
    Guest post by Business Make-over Expert, Ellen Rohr (learn more about Ellen at the end of this post) Ellen Rohr has 22 Financial Tips for Business Owners.  Financial Do’s and Don’ts to help you be successful in business… Biz Philosopher Jim Rohn said, “It’s easy to do the things you need to do to be successful. It’s even easier not to do them.” Here’s a laundry list of the few things you can do that will help you create more profits and cash. And a few items that you should STOP doing. •DO understand that you are in business for the MONEY. •DON’T be ashamed about…

  • Questions of Greatness

    Leona Charles
    11 May 2012 | 10:01 am
      Many people think that entrepreneurs have delusions of grandeur, but the truth is that many of us are running on fear. The fear that we may fail, the fear that we may be a success or the fear that we may find out that entrepreneurship is not for us.  As I was going over the usual suspects for an article topic this morning, it dawned on me that there are specific questions that we entrepreneurs Gary Szarkiewicz/freedigitalphoto.net should be asking ourselves. What are we building? I know that there are as many reasons for being an entrepreneur as there are industries, and that fact…

  • Raising Capital Through Angel Investors

    Bethany Wood
    10 May 2012 | 2:03 am
    Is your business in need of capital? If so this article is for you! If you are like most people the answer is a loud, YES!  There are critical times in a business where access to capital is essential for the company to grow, take advantage of opportunities and become the success it is capable of becoming. The last thing a business wants to do is turn away a revenue generating opportunity for a lack of capital.  Additionally a lack of capital can cause what would be a succesful company to fail. According to the Small Business Administration 552,600 new employee firms opened in 2009.
 
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    NinaSimosko.com

  • Be a Leader, Not a Boss

    Nina
    4 May 2012 | 5:06 am
    I have always believed in the power of business culture – to not just set the direction of your company but to accelerate results, improve decision making and drive performance. If you can get your culture right it will set the foundations for your success. So I was interested to think through Geoffrey James’ article on the 8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses. This is a great article, covering some of the key principles of management – from an understanding of business through to team motivation and change. Geoffrey’s approach calls out the distinction between an “average boss”…

  • Customer Relationships from the Outside In

    Nina
    12 Dec 2011 | 6:14 pm
    I can remember when customer relationship management (CRM) was the shiniest new toy in the IT bag of tricks. I was working with Tom Siebel and some of the smartest executives in the industry and we felt like we were ahead of the curve. Back then, contact management systems were the lifeblood of every business manager. We’d live or die by these vital records. And then, at Siebel Systems, we changed the game. We came to market with the right software solution at precisely the time in which enterprises craved these services. We had seen the trend coming and were able to move quickly and…

  • Be Careful What You Tweet For

    Nina
    1 Nov 2011 | 7:43 am
    One of the most powerful benefits of social media is that – as a form of media – it brings us closer to our readers. It brings us closer to our customers. In fact, it seems to strip away layers and layers of process, red tape and hierarchy at the click of a mouse. On sites like LinkedIn, I can find, connect to and communicate with business leaders the world over. Here on my blog I can share thoughts and ideas and receive feedback from some of the brightest minds of the business world. And it is a relatively simple process. Deceptively so. For while we have never been more connected, we…

  • Going Gaga–Leadership and Reinvention

    Nina
    2 Sep 2011 | 4:16 am
    One of the most enjoyable series of blog posts I have written was looking at the leadership styles of celebrities. I started with Britney Spears and Madonna, moved on to Angelina Jolie and eventually ended up with Conan and Leno – and in each of these celebrities I found some insight worth sharing. But these posts weren’t just fun to write, they forced me to look beyond the image – to dig deeper, below the surface – to discover a trait or an ability that wasn’t just more grist for the publishing mill. This week I was reading the 12 Most … website and came across an article on Lady…

  • The Eyes, the Voice and the Shoes of the Customer

    Nina
    12 Aug 2011 | 8:14 am
    Let me start by asking a question – how early did you check your email inbox this morning? And how did you do it? Did you login to your computer from your desktop in the office? Did you use your laptop while eating breakfast? Or did you turn off the morning alarm, roll over, grab your BlackBerry and scroll through the latest and greatest? Let’s move on from email – and ask about social networks. When and how often do you check Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Amazingly (to me), a report last year indicated that 53% of people surveyed check their social networks before getting out of bed.
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    The Glass Hammer

  • Leadership Bias Revealed Again

    No Byline
    16 May 2012 | 12:00 pm
    By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City) According to new research, IPO firms with male CEOs get the advantage with investors, compared to those with female CEOs. This news probably comes as no surprise, but the nuances revealed by the study point to a conclusion that should be concerning to anyone who works in a field characterized by the term “meritocracy.” When it comes to matters of gender, there’s no such thing as fair play. For women at least, outcomes are rarely based purely on performance. More and more research is showing that gender weighs heavily on the equation when it…

  • Looking for a New Job? Find a Wingman

    No Byline
    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Contributed by The Runaway MBA I have a wingman – not at the bar, but in my job search. At first it started casually. We would compare with whom we were meeting, when we met, and what we learned. We were both at similar stages in our job search, but going after positions at different levels. Because we both had different networks, we were able to tap into different connections, alumni pools, and job databases. My wingman comes from a relationship established during a MBA semester exchange. We connected initially because of our field and then became friends over time, first through classwork…

  • Work AND Life: A Winning Combination for A Successful Career

    No Byline
    15 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Contributed by Christine Brown Quinn, author of Step Aside Super Woman With all the talk about work-life conflict, you would have thought that having a personal life detracts from your professional life. My experience, especially over a 20 year career in the corporate world of international finance, has been exactly the opposite. Thanks to the family and staying active in sports (running, health club, cycling and tennis), I was saved from burn-out. Having interests outside of work is what keeps you grounded and gives you perspective, as well as patience. Have you ever noticed that it’s…

  • Voice of Experience: Stacy Bash Polley, Partner, Co-Head of Fixed Income Sales, Americas, Goldman Sachs

    No Byline
    14 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City) According to Stacy Bash Polley, Partner and Co-Head of Fixed Income Sales for the Americas at Goldman Sachs, it’s important for senior women to serve as role models and advocates for the next generation of women in finance. Bash Polley, co-chair of Goldman Sachs’ Firmwide Women’s Network, said that the group’s events are designed to make senior women aware of their own impact on career development. She explained that in her experience, there are three ways that women engage: as role models, mentors and advocates. Role models are the most passive…

  • Unique Partnership Helps Girls Build Bigger Dreams

    No Byline
    11 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City) Earlier this week, Texas Wall Street Women, a networking and philanthropy group of women in investment management, gathered in Dallas to discuss investment and market trends. The event was held in support of the group’s philanthropic work supporting the Foundation for the Education of Young Women, a public private partnership supporting of six all-girls schools around the state. As one of the key benefactors of the foundation, the networking group provides mentors and financial support for disadvantaged young women attending the Foundation’s schools…
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    Leadership Expert

  • Ten Top Tips That Made Steve Job’s Presentations The Worlds Best

    simonteague
    9 May 2012 | 7:12 am
    How many presentations do you go to that are just plain boring? How many lose your attention because you are facing death by Powerpoint? How many times do you worry that your presentation won’t come up to scratch? As leaders you will be under close scrutiny. So, give yourself the edge using the ‘Ten Secrets that [...]

  • Financial Leadership – Cash Flow and Balancing the Books

    simonteague
    8 May 2012 | 11:18 am
    Financial planning is boring, but is it complex? Planning in today’s financial maze might actually be a complete waste of time. How can you plan for things that will be here tomorrow that haven’t yet been conceived today? The days of seeing round corners are long gone. The corners of today’s challenging economic environment are [...]

  • Pre-Meetings Are In. Aren’t They?

    simonteague
    5 May 2012 | 2:34 am
    “Sorry I cant come back to you with a decision – I have ‘back to back’ meetings all day”.   Have you ever been called to a ‘pre-meeting’? You know, one of these secret squirrel discussions designed to try and manipulate some kind of outcome from the ‘main’ meeting , so that people feel they are making [...]

  • Leadership Styles: Confusion And Knee Jerk Reactions

    simonteague
    4 May 2012 | 4:41 am
      Are people more complex than they used to be in our Grandfathers day? Or during our Fathers working lives? What do you think? Or is it just that people are savvier than they ever used to be? Are the waves of technological change that engulf us, advancing or confusing us? We are living in a moment [...]

  • Personal Transformation: The ABC’s of Destroying Limiting Beliefs

    simonteague
    3 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Written by best selling author; Jinny Ditzler: Your Best Year Yet!: Make the next 12 months your best ever! My husband once told someone, “Jinny is fearless in the face of limiting beliefs and negative paradigms.” True. I’ve never met one I couldn’t crack — said with the disclaimer that my own take longer. It’s just [...]
 
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    RapidBI

  • Talent Management Challenges In Ordinary Businesses

    Mike Morrison's blog at Ecademy
    27 Apr 2012 | 2:30 am
    Talent Management Challenges In Ordinary Businesses Talent management features at almost every HR and executive conference, but most of the solutions are those that are targeted at the big multi nationals. But what about the "ordinary" businesses that...

  • Social Networking Bill of Rights – the risk of sharing

    Mike Morrison's blog at Ecademy
    24 Apr 2012 | 1:56 am
    Social Networking Bill of Rights - the risk of sharing With more and more of us have some form of online presence, it's a part of us that increasingly employers, HR departments & potential recruiters want to see. This is a worrying trend towards empl...

  • #HRD12 – summary of free learning at Olympia this week

    Mike Morrison's blog at Ecademy
    23 Apr 2012 | 8:19 am
    #HRD12 - summary of free learning at Olympia this week Learning Arena Leading L&D experts deliver lively updates, skills and techniques to help you further your professional development. Wednesday 25 April 09:30-10:00 - Positive Personal Leade...

  • Does your website/ intranet/collaboration tool engage?

    Mike Morrison's blog at Ecademy
    18 Apr 2012 | 2:07 am
    Does your website/ intranet/collaboration tool engage? This for me is a highly thought provoking graphic. It looks at the reasons why a person may engage, the WIIFM. Originally based upon understanding why crowd-sourcing was successful or a failure...

  • The State of the UK SEO & Social Media Sectors – Are businesses being taken for a ride? who would you choose?

    Mike Morrison's blog at Ecademy
    18 Apr 2012 | 1:48 am
    The State of the UK SEO & Social Media Sectors - who would you choose? Are we (customers) being taken for a ride? So you have a need to engage a consultancy to develop your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) or Social Media strategy. Who do you choo...
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    EveryJoe

  • Thunder Smash Lakers in Game 1

    Kori Ellis
    15 May 2012 | 1:48 am
    The Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Los Angeles Lakers is the series everyone has been waiting for in the Western Conference. However, despite the hype, Game 1 turned out to be a laugher. The Thunder got up early and then destroyed the Lakers by a final score of 119-90. Russell Westbrook was the player of the game, scoring 27 points, dishing out nine assists and puling down seven rebounds in only 27 minutes of play. He hit 10-of-15 shots from the field and only turned the ball over once. The big run by the Thunder happened in the third quarter. With OKC already up by 15 points at the half,…

  • Chris Bosh Injury Update – Ab Strain

    Stephen Kersey
    14 May 2012 | 7:52 pm
    The Miami Heat are the favorites to win the NBA championship. However, their chances took a hit when Chris Bosh got injured in Game 1 of the Heat’s series against the Indiana Pacers. Although the Heat were able to win the game, they have lost Bosh to an abdominal strain. While the team hasn’t given a specific timetable yet, they are saying that Bosh is out indefinitely. If you read between the lines, it sounds like Bosh will miss the rest of this series against the Pacers. “This season has to be extended for me to play again,” said Bosh. “That’s…

  • Kobe Drops 43, Lakers Still Lose

    Stephen Kersey
    9 May 2012 | 12:04 pm
    The Los Angeles Lakers were attempting to eliminate the Denver Nuggets in Game 5. However, despite 43 points from Kobe Bryant, the Nuggets were able to survive by beating the Lakers by a final score of 102-99. Denver was led by Andre Miller and JaVale McGee, who both came off the bench. Miller had 24 points and eight assists on 8-for-11 shooting from the field. McGee added 21 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots on 9-for-12 shooting. Bryant added six rebounds, five assists and two steals to go along with his 43 points. He shot 14-of-32 from the field and played 43 minutes. Even with the…

  • Josh Hamilton Hits Four Homers

    Kori Ellis
    9 May 2012 | 9:25 am
    For only the 16th time in baseball history, a player has hit four home runs in one game. That player was Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, who did it Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles. All four of Hamilton’s homers were two-run shots. Said Hamilton after the game: “Obviously it’s, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career.” Hamilton’s home runs came in the first inning, third inning, seventh inning and eighth inning. He also added a double in the fourth inning. For the game, Hamilton was 5-for-5 with four runs and…

  • Video: Rajon Rondo Cameraman Fight

    Stephen Kersey
    8 May 2012 | 10:25 pm
    Rajon Rondo and a cameraman got into an altercation after Tuesday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Apparently Rajon Rondo didn’t want to be on camera and went to the cameraman and told him to his face. You can watch the Rajon Rondo cameraman video below to see how it unfolded. The Celtics ended up losing to the Hawks, with Rondo failing to come through on the final play. The Hawks were up one and Rondo couldn’t get a good look for himself or a teammate and the Celtics were defeated. I’m assuming that’s part of the reason why Rajon Rondo…
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    Inside Personal Growth

  • Podcast 359: Emotional Equations with Chip Conley

    Greg Voisen
    14 May 2012 | 11:02 pm
    I recently attended a conference in San Diego where author Chip Conley was one of the keynote speakers.  I was throughly taken by Chip’s personal story, and his new book entitled ” Emotional Equations-Simple Truths for Creating Happiness and Success . I have been interviewing authors for over 5 years and have been immersed in the personal growth field for over 30 years.  Chip Conley’s new book  ”Emotional Equations” is the real deal.  It is easy to understand, and I love how Chip has taken what sometimes can be difficult ideas to convey, and created equations…

  • Podcast 358: The Now Effect with Elisha Goldstein

    Greg Voisen
    14 May 2012 | 10:04 pm
    This is my second interview with author Elisha Goldstein, about his new book entitled ” The Now Effect“.  Is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to calm their anxious mind and take control of the incessant stress that so many of us are under. If you are like me the anxious mind is something that is always there, I just need to learn better techniques to calm it and gain more focus.   When you learn the techniques taught by Elisha, you will certainly be able to approach your difficulties with more grace and less stress. Elisha states that “The Now Effect” will…

  • Podcast 357: HOW, Why How We Do Anything Means Everything with Dov Seidman

    Greg Voisen
    10 May 2012 | 12:09 pm
    I love books like the one that author Dov Seidman wrote entitled ” HOW, Why How We Do Anything Means Everything“.  This book not only gets you thinking about the compelling and exciting times we are living in, but provides the reader an opportunity to reflect on this extremely important issue–just “HOW” we are doing everything we do mean everything. Author Dov Seidman argues that we need a new approach to how we live our lives and pursue our endeavors.  Dov states that we are in a new “Era of Behavior” both as individuals and organizations. He…

  • Podcast 356: Days Go By, Not Love by Therese Benedict

    Greg Voisen
    10 May 2012 | 11:25 am
    I recently had the pleasure of interviewing author  and clairvoyant Therese Benedict.  Her new book entitled “Days Go By, Not Love” has been written as she states from the words of God, and it is now time for his words to reach all of his children; to bring this world together. Theresa herself as a  clairvoyant has helped many of her clients make connections with the angels around them who are there guiding and protecting them as they move through their daily lives.  Therese states that when you give your life to God knowing your angels will help you complete your change in…

  • Podcast 355: Abundance, The Future Is Better Than You Think by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler

    Greg Voisen
    19 Apr 2012 | 3:27 pm
    If you haven’t been paying much attention, “Abundance-The Future is Better Than You Think” has been on the NY Times best seller list for weeks. In my interview with co-author Steven Kotler we explore the many topics covered in the book that are wonderfully articulated to guide the reader in understanding that we are living in unprecedented times.  Yes–we have our share to world problems, but on the flip side of the coin technology and science are moving at breakneck speeds and are solving many of these problems–and guess what?  Our standard of living is better…
 
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    First Friday Book Synopsis

  • Maybe It’s time for a new CEO – a Chief Ethics Officer

    Randy Mayeux
    16 May 2012 | 9:56 am
    I think it is time for a new executive officer on every leadership team.  The name of this position should be CEO – Chief Ethics Officer.  (Though I doubt that these initials are available). “First, do no harm…” We’ve got a serious problem, and it is going to take some serious solutions. Now, there is [...]

  • It’s Time to Rethink Continuous Improvement

    Bob Morris
    16 May 2012 | 9:24 am
    Years ago, Jon Katzenbach told me that the greatest challenge that change agents face is changing their ideas about change. The Japanese term for continuous improvement is kaizen (改善) and was probably introduced when Edgar McVoy convinced Lowell Mellen to join him in Japan to properly install the Training Within Industry (TWI) programs in 1951. [...]

  • 10 behaviors of the hyper-successful

    Bob Morris
    16 May 2012 | 8:10 am
    Here is an article written by Michael Hess for CBS MoneyWatch, the CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the website’s newsletters, please click here. *     *     * (MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY Money and its material manifestations are the most typical measures of a person’s professional success, but they’re not always [...]

  • Be•Know•Do: A book review by Bob Morris

    Bob Morris
    16 May 2012 | 3:01 am
    Be•Know•Do: Leadership the Army Way: Adapted from the Official Army Leadership Manual United States Army (Author); Frances Hesselbein  and Eric K. Shinseki (Introduction), and Richard E. Cavanagh (Foreword) Jossey-Bass/Leader to Leader Institute; 1st edition (2004) How to develop leaders who have character, competence, knowledge, and results-driven initiative I recently re-read this book, curious to know [...]

  • The unique and compelling power of illustrating an idea

    Bob Morris
    15 May 2012 | 12:56 pm
    I have just read Toby Lester’s Da Vinci’s Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image. The first of several dozen passages caught my eye and I immediately thought of Dan Roam. More about him in a moment. First, the passage: “Francesco [di Giorgio Martini, 1439-1502, Italy's most renowned architect [...]
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    Free Executive & Management Magazines and Downloads from alltop.tradepub.com

  • How to Run a More Cost-Efficient Employee Benefits and Services Program

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    These companies provide a highly integrated system for managing all employee related tasks. For many companies, this can mean going from being overwhelmed by enrollment forms and employee complaints to having the entire process flow smoothly and all participants' concerns being handled adroitly.Employee benefits and services management companies can provide everything from 401k retirement and health insurance plans to virtually any type of benefit or service an employer would want to offer. These companies often provide many of these benefits and services directly. Some partner with human…

  • 4 Tips for Recruiting Oil & Gas Professionals

    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Read these tips and you'll increase your pool of qualified candidates, improve your ability to choose the right candidates, and lower your turnover.Request Free!

  • Customer Analytics Pay Off: Driving Top-line Growth by Bringing Science to the Art of Marketing

    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Read this Executive Report to learn how an effective customer analytics strategy can help drive top-line growth, avoid unnecessary costs and increase customer satisfaction. Understand where your organization is in its pursuit to gain deeper customer insights with four stages of organizational capabilities and associated customer analytics strategies: gain insight from the information explosion; share information internally and across value chain; move from reaction to prediction; and adapt business models that enable faster creation of value.Request Free!

  • 10 Best Practice Tips for Screening Resumes and Candidates

    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Reduce the amount of time you spend sifting through unqualified candidates' resumes with these 10 quick and easy tips. Screen applicants more efficiently, save yourself time and frustration and be more successful filling your open positions with top performers.Request Free!

  • Sustainability Nears a Tipping Point - Why Companies are Profiting

    1 May 2012 | 4:50 pm
    Findings from the 2011 Sustainability and Innovation Global ExecutiveStudy and Research Project.Request Free!
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    Hire and Retain Talent

  • Hiring Mistake #7 – Fishing in Shallow Waters

    Barry Deutsch
    10 May 2012 | 7:19 pm
      Most of the methods used to attract candidates bring forth candidates who are floating in the shallow end of the pond. They fall into what we call the “aggressive” candidate pond – those who typically have excessive turnover, are toxic, and cannot deliver the performance you desire. These are frequently NOT the best candidates [...] No related posts.

  • Four Things Companies Do To Shoot Themselves In The Foot When Hiring – Part 2

    bradremillard
    10 May 2012 | 11:20 am
    I recently asked over one hundred CEOs and their key executives, “Is hiring top talent critical to the success of your organization?” Not surprising that everyone replied “Yes.” Not simply important, but critical. So then I asked,”If it is critical, then how many of you spend time each month focusing on hiring, excluding when you [...] Related posts: Four Things Companies Do To Shoot Themselves In The Foot When Hiring – Part 1 Most Company’s Hiring Process Is Not A Process Hiring Mistake #1 – Inadequate Job Descriptions – Video Version

  • Four Things Companies Do To Shoot Themselves In The Foot When Hiring – Part 1

    bradremillard
    3 May 2012 | 10:53 am
    I recently asked over one hundred CEOs and their key executives, “Is hiring top talent critical to the success of your organization?” Not surprising everyone replied “Yes.” Not simply important, but critical. So then I asked,”If it is critical, then how many of you spend time each month focusing on hiring, excluding when you are [...] Related posts: Four Things Companies Do To Shoot Themselves In The Foot When Hiring – Part 2 What Role Does Luck Play When Hiring Sales People? Who Is Responsible For Hiring Top Talent In Your Company?

  • Be ANGRY over the average productivity of your employees

    Barry Deutsch
    30 Apr 2012 | 11:00 am
      Be ANGRY that your employees are NOT performing at a higher level than expected. Be ANGRY that your executives and managers are NOT hiring outstanding talent at every level. Be ANGRY over hiring mistakes. In a blog article published on the Chinnovate.com blog, Tim Yanglin quoted a McKinsey Study looking at the productivity difference [...] Related posts: Average Networkers Make for Average Executives Are You Playing the Game of Let’s Give it Another 30 days? Boost Productivity in Tough Times By Getting Connected to Your People

  • Only You Can Prevent Desperation Hiring

    bradremillard
    26 Apr 2012 | 12:33 pm
    Question: When do most companies start the hiring process? Answer: When they need someone. It can then take up to three months to hire someone. By this time, the hiring manager and their staff is overworked, projects are falling behind schedule, overtime is through the roof, work is backing up, short cuts are causing mistakes, [...] Related posts: Most Company’s Hiring Process Is Not A Process Solving The NUMBER One Hiring Problem Can Be Done Hiring In Another State Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult
 
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    N2Growth Blog

  • Leadership and Storytelling

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 1:34 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth Leadership and storytelling go hand-in-hand. In fact, leaders who lack the ability to leverage the power and influence of storytelling are missing the very essence of what accounts for compelling leadership to begin with – the story. If you’ve ever been captivated by a skilled orator whose articulation and eloquence has influenced your thinking, you understand the power of the art of story. I refer to story as an art form because it is. Storytelling requires talent and practice, but as with any worthy discipline, the investment…

  • Leadership & The Power of Listening

    admin
    7 May 2012 | 1:25 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth Great leaders are great listeners, and therefore my message today is a simple one – talk less and listen more. The best leaders are proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners. They recognize knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening. Take a moment and reflect back on any great leader who comes to mind…you’ll find they are very adept at reading between the lines. They have the uncanny ability to understand what is not said, witnessed, or heard. In today’s post I’ll quickly examine the…

  • Is Blogging Dead?

    admin
    30 Apr 2012 | 1:53 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth I read an interesting article in Inc. Magazine entitled “Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?” If you read this article it would lead you to believe blogging is in decline and on it’s way out as a marketing tool. The article cites a study from the University of Massachusetts in which the respondents (170 executives from Inc. 500 companies) indicated the use of blogging was down 13% from the prior year. Before you draw the conclusion blogging is dead, you might want to read the text that follows… Don’t Believe…

  • Leadership – It’s About The People

    admin
    24 Apr 2012 | 1:22 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth If you think leadership is about you, your ego has led you astray. Leadership has little to do with you and everything to do with those you lead. If you think leadership is about the bottom line, think again; it’s about the people. Without the people there is no bottom line. Closely examine the core characteristics of great leadership, and you’ll find it’s not power, title, authority or even technical competency that distinguishes truly great leaders. Rather it’s the ability to both earn and keep the loyalty and trust of those…

  • The Myth of Potential

    admin
    18 Apr 2012 | 8:37 am
    By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer,N2growth Here’s the thing – we all have potential, maybe some more than others, but we all have it. Potential is easy to recognize, but not so easy to realize. Most of us intrinsically recognize the gift of potential, but many simply choose to do nothing about it, and sadly, it’s the rare few who will maximize their potential. The problem with potential is society has deemed it to be a fungible commodity. People in today’s world trade on potential as if it were performance – it’s not. Most people are fed a steady diet of potential from the…
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    Big Red Tomato Company

  • 7 Business lessons from Caine’s Arcade

    Matthew Needham
    2 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    Just a few days ago one of my Facebook friends posted a link to the story of 9 year old entrepreneur Caine Monroy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his dad’s auto part store. With the words: “This. Story. Is. Awesome! If you haven’t heard of Caine’s arcade, you’ve got to check this out. [URL] Go Caine!” So I thought I’d take a look. And you know what? It was awesome. But when I came to show the video to my wife,  I couldn’t remember the URL, so I went to Google and typed in “Caine’s Arcade” and I was stunned at…

  • Branson backs loans for student business plans

    Matthew Needham
    16 Mar 2012 | 12:00 am
    Billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, has this week backed a plan for school leavers who opt not to go to university but start a business instead. Branson’s plan, which is currently under review by the UK Government ahead of the Budget, is being quoted by Branson as “a great way of kick-starting thousands of new businesses”. Branson’s idea, which is supported by a host of entrepreneurs, including Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones, Members of Parliament and backed by business groups and charities such as the Prince’s…

  • When to kill a project

    Matthew Needham
    5 Mar 2012 | 11:00 pm
    When running a project and it’s running behind plan when should you quit and when should you carry on? Here’s a technique you can apply to the projects you’re working on to decide when to quit and when to carry on. Earned value analysis One way of using numbers to help support decision making is borrowing a technique from project management called earned value analysis. Basically it works on the principle that the project spend should be aligned to the value delivered by the project. If the amount of spend exceeds the amount of value created at each of the milestones, then…

  • Why the best plan is to have no plan at all

    Matthew Needham
    26 Feb 2012 | 11:00 pm
    In this post we look at why a great idea or a good business plan is no substitute for taking action.   “Too much talk, too little do” Tom Peters, In Search of Excellence In 1982, Tom Peters along with Bob Waterman wrote the business classic In Search Of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies. In that book they identified 8 themes which they argued were the foundations of success of the companies  in the study. The first theme was a bias for action – active decision making – “getting on with it”.  At the time Peters and Waterman…

  • Weekend Round up January 28

    Matthew Needham
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Welcome to Weekend Roundup. This is a collection of some great posts that I’ve come across over the previous week. I don’t go into major depth on each one, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting: Make sure your tweets are being seen  with business owners trying to get their message out, how can you be sure they are being seen? Here’s some tips to make sure your tweets get read. What’s in a business name? 20 considerations for getting it right When you start in business, you may have decided what you’re going to sell or what you’re…
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    Lead Change Group

  • Why So Many Employee Ideas Don’t Make Sense

    John Bernard
    15 May 2012 | 12:40 pm
    Posted in Leadership DevelopmentWorkplace Issueshttp://www.massingenuity.com/2012/04/09/why-so-many-employee-ideas-don%E2%80%99t-make-sense/e-ideas-don%E2%80%99t-make-sense/One of the great beliefs we have as managers is that our job is to listen to our employees’ ideas and then go implement those that we find valuable. Sounds like a great idea. But as managers we know the reality is that a good many employee ideas just don’t make business sense. Read more…

  • How Leaders Complain

    Mike Henry
    14 May 2012 | 6:06 am
    Posted in Leadership DevelopmentResourcesIn my new favorite book titled Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon, one of the chapters is about complaining. The chapter “Quit Picking Fights and Go Make Something.” regards a quote his wife told him one night when he was up late on Twitter trying to [...]

  • What Type of Leadership Personality Do You Have?

    Diane Peterson
    11 May 2012 | 6:04 am
    Posted in Leadership DevelopmentSelf LeadershipSelf-leadership depends upon your personality type If your innate personality and belief system does not comply with the leadership style you choose, your results will be less than desired. You will come across as being phony, hard to communicate with and will be uncomfortable in your own skin. To succeed, choose a leadership style that [...]

  • Engaging Employees: The Economics of Micro Ingenuity

    John Bernard
    11 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Posted in Leadership CoachingLeadership Developmenthttp://www.massingenuity.com/2012/04/02/engaging-employees-the-economics-of-micro-ingenuity/Wouldn’t it be a dream if every employee could add $13,000 to the bottom line of your business each and every year? No need to dream because research shows that’s exactly what happens when an employee shifts from being disengaged to engaged. Read More…  

  • Retiring executive? You’d better have your personal succession plan first …

    Christina Haxton
    10 May 2012 | 9:53 am
    Posted in Leadership DevelopmentSelf LeadershipIf you don’t know Jack … you should meet him. Jack is a successful executive who is recently retired at the early age of 52 as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company that made a financial turn around from red to black on his watch.  He was very proud of the achievement … and [...]
 
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    Crucial Skills

  • Kerrying On: Thanks Mom

    Kerry Patterson
    15 May 2012 | 6:00 pm
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kerry Patterson is coauthor of four New York Times bestsellers, Change Anything, Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations, and Influencer. READ MORE Listen to Kerrying On via Mp3 Listen to Kerrying On via iTunesI was looking for lead pennies in the change drawer grandpa kept at the front of his grocery store when Chuck hurled his massive bulk through the front door. Chuck’s body wouldn’t let him come in gently. His misshapen feet forced him to lean forward at a tilt that propelled him quickly and precariously across the floor until his cane eventually brought…

  • When Your Boss Pitches a Bad Idea . . .

    editor
    15 May 2012 | 5:56 pm
    Q: When your boss pitches a bad idea do you… a) clam up? b) blow up? c) both? d) speak up candidly and effectively? See what can happen if you select the wrong answer. Related Material:What Happened? A Boss On a Spending Spree Confronting a Gossiping Boss Absentee Boss

  • Special Announcement: Introducing the NEW Crucial Conversations!

    editor
    15 May 2012 | 5:50 pm
    We’re celebrating the launch of our new training product, Crucial Conversations 4. Celebrate with us by entering our giveaway for a free training scholarship. To learn more about Crucial Conversations 4, visit vitalsmarts.com. Related Material:Introducing Change Anything Training Win a FREE Training Scholarship! Aren’t Crucial Conversations skills just good negotiation tactics packaged in a slightly different way?

  • Staying Motivated When the End is Near

    David Maxfield
    8 May 2012 | 6:15 pm
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Maxfield is coauthor of two New York Times bestsellers, Change Anything and Influencer. READ MORE Dear Crucial Skills, I am part of a group of employees who work as internal consultants focused on motivating and improving others to reach excellence. We use several tools to accomplish this and are fairly well versed in VitalSmarts’ training programs. Our issue is that our Government employer has let it slip that our program and positions will be cut next year. I’d like to find a way to influence my coworkers to not give up and stay motivated. One option I…

  • Before & After: Bringing a Canoe to a Gun Fight

    editor
    8 May 2012 | 6:04 pm
    John C. used crucial conversations skills to get to safety when he found himself under live-fire. Over the years, I’ve canoed the Brazos River near Brenham, Texas. It is usually a relaxing way to get back to nature and away from everyday stress. It is an old, slow, and sometimes shallow river, so you never see jet skis or large motorboats. Many days, you may never see another human being!The most stressful things I have encountered were the occasional alligator, miscalculations of time, and getting the canoe out of the water on steep and narrow footpaths. One Saturday, however, all of…
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    Mountain State University LeaderTalk

  • Judgment Calls provides Balance in Leadership Stories

    MSU
    23 Apr 2012 | 1:52 pm
    by Elisebeth VanderWeil, Ph.D.    Media streams are clogged with stories involving leadership gone wrong – from personal scandals to financial shenanigans to outright abuse. It is no wonder that my students of leadership still baulk at answering the call to be leader when these are the examples most often set before them. Enter Judgment Calls, a dozen stories on leadership gone right. "Judgment" is another term that often gets a bad rap. While we would all like to exercise "good judgment," we don't like to "be judged" or be "judgmental." So,…

  • Roles of Gender and Empathy in Leadership

    MSU
    21 Mar 2012 | 3:46 pm
    by Shari Frisinger I work with leaders – mostly males - helping their team "play nice in the same company sandbox."   One area in which they have particular difficulty is empathy, understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.  However, their interpretation of empathy is listening to their direct report's complaints and positing possible solutions; then, when the employee has finished their sad tale of woe, to tell them succinctly how to solve their problem. I have heard countless versions…

  • With Daughters in Mind

    MSU
    7 Mar 2012 | 10:23 am
    by Elisebeth VanderWeil, Ph.D.President Obama called Sandra Fluke to offer his support and encouragement after being vilified by Rush Limbaugh for her Senate hearing testimony. When asked by reporters why he made that call, the President said that he was thinking of his daughters and how he wanted them to be able to participate in public discourse and the democratic process without fear of being called horrible names. The Republican Party – for which Rush Limbaugh has been touted as an unofficial spokesperson – has been profiled as having declared a "war on women." This label is…

  • The Importance of Leadership Skills for Followers

    MSU
    29 Feb 2012 | 3:47 pm
    by Elisebeth VanderWeil, Ph.D. Many people aspire to be good – or even great – leaders; few aspire to be good – let alone great – followers. However, odds are most people who prepare to lead rarely do so beyond the team or group level; others who do eventually reach powerful positions of leadership spend a significant chunk of time as followers before they get there.  On the whole, with all our study and practice of leadership knowledge and skills, we spend most of our time and energy following. So why learn leadership if one’s chances of being a powerful leader are so slim? For…

  • Lead Like Santa

    MSU
    29 Nov 2011 | 10:35 am
    By Dr. Larry Ferguson Tis the season to be a leader, just ask anyone in retail management. As a leadership training consultant, I am often challenged with providing unique presentations. This month has been no exception, as I have been asked to facilitate a leadership training seminar based on the leadership skills of Santa Claus. Yes, that's right Santa Claus. The seminar I plan to present is based off the 2003 book by Steve Ventura entitled "The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus." I highly recommend the book as a light and somewhat humorous read that helps to reinforce some…
 
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    Aspire-CS

  • Taming Your Shrew

    Mary Jo Asmus
    16 May 2012 | 6:42 am
      I’m a fan of healthy workplaces that appreciate that we are all human and rich emotional lives come with our humanity – so why not let our emotions show? Yet for a leader, showing your anger in a way that tears others down can be destructive to your attempts to build a solid team and other workplace relationships that are open and honest. One leader I know wondered why her team wasn’t responding to her attempts to get them involved in conversations around strategic decisions. She also noticed that her team rarely came into her office with problems to talk through. She saw…

  • In Praise of Compelling Meetings

    Mary Jo Asmus
    13 May 2012 | 2:06 pm
      We hear a lot about how we need to get rid of meetings in our organizations. I would argue that we need to get rid of poorly planned and executed meetings. We still need good meetings; they are a way for everyone to be involved and engaged in dialog with each other. We need more of the kind of meetings where people get together with everyone’s best interests in mind and with the intention of serving the greater good of the organization. These are the kind of meetings where people connect on a deeper level while listening for understanding with a willingness to be personally…

  • Thought-full Thursday: Lifted Up

    Mary Jo Asmus
    10 May 2012 | 7:58 am
    Every Thursday, we provide you with a thoughtful way to coach yourself – something all leaders need to do. So take five, enjoy the quote and reflect on the questions that follow. Your comments and answers to the questions are always welcome! “Those who inspire trust and demonstrate a true understanding of others’ concerns and aspirations are the people who are lifted up for leadership.” ~Ken Blanchard and Scott Blanchard Are you inspiring trust? How is it that you know? Is your leadership based on the needs of your followers? How can you understand others’ concerns…

  • Don’t Underestimate the Quiet Ones

    Mary Jo Asmus
    9 May 2012 | 7:34 am
      Some of the organizations I work in are boisterous, with a penchant for good, raucous, energetic debate. This noisy culture challenges even the most outgoing leaders to have their voices heard, but leaders who are naturally quiet in demeanor might struggle even more. Additionally, their quiet nature might cause assumptions by others that: They lack confidence to lead effectively: There can be an assumption that if people aren’t speaking up and entering the (lively) conversation, they lack confidence to be a leader. Further, it might be reasoned that if they lack confidence, they…

  • The Next Version of Yourself

    Mary Jo Asmus
    7 May 2012 | 6:38 am
      When you become a better human being, you become a better leader too. I remember distinctly my first reaction to learning that all of my hard work on becoming a better human (and therefore a better leader) wouldn’t result in reaching a particular end goal. I’d thought there was a time of arrival when I couldn’t possibly do any more or get any better. In that moment, I was caught off guard when my mentor gently told me to prepare for a lifelong journey. A particular finality or a destination just wouldn’t happen. It’s safe to say that as someone who was…
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    All Things Workplace

  • Change: What Gets In The Way?

    Steve Roesler
    7 May 2012 | 8:29 am
    Defending the status quo. "That will never work."  "... That said, the labor laws make it difficult for us to do a lot of the suggestions [you] put out. And we do live in a lawsuit oriented society.""  "Can you show me some research that demonstrates that this will work?" These are just a few of the real-life quotes about defending the status quo from a Seth Godin post that I saved about six years ago. Given that our work here always includes organizational or individual change, we've heard most of them more than once. How about you? Tip: When you hear any one of these, ask this question:…

  • Do You Use Verbal White Space?

    Steve Roesler
    23 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    Graphic designers know how to focus your attention.They frequently communicate through the use of white space. Less is more. The message is clear. There's no clutter. Use Verbal Whitespace You can increase your verbal impact  the same way. How many times have you wished that someone would just "say what they mean?" Boss says: "We finished the senior level meeting and it looks as if we have to increase our numbers. We've been working hard on that project for a long time. I told the management team about the obstacles, how much overtime people have been putting in, and what the client has…

  • "What Do I Want To Be?" or "What Do I Want To Become?"

    Steve Roesler
    15 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    Which question are you asking yourself? Your choice will help determine the depth of your life as well as the comfort-level of your career. I've been watching a new CEO client begin his tenure at a global company. He is very comfortable listening, talking, giving direction, and saying "I don't know. That sounds good to me. Go ahead and do it." (Whatever the "it" is). What I'm really seeing is a man who has, over a lifetime, decided to "become" the kind of person he wanted to be. I know for a fact that he didn't set out to be a CEO. In fact, he was invited into the role. The reason he received…

  • Meetings: The First 15 Minutes Matter

    Steve Roesler
    9 Apr 2012 | 5:40 pm
    Beginnings make a huge difference  Meetings offer a perfect example. I was working with a VP who started off her 3-day, first quarter meeting with a 20 minute introduction. In that 20 minutes she crisply and energetically laid out: The purpose and expected outcome of the three days Three highlights and three lowlights from the previous year Why people were seated, by name card, at their six-person tables. (There were actually two reasons):     1. To include representatives of different functions at each table     2.  To have a new manager at each table who had never been with the…

  • Wisdom, Integrity, Discernment and 1,000 Posts

    Steve Roesler
    1 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    This is the 1,000th post here at All Things Workplace! Today's post was first published in 2007 and I decided to bring it back because its comments prompted an entire series to be generated as a result. I hope it adds meaning to your day and your career. ________________________________________________________________________________________  How often do you hear the terms wisdom, discernment, and integrity used during the business day? And just what are organizations looking for when they are hiring or promoting? We hear words like intelligent, problem-solver, action-oriented,…
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    Bret L. Simmons - Positive Organizational Behavior

  • Ten Signs You Are Too Smart To Learn And Too Incognizant to Know

    Bret L. Simmons
    15 May 2012 | 2:40 pm
    The very first article I assign in my MBA class on Organizational Behavior is “Teaching Smart People How to Learn,” by Chris Argyris. People that are too smart to learn are very skilled problem solvers, but very unskilled at reflecting on and changing their own behavior. Successful people just like you and me are most likely to be too smart to really learn. It’s difficult for people to understand that there is a difference between performance and learning. It’s tough getting through to smart people. Their defensive reasoning mechanisms create a stronghold of incognizance. If you even…

  • Student Branding Achievement: MBA, Spring 2012

    Bret L. Simmons
    9 May 2012 | 3:20 pm
    My MBA class in personal branding was one of the most enjoyable classes I have ever taught in my entire career. The majority of my 30 students challenged themselves and encouraged each other to create blogs they could be proud of. I’m sure they used my name in vain many times when they were reading three different books, tweeting, commenting on blogs, and posting their own blogs each week; however, a few might even agree it was worth the blood, sweat, and tears. I’m proud of what they achieved, and I think they realize the excellence of what they individually and collectively created. We…

  • Student Branding Achievement: Undergraduate, Spring 2012

    Bret L. Simmons
    9 May 2012 | 2:20 pm
    I taught courses in personal branding and social business this semester to 32 undergraduate and 30 MBA students at The University of Nevada, Reno. At the height of the course, students were required to blog three times per week and tweet three times per day, five days per week. We produced a mountain of content. Students were also required to create a 3-5 minute video that communicated the essence of their personal brand to post to the “about me” page of their blog. I gave them very little direction and almost no training. I simply encouraged them to create something they would be proud…

  • Enterprise Cares? Not From Where I’m Standing

    Bret L. Simmons
    6 May 2012 | 6:56 pm
    I experienced the worst car rental company customer service I can ever remember from Enterprise Car Rental in the Oklahoma City Airport recently. The line at the counter was ridiculously long, and they only had one person working the desk. The reservation system ensured they knew the other customers and I were coming, but they chose not to be prepared when we arrived. I stepped back and took a video of the line which I then posted to my Youtube channel. I tweeted my complaint and within a short time received a reply tweet from @enterprisecares.  They gave me an e-mail address and asked for…

  • Goal Accomplished

    Bret L. Simmons
    5 May 2012 | 8:50 pm
    I ran my first marathon on October 3, 2004 at the age of 43. I’d been a casual runner my whole life, but always thought that running a marathon was something “other” people did, and certainly not something an old fart like me could even consider. In 2003 I was working at North Dakota State University when a colleague of mine, Joe Mike Jones, mentioned in casual conversation that he had run two marathons when he was in his 40’s. I knew then that if Joe Mike could do it, so could I. As I learned how to train for a marathon, I discovered the biggest barriers to accomplishing this goal…
 
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    Management Blog

  • Why solo time is the key to effective teamwork

    AIM Qld & NT
    15 May 2012 | 6:23 pm
    The secret to highly effective workplace collaboration is to allow team members to "do their own thing", Inc. magazine reports. While the suggestion that beneficial team outcomes result from individual processes may seem counter-intuitive, the article explains that people are ultimately more creative when working alone. It's claimed too much teamwork can result in people not being given private time required for deep thinking; the constant interruptions involved in group work are also highlighted as a drawback. But rather than being an all or nothing proposition, managers are…

  • Article round-up from @aimqld - 4-11 May

    AIM Qld & NT
    13 May 2012 | 11:19 pm
    Twitter speedlinks from last week on @aimqld: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help Resolve Conflicts and Build Tough, Kind Leaders (via Knowledge @ Wharton) http://bit.ly/Iyt4Dy When Core Values & New Ideas Collide (via Inc.) http://bit.ly/JUWEEE The Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make (via Great Leadership) http://bit.ly/KAoepn The 4 Doors to Loyalty: Your Welcome Mat to Customer Intimacy (via Marketing Profs) http://bit.ly/IQlfZm 7 Tips for Networking (via Entrepreneur) http://bit.ly/Jb0mJx 10 Predictions for What the CIO Role Will Look Like in 2020 (via CIO.com) http://bit.ly/IT2GHi How…

  • The big ask: improving your negotiation skills

    AIM Qld & NT
    13 May 2012 | 7:10 pm
    Whether advancing a cause, asking for assistance or changing stakeholder attitudes, every entrepreneur needs to be well versed in the art of negotiation, according to this Fast Company post. To help entrepreneurs perfect the “art of the ask” Selena Rezvani, author of pushback: how smart women ask, describes the following two pathways to stronger negotiation experiences: Set the pace – it’s claimed the world’s best negotiators understand the power of asking progressively for something: “Putting a key reasoning out there and then allowing ample time for the dialogue volley helps you…

  • Top start-up businesses revealed

    AIM Qld & NT
    10 May 2012 | 6:43 pm
    Corporate wellness services, wineries and ethnic supermarkets are just a few of the business categories set to achieve "next big thing" status this year, according to a new IBIS World report. This recent Business Finance Store post offers a good overview of the start-up categories that rate a mention in the report. While US focused, some ideas clearly have global potential. The list includes: Relaxation beverages – forget energy drinks, more people are now focusing on beverages that help them unwind Social network game development – demand for apps that amuse and engage show no…

  • The business case for gamification

    AIM Qld & NT
    9 May 2012 | 7:01 pm
    The concept of gamification – the use of video game technology in non-video game contexts – can improve everything from health to intelligence, according to gaming guru Gabe Zicherman. Speaking at the recent Next Web Conference in the US Zicherman explains why gamification has the potential to reshape the future of business innovation.
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    Leadership Lessons From Triathlons

  • How Will You Add Value To This Job?

    15 May 2012 | 10:09 pm
    ‘How do you think you can you add value to this company?’ is a valid question that experienced interviewers may ask. It may be over-asked until it is a cliché, yet it has it relevance. In marketing, we call this a differentiator. How are you positioned differently from others?Corporate headhunters will not call upon you unless you have made a mark in the ocean of professionals. What is your specialty, and have you attained expert-status and mastery? How do you stand out? How do you demonstrate that you are out-standing, while retaining your humility and humbleness?Do a SWOT analysis.

  • Stop Being Invisible

    14 May 2012 | 11:42 pm
    The Invisible Man had a, unnoticeably, hard life. On one hand (when he could see it), he could operate undetected his clandestine tasks. On the other, he went about life relatively unnoticed. It is like you are a superhero, and nobody know you exist, or somebody more expressive steals your identity (and credit that goes with it). Thankfully, somebody noticed him eventually, too late for him to enjoy post-humous, Hollywood and publishing royalties based on his biography.How many of you live your life invisibly?I have heard the excuse of the recluse: ‘I just want to stay humble. It is the…

  • Efficiency & The Time-Crunched Athlete

    14 May 2012 | 9:33 am
    Being efficient is the key. Efficiency is the value of reducing wastage. It is not merely about doing things fast, often mistaken for efficiency. Expediency and effectiveness are factors in this simple equation of being efficient.1) Planning and organisingWhere will your training take place? Proximity and ease of access is critical. Will you be doing your core-strength workout at home, or at the nearby fitness park? You can do a warm-up jog to the park, then do your exact sets based on your prescribed menu of exercises. If riding, factor in warm-up and cool-down time, so you are not late in…

  • Nine Ways To Update Your Profile

    13 May 2012 | 10:54 am
    Profiles that are left idle, may affect your personal branding. By updating your online profile, you are keeping yourself fresh and contemporary. Otherwise, your presence is, at best, temporary. Remember the platinum rule in online marketing: Content is king. When face-to-face, your personality and character makes you royal and regal. Your profile is your summary of your comprehensive file (i.e. resume, CV, or biography). However, never attempt to over-inflate your resume even for the Head Honcho's position (especially in Yahoo!).It is not difficult to update your…

  • Lessons Learnt From Parents

    12 May 2012 | 11:37 pm
    There are absolute ‘rights and wrongs’ in life, and there is an even wider range of grey areas. Even laws and legislation change. The disparity in opinions engages unpleasant emotions, resentment and hatred. Opinions are far and wide; everybody has one. The Generation Gap (perceived or real) exists.Parents want to be helpful. They, too, want to feel useful. In practice, many feel impotent when they face defiant teenagers and the Black Sheep of the family. They then panic, and seek advice from a wide variety of sources, and resources. This can add to the confusion, and accelerate the…
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    Top Executive Coaching with Tony Mayo

  • Transform a wall into a welcome

    tonymayo
    23 Apr 2012 | 12:47 pm
    They drew a circle that shut me out Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout But love and I had the wit to win; We drew a circle that took them in. –Edwin Markham Share it!

  • Integrity: Executive Coaching Teleseminar

    tonymayo
    30 Mar 2012 | 8:23 am
          Integrity: The Most Overlooked Business Advantage   Podcast #13: Teleseminar on the power and practicality of integrity, doing what you say when and how you said you would do it. Just click here and either listen through your computer or subscribe through iTunes to have this and all new episodes placed on [...]

  • Slow Death by Stress

    tonymayo
    5 Mar 2012 | 2:20 pm
        This clever infographic summarizes some of the research on negative health effects of job stress. People like my clients, “Senior Corporate Executives,” are the 3rd worst. I do not the job my nephew had in Afghanistan, removing mines and IEDs, but other than combat these jobs seem very stressful. Plus, soldiers have access [...]

  • A conversation with executive coaching client Ron Dimon. Part 7

    tonymayo
    28 Feb 2012 | 9:42 am
        This latest podcast is part seven of a funny and useful conversation between top executive coach Tony Mayo and his longtime client Ron Dimon. Ron is an expert on the use of information by executives of large organizations. Listen as two experienced business people play with useful ideas in this episode including: Put [...]

  • A conversation with executive coaching client Ron Dimon. Part 6

    tonymayo
    13 Feb 2012 | 9:35 am
        This latest podcast is part six of a funny and useful conversation between top executive coach Tony Mayo and his longtime client Ron Dimon. Ron is an expert on the use of information by executives of large organizations. Listen as two experienced business people play with useful ideas in this episode including; Networking [...]
 
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    QAspire Blog by Tanmay Vora

  • Effective Meetings: A Round Up

    Tanmay
    14 May 2012 | 11:13 pm
    I love SCRUM methodology because it focuses on making meetings effective. Focus is on decisions and actions. A quick stand-up meeting everyday to track progress. One of the biggest wastes in any organization are ineffective meetings. I have always believed that meetings (specially with the team) are a great forum to inspire action, instill a sense of urgency and get things done. I have written earlier about effective meetings and there are other great authors who have written about it. Here’s a round-up: - – - – - Mary Jo Asmus offers ideas on conducting compelling meetings and…

  • Improvement: Show Them The Results

    Tanmay
    8 May 2012 | 10:26 pm
    A child develops confidence as she experiences things around her. We buy into products for which we perceive experience to be positive. We support causes that deliver positive results. In an organizational context, how can we then expect people to be totally committed to the improvement initiative at the start? People will never commit to anything that they have never experienced first hand. As a manager, if you are trying to improve your work practices, remember this: Let your improvement initiative speak for itself through positive business results. Sell benefits of the process improvement,…

  • Team Performance: Keeping Ego at Bay

    Tanmay
    2 May 2012 | 11:32 pm
    Ego is a strong emotion and often, success feeds it. As we evolve as professionals and accomplish more, we tend to accumulate beliefs about ourselves (and the world around us). Soon, we start looking at world from the lens of these beliefs and decide what is right or wrong. Unfortunately, our world view is often skewed when it is only seen from the lens of our egos and limited beliefs. By definition, ego is a false and emotionally charged image of the self. At work place, personal egos between peers often result in situations where work takes a backseat. He thinks that she should have…

  • Food For Thought – April 2012

    Tanmay
    2 May 2012 | 11:10 am
    From a number of GREAT bloggers and authors I read, here are a few snippets of thought provoking insights – straight from my feed reader. Note: Important take-aways marked in bold+italics. Michael Wade on “What Managers Can Learn from Novelists” Recognize that life is not a novel. At least, not in most cases. The most powerful characters in life are the quiet heroes who support families, meet obligations, hone skills, and fulfill civic duties. The same is true in the workplace. Your most important employees are not the charismatic home run hitters. They are your base hitters who,…

  • On Creativity: SRK and Seth Godin!

    Tanmay
    26 Apr 2012 | 10:02 pm
    Two personalities from two diverse nations; One is an Indian mega-star Shahrukh Khan (SRK) and the other is a relentless instigator (and my hero) Seth Godin. Both live a creative life and express themselves fully through their work. Both have a significant impact on large number of people. Recently, both expressed their views on creativity. At his recent talk as Chubb Fellow at Yale University, SRK shared his view on creativity and said, Creativity is your gift to the world. It was never meant to be barter for anything, not even appreciation. You have to believe, that you create only because…
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    churchrelevance.com

  • Nancy Duarte on How to Tell a Great Story

    Kent Shaffer
    11 May 2012 | 9:12 am
    At Catalyst Dallas, Nancy Duarte of Duarte Design discussed how to tell a great story. We are all born with the desire to do something that changes the world. You can have a bad idea and communicate it well, and it will be adopted. You can have a great idea and communicate it poorly, and nothing will happen. So how can we communicate the greatest story well? Establish a likeable hero. I am not the hero; the audience is the hero. The presenter is to come alongside the hero and get them unstuck. Encounter a roadblock. Emerge transformed. Joseph Campell traveled the world to discover common…

  • Matt Chandler on the Importance of Affection for Jesus Christ

    Kent Shaffer
    10 May 2012 | 8:33 pm
    At Catalyst Dallas, Matt Chandler of The Village Church (Flower Mound, TX) discussed the importance of affection for Christ. My (Matt) hope for you through this talk is a greater affection for Jesus Christ. I am drawn to passages that seem intimate with God. “As a deer panteth for the water so my soul longs for you.” That isn’t friendship. David’s soul longed after Jesus. In Philippians 3:10, Paul says, “that I might know him.” Augustine said, “How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! You…

  • Jud Wilhite on the Roller Coaster of Ministry

    Kent Shaffer
    10 May 2012 | 3:25 pm
    At Catalyst Dallas, Jud Wilhite of Central Christian Church (Henderson, NV) discussed the roller coaster of ministry and leadership. Maybe things are going great for your ministry and then a team member has a moral failing. Maybe the offering report tanks. And then you start thinking… Maybe I’m messing up. Maybe I’m not hearing God’s voice. How do we stay grounded in the ups and downs of ministry? In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says God knows when we are sincere. So don’t focus on creating a ministry worth bragging about. Focus on having a faithful and sincere heart.

  • Katie Davis on God’s Love in Every Moment

    Kent Shaffer
    10 May 2012 | 2:36 pm
    At Catalyst Dallas, Katie Davis shared her story of moving to Uganda, becoming the adoptive mother of 13 children and creating a child sponsorship program that cares for 620 children. Katie says adoption has taught her so much about the Father’s heart. Adoption is an incredible way to look at a child that wasn’t originally your own but love them as though they were your biological child. God is like that. He love you completely and makes you part of His family. I (Katie) want to always focus on the outcome and the goals accomplished, but God is also in the everyday and in the…

  • Jon Acuff on Finding Your Identity

    Kent Shaffer
    10 May 2012 | 11:19 am
    At Catalyst Dallas, Jon Acuff discussed finding your identity. Growing up it always weirded me out that sometimes we don’t use our best creativity to celebrate the Creator. We would make t-shirts that would play off of popular brands like Coca-Cola and Burger King. And so I (Jon) started a very popular humor blog about the funny things Christians do. I ran into something I never expected – haters. I learned that haters only get louder when you do something that matters. But we are so accustomed to act like critics matter and then focus on all the bad things. We use critic math…
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    Management Craft

  • Remember when we were courageous? Seemingly fearless?

    Lisa Haneberg
    14 May 2012 | 9:38 pm
    I was walking on the treadmill tonight while listening to my iPod. I have a playlist of up tempo songs great for walking. The song "Relax" came on from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I thought about something I did when I was in my early 20s to this song... Get your mind out of the gutter.... Before I tell you what I did, let me come clean and admit I was a serious disco queen. A total disco freak. I loved it all, especially the somewhat funky stuff like Depeche Mode, the Cure, Eurythmics, etc.. I also had a thing for Barry White, but who didn't? One more thing before I tell you what I did to the…

  • Most imp question: How should I live? #management

    Lisa Haneberg
    14 May 2012 | 7:33 am
    As a leader, we impact our life and many others. The question I have posed above is fundamental to how we shape our brand of leadership. We all choose - whether we realize it or not - how we will lead. In each moment we are making a new choice. Whatever we do, we choose it, and we are therefore responsible for having done it. It takes effort to act consistently with our chosen way of life - to manifest the leader inside. It takes courage to resist the urge to tone down our boldness or turn up our meekness. We push the mute button for fear of being labeled something. For fear of standing out…

  • Give Feedback that Fills the Spirit #management

    Lisa Haneberg
    10 May 2012 | 9:02 am
    This is a portion of a real email: “Super! Very well done. Exactly what I requested.” After seeing this, and feeling its effect, it got me thinking about how some people are so much better at providing feedback and reinforcement than others. A message like the one above, sent in a timely manner so that the “what” is very clear, not only reinforces expectations and provides feedback, it buoys the spirit. We all want to hear that we nailed it. I have known managers who would never tell someone he or she did an amazing job and this is a shame. Bad, bad manager! The power of being fully…

  • De-Fragging the Organization

    Lisa Haneberg
    2 May 2012 | 4:32 pm
    Do you remember when we used to de-frag our hard drives? Those were the days. All we had to do was push a button and all the disconnected bits would find each other and come together. Gaps filled and errors fixed themselves. After de-fragging, our computers work better, faster, and did not suffer from spastic glitches. We would go about our work until it was time to de-frag again. If only we could push a button and do the same for our organizations! We need to de-frag our workplaces but it takes more than a single action. Think of all the things that get fragmented: Communication streams.

  • Contingent Accolades, AKA Praise-Request Email Sandwiches – They will backfire, so don’t do them!

    Lisa Haneberg
    30 Apr 2012 | 12:09 pm
    I have been thinking about this topic for some time and was not quite sure how to approach it. Why? Because the inspiration for this post comes from the frequent requests I get by email to interview an author, do a guest post, do a link exchange, advertise on the blog, etc.. I get many every week, usually a few a day. Inevitably, the email begins with praise about a post. Lisa, I really loved your posts about XYZ and think that your idea is right on. Some call me brilliant! Insightful! Enjoyable! It makes a girl’s head swell. And then it deflates. Everything would be peachy and wonderful if…
 
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    All Things Workplace

  • Change: What Gets In The Way?

    Steve Roesler
    7 May 2012 | 8:29 am
    Defending the status quo. "That will never work."  "... That said, the labor laws make it difficult for us to do a lot of the suggestions [you] put out. And we do live in a lawsuit oriented society.""  "Can you show me some research that demonstrates that this will work?" These are just a few of the real-life quotes about defending the status quo from a Seth Godin post that I saved about six years ago. Given that our work here always includes organizational or individual change, we've heard most of them more than once. How about you? Tip: When you hear any one of these, ask this question:…

  • Do You Use Verbal White Space?

    Steve Roesler
    23 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    Graphic designers know how to focus your attention.They frequently communicate through the use of white space. Less is more. The message is clear. There's no clutter. Use Verbal Whitespace You can increase your verbal impact  the same way. How many times have you wished that someone would just "say what they mean?" Boss says: "We finished the senior level meeting and it looks as if we have to increase our numbers. We've been working hard on that project for a long time. I told the management team about the obstacles, how much overtime people have been putting in, and what the client has…

  • "What Do I Want To Be?" or "What Do I Want To Become?"

    Steve Roesler
    15 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    Which question are you asking yourself? Your choice will help determine the depth of your life as well as the comfort-level of your career. I've been watching a new CEO client begin his tenure at a global company. He is very comfortable listening, talking, giving direction, and saying "I don't know. That sounds good to me. Go ahead and do it." (Whatever the "it" is). What I'm really seeing is a man who has, over a lifetime, decided to "become" the kind of person he wanted to be. I know for a fact that he didn't set out to be a CEO. In fact, he was invited into the role. The reason he received…

  • Meetings: The First 15 Minutes Matter

    Steve Roesler
    9 Apr 2012 | 5:40 pm
    Beginnings make a huge difference  Meetings offer a perfect example. I was working with a VP who started off her 3-day, first quarter meeting with a 20 minute introduction. In that 20 minutes she crisply and energetically laid out: The purpose and expected outcome of the three days Three highlights and three lowlights from the previous year Why people were seated, by name card, at their six-person tables. (There were actually two reasons):     1. To include representatives of different functions at each table     2.  To have a new manager at each table who had never been with the…

  • Wisdom, Integrity, Discernment and 1,000 Posts

    Steve Roesler
    1 Apr 2012 | 11:01 pm
    This is the 1,000th post here at All Things Workplace! Today's post was first published in 2007 and I decided to bring it back because its comments prompted an entire series to be generated as a result. I hope it adds meaning to your day and your career. ________________________________________________________________________________________  How often do you hear the terms wisdom, discernment, and integrity used during the business day? And just what are organizations looking for when they are hiring or promoting? We hear words like intelligent, problem-solver, action-oriented,…
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    Lip-Sticking

  • Mom's Reflections on Graduation Day 2012

    Donna DeClemente
    16 May 2012 | 7:12 am
    By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk Today my oldest daugher, Kelsey, is graduating from college. When I post this we should be in route to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to attend the graduation ceremony of the 2012 Class of New York University. The school has so many students that it needs to be held in a stadium this huge. Of course they can’t call each student by name. Instead they call them by the school. Kelsey is graduating from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and majored in Drama. Tisch will be having their ceremony on Friday at Radio City Music Hall. So my husband,…

  • Comfortable or Sloppy?

    Mary Schmidt
    14 May 2012 | 10:18 am
    By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter  Following on Yvonne's post last week, The Power of A Woman's Face  I admit - I look at "stars without makeup" photos on occasion. Most of whom look like normal, pretty people on their day off. And, I'd certainly hate to have people taking shots of me shuffling out - in my bathrobe, flip-flops and Clark Kent glasses - to get the paper off the driveway every morning.  Like Yvonne, as I've gotten older I've gotten more comfortable. At one time, I would never, ever have left the house without my full make-up.  These days, my daily…

  • What Men Don't Get About Women's Purses

    Chloe Spencer
    13 May 2012 | 9:14 am
      Article by Chloe Spencer A woman's purse is her most treasured belonging, she never goes anywhere without it, and to lose it basically means losing her life. Right ladies?! Everything is in your purse! Your wallet, credit card, driver's license, keys, cellphone, makeup, to-do lists, perfume, the list goes on. It's pretty much like Mary Poppin's magic bag where you can fit a whole lamp in there and passers-by would never know. I can fit a surprising amount of stuff in my purse, as much as I can get into it. Men may think we're crazy, but the more we have in our purse, the more comfortable…

  • Was/Am I A 'Bad' Mother?

    Yvonne
    11 May 2012 | 8:53 am
    Guest blog by Blog Manager Robbi Hess I recently took a 2,400 mile cross country road trip and because of that I had a lot of time alone in the car with talk radio. I imagine it was in response to Mother's Day, but most of the talk show hosts seemed focused on how we mothers have "failed our daughters" or have "forced Hollywood standards" upon them. That got me to thinking about my own daughter. Had I failed her? Let's review.  Let's see, when my daughter was born, I did not breast feed. I know that in light of the recent Times Magazine cover and article I apparently did her a disservice.

  • The Key to Getting Your Team on Track—Give them All D’s

    Yvonne
    11 May 2012 | 8:36 am
    Guest blog by AmyK Hutchens, AmyK International, Inc. Imagine if you could get your team on board to work in concert and change the future of your company for the better. What if, in the process, you were also able to give them a greater sense of worth and to inspire them to work toward new goals as a team? Which enhancements to our product or service will make the biggest difference?  How can we cut costs?  Do things better, faster? Stand out from the competition? Every day you are faced with a myriad of challenges in making important decisions, creating innovative plans and taking action!
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    Neuro-Linguistic Programming | NLP | Sales Training Techniques

  • How to Get the Voices in Your Head on Your Team

    AJ Kumar
    16 May 2012 | 12:18 pm
    All of have voices in our heads that provide both insight and criticism on our thoughts and actions.  Don’t worry – it’s not a type of mental illness.  In fact, these voices are actually our subconscious minds chiming in on whether or not we’re behaving in ways that are consistent with our core values and [...]

  • Assertive versus Aggressive: Which Side are You On?

    AJ Kumar
    9 May 2012 | 1:06 pm
    Learning to behave more assertively is an important part of being successful in life.  Whether your newfound assertive behaviors enable you to push for that big salary raise you’ve deserved for years or simply to command more respect from your peers and colleagues, identifying and modeling assertive behaviors is a great way to improve your [...]

  • Affirmations: BS or Valuable Personal Development Technique?

    AJ Kumar
    1 May 2012 | 1:06 pm
    If you’ve read my past posts, you know I think that the “Law of Attraction” – by itself – is pretty much bogus.  I mean, really – you can sit around on the couch all day, wishing and hoping for a fit body, a million dollars and a supermodel girlfriend.  But until you actually take [...]

  • Fake it ‘Til You Make it: How to Convince Others You’re Confident

    AJ Kumar
    26 Apr 2012 | 10:13 am
    Are you frustrated by feelings of low self-esteem, inadequacy and shyness?  Do you struggle seeing “naturally” confident people and wish that – just once – you could feel like they do throughout your daily life? Well get over yourself!  Really, there are very few people in the world who are born confident.  For the rest [...]

  • 3 Techniques That’ll Get You a Date

    AJ Kumar
    24 Apr 2012 | 10:12 am
    In today’s ultra-connected society, getting a date just isn’t as easy as it used to be!  Pick up lines are overplayed, while the constant stream of information provided by popular dating websites makes screening potential partners easier than ever. So if you’re struggling to find love in this frustrating situation, consider the following NLP techniques: [...]
 
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    Biz Growth News - branding, business development and new media tips to attract more clients in less time

  • Free Webinar: Customer Centricity – is it a Panacea or a Pipe-Dream?

    Krishna De
    23 Apr 2012 | 12:22 am
    UPDATED 7 MAY 2012 – If you missed our recent webinar about the importance of developing a customer centric organisation to succeed in today’s challenging market place you can access the webinar recording as a video, the slides and an MP3 of the event below. In October 2011, IBM released a global chief marketing officer study. Over 1,700 CMOs were interviewed and the research identified four major challenges that they are facing: -   The adoption of social media -   The proliferation of channels and devices -   Shifting consumer demographics -   The explosion of data. I am…

  • 7 Irish Facebook Timeline Cover Images Celebrating St Patricks Day

    Krishna De
    18 Mar 2012 | 10:17 am
    If you joined me for one of my Facebook Timeline webinars in the last couple of weeks, you will know how impactful your Facebook cover image can be in sharing your brand story. I thought I would explore how Irish Facebook Pages have celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year using their cover photo (and in two cases changing their Profile image) in the hope this may give you some inspiration for the next public holiday you celebrate wherever you are in the world. If there are other Facebook Timelines that you think did a great job in celebrating St Patrick’s Day through their Timeline cover…

  • Win A Ticket To Attend The Techovate Conference, Wexford 21-22 March 2012

    Krishna De
    17 Mar 2012 | 4:30 pm
    If you have not already heard about the terrific conference that is taking place this week in Wexford for small and medium enterprises looking for guidance on how to accelerate your business using technology, you will want to check out the Techovate conference website. There is an impressive line up of speakers including Cisco, Eircom, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, IBM, Microsoft and PwC. As I reference in my recent article about recommended conferences for 2012, the event is especially relevant for small and medium enterprises who are looking for guidance on how to improve their business…

  • Recommended Marketing And Social Media Conferences For Leaders And Entrepreneurs 2012

    Krishna De
    17 Mar 2012 | 3:11 pm
    I often get asked what conferences I recommend people attend so if you are based in Ireland or the UK I thought I would curate a list of events that I recommend you consider attending if you are an executive or leader interested in social media and integrated marketing. I will update this list during the course of the year so if you have a suggestion that you think should be added do leave a message in the comments or through our support desk. For some of the later events the speakers have not been announced so I have added Twitter profiles were they are available so you can follow them to…

  • The St Patrick’s Day Google Doodle 2012 Inspired By The Book Of Kells

    Krishna De
    17 Mar 2012 | 4:04 am
    If you check into Google’s search engine today in some countries today including including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Denmark, the UK, and of course Ireland you will find the Google Doodle celebrates St Patrick’s Day. The Google Doodle was drawn by Chinese American artist Jennifer Hom who is based in New York. and is inspired by the Book of Kells. The Washington Post reports that Hom worked on the Google St Patrick’s Day 2012 doodle for 40 hours over four days. Hom comments that she had to zoom in by 300 percent to render the precise Celtic knots which is closer than the…
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    Lean Six Sigma Academy

  • A Factory of One

    Ron Pereira
    26 Apr 2012 | 9:17 am
    If you missed our most recent webinar called “A Factory of One“ you can watch a replay of it here. It was excellent and I highly recommend you take the time to check it out. It’s free to view until May 15, 2012.  After that it will only be available to subscribers of Gemba Academy’s Complete Lean Package. You can watch the entire, hour long, webinar by clicking here. Here is a description of the webinar. Most people spend all their time applying lean tools to external processes and systems. But what about the fundamental machine of production: you? How can you reap…

  • Caine’s Arcade

    Ron Pereira
    16 Apr 2012 | 1:10 pm
    I second Dan in saying this may be the best 11 minutes of your day.  If you want to be inspired – and smile – watch this video (click through to site if you’re reading via email or RSS).  Really, folks.  Please watch this.  All of it. The RSS feed content you are reading is copyrighted by the author, Ron Pereira. If you are reading this material on a site other than LSS Academy, the web site is likely infringing on the author's copyright. Related posts:Leader Standard Work – Part 1 Applying TPS Beyond the Shopfloor I Want to Be Like Benny

  • Webinar Replay: Using SPC to Make Better Management Decisions

    Ron Pereira
    27 Mar 2012 | 11:09 am
    Update: This webinar can now only be seen by subscribers to the Complete Lean Package. In this pre-recorded webinar, Mark Graban, author of Lean Hospitals and the upcoming book Healthcare Kaizen, showed how simple statistical process control (SPC) methods can be used by managers and leaders to make better decisions about their businesses. Using examples from manufacturing, healthcare, and services industries, Mark illustrated the basic SPC rules and explained how to create and interpret a control chart, allowing you to spot statistically valid trends and avoid overreacting to common cause…

  • Perseverance & PDCA

    Ron Pereira
    13 Mar 2012 | 12:05 pm
    “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The ability to persevere through the tough times we experience as lean and six sigma practitioners is extremely important. In fact, the ability to persevere through the tough times we experience as human beings is also important. But, unfortunately, perseverance alone isn’t eough. Not Enough You see, in order to find success at work or home we must also continuously turn the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) wheel. We must seek to deeply understand the problem or problems. We must have the courage to relentlessly…

  • Kanban Systems Overview Video

    Ron Pereira
    5 Mar 2012 | 6:58 am
    Here’s the first overview video from our latest course focused on Kanban Systems. And here’s a summary document of this video in PDF format that can be downloaded and printed. If you’re reading this via email or RSS feed you may need to click through to the website to see the video. Finally, we’re experimenting with YouTube’s new captions system.  You can use it to add subtitles of many different languages.  Just click the CC button once the video starts to play in order to access the Captions menu and choose the language of your choice. You can also disable…
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    Blog | Executive Coaching | CO2 Partners

  • 6 Reasons Why Leaders Don’t Fire Employees, but Should

    Gary Cohen
    15 May 2012 | 2:30 pm
    What is holding you back? 6 Reasons Why Leaders Don’t Fire Employees, but Should No. 1 – You see yourself as nice. When someone is not performing, it is either because they are not motivated to perform or they do not have the requisite skills. If you’ve tried a variety of motivational strategies and have offered skills training, and yet you still haven’t seen significant progress, you and the employee are better off parting ways. Firing may not seem “nice” in the short term, but it’s actually the kindest thing you can do for struggling employees in…

  • 13 Ways to Crush Creativity

    Gary Cohen
    14 May 2012 | 8:22 am
    ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ it is said. When you think of creativity, you often think of ways to promote it! This post looks at the many ways that your organizations culture can prevent it from ever happening. This post is from Online MBA. Creativity is the driving force behind many new products, services, and companies around the world, creating solutions to age-old problems and offering new ways to live our daily lives. Yet despite the indispensable nature of innovation, many businesses don’t exactly foster creativity in the workplace, sometimes even actively working…

  • 14 Tips for Leading an Efficient and Effective Meeting

    Gary Cohen
    10 May 2012 | 8:48 am
    Communicate the importance of attendance, participation, and punctuality. If key staff members don’t show up, cancel the meeting. If their absence has been approved in advance, have them delegate their decision-making responsibility to someone else in the meeting. Make sure all agenda items are aligned with your strategic plans, vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and actions. Place at least one strategic item on the agenda, so that the meeting will have at least one opportunity for elevated engagement. Distribute the agenda in advance and make sure each item is allotted time that…

  • 9 Reasons to Say, “You’re Fired!”

    Gary Cohen
    8 May 2012 | 10:36 am
    Leaders don’t enjoy firing people. They may feel relief after they’ve done so, but rarely joy. Even Donald Trump seems to feel a measure of regret when he fires someone. Leaders want to inspire their team members to improve and become success stories. They want to find a way—perhaps the only way—to turn struggling employees around. They see someone else’s failure as a personal challenge, and they can spend an inordinate amount of time devising new accommodations/training and weighing whether to reduce expectations or extend deadlines. As an executive coach, I know how much time…

  • Confirmation Bias & Belief Perseverance

    Gary Cohen
    2 May 2012 | 9:05 am
    Belief Perseverance Misleads Leaders As leaders, we want to believe our beliefs. We stake a lot on our beliefs–our reputations, our livelihoods, and, in some respects, the livelihoods of our team members. We’re so eager to be right that we can fall victim to confirmation bias–seeking to confirm what we believe, instead of reading evidence objectively. At times, we may even persevere with our beliefs despite clear and irrefutable evidence that we’re wrong. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Ghandi 5…
 
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    The Management Blog

  • Are two managers better than one?

    Adrian Gaskell
    16 May 2012 | 10:13 am
    The idea that two heads are better than one is so well accepted that it's been doing the rounds in proverb form since the 1500's.  Is it right though or just an old wives tale that can be trotted out now and then before being ignored? Two pieces of research suggest that it might well have some legs.   The first, conducted by Asher Koriat, used five seperate experiments to test the role of a partner in our decision making process. He found that when a decision was made by the most confident of the two, it was more likely to be correct than if made by whomever had the most…

  • What's in a personal value and what are mine?

    Graham Wilson
    15 May 2012 | 7:56 pm
    In his address to Stanford Graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs said; "And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition". When we have an intuitive response to something it is often our personal values that are being touched upon. If it's a negative feeling then we are somehow anticipating that our personal values are going to be compromised. If it's a positive feeling, then whatever is happening is probably resonating with those values... ...But how do we determine our personal values and what impact do they have on our lives? Related Content:  What would I do? An…

  • Do you need a Chief Social Officer?

    Adrian Gaskell
    15 May 2012 | 11:05 am
    When managers talk about social media the debate still seems to revolve around external uses of social technologies.  This is typified by the kind of debate I participated in for Professional Manager back in February that asked whether social media was a waste of time. If you flip things around however you can begin to appreciate how social media can be used as a collaboration tool.  I wrote recently about how successful Lego have been at harnessing the innovative thoughts of their customers to revive their fortunes in recent years. Earlier this year Harvard…

  • Date for your diary: “Ask the Expert” session is Dr Mick Blowfield - 1st June 11.00 - 12.00 UK time

    Piers Cain
    8 May 2012 | 5:06 am
     Corporate responsibility is one of those areas that everyone says they are in favour of, but too often is glossed over as being a good idea, but not business critical.  Yet it matters at almost every size of business.   If you are global brand, corporate responsibility can protect your valuable brand.  If you are tendering for public sector work scoring well on CSR can make the critical difference between winning or losing a closely contested contract.  And even a small business can use it to improve profile in the local community and market. CMI has long…

  • The manager as coach

    Adrian Gaskell
    6 May 2012 | 11:39 am
    Continuous improvement is one of those areas that no organisation can afford to overlook.  Whilst the improvement of process is a mature activity, with methods such as lean, six sigma and BPM decades old. You are not watching this post, click to start watchingread more
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    Leadership and Management / Turning Adversity to Advantage

  • Slips, Violations and Mistakes

    brucelynn
    16 May 2012 | 2:42 am
             Tim Harford offers up his own taxonomy of failure in his book Adapt… Slips – You do something you didn’t mean to do (through clumsiness or lack of attention). Mistakes – You do the act on purpose, but with unintended consequences. Violations – Someone deliberately does something wrong. Harford discusses the challenges of each, especially the difficulty in even identifying Mistakes and Violations. They are harder to spot and lead to even more insidious failures…’Latent Errors’: “The more safety systems there are, the less likely latent…

  • Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure

    brucelynn
    15 May 2012 | 3:17 am
      Self-delusion is just one of the failures Tim Harford explores in his ace book, ‘Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure”. He offers up brilliant insight into why humans are wired for screwing things up including 4 dangerous self-deceptions that prevent people from embracing failure… Denial. Examples of people plowing ahead with ill-conceived plans despite numerous pieces of feedback about its flaw. Sunk Losses. “The second trap our minds set for us is that we chase our losses in an attempt to make them go away. Recall Frank, the luckless contestant on Deal or No Deal:…

  • Bad Things

    brucelynn
    14 May 2012 | 2:26 am
      Until it happens to you With his own characteristic adversity-facing humour, Hugh MacLeod reminds us of failure that not only surrounds our lives, but also will occasionally infiltrate our own. Something we need embrace more often in the spirit of appreciation… “When you’re a kid, you hear about bad things happening, earthquakes, foreign wars, car crashes.. but of course at that point of life, they’re still kinda out of reach. Abstract. Things that happen to OTHER people, or so it seems then. Then stick around for long enough, and then some of those bad things land on…

  • Laughing at Cancer

    brucelynn
    13 May 2012 | 5:44 am
      Albert Espinosa is very much the man of the day. He combines the off-beat humour evocative of Edward Lear whose bicentenary is celebrated this weekend, with a fascinating story of cancer survival which is celebrated with last night’s Moon Walk and today’s first (Aberystwyth, Wales) of a series of ‘Race for Life’ events. “Ha ha, I’m a cancer joker with 4.7 lives” Sunday Times piece (paywalled) by Matthew Campbell chronicles author and comedian Albert Espinosa and his lighthearted take on this heavy subject… “’I wasn’t expecting any of it,’ he says. ‘I always…

  • Hairy Ordeal

    brucelynn
    12 May 2012 | 7:12 am
      “There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I’ll braid my hair today?" So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmm," she said, "I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. ‘Well,’ she said,…
 
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    Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

  • 10 Things A Sales Manager Should Avoid

    12 May 2012 | 2:41 pm
    You'll find the following list of the ten most common mistakes made by sales managers toward the very end of Kevin Davis' book, Slow Down, Sell Faster!, about how to sync your sales approach with your customer's buying process:Failing to shift from "super salesperson" mode to managerial mindset.Fighting fires continually.Leaving your staff to sink or swim on their own.Ignoring the importance of performance standards/getting blind-sided by poor performance.Failing to leverage the strengths and resources of your team's top producers.Spending too much time working with the bottom…

  • 5 Questions Your Employees Would Love To Hear During Their Performance Reviews

    11 May 2012 | 6:13 pm
    Here are five important questions you, as a manager and leader, should ask during employee performance reviews:What have I done to help - or hinder - your job performance?What can I do in the next review period to help you achieve/improve?What conditions here enable you - or make it hard - to do your best work?What do you want most from your job?How can I help you reach your career goals?I speculate that most employees have never heard most of these questions from their supervisors on a consistent basis during performance reviews.Thanks to Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell…

  • Geoffrey James On What Makes An Extraordinary Boss

    9 May 2012 | 8:43 pm
    A friend shared with me a spot-on article by Geoffrey James the other day. In it, James explains the difference between averages bosses and extraordinary bosses. He demonstrates why the best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. His insights are based on his interviews of some of the most successful CEOs.  Read his article in its entirety.  The eight points he explains are:1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.2. A company is a community, not a machine.3. Management is service, not control.4. My employees are my…

  • Leadership Lessons From TouchPoints

    30 Apr 2012 | 8:59 pm
    Some of my favorite parts of Douglas Conant's and Mette Norgaards' 2011 book, TouchPoints, are these lessons for leaders:You need to have dual vision. You need to be able to address the most pressing need and do it in a way that makes your employees more capable and ready to take on the next issue.No leader can succeed by being only tough-minded or only tender-hearted. The perfect balance is to be both tough-minded on the issue and tender-hearted with people.Leading with heart doesn't mean you always decide in favor of the individual. It just means that when you need to make a tough-minded…

  • Why Experience Should Come Last When Hiring And Promoting

    30 Apr 2012 | 8:56 pm
    In Leigh Branham's terrific book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, he quotes these sound insights from Dee Hock, the founder and former CEO of Visa:Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience.Hock explains that:Without integrity, motivation is dangerousWithout motivation, capacity is impotentWithout capacity, understanding is limitedWithout understanding, knowledge is meaninglessWithout knowledge, experience is blindShe concludes that experience is easy to provide and…
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    Kevin Eikenberry on Leadership & Learning

  • How to Hire Rock Stars

    Kevin Eikenberry
    16 May 2012 | 6:37 am
    I put this slide on the screen yesterday, while giving a talk on hiring strategies for Choice Hotels International Convention. . . If you want to hire rock stars, you can’t wait until you have an opening to start thinking about hiring.   Here’s an exercise to do today to help you implement this idea. [...]

  • Leadership Lessons from Hamburger (Yes, Hamburger)

    Kevin Eikenberry
    14 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Perhaps this post will prove you can stretch a metaphor a long way (almost as far as a mother of six can stretch a pound of hamburger).  The reality is that I decided to see what I could come up with because this week is National Hamburger Week.  I spent some time thinking about hamburgers [...]

  • Two Opportunities to Solve Your Biggest Leadership Challenges

    Kevin Eikenberry
    13 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    Are you a leader who . . . - Has challenges you aren’t quite sure how to solve? - Finds themselves frustrated with different aspects of your work? - Knows you can build your skills and make a bigger difference, but don’t know how? - Wants a promotion to a higher level of responsibility? - Has high expectations for yourself? [...]

  • Why Leaders Should Celebrate Mothers Day

    Kevin Eikenberry
    13 May 2012 | 6:08 am
      It’s Mother’s Day in the United States – a day to set aside to thank, honor and remember our mothers.  As a leader, I hope you are doing those things for the mothers in your life, and after reading this post, I hope you do a little bit more. This post isn’t meant to [...]

  • Linus, His Blanket, and Change

    Kevin Eikenberry
    11 May 2012 | 8:07 am
    In the last 10 days, I have spent time with three groups, totaling well over 500 people, talking about change – how to understand and lead it.  Change is an important topic for us today, as there is so much of it around us.  What I find in both my study, work, and through observation, is that we have [...]
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    LeaderLab

  • Why Reacting Matters As Much As Planning

    david
    16 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    [This is a guest post from Max McKeown. Max is a consultant, researcher and writer focused on innovation and strategy. The following is excerpted from his new release The Strategy Book.] Young Ingvar Kamprad used unexpected cash from his father – a gift for good exam results – to found IKEA. He lived near furniture makers so reacted by selling furniture. He reacted to a boycott from local rivals by producing his own furniture. Kamprad’s first designer reacted to not being able to fit a table in a car by creating the first flat pack. Then Kamprad reacted to his showroom burning down…

  • Leading HR: Harnessing Social Power

    tim
    11 May 2012 | 10:53 pm
    Human Resource (HR) Departments are often seen as the enforcers of the organization; the unbendable glue that protects it from litigation and unscrupulous employees. This is important, but HR also needs to see their role as one of building and valuing personal networks (Galbraith, 2000). The power of these networks cannot be understated. They form an invisible structure that is more powerful than any formal structure imparted by the organization’s leaders. Employees who effectively understand and navigate the social structure of an organization are the most influential employees, for better…

  • Thought Leaders Vs Do Leaders

    david
    11 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    The folks at MindJet and JESS3 have created a handy infographic to help your sort out who in your organization is a “thought leader “and who is a “do leader.” Hardly the result of scientific inquiry, but still a useful thing to keep in mind when your boss comes walking down the hall. Happy Friday

  • When Decisions Really Count

    david
    9 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    For some reason, our “great man” misconception about leaders will not go away. While most of us have move away from the idea of a leader anointed by God and blessed with rare genetic traits, we still hold onto the ideas that senior leaders, and senior leaders alone are capable of making the tough decisions. In their new book, Judgment Calls: Twelve Stories of Big Decisions and the Teams That Got The Right, Thomas Davenport and Brook Manville offer an argument many have been waiting to hear: human judgment is frail, therefore the best decisions involve the collective genius of an entire…

  • Where (and When) Magic Happens

    david
    7 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    A picture is worth a thousand words; clichéd but true. This illustration may also become clichéd, but whenever I see it, I grin and nod. Although the Promised Land lies within that magic circle, most of us can’t break out of our comfort zone. Recently, the Apple Corporation has shown the world a glorious example of how big business creates magic. No doubt, many CEOs will try to replicate the principles that catapulted Apple to the most valuable company on the face of the earth. Will they be able to do it? One thing is certain; the place to start is the corporate culture. Magic can’t…
 
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    Linked 2 Leadership: The Leadership Collaboratory

  • Leaders: How to Be a Successful CEO

    Kristi Royse
    15 May 2012 | 10:33 pm
    The Social Network movie gave a behind-the-scenes story on Mark Zuckerberg telling how he dropped out of Harvard while developing Facebook and has become one of the most famous, powerful, and youngest CEOs in the world. How has he done this? Leadership Lessons of Mark Zuckerberg and Steven Jobs Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steven Jobs has generated many “spirited [...]

  • Leaders: Who’s Managing Your Social Media?

    C.K. Brechin
    14 May 2012 | 5:51 pm
    Companies invest millions of dollars a year on their brand, whether they realize it or not. Everything a company does – from how they engage their customers, to how they recruit employees and how they market their products — are all rolled up in a corporate brand and contribute to people’s perceptions of that brand. [...]

  • Leaders: You Can’t Really Manage Change

    Anil Saxena
    14 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    During a recent project that involved whole scale transformation of a client’s system to manage, hire, compensate, reward and recognize, 65% of their employees are who drive their profitability. The concept of managing change really is a fallacy. Traditional Change  There are many statistics indicating that traditional change management is only successful in approximately 30% – [...]

  • On Leadership and Motherhood

    Aditi Chopra
    13 May 2012 | 3:55 pm
    We celebrate Mother’s Day every year to honor all mothers around the world. This day is also a celebration of the bond between a mother and her child. It is symbolic of the unconditional love that mothers have for their children. A Mother of A Leader There is however, another very important role a mother [...]

  • Coaching for a Leadership Change – Part II

    Bryan D Wolff
    10 May 2012 | 6:59 pm
    Leadership isn’t easy. It never has and never will be. People are inherently difficult to deal with. And sometimes leaders are the worst to deal with, even if they won’t admit it. Preparing for Change In my last blog post I encouraged leaders to show their followers how a change would benefit them or how [...]
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    Blanchard LeaderChat

  • Employees are from Venus, Bosses are from Mars

    David Witt
    14 May 2012 | 9:25 am
    I’m taking some liberties with the title of John Gray’s mega-selling best-seller, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but I wanted to share some interesting differences in perceptions between what bosses think they are providing and what employees are experiencing in the workplace. Ask most bosses what their management style is at work and you’ll hear them talk of a supportive style that features active listening, coaching, and problem solving.  From their point of view, they feel that they are very active in providing high levels of direction and support to their people on a…

  • Ready to grow and innovate? Begin by driving out fear and apathy—3 ways to get started

    David Witt
    10 May 2012 | 9:17 am
    People are stuck in place, not particularly happy with the way things are, but staying put because they don’t have any better options. It’s a “quit and stay” mentality that has been hard for leaders to address. The tools they’ve used in the past to motivate performance—pay raises, promotions, etc.—are no longer available. Instead of the usual extrinsic motivators, leaders and managers have been forced to try and find new ways of creating an engaging work environment. But most leaders don’t know how to create that environment, explains Bob Glaser, a senior…

  • Don’t make this leadership mistake. Why leaders need to be always in style

    David Witt
    7 May 2012 | 7:48 am
    We’ve all been there. Do to some mix-up or poor communication we end up being either over or under dressed for an occasion. You’re wearing something too casual for a formal event (think shorts at a client meeting) or you find yourself wearing formal to a casual event (think a business suit to an after-work event.) The same thing can happen when it comes to matching your leadership style to the needs of the people you’re leading. In this case, leaders often overdress by over-supervising (providing too much direction and support) or under-dress by delegating (providing too little…

  • Would you ever say NO to a customer? Here’s one time you should

    Kathy Cuff
    3 May 2012 | 7:52 am
    My two boys played three different sports during high school and, as it happens, there were times when they needed to visit the athletic trainer because of an injury. If you want a lesson in how to treat your internal customers, come to my boy’s high school and see a pro in action! The Head Athletic Trainer, Christina, takes her job very seriously, is always concerned about “her kids” as she calls them, and is focused on doing the very best she can to get them healthy again. Saying “yes” and sometimes “no” to customers Christina is 100% about the student athletes—her…

  • Who’s Got Your Back? 5 ways to find out

    Madeleine
    30 Apr 2012 | 8:06 am
    One of the hardest things for brilliant, technically proficient folks to realize is that as they assume more and more leadership responsibility they must depend on the help of others.  And each of these “others” is an individual who needs to be seen, heard and understood. One of the strategies you can use to map out all of the important relationships present in your work environment is to create a relationship map.  To get started, take a large piece of paper, find a white board (though you want to be sure to keep this work private) or use mind-mapping software. Begin by…
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    The Executive Roundtable

  • Leadership Lessons They Don’t Teach in School Part 4

    admin
    8 May 2012 | 8:28 am
    Every Spring we invite 3 senior leaders to our PowerRoundtable panel to share their favourite leadership lessons that don’t come from a textbook (which some would argue is the majority of leadership learning!). For this session, we were joined by Jody Peck, VP Human Resources, PepsiCo Beverages Canada; Stephen Taylor, COO, Morguard Investments Inc.; and Gail Beck-Souter, CEO of Beck Taxi. Every panel we’ve done on this topic shares some common themes, but this particular panel seemed to be well equipped with quotable quotes. Here are some of our favourites: On key skills for future…

  • Oprah Winfrey provides lessons in career derailment

    Glain
    26 Apr 2012 | 3:32 am
    Oprah Winfrey was in Toronto last week offering up her “life class” to thousands of avid fans.  I’m sure it was a great day, but it did make me wonder how Ms. O finds the time to fit this little jaunt around North America into her busy schedule.  Particularly when she’s been recently quoted as complaining about how much work running her new tv network is.  It got me thinking about one of the key derailers for many leaders: super hero syndrome – aka biting off more than you can chew. There’s a saying “if you want something done, give it to the busiest person you know.”  I…

  • Greg Smith, Goldman Sachs: Bombs away! 5 things to think about before torpedoing a career bridge

    Glain
    16 Apr 2012 | 3:57 am
    Former Goldman Sachs employee, Greg Smith, made waves last month when his open “resignation” letter was published in the New York Times.  Smith slammed Goldman for a variety of ills including treating clients like “muppets” and their “toxic and destructive environment”.  Career coaches and other pundits are saying Smith will never work in finance again.  That remains to be seen but it did get me wondering about the merits of publically torpedoing a career bridge. Greg Smith reportedly earned $500k plus a year in his role at Goldman.  With that kind of annual salary, one has to…

  • The Gig Triangle: two out of three ain’t bad. Or is it?

    Glain
    12 Apr 2012 | 4:30 am
    I wrote about this a few years ago but have had multiple conversations over the last two weeks, so I’m dusting it off for our new readers.  As many of you know, my husband is a bass player and, many years ago, educated me on the term “gig triangle” (courtesy of an article in Bass Player magazine) to explain his dissatisfaction with a particular band he was playing with.  It goes like this: for a band experience to “rock”, you have to have 3 elements – great tunes, great money and great hang (band mates).  According to the author of the original article, two out…

  • Getting on Boards: What you need to know before you raise your hand

    Glain
    9 Apr 2012 | 1:28 pm
    On April 4th, we hosted an encore presentation of our highly popular “Getting on Boards” PowerRoundtable.  An at-capacity audience joined our panelists with opinions Sharon Ranson (The Ranson Group), Holly Henderson (Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation) and David Anderson  (The Anderson Group) for an indepth discussion on volunteerism and Board work.  For those who missed it, here were some of the highlights captured by our intrepid team of member table facilitators on what you need to think about before you raise your hand to volunteer: It’s lots of work, so you better love it……
 
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    JT Pedersen

  • Constraints Add Color to Your Life

    JT
    10 May 2012 | 5:30 pm
    Last month, I wrote about the topic of constraints (Do You Artificially Constrain Yourself?).  The topic’s not discussed that often, so I was mildly surprised today, when I came across two independent discussions of constraints.  One was by Chris Brogan (Constraints).  A second was by recognized photographer, C. J. Chilvers (www.alesserphotographerbook.com). Both of their articles, or manifesto in Chilvers’ case, are well-worth your taking the time to read.  Why? Because I think most of us do not take the time to really appreciate the constraints we work with in our lives.

  • What I’ve Read Lately: The Innovative Team

    JT
    4 May 2012 | 2:17 pm
    “The Innovative Team” by: Chris Grivas & Gerard J. Puccio ISBN:  978-1-118-11571-8 Ok, kudos for the book cover.  It’s my favorite color and earned +1 brownie point right off the bat . The Innovative Team (TIM) is perhaps first and foremost a book on improved communication. After setting the stage initially, TIM uses a story book form, crafting its message as a short novel, to get it’s points across.  Personally, I appreciate business books taking this approach, similar to the late Eliyahu Goldratt. The Innovative Team makes a valid point.  Often, we confuse…

  • Deadlines By Fiat, Agile, & Disaster!

    JT
    3 May 2012 | 1:02 pm
    Increasingly, I find that ‘Agile’ is essentially a modern day metaphor for Communication.  There are volumes of books on the topic.  Strong evangelists and enthusiasts.  Devotees to a new process.  Yet, if you boil it down, it always reduces to Agile==Communication. Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending the regular Ann Arbor Agile Groupies event.  The focus was fiat deadlines lead to disaster.  For two hours, we traded stories of how arbitrarily set dates led to all manner of disaster: destroying morale, missing delivery dates, being massively over budget,…

  • Been Quiet Recently–Here’s Why

    JT
    28 Apr 2012 | 4:50 pm
    For the benefit of my regular readers I wanted to share why things were a bit quiet of late. The past couple weeks were spent preparing for a series of meetings in Denver, Colorado. Overall, the meetings were very productive and the trip worthwhile. In some of my spare time, I took some pictures in the mountains to the west. For those not accustomed to the views, particularly my fellow flatlanders<g>, the scenery is simply spectacular. Following are a few pictures for you.  [CLICK images for full-size versions] Possibly RelatedNo Related Post

  • Not Comfy, Feeling Uncomfortable?

    JT
    17 Apr 2012 | 3:21 pm
    When was the last time you felt uncomfortable? I mean, seriously uncomfortable. And not because your bum itched. Uncomfortable because of a new change at work or being asked to think differently than you have before. Many of us have areas in our lives where we are very comfortable. It’s a nice place to be.  And, there are other places, outside our areas of strength or proficiency, that make us want to skirt them, fly past wherever possible, and return right back to our comfort zones. As Laurie Hayes points out, “One of the biggest obstacles to succeeding in business or achieving…
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    Leader's Beacon

  • Use Storytelling Technique to Communicate Your Vision

    jjacoby
    15 May 2012 | 9:51 am
    Equally important to creating a powerful future vision is how that vision gets communicated to your people. This is where the art and skill of storytelling becomes very important. Done well, storytelling can be a powerful catalyst for driving transformational change. Effective leaders tell stories that position them and their organizations as change agents instead of defenders of the [...]

  • To Be The Best

    David Kovacovich
    15 May 2012 | 9:19 am
    “To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. That’s all there is to it.” -   Adam Vinatieri As a writer I expound on certain events to bring metaphorical significance to different walks of life. Such is the extended purpose of the media. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with a lot of [...]

  • Learning Curves and Frustrations

    Doug Dickerson
    12 May 2012 | 6:13 pm
    Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young – Henry Ford In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Lars Anderson writes of the learning curve and challenges of rookie NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. A former IndyCar driver, Patrick is not new to racing but is new to [...]

  • Why Lunch Is A Bad Setting For Real Business

    timsanders
    10 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    One of worst techniques you’ll pick up in business is “let’s do lunch.” It sounds like a great device for conducting business, be it a pitch or project work.  Often, your offer is accepted, after all, we have to eat!  It sounds less ominous than, “I’d like to setup a meeting to come talk to [...]

  • 50 Key Ingredients to Enduring Connections

    Arnold Sanow
    9 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    In my workshops and training sessions over the last 20+ years on improving customer and workplace relationships  I have found that there are 50 key ingredients that play a major factor in everything from employee engagement, leadership and  team building to customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and sales. To establish excellent customer and workplace relationships and [...]
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    Samuel Bacharach Blog

  • The Knee-Jerk Dichotomy: Management v. Leadership

    Samuel B. Bacharach
    11 May 2012 | 2:35 pm
    As an academic I love dichotomies. They stretch the imagination, help us avoid subtly, and enhance focused debate. My conceptual paradise is a 2 x 2 box where two dichotomies are juxtaposed. Are you in this box or that one? Then the game of trying to figure out which box you belong, “Are you in box A or box B?”, “What type of leader are you?” “Are you transformational or transactional?” “Are you inwardly directed or outwardly directed?” “Are you left or right wing?” Consultants have made a fortune helping people and organizations figure out which box they belong in. The…

  • Escaping the Asylum

    Samuel B. Bacharach
    27 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Sometimes we wonder: why is it the case that we’re so wrapped into the cultural reality, into the value system, and into the little power minuets, that we call organizational life? I’m often struck at the financial conglomerates who have on-site gyms, on-site physicians, on-site food, and on-site life–all for the sake of getting everyone involved in the immediate reality that is the organization. Indeed, organizations in these instances define not only what gets done, but who we are in and outside the organizations. One doesn’t speak about one’s job; one speaks about…

  • Have You Re-Read Giants of Enterprise?

    Samuel B. Bacharach
    27 Apr 2012 | 3:52 pm
    In a recent class at Cornell I heard a group of students demythologize famous leaders as part of an exercise. One of my students concluded, “I wouldn’t have wanted to work for Steve Jobs, he seemed like an S.O.B.” Another student even took Washington down a peg and questioned how bright our founding father really was. He asked weather or not Washington’s silence hinted at tactical stoicism or if his quiet demeanor implied that he often missed the point? Richard S. Tedlow’s book, Giants of Enterprise, is an exercise in demythologizing leadership. “Look kiddy,” said Charles…

  • Toads & Good Ideas

    Samuel B. Bacharach
    30 Mar 2012 | 4:30 pm
    In the 1920s Austrian biologist, Dr. Paul Kammerer, was conducting controversial experiments on the evolutionary process with amphibians—including midwife toads. His work challenged conventionally held beliefs and advocated the Lamarckian theory of inheritance which argues that organisms can pass acquired characteristics from one generation to the next. His research was deemed fraudulent by American herpetologist, G.K. Noble, in the journal, Nature. He charged that Kammerer had injected his mid-wife toad samples with ink so they would appear to have carried on characteristics from their…

  • Good Cause, Bad Boss

    Erika M. Ryan
    9 Mar 2012 | 11:03 am
    I recently worked for a nonprofit public health organization in Belize. It was the chance of a lifetime for a college graduate who wanted to get out of the States: free housing, a livable salary, the opportunity to get involved in public health problems and solutions in a foreign country, and the chance to grow on a personal and professional level by challenging myself to live and work abroad. I loved my first boss. She was a native New Yorker who rose in the ranks of our company until she became director of the Belize site and started to oversee our humble staff of four employees and expand…
 
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    Ravi Pratap Singh

  • Face Your Fear, Reclaim Your Power!

    Ravi Pratap Singh
    1 May 2012 | 9:31 am
    "We reclaim our power by doing what we fear". This quote from Robin Sharma recently caught my attention. How true, isn't it? Personally, my biggest fear has always been mathematics. Due to unforeseen exigencies, I had to take up the additional responsibilty of handling my company accounts last October. Ofcourse, I didn't MAKE the choice of facing my fear... the choice was THRUST upon me! But on hindsight, I am glad to have gotten the opportunity to take up the challenge. Today, I am not only comfortable with accounting, but I actually enjoy number crunching. Having slain my…

  • Do You ENJOY Or ENDURE Your Job?

    Ravi Pratap Singh
    11 Mar 2012 | 11:13 pm
    Have you ever had colleagues or friends who consistently put in 12-15 hours of work a day for weeks on end and still not exhibit the faintest signs of mental or physical fatigue? On the other hand, you may also have come across people who behave like zombies after a couple of extra-long working days. The interesting part about this contrasting behaviour, you may have noticed, is that it has nothing to do with the age of the concerned person. Then what's it that makes the former type of people behave like superheroes? Do these guys gulp down some magic potion with breakfast every morning?

  • E-Learning Industry: Ruled By Women!!!

    Ravi Pratap Singh
    8 Mar 2012 | 11:45 am
         This morning i woke up to a barrage of advertisements and articles in the newspapers on International Women's Day. Ofcourse, i didn't bother to give any of them a second glance (hope i am not sounding like an MCP!). But i guess the visual impact of the headlines was so powerful that when i walked out of the shower, captions like Woman Power, Celebrating Women, Tribute to Womanhood, Women on Top, were buzzing uncontrollbly in my head. And by the time i got into my car, the buzz had become a cacophony! As i was driving to office, i began thinking about the giant strides…

  • Ideation Without Execution Is Delusion

    Ravi Pratap Singh
    1 Mar 2012 | 9:02 am
    Most of us have grand ideas about the things we need to do to improve our personal, professional, social, financial and spiritual status. Some of us also manage to go one step further and maintain a laundry list of these ideas with a time-bound plan of action for their implementation. But only a miniscule percentage of us actually get down to executing the ideas, and thereby, have a shot at success. Unfortunately, execution alone does not guarantee success... FLAWLESS EXECUTION is more likely to help us achieve it. Any…

  • iMad for iPad

    Ravi Pratap Singh
    28 Feb 2012 | 10:41 am
    After nearly two years of resisting temptation, i finally bit the "apple"... and bought an iPad last week. To put it mildly, life hasn't remained the same since. "Insanely Great" was the term Steve Jobs most often used to describe Apple's products. As far as the iPad is concerned, I couldn't agree with him more... it truly is INSANELY GREAT!!! Emails, chats, calls, calendars, notes, social media, pictures, videos, television, books, newspapers, magazines, games, etc, etc... the iPad offers these and many, many more. Some of the killer…
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    RESULTS.com Business Growth Tips

  • Want better business results? Maybe you are not being tough enough?

    13 May 2012 | 10:08 pm
    I remember being thrilled with my first promotion to a managerial position.  I was promoted from sales rep to sales manager, and had just been relocated by my company to the city where the head office was located.  One of the best pieces of management advice I received, strangely enough, was from the owner of a car dealership as he was handing over the keys of my shiny new company car. As his chain of car dealerships was one of the largest in region, I figured he must know a thing or two about how to be a good boss, so I made a point to listen closely. He said, “I have learned…

  • How to build teams that can execute

    2 May 2012 | 3:27 pm
    Interesting research conducted by MIT measured the key factors that are common to great teams - those which function effectively and achieve business execution success. Interestingly, the notion that you need to recruit the smartest people you can find, and assemble them into a team, matters much less than you think.   Here is our take on the research: Great teams communicate frequently. The more frequently a team communicates, the more successful the team is likely to be.  A lower frequency of communication leads to a decline in performance.  This has implications for office…

  • How to prevent your company growth from stalling

    21 Apr 2012 | 12:21 pm
    It is common for firms of all sizes to reach a plateau where revenue growth seems to stall.  This growth tip references research contained in the book Stall Points.   Political and Economic factors beyond our direct control have an impact on company growth of course, but surprisingly the research shows that 87% of growth stalls are preventable, and are related to the strategic decisions you made in the past.   It is critical to measure the Key Performance Indicators that drive your current business model on a weekly and monthly basis (business execution software is…

  • What business leaders can learn from Private Equity firms

    20 Apr 2012 | 9:40 pm
    The best performing Private Equity (PE) firms have valuable lessons to teach business leaders.  Here is our take on an article from Booz & Co. Cash is king. When PE firms acquire a company, they typically use debt to finance the purchase. This creates an urgency to optimize cashflow to repay the debt.  They tightly manage accounts receivables, optimize inventories, and scrutinize all discretionary expenses. Likewise, business leaders should scrutinize every expense in their business.  Is it “must have” (required to keep the lights on), “smart to…

  • Culture = Cash

    20 Apr 2012 | 7:30 pm
    This week’s growth tip is a guest post from our friend John Spence, Business author and thought leader. "In more than 18 years working with companies around the world, I have come to realize the incredible importance of having a strong organizational culture, as it is truly one of the only sustainable competitive differentiators available to many businesses today. Your competitors can copy your products, they can copy your distribution, they can reverse engineer your technology, they can copy and beat your prices… but one of the very few things that can be a defendable…
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    Enclaria: Change Starts Here

  • Things You Do That Make Change Resistible

    Heather Stagl
    8 May 2012 | 8:32 am
    The status quo is a strong force to overcome when implementing change in an organization. Change gets stuck when the organization finds a way to resist it and keep things the way they are. Surprisingly, the very people who implement change frequently do things that allow the organization to resist. Change agents do the following things that make their change initiative resistible. Accept Parts of the Organization “As Is” Change often bumps into something that is seems immovable. Usually, that something is part of the organization’s culture, “the way we do things around here.” Often,…

  • Three Questions to Ask Before Giving Up on Your Initiative

    Heather Stagl
    3 May 2012 | 7:38 am
    I often find myself talking to change agents who are at the end of their rope.  They’ve tried everything they can think of to keep the initiative moving forward, but instead, they find their initiatives – and themselves – stuck. As a result, they start thinking about their alternatives. Some seek other roles or projects within the same organization, and others start looking for another job altogether. And while they are waiting to jump ship, they give up in place, going through the motions but resigned to the fact that the initiative will flounder. It’s not that they…

  • Ten Ways Change Gets Stuck (Teleclass Recording)

    Heather Stagl
    1 May 2012 | 11:47 am
    Last week, I hosted a free teleclass called, “10 Ways Change Gets Stuck.” I detailed the various things that happen that cause change to lose traction.  It includes the things change agents do – or don’t do – that contribute to their own frustration. This episode of The Change Agent’s Dilemma is a replay of that teleclass. Learn what to watch out for, what not to do, and hear about a great new resource to help you avoid getting stuck (or get unstuck if you are already there). Listen to the episode here (45 minutes): Be sure to visit the radio show page to…

  • What if your change were irresistible?

    Heather Stagl
    26 Apr 2012 | 8:23 am
    Change gets stuck when your organization succeeds at resisting it. What if your initiative were IRRESISTIBLE instead?   As someone whose role is to facilitate change in your organization, your success and the success of your project depends on your ability to avoid, remove, or navigate the obstacles that make change get stuck. Among them are: Deeply ingrained habits and mindsets. Leaders that don’t actively support change. Busy people with different priorities. Your limited span of influence. It’s easy to blame the organization (and the people in it) for making change difficult. But…

  • A Way to Implement Change That Really Works

    Heather Stagl
    24 Apr 2012 | 12:05 pm
    “I’m responsible for implementing change. But how do I actually do it?”   If you are a change agent – someone who leads change from within an organization without having authority – then this is a question you are faced with every day. Your challenge is to figure out the actual steps you can personally take to make change happen in your organization. When you find something that works and facilitate a breakthrough, it’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? But otherwise, it can seem like a constant uphill battle. It’s easy to get stuck, wondering why what…
 
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    Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School

  • Mediation in Transactional Negotiation

    PON_Staff
    16 May 2012 | 9:26 am
    We generally think of mediation as a dispute-resolution device. Federal mediators intervene when collective bargaining breaks down. Diplomats are sometimes called in to mediate conflicts between nations. So-called multi-door courthouses encourage litigants to mediate before incurring the costs – and risks – of going to trial. Scott R. Peppet, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, Colo., reports that mediation may be quietly creeping into transactional negotiation, or traditional deal-making, as well. In Peppet’s survey of 122 practicing…

  • What is a “Brokered Ultimatum”?

    PON_Staff
    15 May 2012 | 8:56 am
    Researchers Aleksander Ellis, Stephen Humphrey, and Donald Conlon of Michigan State University and Catherine Tinsley of Georgetown University have studied this new transactional form, which they call brokered ultimatum games, or BUGs. They define a BUG as any transaction involving an intermediary in which one side offers an ultimatum price that the other side either accepts or rejects. These researchers are particularly interested in bidders’ fairness perceptions of the negotiation. As the success of Priceline indicates, when it comes to BUGs, the faster the response, the more…

  • Team Building and Your Negotiations

    PON_Staff
    14 May 2012 | 11:02 am
    Adapted from “Lessons in Diplomacy: Building a Successful Negotiating Career,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, July 2012, and “The Surprising Benefits of Conflict in Negotiating Teams,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter, February 2009. During his years as George H.W. Bush’s Secretary of State, one of James A. Baker, III’s, goals was to encourage the free-market reforms that Communist Party of the Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev had launched in the late 1980s. One day during his tenure, a high-level Bush…

  • Mediation in Transactional Negotiation

    PON_Staff
    11 May 2012 | 9:39 am
    We generally think of mediation as a dispute-resolution device. Federal mediators intervene when collective bargaining bogs down. Diplomats are sometimes called in to mediate conflicts between nations. So-called multidoor courthouses encourage litigants to mediate before incurring the costs – and risks – of going to trial. Scott R. Peppet, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, Colorado, reports that mediation may be quietly creeping into transactional negotiation, or traditional dealmaking, as well. In Peppet’s survey of 122 practicing…

  • Interpersonal Conflict and Negotiation

    Polly Hamlen
    10 May 2012 | 3:00 pm
    Interpersonal Conflict and Negotiation (PSY 0134) TUFTS UNIVERISTY (undergraduate) FALL 2012 Instructor: Sinaia Nathanson An examination of perspectives in social psychology for understanding the escalation and reduction of conflict. Course emphasizes empirical research approaches to the study of conflict and negotiation techniques, and the nature and functioning of third-party intervention in interpersonal, intergroup, and international settings. Section times TBA
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    Vineet Nayar

  • Happiness at work – a reality or an oxymoron?

    Vineet Nayar
    25 Apr 2012 | 1:02 am
    Just the other day, a friend and I were discussing the living legend Sachin Tendulkar and his incredible feat of scoring a hundred centuries. A cricket buff himself, my friend believed Sachin’s magic ingredient was happiness.  “Look at him carefully when he is at the pitch,” he said. “He looks so happy! His childlike enthusiasm seems to melt away the 22 years of hard work that he has put in.” I couldn’t agree more and kept thinking about it afterwards. There was no doubt about the fact that happiness is the magic ingredient in any field. Think of all the experts or leaders you…

  • Why Vineet Nayar likes to talk, talk, talk with his employees, customers and the world at large

    admin
    25 Apr 2012 | 12:52 am
    Almost 30 years ago, in 1983, the new batch at XLRI-Jamshedpur had just settled in for its first day in class when 50 adivasis stormed in and ransacked the classroom before vanishing into thin air. None of the students were hurt, but the professor, Father Edward McGrath, lay in a pool of blood. Even as the dazed students were trying to make sense of what had just transpired, Father McGrath rose to his feet and said it was a staged show. “I want you’ll to sit down and write what you have just seen,” said the Irishman. As it turned out, each student’s version of the…

  • Let’s focus on men instead

    Vineet Nayar
    9 Mar 2012 | 6:48 am
    It’s International Women’s Day and as I read the morning newspaper and flip through television channels, every media platform is talking about women and their transforming role in society – women leaders, women celebrities, amazing feats achieved by amazing women, challenges being faced by them and the promise of an empowered womanhood. Completely engrossed in these captivating stories, I asked my daughter, a high school student, what she thought of the impact that these amazing women had on society. I was caught completely off guard by her reply. She said: Women have always known the…

  • It’s Time to Hand Over the Keys

    admin
    23 Feb 2012 | 6:19 am

  • 5 critical attributes of tomorrow’s leaders

    Vineet Nayar
    2 Feb 2012 | 4:22 am
    Just the other day, we were taking a dip stick on how many people were still sticking to their New Year resolutions a month into the year. We asked around and, as expected, we found that some were already struggling to hold on to them, while many had already given their resolutions a quiet burial. Listening to us admit our failures, a young colleague smilingly reported that she was sailing successfully and was actually near her intended goal. That, she explained, was because she had made a tangible 30-day resolution – one that she was sure she could persevere with – rather than an…
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    Utpal Writes

  • Alternate Point of View for Achieving the Goals

    Utpal Vaishnav
    10 May 2012 | 10:58 pm
    Easily achievable goals are often a self-justifying prediction. We shield ourselves from failure, don’t work as intense, look for what’s not good and often get it. Unachievable goals, on the flip side, will unavoidably lead to discontent. Keep hovering what you expect and sooner or later such goals won’t be achieved. A good result that’s less than what you were hoping feels like a flop-show. Perhaps it’s worth considering no goals. Just concentrated effort. What you get in return is pure outcome that you deserve. Maybe, the time spent worrying about unachievable goals if used in…

  • How to Become a Middle Manager Who Rocks

    Utpal Vaishnav
    3 May 2012 | 12:13 pm
    Typically a middle manager would have quite a big responsibility for making it happen. It depends upon the type of organization and the way top management expects the results. So how to rock as a middle manager? Well, Here are some tips: Demand clear, specific goals from your boss. Pull the work that matters. Ask your boss tough questions which challenge dominating premises. Do your best to fulfill those goals. If your boss guides you about ‘how’ to achieve the goal but you have a different idea, insist. Brainstorm and conclude. But once concluded, commit to it. Define clear, specific…

  • Some Random Thoughts on Software Application Development

    Utpal Vaishnav
    21 Apr 2012 | 10:42 pm
    What should our software application offer? How can we provide that amazing experience to our customers? It’s about creating that awesome user experience. Actually, It’s about creating value, isn’t it? Oh.. and ROI too. Need to do something that we haven’t offered, let’s make an iPhone app! What do customers want? …but, do they know? …perhaps not, did anybody know how would an iPhone work? Why outperform competition, can we NOT make it irrelevant? How about a offering huge discounts this summer? It should work. What about attending that trade show?

  • Be a Better Professional 7

    Utpal Vaishnav
    21 Apr 2012 | 5:41 am
    Understand and leverage the constraints that apply to your work. Know that pragmatism is nourishing; Negativism is exhaustive. Even if you’re a part of a cost centre, ensure that you’re a wise investment. Don’t talk how much time it will take, show the value it will create. Over-communicate – priorities change, decision makers expect something totally different than what they were expecting a week ago, be on the same page. Don’t make promises that you cannot keep. Don’t do different work, do work differently. See Also: Software Professional, Are You Developing Yourself As An…

  • When do you know my product will be perfect?

    Utpal Vaishnav
    16 Apr 2012 | 2:52 pm
    Certainly it is not perfect. It can still be improved. That’s an incorrect question. The correct question is: when can I ship it? It can be shipped when it is adequate. But it’s not perfect. We cannot… Well, it is not. Actually, the efforts put in making it perfect beyond what’s adequate are waste. It’s okay if you like to change the definition of what’s ‘adequate’ but that should be your goal. If your goal is to ship your product after it’s perfect, then, one day you might reach the goal but there might not be any need for that product to be shipped. See Also: Two…
 
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    It's Worth Noting | By Levi Smith

  • An easy way to get email attachments into Dropbox

    Levi Smith
    1 May 2012 | 8:25 am
    I’m a big fan of Dropbox to store and sync files across multiple computers and mobile devices. I also like Box.com, but it’s a little more expensive for a comparable set of features. Box... This is a summary only. Visit my site for the full post, to subscribe via email and to view my toolbox, about and speaking pages.

  • The importance of operating below your capacity

    Levi Smith
    27 Apr 2012 | 8:57 am
    How often do you hear, “I’m giving one hundred and ten percent!” It’s said with pride. It communicates dedication, focus and drive. We say it about work, school, relationships... This is a summary only. Visit my site for the full post, to subscribe via email and to view my toolbox, about and speaking pages.

  • Signs are overrated

    Levi Smith
    27 Feb 2012 | 9:25 am
    Late one evening as I drove back into Austin some field lights shinning brightly off the road caught my attention. The location was peculiar. I did not think there was a baseball or soccer field... This is a summary only. Visit my site for the full post, to subscribe via email and to view my toolbox, about and speaking pages.

  • What can you teach me?

    Levi Smith
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:12 pm
    About two years ago, I asked a new friend of mine to join me for lunch. I had just celebrated my daughter’s first birthday. Gene Ellerbee had just celebrated his 70th birthday. I was upfront... This is a summary only. Visit my site for the full post, to subscribe via email and to view my toolbox, about and speaking pages.

  • Buying into lies about running late

    Levi Smith
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:42 pm
      First off, let me be upfront that I’m often guilty of running late, so what I share here comes from self evaluation. I have committed to solving the problem because as you’ll see... This is a summary only. Visit my site for the full post, to subscribe via email and to view my toolbox, about and speaking pages.
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    Eblin Group

  • What I Learned About Power Last Weekend

    Mary Ellen
    15 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    This past weekend I traveled to Cambridge, Mass., for the 25th reunion of my graduating class at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  (Just writing that makes me feel old.)  I had the good fortune of graduating in a year that was the 350th anniversary of Harvard and the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy School (and its predecessor, the School of... Click headline to continue...

  • The Week in Tweets

    Mary Ellen
    11 May 2012 | 8:54 am
    Every week, I share a recap of some of the best things I’ve seen on Twitter. This week, I’m highlighting tweets and links on sustainability, collaboration, and improving your public speaking, among others. Click headline to continue...

  • How to Talk With People

    Mary Ellen
    10 May 2012 | 8:39 am
    This is one of those titles that when you read it, you might be saying, “Really?” Yes, really. There’s a big difference between talking to people and talking with people. If you’re the designated leader in your organization, that difference has a multiplier effect that can cut in either direction. In a post a few weeks ago, I asked if... Click headline to continue...

  • Show Up and Shut Up

    Scott Eblin
    8 May 2012 | 8:00 am
    For the past couple of years in Next Level leadership workshops, I’ve asked the participants to do a lot of peer coaching exercises with each other. The coaching is always focused on real life issues the participants are dealing with and the conversations are intentionally brief. They’re brief because they more or less flow from three questions that the “coach”... Click headline to continue...

  • The Week in Tweets

    Mary Ellen
    4 May 2012 | 8:17 am
    Every week, I share a recap of some of the best things I’ve seen on Twitter. This week, I’m highlighting tweets and links on how to build your confidence, whether trustworthiness can be taught, and tips for improving your public speaking, among others. Click headline to continue...
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    StrategyDriven

  • Standards and Expectations Warning Flag 4 – Always an Exception

    StrategyDriven
    15 May 2012 | 6:45 am
    Performance standards and expectations drive managerial decisions and personal actions within an organization and serve to align an organization’s members to its vision, mission, and values. Such requirements necessarily demand an exertion of resources to perform the mandated actions. While having a cost, these standards and expectations also return ethical and economical benefits to the organization. In total, the cost of applying a given standard should yield a value greater than its cost.     The text above is only a small portion of this article. Become a StrategyDriven…

  • Who or what is the cause of aggravation? Not you, of course!

    Jeffrey Gitomer
    14 May 2012 | 6:50 am
    It’s Saturday night around 6pm. Early dinner for Jessica, Gabrielle, and me. We’re sitting in Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Charlotte. We’ve been customers at this location for as long as it has been there. Seen several managers come and go, seen hundreds of servers come and go. This particular visit was pivotal because it may have been our last. Their 10-year consistency has been compromised at least three ways: 1. New bread – lower quality. 2. New croutons – lower quality. 3. New espresso – lower quality. They used to serve the best espresso in the city (Illy). But it seems…

  • Standards and Expectations Warning Flag 3 – Changing Standards Based on One-time Arbitrary Errors

    StrategyDriven
    8 May 2012 | 6:09 am
    Humans make mistakes, whether the result of carelessness or unintended misfortune. And no set of performance standards can fully alleviate all errors and their associated adverse outcomes. Additionally, rare and individual-driven events do not necessarily warrant a change in the organization’s performance standards as doing so may offer very little to the prevention of future mistakes. Simply adding new behavior standards for the sake of doing ultimately leads to an unwieldy administrative burden as organization members try to adhere to obscure rules and managers struggle to enforce them. A…

  • Replacing the cold call with: ANYTHING!

    Jeffrey Gitomer
    7 May 2012 | 6:01 am
    I am sick of the argument that cold calling still has a valuable place in selling. Someone PLEASE show me the value. Let’s look at the stats… 98% or more rejection rate 100% interruption of the prospect 100% they already know what you’re selling 100% they already have what you’re selling 100% manipulation to get through to the decision maker 100% lack of personal preparation about the customer Most sales managers could NOT do what they ask their salespeople to do Rejection is the biggest cause of sales personnel turnover Ask any salesperson if they’d rather have 100 cold calls or…

  • Complimentary Resource – Recruitment Technology

    StrategyDriven
    6 May 2012 | 6:44 am
    Recruitment Technology by SAP In this Research Brief, Aberdeen discusses why talent acquisition is at the heart of talent management for many organizations. From the days of medieval guild apprenticeships, to help-wanted classified ads, to the modern job boards and social networking practices, organizations have been working to improve the process of finding, hiring, and deploying new employees. The goal is not only to build a faster, easier, less expensive process, but one that also delivers better quality candidates. StrategyDriven has partnered with TradePub.com to offer you complimentary…
 
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    Management is a Journey

  • Seven Reasons Why Managers Fail to Plan

    Robert Tanner
    15 May 2012 | 2:46 pm
    Some believe that planning is dead!  They say that today’s environment changes too often and too quickly. Despite the disruptive and unrelenting pace of change, planning is still an important function in the workplace. A good plan provides a framework for organizing company resources and it provides direction for employees on how they can help the company [...]

  • Saturday’s Quote – Roger Wilkins on Diversity and Creativity

    Robert Tanner
    12 May 2012 | 11:06 am
    The best hope of solving all our problems lies in harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people. –Roger Wilkins

  • Everyone Has it in Them to Shine [Video]

    Robert Tanner
    11 May 2012 | 7:30 am
    Some managers question the value of coaching an under performing employee.  They argue that it is much simpler for them to just get rid of their non performing employee and replace them with someone who can do the job. As I coach managers, particularly newer managers, I stress the value of adjusting this perspective of [...]

  • What’s Your Power in Your Organization? Don’t Give it Up!

    Robert Tanner
    8 May 2012 | 9:15 am
    I’m tired of giving 150% to this organization and only getting grief back from my boss! I’m going to pull back and just do the minimum until I can get out of here! I remember the frustration I felt from “Karen” as she said these words to me.  Karen’s frustrations were valid.  She was a [...]

  • Saturday’s Quote – William Brown on Performance Management

    Robert Tanner
    5 May 2012 | 9:10 am
    A failure is an event, never a person. – William Brown
 
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    Hauke Borow . org

  • How To Make A Swot Analysis

    haukeborow
    29 Apr 2012 | 3:51 am
    The SWOT-Analysis is a very well-known strategic management technique. Nearly all executives I know could tell you something about this ultimate method which seemed to be the decisive tool to deduce profitable strategies in their own area. But I noticed quickly that the SWOT-Analysis has been applied incorrectly in many cases. Probably most decision-makers believe [...]

  • Leadership and Flexibility

    haukeborow
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pm
    Perhaps you ask yourself now: What the … has flexibility to do with leadership? Perhaps you agree with the statement that flexibility is nice to have. But flexibility as an essential tool of holistic leadership? Mhmm…. So please let me explain. What would you consider to be the most important task of a leader? Motivating [...]

  • The Truth About Change Managers

    haukeborow
    21 Oct 2011 | 3:20 pm
    Nowadays it’s very popular to talk about change. It seems as if change is something that accompanies us all through our whole lives. And you know what? It’s true. We don’t need to go so far and look at the content of our lives. It’s already sufficient to have a look at life itself. Life [...]

  • How Learning Management Systems Can Improve Efficiency

    haukeborow
    2 Oct 2011 | 9:02 am
    Learning management systems go well beyond simply providing training programs to employees. In addition to a tool for delivering content, a learning management system will have tracking features that allow managers to check which courses have been completed. It may also have social learning features that give user the opportunity to share and communicate ideas, [...]

  • My Personal Motivation Strategy

    haukeborow
    23 Sep 2011 | 4:14 pm
    Being motivated is a skill. Did you know that? Please be honest… Most people I know are convinced that motivation is something like a lucky emotional state. Today I feel motivated to do something. Yesterday I didn’t. Tomorrow…? Maybe. I can’t say. Motivation comes and goes like the daily sunrise. But unfortunately not so regularly… [...]
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    Leadership by

  • Creating the Container for Connection by Carol Mase

    Carol Mase
    24 Apr 2012 | 8:31 am
    Creating connection at the team level requires individuals to consciously connect first to themselves.  The leadership literature confirms that emotional intelligence, presence, and influence all require self-awareness – as does connection. Connection starts with your inner dialogue We all have an inner dialogue that goes on in our mind, commenting on our experiences in the world moment-by-moment, situation-by-situation, person-by-person.  It is so natural, so much a part of our “self,” that we rarely even hear the content or notice the impact it has on our actions.  Tim Galloway…

  • The “Do Nothing” Method of Productivity by Kristin Keffeler

    Kristin Keffeler
    10 Apr 2012 | 5:38 pm
    Squeezing Water from a Rock Ask and ye shall receive.  I wanted to work with the brightest, most engaged, forward-thinking and forward-acting entrepreneurs and business leaders out there…. and that’s exactly the clients I have in my practice.  Hallelujah! Turns out that my client niche has an unexpected hitch…. The best and brightest also tend to be the people who create more work than there are hours in the day, which means they have less time and energy to embrace the potential-increasing work style and lifestyle changes they’ve hired me to support them in making. Like squeezing…

  • RE: Connecting by Carol Mase

    Carol Mase
    28 Mar 2012 | 8:07 am
    Last fall I wrote a blog on connecting that struck a chord with one read who wisely noted: “Being connected may just be the tip of furthering anything, even with ourselves…the real work comes in relationship. Do you suppose that the connectivity is the driving force/thread that maintain the relationship with our groups/teams?  What is beyond connectivity?” What great questions! To reconnect with the conversation, remember that it arose from the idea of replacing Tuckman’s teaming concept (Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing) with one more suited to today’s turbulent and…

  • Supportive Leadership – The 5 Basic Rules by Carter McNamara

    Carter McNamara
    27 Mar 2012 | 11:16 am
    (This is a guest post from Professor Günther H. Schust and is based on his free ebook “Supportive Leadership.”) More than two thirds of all problems in our society result from a decrepit leadership culture in economy and politics which allows indispensable profound reforms (i.e. climate protection, finance and tax legislation) and “green” technologies for our environment and thus a qualitative (and not just quantitative) growth to only a limited extent. The whole of Europe is deeply in dept. The standards of living and raw materials become more and more expensive. Nature and…

  • Multitasking Yourself to Mediocrity? by Carol Mase

    Carol Mase
    14 Mar 2012 | 7:24 am
    By: Kristin Keffeler Many of us thrive on it–the rush that comes with feeling that we’re conquering our world, accomplishing more in each day than the Average Joe.  We have a love-hate relationship with the pressure—oscillating between craving the stimulation of managing concurrent tasks and sizzling with the mental overwhelm of the demands on our attention. When did our ability to fracture our attention across time and space become such a badge of honor? A perceived trait of the successful?  Is multitasking really such a beneficial skill to cultivate? The Value of a Fast and…
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    Communication in the Workplace

  • Social Media and Face-to-Face Networking Collide

    KathyCondon
    14 May 2012 | 9:05 pm
    I am getting more and more convinced that there is a way to combine social media and face-to-face networking to build relationships. I appreciate, and read regularly, Denise Graveline’s blog “Don’t Get Caught.” At the bottom of one of her blogs she listed her upcoming events. One of them was going to be across the river from me in Portland, Oregon. The conference is not my area of interest, but I got in touch with Denise and asked her if we could connect when she came to the area. I got a reply shortly after I sent my request. She was working on her schedule. True to her word, she…

  • You Want My Opinion?

    KathyCondon
    8 May 2012 | 10:51 pm
    Recently, I walked out of a presentation near the end. The organizer said, “What did you think?” I didn’t want to get into a long discussion because I knew she had other things to do, so I said, “I learned a lot.” Apparently, I didn’t say it very congruently for she said, “I want to know what you really think about the afternoon presentation?” I moved to the back of the table, sort of knelt down, smiled and said, “Okay here you go.” It was easy to point out what I liked about it. However, she knew I had a “But” somewhere in the back of my mind. So she asked. Organizers…

  • What Happens When You Take a Break from Social Media?

    KathyCondon
    26 Apr 2012 | 11:28 pm
    Last week I took a week off and headed to South Carolina to meet my daughter and her family. Since we were in a new area, Kiawah Island, there was plenty to explore. Little time was spent doing my normal social media updates. However, I would like to share with you what learned because I was not updating. Facebook I made a decision that I would send updates on this site with factoids that people might not know about the area. Therefore, I was taking pictures and sharing. The picture above is one of “Angel Tree.” It is thought to be 350 years old making it the oldest living tree in the…

  • Automatic Responses Do Not Make Me Feel Significant

    KathyCondon
    16 Apr 2012 | 7:10 pm
    We’re all busy. How many more social media sites can we keep updating? Many of us are tempted to figure out a way to automate our interactions with people to save time and energy. However, there comes a point when excessive automation can drive people away from connecting with you. LinkedIn Example A post, in one of the LinkedIn Groups, made a statement: “Join us at ______ and be listed in our directory of speakers.” I went to the website, checked it out, and then asked a specific question in my reply. “I could not find a listing for someone who speaks on face-to-face networking.

  • Want to Learn Technology? It’s Up to You.

    KathyCondon
    9 Apr 2012 | 4:47 pm
    For the first time this year, Easter Sunday, I am sitting out in my sunroom toasty warm and enjoying the sun shining in through the windows. Even if people are not religious, people view this as a time for renewal. When I woke up this morning, to my ultra clean house and office, my mind wandered to what are the lessons I have learned since January 1, 2012. This is what I have learned about technology. • If you want to keep up with changes in our society, you have to keep pushing yourself to learn. • When it comes to hardware, the actual running of my computer, I call my trusted computer…
 
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    The Leadership Advisor

  • 4 Keys To Creating Quality Engagement Reviews

    William Powell
    9 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Much of the challenge many leaders face with employee engagement is the ability to measure it in an intelligible and tangible way. There are a number of ways this can be done through surveys and the like, but they can be time consuming and expensive…plus you’re not sure of the quality no matter what the marketing materials claims about the survey. One alternative is to develop your own employee engagement review. Much like the performance review, it is designed to act as a communication tool that is a snapshot of a current reality – or at least a perception – for an…

  • Success From A Beautiful Disaster

    William Powell
    7 May 2012 | 6:08 am
    I have recently been working with a company to help them move things in a better direction. They have a great vision and strategy, but they wanted a bit of support as they expand their operations and scope. The big challenge for me was that I was in an unfamiliar country, with an unfamiliar culture and an unfamiliar language. What’s more is my personality is counter to the prevalent national culture, so I was quite aware of the possibility that I could be more of an obstruction than a help. So the die was cast for my beautiful disaster. The leaders of this company were in unfamiliar…

  • 4 Steps For Cultural Change

    William Powell
    15 Mar 2012 | 7:00 am
    Many people make the assumption that a bad culture is a direct result of bad leadership, which I have been guilty of doing as well. There is an inextricable link between leadership and culture. I do, however, want to point out an often overlooked distinction about leadership. There is bad leadership and then there is uninformed – or ignorant – leadership. A bad culture can develop from either one. There are plenty of blog posts out there talking about bad leadership. What it is. What to do differently. I want to talk about uninformed leadership. It has nothing to do with ability,…

  • Cloud Leadership

    William Powell
    21 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am
    When you read that title, you probably think of some really cool new app that helps you be a better leader. Something that is hosted in the infamous “cloud”. While that would make me appear to be uber-progressive and all, I’m not talking about anything of the sort. I’m actually referring to the voluminous fluffy wafts of water vapor in the sky that capture our imagination with visions of dogs, elephants and other random images. What does this have to do with leadership, you say? How great is it when the clouds move away and you feel the warm light of the sun on your…

  • Coopetition: Embracing Millennials In The Workplace

    William Powell
    11 Jan 2012 | 8:38 am
    Many workplaces are competitive environments, partly because of the desire for advancement and partly because of the traditional structure of most incentive plans. They encourage “friendly” competition, which can often not be too friendly. The promotion of only high performers based on incentive numbers creates a one-sided approach to the available talent in your organization. The real tragedy is how this affects morale, talent retention and the overall culture. This approach has rewarded the “front line” people, but has left much of the support staff in the lurch.
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    Sword Tips

  • Leadership Lessons | How safe is your business from a colossal screwup?

    Lary
    7 May 2012 | 12:06 pm
    “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain I wonder if anybody is looking? “Conduct unbecoming” …. You may have heard this phrase before, perhaps from the clenched teeth of a military JAG officer about the same time you learned that “Crystal” is a perfectly apt response to “Are we clear?” What is the standard of conduct in your office? Throughout my service as a U.S. Army officer, this phrase was constantly refreshed as the highest standard to apply to the official actions of military officers. The complete phrase is…

  • Leadership | Can we really trust you to fake authenticity?

    Lary
    24 Apr 2012 | 11:21 am
    “If you seek authenticity for authenticity’s sake you are no longer authentic.” ~ Jean-Paul Sartre   If you’re not authentic, who are you? Years ago I was traveling regularly to Asia, and wanted to buy my wife a Cartier tank watch, a style that was very popular at the time. I visited a reputable jeweler where most of my partners had been shopping for over 20 years, and found exactly what I was looking for. My wife was ecstatic, and I saved a lot of money over what I would’ve spent here. One day, it stopped working. Cartier is a highly reputable brand, so I didn’t hesitate…

  • Leadership | How many distractions are YOU creating?

    Lary
    9 Apr 2012 | 4:07 pm
    “Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’” ~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations   How many distractions do you own? Does it seem like we’ve talked about distractions a lot in the past? Maybe it’s just the ones in my head that makes me think so … which of course, is a distraction itself. (In the interest of full disclosure, I did write about distractions last April, “Are Distractions Destroying Your Brain?” In “Just Plans … or Sleeping…

  • Leadership | Why I changed the Exkalibur Facebook page to “Building a Business”

    Lary
    28 Mar 2012 | 12:30 pm
     The Exkalibur Facebook page is now  ”Building a Business” For years, I have used Facebook simply to replicate the articles I’ve published on Sword Tips, the Exkalibur blog. I rarely provided anything else on the Facebook platform to help you and other business leaders solve their everyday problems … even though that’s what I do every day everywhere else. The road to hell is paved with good intentions That’s not really what I intended, but it was early in the Facebook lifecycle and I wasn’t sure what I should be doing differently on the Exkalibur…

  • Leadership | Your mom is watching: Is your moral compass malfunctioning?

    Lary
    27 Mar 2012 | 1:00 pm
     “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” ~ Albert Schweitzer Your mom is watching: Is your moral compass malfunctioning? You grabbed the last piece of cake before your sister could get it. The principal called and said your daughter broke another girl’s toy because she got to it first. Your son pushed a boy on the playground because that boy got the last place on the teeter-totter. “You know better than that!” Isn’t that what our mothers would have said — our…
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    The Practical Leader

  • We Need to Apply Quality Improvement Lessons to Safety

    Jim Clemmer
    15 May 2012 | 12:02 am
    As I fine tune next week’s Leadership and Culture Development for Higher Health and Safety  webcast presentation, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons learned from the quality movement and the widespread failure to apply those to workplace safety. Starting in the late eighties and eventually morphing into Lean/Six Sigma, the quality movement completely revolutionized management thinking throughout much of the western world. That’s led to exponential increases in quality and productivity – especially in manufacturing, logistics, and other process industries. My second…

  • Vision, Values, and Mission: Well Lived Trumps Well Written

    Jim Clemmer
    10 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    In preparation for an offsite executive team retreat, the executive organizing the session sent me a draft of the mission and vision statements “we’ve been struggling with.” She included earlier versions and iterations of each statement. She was especially frustrated and confused by the overlap of the two. She was looking for my help to “get it right.” This is a big trap. There is no “right statement.” Vision, values, and mission statements have a wide variety of styles and approaches. What works best for an organization is highly dependent on the…

  • When Smart and Fast Leaders Leave Their Teams Behind

    Jim Clemmer
    8 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    I recently ran a Moose-on-the-Table workshop for a major division of a large company going through the wrenching change of a wholesale restructuring and totally refocusing their business. Our session centered on fostering Courageous Conversations because their history of not addressing tough issues with each other was a major reason this division ran itself into a manufacturing quality and financial crisis. They were just too nice to each other. Part of our discussion with this management group was how really bright people can come across as not wanting to hear other ideas. A participant sent…

  • We Need Less Generational Nonsense and More Leadership

    Jim Clemmer
    3 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    There’s a lot of mumbo jumbo being sold by “generational experts” that today’s young workers are very different from previous generations and need to be managed differently. Clearly there are differences between groups of people who grew up in different times, circumstances, and cultures. But people are people. And what we’re looking for from our work and in our workplaces is remarkably universal. Jennifer Deal is a senior research scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership and author of Retiring the Generation Gap. For 12 years she’s been studying…

  • May You Plant the Seeds of Growth This Month

    Jim Clemmer
    1 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    The month of May is thought to have been named for the Greek goddess Maia. In ancient Roman lore she was identified with fertility, considered an earth goddess, and embodied the concept of growth. On the farm where I grew up, May was an extremely busy month in the fields. There was a short window to get the crops planted so they’ve had enough time to grow during the summer before the killing frosts of fall. I now maintain my earth connection through my perennial gardens. May’s a very busy month of clean up, planting, and fertilizing. In King Henry IV, Shakespeare recognizes this…
 
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    Author Chris Brady's Leadership Blog

  • Play on Words

    Chris Brady
    2 May 2012 | 11:12 am
    I have received several requests to post the "Play on Words" puns and such that I gave in one of my talks at this past weekend's Spring Leadership Convention. These are not original, to be sure, but... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • White Boots

    Chris Brady
    30 Apr 2012 | 4:30 pm
    There seems to be a little confusion lately regarding the proper color for off-road motorcycle boots. I believe that this mix-up is typical of amateurs new to a sport, who confuse details such as ON... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • How to Play the Blame Game

    Chris Brady
    25 Apr 2012 | 1:55 pm
    Over the course of my life I've been fortunate enough to find myself with a vantage point on the behavior of all types of people under all sorts of circumstances. An enormous benefit of this has been... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Caption Contest 2012.4 and a Winner Announced!

    Chris Brady
    18 Apr 2012 | 9:58 am
    Finally, the winner of the last Caption Contest has been selected! It was a tough choice, but ultimately, the panel of judges was most entertained by the following submission: iCute! Posted by: Tony... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • One-Sided Words

    Chris Brady
    5 Apr 2012 | 8:40 am
    The other day I was playing around on Twitter and sent out some "one-sided" words. Among the many other peculiarities of our language, one-sided words are those we use in one form, but never in the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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    Stop Workplace Drama

  • Visualization Increases Clarity and Reduces Drama

    Stop Workplace Drama
    16 May 2012 | 8:55 am
    In all types of drama there is always one thing in common: A lack of clarity. These four visualization techniques will help you to increase clarity and get the results you want.

  • Three Ways to Become More Productive by Maximizing Brain Power

    Stop Workplace Drama
    7 May 2012 | 12:56 pm
    Here are three ways to become more productive by maximizing your brain power. Did you know that some activities in your workday require a lot more energy, than other tasks.

  • Managing and Leading: Are you Doing Too Much?

    Stop Workplace Drama
    3 May 2012 | 9:25 am
    Here are three pitfalls common to those in charge. This particular post is geared more for those entrepreneurs who run businesses, or the small to medium family-owned businesses. Come to think of it, these three traps are also true when it comes to parenting or any area where you are in charge and responsible for the results.

  • Change Your Response or Your Experience?

    Stop Workplace Drama
    23 Apr 2012 | 6:17 am
    Many communication experts focus on changing behavior. I take an opposite approach. I say that instead of working on your response (or your behavior) instead, change your experience. Once your experience changes, it's easy to learn the techniques and communication skills that foster teamwork and collaboration.

  • Integrity Gap Increases Workplace Conflict

    Stop Workplace Drama
    16 Apr 2012 | 3:18 pm
    The talk is in the mission statement. The walk is in the daily actions, short term decisions and behaviors exhibited daily.Take for example the integrity gap found in many health-care organizations. You will find in the mission words like, compassion. healing, health, leadership, excellence and a commitment to stewardship--all wonderful attributes. You will also see stated commitments to leadership, teamwork and growth.
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    Jesse Lyn Stoner >>> Seapoint Center

  • Dig Below Your Dreams to Discover Your Vision

    Jesse Lyn Stoner
    13 May 2012 | 5:35 am
    Your vision arises from your hopes and dreams. If you’re not clear about what you really want, you are likely to set goals that will not be truly satisfying once accomplished. Look below the surface to find the roots of your dreams. You might find that what you thought you wanted is actually a symbol of what you truly desire. Chris said he dreamed of owning a Porsche. Being a “high potential” in the company, he was well on his way to achieving his goal. In response to questions like “If you had that, then what would you have?” and “Why do you really want that?” Chris responded,…

  • How to Influence Without Authority

    Jesse Lyn Stoner
    7 May 2012 | 4:45 am
    Back in the good old days, if you were in a position of authority, you could just announce what needed to be done and assume it would be carried out. But times have changed. As companies expand and become more complex, no matter what organizational structure is in place, people must work with each other across reporting lines. It doesn’t work to say, “Do it because I told you so.” But were the good old days really so good? Hierarchical systems replicate parent–child relationships and create dependency. Worse yet, authority-based systems are a breeding ground for abuse of power and…

  • 5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Identifying Team Values

    Jesse Lyn Stoner
    30 Apr 2012 | 12:40 pm
    What Happened:  Someone on the leadership team suggested it would be a good idea to identify our values. The regular agenda for the leadership team meetings was already jam-packed, and no one had time for an extra meeting to do this work, so the task was assigned to a few volunteers to bring back to the team. The Pitfall:  Seeing values as separate from the real work. The leaders delegated and disengaged. By taking the time as a team to discuss what values they believed were critical to their future, they would have discovered how these values drive the very behaviors they need to…

  • Four Strategies to Make Your Vision a Reality

    Jesse Lyn Stoner
    22 Apr 2012 | 6:15 am
    Guest post by Todd Nielsen         Vision, strategy, and goals are important …but they are not enough. One of the greatest challenges in business—and frankly, one of the greatest challenges in life—is doing the things necessary to make one’s vision a reality. To ensure the realization of your vision, you need to set up structures and processes that act as guardrails to keep you from falling off the path. Four Strategies to Make Your Vision a Reality 1.     Get Organized Before you begin down the path of execution, spend some time getting yourself organized by…

  • InsideOut Enneagram: Book Review

    Jesse Lyn Stoner
    19 Apr 2012 | 12:44 pm
      It can come as quite a shock to discover that everyone doesn’t experience the world the same way you do.  They don’t necessarily perceive it the same way, nor are they driven by the same desires and needs, nor do they evaluate their experience the same way you do. Basic temperament is inherent at birth. We can see it in newborn infants – some are placid and sleep easily, others are alert, others agitated easily. What you experience as you grow up shapes your personality and goals, but your temperament remains an unconscious lens through which you filter your experiences. I love…
 
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    LeadBIG

  • Ambiguity is sometimes the right leadership answer

    Jane Perdue
    15 May 2012 | 10:36 am
    The meeting exchange was fascinating. Belle resisting giving Max the absolute answer he so clearly wanted; Max’s rising frustration with what he perceived as Belle’s wishy-washiness; and Belle’s explanation of how ambiguity is sometimes the right leadership answer. Some business problems do have a black-and-white answer, like Is Sally ready to be promoted now?  Yet with experience comes the realization that there isn’t a clearcut answer to many of the issues leaders face.  To select one remedy is to select wrong because both answers are right. Sometimes our…

  • Leadership Reading Favs 5.14.12

    Jane Perdue
    14 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    These pieces captured the fancy of the team at BIG over the past week. Enjoy and lead BIG! What is Unconscious Bias? (Unconscious Bias) Unconscious bias is gaining social science traction (and some controversy) as yet another reason why discrimination, albeit covert, still exists in the workplace. The concept “offers the idea that discrimination and bias are social, rather than individual issues, and that we can thus all participate in promoting equality.” Companion piece: the Implicit Association Test (IAT) developed by Doctors Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, designed…

  • 6 Steps to Good Leadership Decisions

    Jane Perdue
    11 May 2012 | 6:18 am
    Visit the Lead Change Group site to see this post and others to inspire you to start a leadership revolution! “The boss told me this morning my decision to implement the new social media strategy wasn’t a good one.” “Did he say why he thinks that way?” “He said I didn’t do enough research or involve the right stakeholders.” “Did you do those things?” “Sure, I did little research and talked to a couple people. But what I really did was my job and what he hired me to do: see a problem and fix it.” Wow, talk about danger signs at the intersection of autonomy and…

  • The Flower Theory of Leadership

    Jackie Danielsson
    9 May 2012 | 6:02 am
    Today’s guest post is by Jackie Danielsson, currently a project manager who dreams of writing a book and improving how leadership is practiced. As I watched her dance her way to the stage, I was thinking, from what felt like a mile away, how wonderful it was that we could escape into the mind and methods of our motivational speaker and leave all the quarterly results and forecasting behind if only for an hour. As she spoke, I looked around the room. Like myself, I believe most of my fellow leaders were planning how they would integrate these lessons into our next work day.

  • 10 Characteristics of High-Performing Collaborative Teams

    Cisco Collaboration
    8 May 2012 | 7:32 am
    Today’s LeadBIG guest post is from Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese. It’s an excerpt from their new book The Collaboration Imperative: Executive Strategies for Unlocking Your Organization’s True Potential.  You can connect with Ron and Carl on Facebook and Twitter as Cisco Collaboration. Most members of high-performing teams report that it’s fun and satisfying to work on collaborative teams because they are asked to contribute at their highest potential and they learn a lot along the way. 10 characteristics of high-performing collaborative teams People have solid and deep…
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    Skywalk Group

  • Development vs. Performance Management

    Skywalk Group
    29 Apr 2012 | 9:42 pm
    One of the greatest challenges faced by small to medium-sized businesses is making the transition from “what made us successful” to “what will keep us successful.”  Clearly understanding the difference between individual development planning and performance management is critical in moving an organization to the next level…or “what will keep us successful.” What is Individual Development Planning? Also known as IDP, individual development planning is a process that allows an employee to own their career.   Although the organization establishes an IDP process, it…

  • Make Employee Retention an Integrated Part of Your Strategy

    Skywalk Group
    27 Apr 2012 | 10:46 am
    If your organization is focused on growth, profitability, customer loyalty, new product introductions, employee engagement and shareholder value to name a few, you must also be in the process of talent management. This is the fabric of a strategy that allows you to not only develop new leaders, but also retain the exceptional talent you hire. It is a tightly woven process and what you do to retain talent must be threaded throughout all you do. Retaining Talent is Essential to Delivering Business Value The fine art of retaining talent has an effect on your ability to deliver business value. A…

  • Skywalk Group Earns 2012 Fastest Growing Company Honor

    Skywalk Group
    26 Apr 2012 | 9:29 pm
    Skywalk Group has been selected as one of twenty fastest growing companies for 2012 by the Corridor Business Journal. Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies is a program that identifies the region’s most dynamic companies that have made significant contribution to the strength of our economy. Nominated companies are ranked according to revenue growth over a three-year period, both dollar and percentage increases are taken into consideration. The rankings of the top 20 companies will be announced at the May 22, 2012 Fastest Growing Companies Breakfast. Last year, Skywalk…

  • How Recruiters Add Value to Your Hiring Process

    Skywalk Group
    12 Mar 2012 | 8:37 am
    What’s so great about recruiting consultants? If you have never had the experience of sharing a search with an effective recruiting consultant, you are missing out!  A new search can be daunting- knowing what you’re looking for in candidates, and knowing how to recruit them, are sometimes two different things. Having a knowledgeable partner in the process (ok, maybe not really a superhero) can make a huge difference!   Recruiters can turn the hefty task of your next great hire into an enjoyable experience. Recruiters have dedicated their professional lives to being the best at…

  • Why Women Should Love Technology

    Skywalk Group
    7 Mar 2012 | 8:30 am
    This week we are featuring a blog from Maureen Collins-Williams at MyEntre.net. For decades, women have failed to thrive as much as men in the workforce. They’ve struggled to rise to management levels in top corporations, to have their voices heard in the boardroom and their efforts fairly compensated. Today, many women believe there’s another way. Perhaps women don’t have to follow traditional rules of business success—perhaps for the first time in history, they can bypass them altogether. How? Technology. At the highest level of business management, women continue to find themselves…
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    Leader's Institute Team Building and Public Speaking Classes

  • Good is the Enemy of Great

    ellenpatnaude
    9 May 2012 | 11:30 pm
    Voltaire said it first, and while many people have said it in various ways, it all means the same thing. When we try to be good at too many things, we end up being great at none of them. Consider this scenario. Mary is the manager of a medium-sized division in her company. She is responsible for the work that her division does for the company, as well as managing the 25 associates that work in the division. She reports to a company Vice President, and is occasionally asked to make reports to the entire group of Vice Presidents. Mary has job responsibilities that extend beyond managing the…

  • Roche Molecular Build-A-Bike Team Building Event near San Francisco

    Lisarezac
    9 May 2012 | 11:09 pm
    Roche Molecular has a long history of charitable work so they were very excited to take part in the Build-A-Bike Team Building event at their headquarters outside of San Francisco, California near Oakland. The medical research company participates in several charitable projects for the benefit of both local communities and underdeveloped countries worldwide. 100 Roche Molecular employees gathered at their main facility to have fun and grow as a company while giving back to their local community with the Build-A-Bike team building workshop. The Roche employees were a cooperative group…

  • World Acceptance Rescue Bear Team Building Gives Stuffed Animals to Hospital in St. Louis

    Craig Wagganer
    9 May 2012 | 6:01 pm
    World Acceptance, one of the largest small-loan consumer finance companies in the United States and Mexico, had its Missouri Managers together in St. Louis for a Rescue Bear ®Team Building Event. The Rescue Bear is a fun team event in which the end result is that stuffed animals are contributed to local charities that will use the animals in their work with children. In this case the end result was that 43 stuffed animals were donated by World Acceptance to the Barnes-Jewish-Children’s Hospital System in St. Louis, Missouri. The event was fast-paced and fun as teams had to work through…

  • Sodexo Bike Team Building in Atlantic City New Jersey

    Craig Wagganer
    9 May 2012 | 5:03 pm
    10 employees of Sodexo came together for Team Building in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for a great Build-A-Bike Team Building Event which ended with 4 children from the New Jersey Boys and Girls Clubs receiving new bicycles. The event was filled with fun activities that had the participants learning and laughing. Throughout the 2 hours there were communication and team building ideas presented both overtly and subtly. The fun activities were filled with applications that will help each of the individuals and their leadership abilities. The ideas presented weren’t theories but skills that…

  • Add Fun Team Building Events to Any Meeting

    Doug Staneart
    3 May 2012 | 2:28 pm
    Ask your team how they would describe most meetings around the office, and most likely (even if you are a really good leaders) you will still hear words like… LONG and BORING… It’s not your fault. We live in such a busy world that we often have to try to fit a bunch of information into a short period of time (or even worse, a long period of time). As a result, we begin to fall into what folks in the industry call “data dumping”. Below are a couple of quick things that you can do to add fun team building events to any meeting. Add Fun Team Building Events to Any…
 
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    Transformational Leadership Blog

  • Ten More Life Lessons I Learned after College Graduation

    Mighty
    15 May 2012 | 5:45 am
    Back in March, I wrote about life lessons I learned since I graduated from college. I don’t know what possessed me to write something about the lessons I’ve learned in my 29 years so far. But the thought that it’s been nine years since I graduated from College kinda hit me in the gut and set me to writing this, sort of, Desiderata, Mighty’s version. Dreams sometimes need to be put on hold. When you are young and idealistic, you’re just full of dreams—not just for yourself, but for your family and your society, too. There are times, though, that you’ll need to put your dreams on…

  • Ten Life Lessons I Learned After College Graduation

    Mighty
    22 Mar 2012 | 7:55 am
    As a tribute to the young Filipinos who are joining the labor force now, I decided to write about lessons I learned nine years ago. I’m actually cooking up something that I believe will help out young job seekers out there.  I graduated from the University of the Philippines back in 2003. That was nine years ago. I just can’t believe how time swiftly passes by. Next year, I will celebrate my tenth year in the Philippine workforce. I’m neither an entrepreneur nor a businessman. At least not yet! But I’m pretty sure that it’s just a matter of time before I became one! In the…

  • Saving for Tomorrow, Tomorrow – Shlomo Benartzi

    Mighty
    21 Mar 2012 | 2:37 am
    The rule of the day is consume, consume, and consume now. But what about the future? How can we take delay our gratification and enjoy the fruits in the future? About Shlomo Benartzi from Ted.com Shlomo Benartzi studies behavioral finance with a special interest in personal finance. He is co-founder of the Behavioral Finance Forum (www.behavioralfinanceforum.com), a collective of 40 prominent academics and 40 major financial institutions from around the globe. The Forum helps consumers make better financial decisions by fostering collaborative research efforts between academics and industry…

  • Social Marketing Ideas for You and Your Organization

    Mighty
    15 Mar 2012 | 9:48 am
    With the insane popularity of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking site, any leader or organization needs to utilize social marketing! With social marketing, you can target three kinds of people within your own network. Friends. These are people who are already aware of who you are, what you represent, and what you are about. They can sometimes know inside out and are interested with your whereabouts. Sometimes, though, too much familiarity can be a barrier to them taking you and your ideas seriously. In fact, it is very easy for friends and family to shoot down your good ideas.

  • The Power of Introverts – Susan Cain on TED

    Mighty
    13 Mar 2012 | 8:18 pm
    I am an introvert, but most people who’ve worked with me, and know me in my various leadership position would think otherwise. In leadership discourse and discussions, extroverts have received far more accolades and attention compared to introverts. Most talk on teamwork, too, focus on extroversion and the ability of people to connect and influence other people. But what about introverts? What if there are people who really work best alone? In the following TED talks video, Susan Cain presents the power of introverts (yay!) and encourages organizations and companies to create spaces for…
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    Business Fitness

  • Got Job Interview Nerves? Fuggedaboudit!

    Dawn Lennon
    10 May 2012 | 12:34 pm
    It pains me when I see job seekers get stressed out at interview time. One way to ease the anxiety is to understand the pressures on the interviewer. This post that I wrote in 2010 does just that.   Amazing, … Continue reading →

  • Struggling with a Difficult Choice? The Answer Can Be Fit to a “T”

    Dawn Lennon
    3 May 2012 | 5:06 pm
    Making the right work decision can be stressful, even paralyzing. We just don’t want to get it wrong. “What if I:” End up looking like an idiot or incompetent Lose all the career ground I’ve gained Cost myself or the … Continue reading →

  • Hungry for a Great Internship? Know Where to Find the Meat.

    Dawn Lennon
    26 Apr 2012 | 1:03 pm
    Internships are considered a must-have for many college students (and even some high schoolers) looking for a leg up in getting a job upon graduation. They hunt to find them, compete to get them, and strive to multiply them–all for … Continue reading →

  • The Unexpected Career Crisis–Got the Stuff to Survive It? | 4 Essential Steps

    Dawn Lennon
    19 Apr 2012 | 12:39 pm
    There’s no escaping problems. They show up whether we’re ready or not.  Smart businesses have crisis management plans so they know what to do when calamity hits. So shouldn’t we? I was invited to review Jim Moorhead’s new book, The … Continue reading →

  • Suffering from Resumophobia? | A Remedy for Job Seekers

    Dawn Lennon
    14 Apr 2012 | 10:41 am
    The job search heats up for many this time of year, particularly for new grads, anyone who’s had enough of his/her current job, or those who have simply put it off too long.  So, I’m reposting this piece on writing … Continue reading →
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    Baldrige.com

  • Acknowledging Innovative Excellence – Premier, Inc.

    Tom Huizenga
    15 May 2012 | 2:25 pm
    Complexity is a fact of organizational life. To succeed in today’s global, competitive, uncertain environment, organizations must accept complexity. The Baldrige Criteria are complex because attaining organizational sustainability in a global economy is not simple. Premier, Inc. is a healthcare strategic alliance entirely owned by not-for-profit hospitals and health system organizations that operate both hospitals and other kinds of care services. Premier is the second largest of the few nationwide alliances serving not-for-profits. In 2011, they saved $4.2+ billion by improving processes…

  • The Quality Professional

    Joseph A. De Feo
    10 May 2012 | 11:16 am
    Dr. Joseph M. Juran Until the twentieth century, few “knowledge workers” existed in the field of managing for quality. Such workers (today often called “quality professionals”) carry out planning and analysis related to quality policy formation, goal setting, organization, performance measurement, incentives, and the like. The last century witnessed remarkable growth in the numbers of such quality professionals, beginning during the years of World War II when the War Production Board sponsored numerous (free) sources in statistical quality control (SQC). Companies that wished to apply…

  • Systematic Innovation

    Joseph A. De Feo
    2 May 2012 | 10:53 am
    This article is the third and final in an on-going series about innovation, by Juran Institute President and CEO, Joseph A. DeFeo. Innovators are not always born with exorbitant talent. If you have your heart set on being the next Thomas Edison, you are probably going a bit too far. Whatever your innovation quotient is now, you can make it better with practice and by using a methodology that causes innovation to happen. For instance, how many times do we hear, “Think outside the box”? That’s all well and good, but what box? Few of us recognize that the box is in fact ourselves. Learning…

  • Two Types of Innovation

    Joseph A. De Feo
    30 Apr 2012 | 8:58 am
    There are two basic types of innovation. The first, Type I, does happen, but rarely. Type I is something completely new. And new things under the sun do not occur as often as we think they do. The first automobile and internal combustion engine were certainly new innovations, but even they built on the wheel, cart, and other existing technologies. Things such as nuclear power, radio, phones, electricity in the home, and manned flight are certainly good examples of something that was pretty close to new under the sun. All the great, really new innovations can often be traced back to a genius,…

  • Designing for Innovation

    Joseph A. De Feo
    27 Apr 2012 | 8:48 am
    In section 4.1 of the Baldrige Criteria, Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management, there is a question under Performance Improvement that asks, “How do you use organizational performance review findings to develop priorities for continuous improvement and opportunities for innovation?” Well, how do you? Designing for customer needs frequently leads to higher-quality goods and services as well as innovative outcomes because an effective design process uncovers hidden customer needs. This discovery, and the subsequent solving of the problems that kept customer needs hidden, will lead…
 
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    Leadership Learning Community blogs

  • Calling All Consultants!

    Zoe Madden-Wood
    30 Apr 2012 | 12:22 pm
    A good number of you who participate in the Leadership Learning Community are consultants who work in the leadership development field doing  evaluation, curriculum development, curriculum delivery, research, etc.  As you know, in the last couple of years LLC has come to value our consulting opportunities as an important applied research arm of our work.Through many of our consulting jobs we get to help the field implement or test many of the ideas that we are promoting through our research.  In this spirit we have invested more heavily in this important work and we our growing…

  • Member Spotlight: Kenny Bailey -- A Pioneer in Using Design Approaches to Transform Culture and Communities

    Claire Reinelt
    27 Apr 2012 | 6:37 pm
    I met Kenny Bailey through a Network TA Providers group that was convened in Boston by the Barr Foundation. A group of 20+ providers were given the opportunity to work in teams  on a joint project to strengthen the network leadership capacity of a community-based networks.  Kenny and I worked on supporting a youth service network in one of Boston’s neighborhoods. We became familiar with each other’s work and interests through this action learning project. The project ended after several months, but we knew each other enough to that I turned to Kenny when we were called upon to…

  • Are Stipends Important?

    Deborah Meehan
    27 Apr 2012 | 6:21 pm
    I have been involved in conversations lately about stipends and I would love to hear about your experience and perspectives.  A number of leadership programs grapple with the issue of stipends.  This is important if we want to provide equitable access to leadership development opportunities.  Not everyone has the same resources available to cover childcare costs, gas, or missed time from work that might not be compensated.  Some community programs are providing stipends to participants to remove the financial limitations to participation.  Not only community based…

  • Learning from Stories of Community Leadership and Change

    Deborah Meehan
    26 Apr 2012 | 2:46 pm
     A few months ago we asked you to share ideas about how to support communities who are  taking action and producing solutions to the problems they care about most.  Now we're sharing some of your ideas, as well as some of our own findings through a community leadership project for the Bush Foundation.  In this article we share key elements of community change and important capacities being cultivated by community leadership programs. Elements of Community ChangeNeighborhoods and communities all across the country are struggling economically; many communities do not…

  • Book Review: The Start Up of You

    Claire Reinelt
    26 Apr 2012 | 10:17 am
    Job security is a thing of the past; to survive and thrive in today’s world we need to learn how to become entrepreneurs of our own lives. I’m acutely aware of this as I watch my young adult daughters and their friends navigate the start of their careers.  In a recent book,The Start Up of You, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha provide insightful and valuable advice about building personal and professional networks, and why they are so important to our survival and success now and in the future.  We know that personal and professional networks are the best way to find a job, but how…
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    Leadership and Management

  • Leadership and Management

    virk
    19 Apr 2012 | 9:31 pm
    Leadership and Management, a photo by kvirk on Flickr. My Summer reading list

  • Integrity – Key Ingredient for Success

    virk
    15 Feb 2012 | 4:40 pm
    February is Black History Month.  I was reading on Mr. Frederick Douglass and one of his quote came in front of me.  So profound and tells a lot about personal quality!  If one lacks integrity, will lack true sense of happiness and accomplishment in life. This quality in leaders and managers takes the organization to new [...]

  • How to Stay Healthy for Leaders & Managers

    virk
    8 Feb 2012 | 9:41 pm
    Working more than 40 hours every week? Stressed? Exhausted?  By working more and not paying attention to what your body wants, you are preparing yourself for burnout. Leaders and managers are working to exceed expectations, be more productive and dedicating more time and energy into resolving issues at work . Technology was supposed to get [...]

  • How Project Managers Can Help Retain the Talented Resources

    virk
    31 Jan 2012 | 5:31 pm
    Organization rise and fall based on people involved in leading, managing and supporting. It has become a deciding factor for success in any organization to hire, nurture and retain the great talent.  Organizations have in past gone out of way to attract key talented resources from competitors. There might be fancy deck of powerpoint presentaton produced by HR professionals on available [...]

  • Project Manager’s Happy New Year Message

    virk
    1 Jan 2012 | 11:55 am
    “Happy new year 2012! May all your projects finish on time without any cost or schedule variance.  May all team members stay healthy, happy;and meet all milestone dates.  May the executive sponsor stay happy as it is and does not change mind.”
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    "Life as a Remote User"

  • Shhh! No one is listening to you? Here’s why.

    Jason Christensen
    23 Apr 2012 | 6:30 pm
    (Photo: Lazurite) “Why aren’t they listening,” you ask? Because what you are saying has no substance, no meaning, no purpose. They just don’t get it! So where did you go wrong? What can you do to generate a message they can believe in? How do you create content or a message they want to hear? Will they even remember what you said? And how do you get them to take action on it? Generating a Message with Purpose First your message must have purpose. Are you talking just to fill time or is what you have to say really going to be of importance to your audience? Be sure to…

  • You won’t get help from me!

    Jason Christensen
    27 Apr 2010 | 1:00 am
    (Photo: Sarah’s Blog) One of your employees comes to you with an urgent problem and you know exactly what to do. It would take you only moments to make everything right in his world again, but should you? By giving him the answer are you really helping him or are you inhibiting his learning process? People tend to comprehend and understand resolutions to situations and problems when they are forced to work through the details and potential solutions, their learning capacity is greater when they use critical thinking skills to manage their way through a problem. “Always make new…

  • What do you want from me?

    Jason Christensen
    16 Mar 2010 | 1:15 am
    (Photo: Center for Nonverbal Studies) Living up to other peoples expectations can be difficult, especially as a remote employee your expectations can be even more elusive. So how do you get through it? How do you determine if you are doing everything anticipated of you and delivering what is expected of you? Ask Questions If you want to deliver on expectations, you need to know what those expectations are. Be up front and revisit expectations regularly to determine if you are on track. Discover not only what your manager expects of you, but what is expected from you by others. Set Milestones…

  • “That’s Impossible!”

    Jason Christensen
    9 Mar 2010 | 12:15 am
    (Photo: Richard.Asia) You can’t get what you want and still make everyone happy. . . can you? Yes, it is possible! I have always been a person to find a way to get things done, a method of accomplishing the goals I wish to achieve. Maybe it started in childhood when my mother said, “no,” so I went to my father asking the same question. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the line, “What did your mother say?” Lesson learned; if it doesn’t work the first time–take a different approach. Preparation “Start out with an ideal and end up with a deal.”…

  • I’m gonna count to NOW!

    Jason Christensen
    4 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am
    (Photo: jbelluch) Has there ever been a time where you should count to 10 and relax for a bit? Well, I’m gonna count to NOW! Are there ever times in your life when you should take a moment, count to ten and relax? Instead, you find yourself so infuriated you can only count to NOW! Let’s face it sometimes all we need is a little lesson in patience. Perhaps we should take a couple minutes right now to explore patience, before you blow your top. “Serenity now!” -Frank Costanza (Seinfeld) What is Patience? Patience is the act of remaining calm and collected during times of…
 
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    Leadership Success Now

  • Leadership That Transforms People Into Inspired Employees

    ADail
    15 May 2012 | 7:20 pm
    Are Your Teams Energized And Creative? If you’re serious about high performance team work you’ll want to read every word of this article. Today’s post will reveal what kind of leader you need to be for creative an energized team work to have a chance to blossom and survive.   A blogger wrote a very persuasive article whose premise is an effective boss doesn’t lead – (s)he follows the true leader, culture, – and successful leadership is about harnessing the culture’s will. My experience and practical sense teaches that not true.  The fact is, I’ve been in a number of…

  • Professional Friendships Influence On Diversity and Creativity

    ADail
    14 May 2012 | 7:45 pm
    Skyrocket Creativity Using Professional Friendship Do you have all the right pieces and yet still not getting the team work results you heard diverse members can produce on a team? If getting better results is important to leadership success pay close attention to today’s article.  In this series of article we’ve been keeping to the theme of leadership success managing teams with diverse individuals. Today’s post is going to center on leaders influencing corporate culture to generate superior team work. As you know creativity can help us differentiate our product or services in a way…

  • Want Great Team Work Results?

    ADail
    12 May 2012 | 11:28 am
    Secrets To Team Work Creativity And Success  Get the practical bottom-line steps you can use now to help teams with diverse members produce excellent team work. It only takes a few simple changes to how you may be doing things to help teams perform better.   As a quick review in my past articles we covered: common mistakes, how people different cultural environments affects team work, how a business’s culture affects performance, and the dangerous of being harmonious at the expense of producing the best possible results. If you missed these articles you’ll want to get the valuable…

  • How To Get Your Team To Avoid These Common Mistakes

    ADail
    9 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Here’s How You Can Keep Your Team From Costly Mistakes  If you’re like me and believe knowing where the booby traps are is key to winning the battle to creating high performance team work you’ll want to read today’s post. It really is written from the stand point of entrepreneurial stand points; however, many of the pitfalls he mentions can be cross applied to any team, so you won’t want to miss this article.   10 Common Pitfalls Inexperienced Teams Make  Avoid Falling Prey Steve Tobak whose blog is on CBS’s Money watch wrote an interesting post on the ten pitfalls of…

  • Is Diversity Healthy For Teams?

    ADail
    7 May 2012 | 11:45 pm
    Diversity And Team Work When is team work likely to suffer based on the diverse traits of its members? Well it not whether a team is inexperienced or experienced nor is it whether a team is composed of young members or older members.   The teams most likely to struggle becoming a high performing team are those that are demographically diverse (Shin, Kim, Lee & Bain, 2012). Are you surprised that this is one of the great challenges to team work success?  Anyone that has worked as an expatriate would tell you that cultural differences that result from demographic differences are…
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    Team Building Blog - Corporate Team Building

  • Companies Still Substituting Extreme Activites for Real Team Building

    Anne Thornley-Brown, M.B.A. @executiveoasis
    22 Apr 2012 | 12:00 pm
    I was sure that, in the aftermath of the economic downturn and the "AIG Effect", we could finally say good riddance to companies using extreme activities as a substitute for real team building. Based on recent CNN report, this is not the case. I hope that some executives will come by and share their perspective.

  • Effective Team Building: 8 Essential Elements for Executives

    Anne Thornley-Brown, M.B.A. @executiveoasis
    13 Feb 2012 | 12:45 pm
    When certain elements are missing, team building is less than effective. Definitely, an effort is made to include each and every one of these elements for every team building initiative. Unfortunately, many clients are totally resistant to including some or all of these elements. Including these elements will require a total of 40 - 60 minutes from the CEO (i.e. about 20 - 30 minutes with the CEO before the session, 10 - 15 minutes during the session and 10 - 15 minutes immediately after). Any CEO who is not prepared to invest this much time to ensure that team building is effective is simply…

  • LinkedIn Groups: International Business Team Building Network for Executives

    Anne Thornley-Brown, M.B.A. @executiveoasis
    10 Feb 2012 | 9:43 am
    It's no secret that a lot of companies simply aren't getting a lot of bang for their team building buck. To help executives have instant access to information to create effective team building, the International Business Team Building Network for Executives was formed almos 3 years ago. It's a growing network of over 225 executives from 30 countries on just about every continent.

  • Corporate Politics: 10 Sure-Fire Strategies to Reduce Turf Wars and Power Struggles

    Anne Thornley-Brown, M.B.A. @executiveoasis
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:52 am
    In large corporations, corporate politics (with its accompanying turf wars and power struggles) seems to be inevitable. These dynamics are not limited to large profit-making corporations. Unfortunately, I don't have a magic bullet that will eliminate turf wars but I do have some ideas about what is behind some of the in-fighting and a few ideas for leadership practices that can reduce it. The following suggestions will help executives and senior team leaders avoid practices that foster a climate of fear, insecurity and mistrust that fuels in-fighting.

  • Corporate Team Building Blog – 2011 in review

    Anne Thornley-Brown, M.B.A. @executiveoasis
    5 Jan 2012 | 6:36 pm
    The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
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    Negotiate, Influence, Achieve! » cma-blog

  • How to be assertive without being aggressive

    kate
    6 May 2012 | 9:12 pm
    The problem: “I’m coordinating an office-remodeling project with an assertive colleague. I’m the opposite; I usually give in. The problem is that I disagree with her approach. How can I stand my ground?” During a recent negotiation skills workshop, a participant asked us to help them deal with a colleague who was more assertive than themselves. Here’s a summary of our advice.. Good question. But to answer it, we must go back to a more fundamental question: What’s your negotiation mindset? In CMA’s negotiation skills workshop, we discuss the importance of meeting your…

  • 6 tips for managing non-face-to-face communications

    kate
    9 Apr 2012 | 7:05 pm
    Whether managing teams across borders, cities or offices, or because we simply don’t have time to meet face-to-face, the reality is that much of our communication now occurs remotely. While phones provides audio, we lose the visual cues and context afforded in a face-to-face meeting. One may think that putting the other on mute while responding to e-mails and otherwise saving the world is a great way to maximize efficiency by multitasking, but the reality is that non-face-to-face communication creates a greater risk for miscommunication by allowing greater scope for distraction and…

  • The key to gaining buy-in

    kate
    18 Mar 2012 | 7:29 pm
    It can be a real trick to gain cooperation or buy-in from others. If you’re bringing a new project to someone, asking a request, or asking for new resources, one of the factors that is going to go through their mind is, “How much extra work is this going to mean for me?”  Today, the expectations are higher than ever before – we are trying to do more with less. So how can we effectively get initial levels of engagement? Start with the heart The advice is to start with the heart!  What does this mean? Essentially, this is about being clear in your mind as to what you’re…

  • Why it pays to have principles when negotiating

    kate
    26 Feb 2012 | 11:10 pm
    Recently I was facilitating a two-day negotiation skills program for one of our clients. During the afternoon on the first day, one of the participants asked me the following question: “Can I be a principled negotiator even if they’re not?” This is a great question and one I often get asked. When we talk about principled negotiation with our clients, we’re talking about the principled negotiation method, described in Getting to Yes[1] as being based on four propositions: Separating people from the problem Focus on interests, not positions Seek options which create mutual gain Use…

  • Cross-cultural communication

    kate
    18 Sep 2011 | 8:51 pm
    “He’s just coming back from having a fag” – reflections on cross-cultural communication As an American living and working in Australia, the question of cross-cultural communication has been unavoidable. And this day was no different. It was the end of our morning tea break, and I noticed that one of the participants in the negotiation workshop I was facilitating was still missing. In an effort to discover his whereabouts, I asked unsuspectingly, “Where’s John?” Trying to be helpful, his colleague replied, “Oh, he’s just coming back from having a fag.” Now, that response…
 
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    DScottAngle.com

  • In-Flight Mobile Data Soon to be Available on Virgin Airlines [video]

    D. Scott Angle
    16 May 2012 | 8:24 am
    As part of a $106 million upgrade, Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines will offer in-flight mobile data access on its new Airbus A330. The first flight to receive the service will travel between London and New York.Virgin Airlines to Offer In-Flight Mobile Data on UK Flights

  • 3 Steps to Increase Your Business – by Increasing Word-of-Mouth

    D. Scott Angle
    15 May 2012 | 8:34 am
    In the days before social media and the Internet, it wasn’t as easy to listen in on your customers’ conversations about your company. Nor could you easily encourage people to spread the good word about your business through word-of-mouth.When you connect with your customers online, you stop speaking to them and start talking with them. And wonderful things begin to happen. Those golden word-of-mouth moments that happen naturally offline at parties or networking events suddenly begin happening online right in front of your eyes on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and review sites.On social…

  • Menu Mondays: Baked Cod with Tomatoes & Home-made Chips

    D. Scott Angle
    14 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    The baked cod with tomatoes was a surprise winner last week. It’s quick to prepare, fairly simple and tasty. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong about the potato, cauliflower and chickpea korma. That was definitely not what we use to introduce curry to the kids. It was absolutely foul and we will never be having it again. In fact it has been stricken from the menu/recipe records, never to be seen again… Long live the cod! On to this week: The Nasi Goreng, Tuesday’s meal, is a long-time family favourite. It’s basically a rice dish, but with a lovely…

  • Sometimes it’s better to ease into the weekend [video]

    D. Scott Angle
    11 May 2012 | 12:14 pm
    Be TouchedBe InspiredBe Confident, Optimistic, and love what you’ve gotBut most of all, have a great weekend!!!

  • 5 Tactics for Tackling Nutrition Labels

    D. Scott Angle
    9 May 2012 | 10:16 am
    It’s estimated that around 60% of food shoppers now read the nutrition facts table on packaging. Unfortunately, they don’t make it very easy to use that information effectively. Here are five helpful tips to help you cut through the mumbo-jumbo and make the healthiest choices for you and your family.Pay attention to the SERVING SIZE:Most displayed nutrition information is based on the single serving size. Unfortunately, we quite often pick up something, considering it to be one portion, but the manufacturers have it labelled as two or three. Basically, check the serving size…
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    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot

  • Cross-Cultural Leadership: How to Create People Alignment (Part 2)

    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot
    20 Apr 2012 | 10:29 am
    Photo: Tuppys/Flickr (Creative Commons) In Part 1 of this series I wrote about the importance of people alignment as a crucial competence for today’s leaders. Especially in a globalized world, where cross-cultural and multinational challenges are becoming more and more a normal part of the leader’s job, leaders need to understand how to create people alignment. In Part 1 I also described how ‘personal alignment’ plays an important role when creating people alignment. This Part 2 is about another crucial element of people alignment: ‘team alignment’. What does team alignment…

  • Cross-Cultural Leadership: How to Create People Alignment (Part 1)

    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot
    29 Mar 2012 | 7:16 am
    Photo: Tuppus/Flickr (Creative Commons) Today’s and tomorrow’s leaders are more and more facing cross-cultural challenges caused by globalization, emerging economies and new markets. How to notice differences in cultures? How to understand their impact on people behavior and performance? How to avoid cross-cultural friction and conflict? How to lead people and teams with different cultural backgrounds? How to create successful collaboration and teamwork cross-border? Effectively dealing with cross-cultural challenges like these is rapidly becoming one of the key differentiators for…

  • Leading Multinational Companies: Three Significant Changes in the Role of Senior Leaders

    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot
    28 Feb 2012 | 10:50 am
    Photo: Horia Varlan/Flickr (Creative Commons) Today’s business environment is changing. A lot has been written in recent years about this change and its various aspects: globalization, emerging markets, different competitors, exponential rate of change, new technologies that change business models and market places, impact of social media, etc. It affects people and businesses worldwide, and surely also multinational companies. In working with multinational companies I see three specific changes that affect the role of its senior leaders. Three changes that require special attention and…

  • Leading Innovation: Why Executives Should Stimulate People to Make (Better) Mistakes

    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot
    22 Jan 2012 | 8:47 am
    Photo: Seth1492/Flickr (Creative Commons) Some while ago I was working with a senior executive team. The team was leading a global division and was facing a complex change that involved four continents. They organized a session together to align as a team on the change strategy, the short-term priorities, and the global execution plan. They asked me to be their facilitator and sounding board. At a certain moment the discussion turned to the question how to stimulate innovation in and across the regions. And at that point something strange happened … the discussion changed, the atmosphere…

  • Leading Change in the 21st Century: 4 Myths About Cultural Change

    Leadershipwatch - Aad Boot
    6 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    Photo: Sean MacEntee/Flickr (Creative Commons) These days cultural change is a topic that is high on the agenda of many corporate executives. It looks like almost each change initiative within companies is linked to changing its culture. Many leaders proclaim that the ability to change/adjust the culture is crucial for the future success of their company. Cultural change is hot! But it is also difficult to accomplish. It always was, and is maybe even more difficult in the fast changing environments in which companies find themselves today. I witness many leaders struggle with this. Cultural…
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    Never Mind the Manager

  • Make the leap and hope to land safely.

    Frode Heimen
    9 May 2012 | 1:47 pm
    In life there are crossroads, some are small like what do I have for dinner? Other are larger like what do I do with my job/career/life. I was recently standing with both my feet in the middle of such a giant crossroad – with both hands deep in my pocket and I remember it was raining. Having a good life balance is important and I felt I did not. I was talking to myself like a crazy person, wandering around my living room. I could not feel that my life was in balance. I have a great job working as a customer service manager for a major Norwegian company. I have a great son at the age of 8.

  • Seeking new challenges job hunting

    Frode Heimen
    29 Apr 2012 | 3:42 pm
    My son captured me today 29th. April 2012. I have after careful considerations, decided to part from my employer and find a new job. What the future holds for me is unknown, but I am sure that it will be a journey worth travelling. Hunting for a new job, or a new career is always exiting. But why did I quit my dream job? There are several reasons for my decision. First of all I see no future living in this beautiful rural landscape. The job I have is the only one in my profession in this area. With just one job to hang on to, this result in insecurity as I see no alternative if I for some…

  • Get my Book: Becoming Great at Work

    Frode Heimen
    5 Apr 2012 | 11:12 am
    I wrote this book in order to create a different business book, not targeting leaders but the employees. I have been working in leading positions for many years, and I have always wanted to create a guide helping my employees to do a better job. Not by getting fast results, but to help them open up and understanding the whole concept of business thinking from the leadership point of view. Helping employees to see the helicopter view, understanding how their behavior impacts others and so on. This book will give you a wider perspective about work. It might help you to become happier at work,…

  • My eBook is Out: Becoming Great @Work

    Frode Heimen
    23 Mar 2012 | 9:44 pm
    After spending almost the entire night making my last changes and writing the epilogue… I am now happy to say that my book is ready for download. This book is based on my own experiences mixed with my knowledge from day to day work and sharing what I have been learning by doing and reading. I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I first started working for a living. To be able to write a book, even an eBook has been something I have wanted to do for many years. I have spent about 3,5-4 years from the ideas to the finished product. What I hope to do with this book is to give other…
 
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    Thinking is Hard Work

  • #Leadership & Learning: Have You Learned Anything Recently?

    Colleen Sharen
    14 May 2012 | 7:21 am
    What have you learned recently? No, I don’t mean reflecting on life’s lessons. I mean what hard skill or idea have you picked up recently and used? If you aren’t constantly renewing your knowledge and skills, you rapidly become the … Continue reading →

  • Why Can’t a Woman be More Like a Man?

    Colleen Sharen
    10 May 2012 | 6:34 am
    There is a leadership gap. Women don’t hold as many leadership positions as men. According to Alice Eagly, only 2% of Fortune 500 CEO positions are held by women.There is no clear cause (although there are a whole lot of … Continue reading →

  • #Leadership & Power: Good Girls Don’t Talk

    Colleen Sharen
    7 May 2012 | 7:50 am
    Find “your voice”, “speak your mind”, if I hear this advice to women one more time, I think I’m going to scream. Why? Because at least for high powered women, speaking your mind may result in backlash. A recent study … Continue reading →

  • #Leadership: Emotions, Anger and Gender

    Colleen Sharen
    3 May 2012 | 7:54 am
    Men can get angry at work, but women can’t. Really. A recent study from Victoria Brescoll and Eric Luis Uhlmann supports this fact. Adult men and women were shown videotapes of both men and women who were being interviewed for … Continue reading →

  • He checked his cell phone

    Colleen Sharen
    26 Apr 2012 | 8:00 am
    He looked at it. Again and again and again. Which caught my eye.  Sitting in a fast food place yesterday after a short shopping binge,  I was watching a guy seated across from me. In the time it took for … Continue reading →
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    Minding Gaps

  • Eight Archetypes of Dysfunctional Listening

    Minding Gaps
    14 May 2012 | 3:06 pm
      By Thomas J. Lee Here's an important question: Does anyone really listen to what you say? Here's another, even more important question: Do you really listen to what other people say? Really, really listen? Be honest with yourself. For objectivity, ask a colleague, a partner, a spouse. Believe what they say. None of us wants to admit it, but few of us listens as well as we should. For many readers of MindingGaps, a big part of the problem is your intelligence. When it comes to listening, you can be too smart for your own good. We dealt with the problem of intelligence in an earlier…

  • Enrollment Opens for Master Class: Communication for Leadership

    Minding Gaps
    3 May 2012 | 8:05 am
    Venue for Master Class: Communication for Leadership Over the years we have had success with our sophisticated Master Class: Communication for Leadership. Well-regarded companies such as Northwestern Mutual, Pfizer, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, and Anheuser-Busch—to name only a handful—have used this engaging learning experience to take their organizations to the next level. What makes Master Class stand out? Powerful, integrated models that make sense. An affirming emphasis on servant leadership. A recognition of implicit messages on workplace priorities. An exploration of cultural…

  • A Simple Process for Better Listening

    Minding Gaps
    30 Apr 2012 | 2:27 pm
      by Thomas J. LeeA week or so ago we explained why smart people have more difficulty listening.In a nutshell, it is because you process information rapidly, you are usually thinking critically, you render judgments frequently, and you are often juggling multiple demands on your time.It all adds up to what I call a conspiracy of cacophony. There's so much stuff rattling around your head, and it is making so much noise as it rattles, you cannot hear anything else.Here's the good news. You can discipline yourself to become a deeper, better listener; and you should. People will appreciate…

  • Are You Smart? Then You Are Probably Also a Poor Listener!

    Minding Gaps
    17 Apr 2012 | 2:38 pm
     by Thomas J. Lee Are you fairly bright? I figured so. After all, you're reading this! Seriously, our mailing list consists largely of successful managers. So there's a real reason for me to believe that, yes, you are indeed intelligent. Unfortunately, that means you have a problem, and it is a problem you probably haven't really appreciated and understood. It is just this: You are a poor listener. Generally speaking, the brighter that people are, the poorer listeners they are. It stands to reason. By definition, intelligent people absorb information fast. Researchers have found that…

  • Ozzie Guillen's Foul Ball on Fidel Castro

    Minding Gaps
    10 Apr 2012 | 7:50 am
    by Thomas J. Lee Every business manager, government official, and aspiring entrepreneur should sit up and pay rapt attention to the ordeal that Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillén is going through this week—and then remember to choose her words very, very carefully. A native of Venezuela, where he still has a home, Guillén has enjoyed a long and successful career as a baseball player and manager. He managed the Chicago White Sox to a World Series championship. After leaving the White Sox last autumn, he signed with the Miami Marlins, who have just built a shiny new stadium in the Little…
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    Employee Performance and Talent Management Blog

  • Employees Underperforming? 5 Reasons Why You Should Look In the Mirror

    Melany Gallant
    14 May 2012 | 2:07 pm
    In this contributed post, Andrew Call of eTundra’s The Backburner discusses why restaurant owners and managers need to evaluate their people management skills when assessing poor employee performance. Andrew offers some restaurant management tips including the importance of consistent communication and strong leadership. Owning and operating a restaurant is as daunting as it is promising. For both the new restaurateur and the seasoned professional the daily ins and outs can get frustrating. While there are some things you can’t control – like a restaurant equipment breakdown or…

  • Why You Should Make Performance Management an On-going Practice

    Melany Gallant
    11 May 2012 | 9:59 am
    Ah, the most un-wonderful time of the year (excluding tax-filing time) — the dreaded annual employee review. Despised and avoided by many, the employee appraisal process is often viewed as mandatory yearly assault that delivers little or no value. In fact, some would say that that the negative outweighs the positive in terms of frustration, stress and diminished morale (Hey, I deserve a higher rating than that!) Maybe it is worse than tax time. How do you eliminate dread and drudgery of annual employee reviews and turn them into something welcome and valuable? Change Your…

  • Webinar: The 5 Faces Managers See During Performance Reviews

    Melany Gallant
    8 May 2012 | 7:26 am
    The goal of coaching and feedback is to help employees be their best. One of the best ways managers can do this is to engage employees in discussions about their performance to help them arrive at deeper self-awareness. So what do you do when an employee has a worldview of their performance that has nothing to do with your reality? Ignore their perspective, and your ROI on the conversation is the equivalent of talking to a government clerk with 30 years experience about the finer points of the Nordstrom customer experience program – while you’re still 3rd in line at the DMV. Pointless,…

  • Developing a Laser Beam Focus on Effective Goal Management

    Melany Gallant
    4 May 2012 | 9:47 am
    What do you know about Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation? Well that fancy-schmancy physics term is more commonly known by the acronym - LASER. Metaphorically speaking, laser beams and organization-centric goal management (and there’s no acronym for that!) are amazingly similar. Picture how a laser beam works: When all the light waves from a given source come together so that that they’re all in phase, we end up with (you guessed it) a laser beam. And when you focus that beam on a given target, the results can be remarkable. In fact, the concentrated light waves are…

  • Secrets to Effective Employee Evaluation Forms

    Sean Conrad
    26 Apr 2012 | 12:22 pm
    Is it any wonder HR gets a bad rap as a paper pusher? “Fill in the job application… Complete the open enrolment form… The leave request form is on the intranet…. Did you sign off that you’ve read the employee handbook? Now about that TPS report cover…” (OK that last one’s a joke for you Office Space fans.) It’s no one’s fault. Forms are a part of our day-to-day lives and exist in almost any working environment. And yes, HR oversees more than its fair share. But if you look closer at the data being collected, many forms are mission critical to how your organization…
 
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    mgmtideas.com - Latest Content

  • Idea from the Vault: Honor the Room

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    In a discussion with one person, a team, a class, an off-site meeting, before you get off-stage, take a moment to tell the people you are with -- those who may be ready to follow you -- that you know who they are, that you respect what they're doing and that you're extremely grateful for their hard work upon which you're going to get your job done. Author(s): Michael Useem Source(s): Mission Critical: 15 Principles to Help Leaders Meet Their Toughest Challenges (Booz & Company, Knowledge@Wharton)
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    Management Stories

  • The Beauty of Many Quick Pricing Experiments

    Administrator
    8 May 2012 | 4:17 pm
    When Gary Loveman joined Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) in 1998, the casino company priced its slot machines like everyone else in the gaming industry. Management presumed that decreasing payouts—essentially raising the price—would drive some customers to other casinos. A sensible assumption, perhaps, but Loveman—a quantitative type who left a professorship at Harvard Business School to join the company—wasn’t one to assume. He commissioned a study to determine how sensitive slot-machine players would be to a change in payouts. The company discovered it could…

  • Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth is in Customer Service

    Administrator
    10 Apr 2012 | 7:16 am
    About ten years ago, two weeks before Valentine’s Day, a female customer, whom we will call Sue, stopped into the store to buy a bike for her husband. Because she had gone all out to get the very best bike she could for her husband, she needed to pay us in increments. So, she put a deposit on the bike until she could save up the remaining $200 to pay it off. Wanting to surprise her husband on Valentine’s Day, Sue asked Greg, a Zane’s employee, if he could put the bike in the display window that evening after she had decorated the bike with some ribbon, balloons, and a sign she made that…

  • What Should Be True

    Administrator
    20 Mar 2012 | 4:12 pm
    Some organizations and initiatives are so successful that a sort of folklore arises around them. John F. Kennedy is said to have asked a janitor scrubbing a floor at Cape Canaveral what he was doing and received the reply, “I’m working to put a man on the moon.” The story is probably apocryphal, as it’s also been attributed to architect Christopher Wren at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Legend or not, the point is that all great legends encapsulate what should be true. We think all workers should believe they are contributing to a worthwhile goal. If they don’t, is it their…

  • Would You Invest in Your Own Company?

    Administrator
    5 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm
    The CEO of one company was determined that his employees understand the issues surrounding the company’s recent poor results and become fully engaged to help turn the company around. Here’s how he accomplished this. The company held four brown bag lunch meetings over four weeks where employees could attend for free for one hour and hear from an outside professional about how to invest in the share market. Importantly, there was no obvious link between the meeting topic and the organization the employees worked for. At week three, they were analyzing annual reports and generally…

  • The Importance of Self-Discipline

    Administrator
    1 Nov 2011 | 10:09 am
    During the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted “the marshmallow test” with four-year-olds in the preschool at Stanford University, to assess each preschooler’s ability to delay gratification. Each four-year-old was given one marshmallow. They were told that they could eat it immediately or, if they waited until the researcher returned in 20 minutes, they could have two marshmallows. Some kids in the group just couldn’t wait. They gobbled down the marshmallow immediately. The rest struggled hard to resist eating it. They covered their eyes, talked to…
 
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    mgmtarticles.com - Latest Content

  • Article from the Vault: Best Beats First

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    "There are a few exceptional cases where being first virtually guarantees a sustainable advantage; they generally fall into three categories. First, if you can lock up ironclad patent protection, then you're set for years. Second, if you have a proprietary industry standard, such as MS-DOS, you can hold a dominant position despite the presence of better solutions. Third, if customers find it too much of a hassle to move over to a better solution, they'll stay with you despite having better options . . . But the great irony of many Internet companies -- with all their frantic ranting about…
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    Peter Barron Stark Companies

  • Leadership Lessons from Great Teachers

    Peter Stark
    14 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Need Leadership Inspiration? Borrow from Your Favorite Teachers Think back to your school days. Who were your favorite teachers? Most likely, they were not the teachers who taught straight out of the book, reading word-for-word. I’m willing to guess your favorite teachers were passionate about what they taught, excited to share their knowledge with you, truly cared about you and your success, and encouraged you to explore new ways of approaching and solving problems. They might not have even held the title of teacher — perhaps they were a coach, a family member, or a friend…

  • Minimizing Brain Drain

    Peter Stark
    1 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Business is getting better. All the economic indicators are telling us that the economy is improving. From the lows of 2008, the stock market continues to rise, restoring the health of employees’ savings and retirement plans. And, just over the last few months, we have been hearing that the real estate market may have completed its bottom and is now embarking on a slow rebound. What does all this good economics mean? Two major factors are going to converge on organizations about the same time and it is going to hurt. First, employees will once again have options about where they are…

  • What the &*@% Were You Thinking?

    Peter Stark
    23 Apr 2012 | 10:00 am
    Just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone comes along and reminds you that you haven’t. I recently heard a woman mumble in front of a TSA agent, “What should I expect from someone who makes $10.00 an hour?” As I watched the TSA agent take all her bags to secondary inspection, I felt like saying to the woman, “When you open your mouth and say something really stupid, secondary inspection is exactly what you should expect.” Unless of course you are a leader. Leaders who speak to others in that way face a different set of challenges. A good portion of our practice is…

  • 6 Ways Your Employee Engagement Survey can Enhance Talent Management

    Peter Stark
    17 Apr 2012 | 12:07 pm
    As the market slowly begins to return and employers cautiously add jobs, the buzz on the streets from the HR world is: When the gates are open, will your employees run? Are you prepared for the talent wars to begin? While even the strongest organizations may not be able to have 100% retention, you have something in your talent management toolbox to help prevent wandering eyes: an Employee Engagement Survey. It’s not just conducting the survey that will help you maximize your talent management system: it’s the insight that it can provide you with, and the subsequent actions you…

  • The 50 Percent Factor: Why Executive Coaching Doesn’t Always Work

    Peter Stark
    10 Apr 2012 | 10:00 am
    When CEOs or human resource professionals share their specific concerns about a leader who is experiencing challenges, their next question is always, “Do you think that coaching this individual will be effective?” Most consultants and coaches will reply “absolutely” and tell you about all of their successful projects. Unfortunately, our response sometimes disappoints our clients. We are painfully honest when we say, “Overall, our coaching projects are 50 percent successful.” About half the time, we work with executives/managers who are excited about having a coach and want to…
 
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    Encob Blog

  • Quale è il valore delle fiere?

    Dragan Bosnjak
    16 May 2012 | 1:30 am
    In questi ultimi giorni passo ore ed ore seduto senza fare niente, aspettando che qualcuno arrivi, in fiera. E si fanno vedere pochissimi, spesso chiedendo cose che non puoi neanche offrirgli. Allora mi chiedo: ma quale è il vero valore delle fiere? In un’economia del secolo scorso, dove dovevi farti conoscere fisicamente per poter figurare in un mercato, poteva anche avere un valore. Oggi non è più così. Abbiamo talmente tanti mezzi per diffondere il nostro brand che una spesa come quella delle fiere può essere facilmente assorbita con una seria campagna di marketing sul proprio…

  • Prima e dopo

    Dragan Bosnjak
    15 May 2012 | 1:30 am
    Supponiamo che dovete far vedere a qualcuno il miglioramento che avete ottenuto, oppure che volete presentare a qualcuno il miglioramento CGE intendete realizzare. Quale è il modo più semplice per farlo? Fate una scheda con la situazione prima e dopo il miglioramento. La scheda può contenere le foto, gli schizzi, i diagrammi di processo, le value stream map o qualsiasi cosa che dimostra, con i dati in mano, cosa è/era lo stato iniziale, cosa sarà/è lo stato migliorato, quale è/era la differenza e cosa avete fatto/intendete fare per colmarla. Non serve scrivere molto, due foto o grafici…

  • Il miglioramento continuo è morto?

    Dragan Bosnjak
    14 May 2012 | 1:30 am
    Qualche giorno fa, sul blog di Harvard Business Review, Ron Ashkenas ha scritto che è arrivato il momento di ripensare il miglioramento continuo. Ecco un breve estratto di quello che ha detto: Sei sigma, Kaizen, Lean e altre variazioni di miglioramento continuo possono essere pericolose per la salute della vostra organizzazione. Mentre dirlo può essere considerato un’eresia, le recenti prove dal Giappone e altrove suggeriscono che è arrivato il momento di dubitare di questi metodi. Il miglioramento continuo una volta ha sollevato l’economia giapponese. I manifatturieri…

  • Il meglio della blogosfera lean #140

    Dragan Bosnjak
    12 May 2012 | 1:30 am
    Gli articoli di questa settimana (dal 04/05/2012 al 10/05/2012) sono di: Liz Guthridge (Lean Communications) e Tim McMahon (A Lean Journey) e parlano di lean thinking, filosofia lean, persuasione, lean tools, tecnologie affidabili. Tutti molto interessanti. Potete leggerli qui. Potete seguirmi su G+ qui: +Dragan Bosnjak. Potete anche seguire la pagina di Encob Blog qui: +Encob Blog. Questo sarebbe tutto per questa settimana, ci sentiamo sabato prossimo. Scarica articolo come PDF Articoli simili: Il meglio della blogosfera lean #115 Il meglio della blogosfera lean #116 Il meglio della…

  • Quale è la vostra opinione sui momenti “eureka”?

    Dragan Bosnjak
    11 May 2012 | 1:30 am
    Tutti avete sentito il famoso racconto di Archimede che esclama “eureka” dopo aver capito una delle leggi più importanti della fisica. Oppure della mela che cade in testa a Isaac Newton e succede la stessa cosa? E le stesse cose sono successe anche ad altri personaggi rimasti nella storia. Ma da dove nascono quei momenti? Siamo sicuri che sono frutto del caso? Quando le persone pensano dei momenti di illuminazione, li immaginano come una luce che si accende nella nostra testa. Queste favole seguono tutte le stesse caratteristiche che gli scienziati definiscono “esperienza…
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    The Modern Servant Leader

  • S.O.C.I.A.L. Media Principles

    Ben
    15 May 2012 | 4:22 am
    As social media platforms come and go, technology changes, but key principles remain. As a leader in your organization, you need to remember these key principles. A simple, relevant acronym should do the trick: S.O.C.I.A.L. – Serve, Open, Connect, Integrity, Action-oriented and Listen. While these principles are important at all times, it begins with listening, so we’ll cover the principles in reverse order. Listen The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer. — Henry David Thoreau It begins with listening. You…

  • Be the First to Applaud

    Ben
    3 May 2012 | 11:26 am
    The presenter highlights a broad group of award winners, mentioning his appreciation of their hard work. The audience, approximately 8,000 people strong, is silent for a second. But then, as the presenter takes a breath, about to speak again, a clap is heard from stage-right. Applause then quickly rises from stage right and rolls through the back of the giant auditorium in rapid succession. The presenter setup the recognition, an unknown person close to the stage  decided broader recognition was needed and soon, several thousand agreed, applauding in unison. It took only two people to grab…

  • Lead Like a Curling Sweeper

    Ben
    24 Apr 2012 | 7:58 am
    The sport of Curling makes an excellent analogy for servant leadership. In this sport, each player must lead in a way, but the Sweeper is like the servant leader. The Skip sets a stone in motion toward a target. As the stone slides along the ice, the Skip then  calls directions to the Sweepers. Sweepers respond by sweeping the ice ahead of the stone more, or less, according the direction of the Skip. The sweeping motion, veracity and direction influence the path of the stone. On the stone’s path to it’s objective there may be obstacles (opposing stones). These factors as well…

  • How to Create a Priorities Map

    Ben
    19 Apr 2012 | 4:11 am
    Understanding the priorities for colleagues can be vital to your success. A priorities map reveals the network of priorities for people in your organization. Often, team members confuse a lack of understanding with a difference in priorities. For example, the CEO may have very different priorities than the VP of Human Resources. To help you understand these differences, consider creating priority map for your organization. Here’s how: A Spheres of Service Priorities Map can reveal a lot about your organization 1. Pick Your Tool If this is your first time building such a map, use paper…

  • An Interview with Tony Baron – Author of The Art of Servant Leadership

    Ben
    17 Apr 2012 | 4:17 am
    Dr. Tony Baron is among the most sought-after servant leadership experts. His book,  The Art of Servant Leadership, documents how servant leadership helped turn around and create outstanding success for Datron World Communications. Tony, who is also the President of Servant Leadership Institute, sat down for an interview on his book, the institute and servant leadership principles. Questions Covered in the Interview 1. What does Servant Leadership Institute do? (Watch this answer) 2. How do you describe servant leadership? (Watch this answer) 3. What is the greatest challenge of servant…
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    C-Level Strategies - Visionary Leadership

  • Leadership Transitions and the Excitement of Open Space

    Lisa Petrilli
    14 May 2012 | 3:17 am
    With Steve Woodruff at This Year's SOBCon Pre-Party One of the things I’ve been acutely attuned to recently is my inner “knowing,” particularly in regard to important changes in my life. Answers to life-altering questions appear that were there all along, but which I simply needed to be open to receiving. I experienced the joy of this “knowing” a few weeks ago when I had dinner with a group of dear friends whom I had met through the SOBCon Conference. One of these friends was Steve Woodruff, the very first person I ever met at SOBCon and my Leadership Chat Co-Founder and Partner…

  • Leadership How-To: Thanking Your Team

    Lisa Petrilli
    7 May 2012 | 3:17 am
    I had the great privilege of seeing Yo-Yo Ma perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this weekend at spectacular Symphony Hall. He was, quite simply, phenomenal. When he plays his stunning cello, passion exudes from his entire energy field. You can’t help but be riveted while watching him. And while the applause at the end of his performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B Minor was loud, the most thunderous applause came when he did something else: he ran around the stage giving bear hugs to the conductor and his fellow cellists, fervent hand shakes to the violinists and…

  • 7 Lessons the Tango Teaches About Being a Great Follower

    Lisa Petrilli
    3 May 2012 | 3:17 am
    Let’s face it, when you live, work, write and dream leadership it can be very difficult to be a great follower. But even those of us who have a passion for leadership (I believe that includes all of you, my dear readers!) know there are times when we are simply meant to follow. Enter the Tango. And the Rumba, Salsa, Hustle, Waltz and Fox Trot. Up until a few weeks ago my only exposure to them had been the Mario Lopez season of Dancing With the Stars. But, having spent the better part of my childhood and High School years dancing and performing on football fields and basketball courts,…
 
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    ELCircle

  • Is your data foundation a house of cards?

    Jim Canterucci
    11 May 2012 | 4:59 pm
    Is the data you use to make decisions as a leader accurate? You’ve probably had the same experience as I did earlier today. I made a purchase and at the end of the transaction the clerk said, “You will be receiving a survey and the only acceptable answer is ‘excellent’ for all the questions about me. Will you do that for me?” I know this was part of a script because I overheard other customers receiving the same spiel. I’ve experienced this at car dealerships, cell phone stores, and even restaurants. Varying amounts of pressure is applied to give the right…

  • Do you back fill for change?

    Jim Canterucci
    4 May 2012 | 2:02 pm
    Change is constant, blah, blah, blah. However, when a large change initiative occurs within your area your people are distracted. They’re busy on change related activities. They are not in a routine. Here are some thoughts for how you can lead during this change window: Do less. You’ve heard the phrase – “How do you do more with less? Do less.” While life isn’t so black and white, you have to consider which initiatives you and your team have on the plate and consider which items simply cannot be done. Don’t fully give up though. The key second step is…

  • Vision, Mission, Smishion

    Jim Canterucci
    26 Apr 2012 | 6:15 am
    If you can put your vision statement on a PowerPoint slide, or worse a coffee mug, you’re likely doing it wrong. Rather, can you create a vision that tells a story of the future that includes your organization? The narrative story brings components together and your team can see the context of decisions more easily. There is much more to strategic planning, but the future narrative is critical to success and should be the first step in the process. You don’t need an MBA to understand it. You can evaluate if your folks think the vision is possible and it spawns much deeper…

  • The 90/10 to 60/40 Equation

    Jim Canterucci
    20 Apr 2012 | 11:37 am
    Here is a presentation on one of 7 Essentials for Emerging Leaders. Let me know what you think:

  • Are ideas flowing your way?

    Jim Canterucci
    12 Apr 2012 | 10:56 am
    Lack of ideas from an otherwise dynamic team is a symptom that you could do better as a leader. Not sure if this applies to you? Ask yourself these questions: How many ideas did your team members bring to you today? Is there silence in your group brainstorming sessions? Do you feel like you must be the idea person all the time? Are you feeling that your area is stagnant? If the light bulb of innovation seems a bit dim for your team, maybe it’s time to examine the light socket: Are you open to receiving new ideas from your staff? Do you listen to input from your team? Do you coach your…
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    The trU Group

  • How to get better at delivering feedback? First, get better at receiving it.

    Scott
    15 May 2012 | 7:09 am
    I am in the process of reading/reviewing Jodi Glickman’s book Great On The Job – What To Say, How To Say It – The Secrets of Getting Ahead.  As I go through it I will share some thoughts that make me go Hmmmm . . .  This posting is based on one of those moments. What is the secret to speaking what you feel about someones performance and having it end up in a place where the relationship is still intact (or stronger) and your thoughts are heard? The first and only tip – Focus on how you request and receive feedback from others. I read Jodi Glickman’s book…

  • The Hidden(and not so hidden) Impact Of A Question

    Scott
    10 May 2012 | 6:47 am
    A recent WSJ article highlighted the impact on the brain of being able to talk about ourselves.  Talking about ourselves (which we spend 40% of our conversations doing) triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money.  It is a great article – here is the link. Talent management is about having great conversations.  Sure the processes (interview/selection, onboarding, performance, succession planning, one on ones, etc) are important, but the impact of being present in that time and having both parties open to sharing, questioning, and listening makes the biggest…

  • Your Story – Are You Writing It?

    Scott
    8 May 2012 | 7:15 am
    One revelation I’ve had over the past three years in business for myself and in volunteering to work with people trying to get back into the job market is how easy it is to stop living purposefully.  This becomes apparent when someone loses a job and has to sit down and write a resume.  Too often it becomes a narrative of activity, but lacks clarifying themes of what we are passionate about and how we have continued to reflect on, refine, and apply our gifts to the world around us. What are the themes to your story? I captured the key pieces into something I call trUYou™,…

  • Talent Wars – How to not fight them

    Scott
    4 May 2012 | 7:46 am
    I am not much for going through walls, I usually look for a way around them. It a recent study released by the Northern California Human Resource Association, the following statistics were shared: 93% believe there is now or will soon be a talent shortage 44% report full leadership support for the New Reality 78% said retention is a high priority this year When I hear the words high priority this year, I automatically think initiative.  I can hear the front-line business leaders now – “HR wants us to do something new this year . . . “. So a slew of new priorities and…

  • 8 Questions To Ask Before Starting Succession Planning

    Scott
    30 Apr 2012 | 7:22 am
    Succession planning is a great conversation. For the organization, it puts plans in place to be used in case of a sudden departure of a key person.  It also identifies talent gaps that can be discussed and dealt with before they become emergencies. For your best people, it creates a vision of the future for them and identifies ways to challenge/develop them over the coming years. Then there is you, the executive.  Maybe not such a great process.  You are putting plans in place for after you are gone.  You are sharing the talent you have worked hard to hire and develop with the rest of…
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    Team Building and Leadership: Create-Learning

  • Making Teams and Leaders Better. Notes from High Performance TeamBuilding Classes

    mike
    16 May 2012 | 10:56 am
    Currently I’m Teaching a High Performance Team Building Professional Development Program for the University at Buffalo, NY. Below are some of the flip chart notes, from the section on the Team Performance Model. Overview of this section – 7 Steps to Team Performance Explore the creation and sustainment of High Performance teams. Co-Create Solution Focused questions and methods for advancement of each step. Leave with a working model and application to your work and team lives. Lessons Learned from this section – 7 Steps to Team Performance Knowledge of how to put this model into…

  • Within Teams Everything is Useful. You Just Have to Determine, how it is useful to you.

    mike
    15 May 2012 | 11:45 am
    click on the image to enlarge Finding cooperation and determining how to make use of your team, management, resources, etc… is a constant task that we all face in our work. Anything can be useful…if (in your context of work you find things that are not useful then STOP DOING IT! and determine what is needed for it to be useful. Once that step is achieved Plan:Do:Check:Act…find what worked do more of that. Stop what did not work; Or determine what is needed for it to be useful, and repeat…   What do you think? Is this model above useful? If so how? If not…what would make it…

  • Your Idiot Manager is Ruining Your Chances for Promotion

    mike
    14 May 2012 | 11:01 am
    Having an incompetent manager casts a shadow of incompetence on all who report to him. Determining ways to make her look good, may be distasteful BUT it is the only way for you to get recognized for the great work you are doing.   Contrary to popular legend, subordinates do not, as a rule, rise to position and prominence over the prostrate bodies of incompetent bosses. If their boss is not promoted, they will tend to be bottled up behind him. And if their boss is relieved for incompetence or failure, the successor is rarely the bright, young man next in line. He usually is brought in…

  • If “Why should anyone be led by you?” is such a stupid question, why does it stump most leaders?

    mike
    2 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Enjoying a good discussion and when writing “Why should anyone be led by you? That’s a dumb question.”  there was hope that someone would respond, challenging the assertion that it is a dumb question. Below is what was shared on the Organization Development of Western New York LinkedIn page. The other person will be kept anonymous (unless I get their permission to share their name on the blog) Other Person in response to the original blog post Hi Mike! I found your comments to be interesting. A question: If “Why should anyone be lead by you?” is such a stupid question, why does…

  • Network in Aging of WNY–Great Organization, Great Team, Great People, Awesome Testimonial

    mike
    1 May 2012 | 3:18 pm
      Network in Aging of Western New York, Inc.     Contacted by my friend Nancy Weil to lead a team building workshop for a group that she is a part of, The Network in Aging of WNY. Mission To help our members enhance their efforts to improve the quality of life for older persons and their families by providing them with opportunities for resource exchange, professional development, and stimulation of interdisciplinary collaboration. outcomes from the Team Building Time: Increased trust and membership communication People got to know and learn from each other in an enjoyable…
 
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    Horeb International Leadership Blog

  • Why Stealing is Sometimes Good

    olaojo15
    7 May 2012 | 10:42 am
    Image Credit: EvinDC We are all told that stealing is bad, but not all stealing is bad. Sometimes stealing can be good. The great artist, Pablo Picasso, once said that good artists copy while great artists steal. In a previous blog post, I discussed the concept of creativity as a remix. I argued that everything created today is inspired by something in the past. James Burke stated that we look to the past to prepare for the future because there is nowhere else to look. In this post, I intend to explore the notion of good creative stealing as advocated by Austin Kleon who just released a book…

  • Fire-fighting versus Sitting under a Tree

    olaojo15
    29 Apr 2012 | 10:37 am
    Image Credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery I attended a creativity workshop a few weeks ago at work. During a group discussion, we talked about the issue of time pressures as an obstacle to creativity. The busyness of work makes it so easy to fall back on the same mindless habitual patterns instead of coming up with creative and better methods of working. I shared two metaphorical images during the discussion which I will elaborate further in this blog post. Too much time in life and in the workplace is spent fire-fighting and not enough time is spent sitting under the tree. Fire-fighting is…

  • Tinkerers, Tweakers and Remixers

    olaojo15
    19 Apr 2012 | 3:16 pm
    Image Credit: EgnaroorangE There is a great verse in the Bible, in the Book of Ecclesiastes which reads “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”  This verse is often cited in relation to the process of creativity, surmising that nothing created is truly original but everything is a remix or a mash-up of a previous creation. A remix or mash-up is simply when two or more elements are combined to form a new element with a different meaning. Creative individuals develop new things from the spare parts of old things cobbled…

  • The Equation of Progress

    olaojo15
    9 Apr 2012 | 4:07 am
    This post builds on my last one. Most people don’t have a problem with knowing what to do; what they tend to struggle with is doing what they know they should do.  Have you seen the first Matrix movie? It is a great film and I would recommend you watch it if you haven’t seen it yet. There is a scene in the movie where Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne’s character), says to Neo (Keanu Reeves) – ‘There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.’ This quote sums up the challenge of doing the right thing despite knowing the right thing to do. How do you get around it?

  • The 2E’s of Success

    olaojo15
    1 Apr 2012 | 3:28 pm
    Last weekend, I did two seminars at the Revolution (Youth) Conference in Sheffield. It was a great conference and I would like to thank the organisers of the event for inviting me for the second time in two years.  This blog post focuses on the main theme of the first seminar: The 2E’s of Success. Can you guess what they are? These are Effectiveness and Efficiency. Peter Drucker, the late Management guru, defined effectiveness as doing the right things and efficiency as doing things right. The relationship between effectiveness and efficiency could be likened to that of a horse and a cart.
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    Leadership and...

  • Leadership and People...People who need...people...

    Pete Blank
    4 May 2012 | 11:04 am
    Babs once sang that "People, People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world..."As a customer, I need people.Everytime I call a company and get a phone tree, I will always push zero in the hopes that it will bypass the system and get me to a person.I know you do it too.Ally Bank has done a nice job with its current branding regarding customer service.  If you have not seen their "blender" commercial, click here or just watch it below.   I was at Wal-Mart last night looking for a travel shaving kit.  Boy, it took a long time to find.  I tried housewares,…

  • Leadership and Ickypoo

    Pete Blank
    23 Apr 2012 | 10:44 am
    John Maxwell often says that "Leaders are Readers," and I agree 100%. Last week, I read The Hunger Games in 3 nights.  I saw it as a way to bond with Madison, my 14-year old daughter.  It worked.  Now we can have chats about Katniss and Peeta, and I have become the cool dad...for about 2-3 days. Then I will be back to being a loser dad. Last Thursday, my co-workers and I volunteered to read to elementary school students at Bush Hills Academy in Birmingham, Alabama.  It was part of a three-day initiative called Birmingham Reads.  It was put on jointly…

  • Leadership and I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream... (Part Deux)

    Pete Blank
    9 Apr 2012 | 1:58 pm
    So who was right regarding the great ice cream scandal of 2012?Paul, one of my friends, told me that I should have just ordered a brownie a la mode, asked for a second scoop of ice cream, told them to "hold the brownie", paid for whatever the final amount was, and everyone would have been happy.Note:  Sounds like a scene straight out of "Five Easy Pieces!"  If you have not seen the infamous restaurant scene from this 1970's Jack Nicholson classic, you can view the short version here.Should Zippy have served me the ice cream?Or was I just one of those annoying customers who…

  • Leadership and I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream...

    Pete Blank
    30 Mar 2012 | 12:25 pm
    Thanks to everyone who read and kept up with the 7-part series on our tornado experience.  We are very blessed with all the comments and prayers that you have sent our way.But for now, it is time to get back to sharing more leadership lessons.  While not as heart-stopping as a tornado, I hope you will find this next story just as exciting.My family and I just returned from a trip to Walt Disney World.  Many of you know that I worked there for 13 years.  It is a world class organization when it comes to customer service...But even Disney makes mistakes...or do they?Here are…

  • Leadership and You say TorNEIGHdo, I say TorNAHdo (Part 7 - FINAL)

    Pete Blank
    15 Mar 2012 | 3:45 pm
    This is part seven (and the final part) in a multi-part series...As all four of us walked up our main road, I still was not comprehending what had happened.We sat in the back of an ambulance for about 10 minutes... until they rescued Bob from his home.  He was coming towards us in a stretcher and they needed the ambulance.  He was conscious, but looked like he was hurting bad.  We later found out he also protected his daughter by laying across her, and he was rewarded with a punctured lung, cracked ribs, and a leg that was broken in about 10 different places.He was in…
 
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    The Six Disciplines Blog

  • The Reference Guide To Performance Excellence

    11 May 2012 | 9:04 am
    One of the best resources about the Baldrige Performance Excellence framework  is "Your Reference Guide to Performance Excellence" (published by NIST) which explains the benefits of Baldrige and the tools, approaches, and resources available to you. What Is Performance Excellence? What Baldrige Offers You What Makes Baldrige Different Begin Your Journey Benefits of Submitting a Baldrige Application More Learning Opportunities Watch this video - and see how Six Disciplines can accelerate your Baldrige journey.   More ...Category: Excellence

  • Why Take The Baldrige Journey?

    7 May 2012 | 9:34 am
    On the National Baldrige Performance Excellence website, there's a great article entitled Why Take The Baldrige Journey? Organizations everywhere are looking for ways to effectively and efficiently meet their missions and achieve their visions. Thousands of organizations use the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to guide their enterprises, improve performance, and get sustainable results. This proven improvement and innovation framework offers your organization an integrated approach to key management areas: Leadership Strategic planning Customer focus Measurement, analysis, and…

  • Top Leadership Study Reveals Key Process For Innovation

    3 May 2012 | 7:02 am
    The Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, today released its seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study and Top 20 list. The study ranks the best companies for leadership around the globe and examines how those companies nurture talent and foster innovation in their ranks. This year, no surprises  - General Electric topped the list, followed by Procter & Gamble, IBM, Microsoft and Coca-Cola.  Highlights that you may find of interest from this year’s study: All of the Top 20 companies (vs. 68% of all other companies) say they provide structured opportunities for…

  • About Baldrige and Six Disciplines

    30 Apr 2012 | 8:26 am
    The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence provide a framework for understanding performance management. They reflect validated, proven best-practices against which an organization can measure itself. Baldrige criteria has been accepted nationally (including individual states) and internationally,  as the model for performance excellence: a common language for communication among organizations for sharing best practices   Watch this short video with Paul Worstell, (former president of PRO-TEC Coating Company and 2007 Baldrige Performance Excellence recipient) as he talks about…

  • The ROI of Performance Excellence Programs

    24 Apr 2012 | 8:44 am
    Six Disciplines® is a total performance excellence program. By integrating a proven best-practices methodology and innovative Outlook software, we help you to build an effective culture of continuous improvement, enabling you to achieve predictable and measurable growth.  The desired end result is different for each of our clients, but it's usually centered around growth, higher productivity, improved profitability and greater overall goal accomplishment.   We're often asked by prospective clients about the ROI of the Six Disciplines program.  The best answer is to look at our clients.
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    A Slice of Leadership: A Leadership Blog, One Slice at a Time

  • Are You Brainwashed or Drinking Too Much Kool-Aid? Leadership Starts With You!

    Todd Nielsen
    3 May 2012 | 11:30 pm
    Over the years I have belonged to various associations and groups. I been also been in many peer groups, hired consultants and coaches, used multitudes of products and vendors, and even worked for some crummy employers. The years of this have … Continue reading →

  • Four Strategies to Make Your Vision a Reality

    Todd Nielsen
    24 Apr 2012 | 5:00 am
    I wanted to share with you a guest post that I wrote for Jesse Lyn Stoner’s website. Jesse Lyn Stoner is the author of the book “Full Steam Ahead. Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Work and Your Life.” … Continue reading →

  • The Urgency For Good Leadership

    Todd Nielsen
    13 Apr 2012 | 10:36 pm
    “There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.” This message from Thomas … Continue reading →

  • Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 19 – 27 of 27

    Todd Nielsen
    9 Apr 2012 | 8:08 pm
    This is the last of a multi-part article meant to share some of the tidbits of wisdom from the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon. Article  19 – Debbe Kennedy from The USA Leadership by Example: How to Ignite this Quality in Your … Continue reading →

  • Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 13 – 18 of 27

    Todd Nielsen
    5 Apr 2012 | 2:43 am
    We continue on today with more tidbits of wisdom from each of the articles in the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon. This is meant to allow you quickly read some of the best parts. As always though, reading the whole articles … Continue reading →
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    Never Mind the Manager

  • Make the leap and hope to land safely.

    Frode Heimen
    9 May 2012 | 1:47 pm
    In life there are crossroads, some are small like what do I have for dinner? Other are larger like what do I do with my job/career/life. I was recently standing with both my feet in the middle of such a giant crossroad – with both hands deep in my pocket and I remember it was raining. Having a good life balance is important and I felt I did not. I was talking to myself like a crazy person, wandering around my living room. I could not feel that my life was in balance. I have a great job working as a customer service manager for a major Norwegian company. I have a great son at the age of 8.

  • Seeking new challenges job hunting

    Frode Heimen
    29 Apr 2012 | 3:42 pm
    My son captured me today 29th. April 2012. I have after careful considerations, decided to part from my employer and find a new job. What the future holds for me is unknown, but I am sure that it will be a journey worth travelling. Hunting for a new job, or a new career is always exiting. But why did I quit my dream job? There are several reasons for my decision. First of all I see no future living in this beautiful rural landscape. The job I have is the only one in my profession in this area. With just one job to hang on to, this result in insecurity as I see no alternative if I for some…

  • Get my Book: Becoming Great at Work

    Frode Heimen
    5 Apr 2012 | 11:12 am
    I wrote this book in order to create a different business book, not targeting leaders but the employees. I have been working in leading positions for many years, and I have always wanted to create a guide helping my employees to do a better job. Not by getting fast results, but to help them open up and understanding the whole concept of business thinking from the leadership point of view. Helping employees to see the helicopter view, understanding how their behavior impacts others and so on. This book will give you a wider perspective about work. It might help you to become happier at work,…

  • My eBook is Out: Becoming Great @Work

    Frode Heimen
    23 Mar 2012 | 9:44 pm
    After spending almost the entire night making my last changes and writing the epilogue… I am now happy to say that my book is ready for download. This book is based on my own experiences mixed with my knowledge from day to day work and sharing what I have been learning by doing and reading. I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I first started working for a living. To be able to write a book, even an eBook has been something I have wanted to do for many years. I have spent about 3,5-4 years from the ideas to the finished product. What I hope to do with this book is to give other…
 
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    Plain Talk » Blog

  • End Malaria Wins The Eric Hoffer Award For Culture

    Eileen
    14 May 2012 | 10:45 am
    You may remember that I am a contributor to the book End Malaria.  I’m pleased to announce that End Malaria has won the culture category from The Eric Hoffer Award. The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US…

  • 2 resilient cities 1 year later

    Eileen
    11 May 2012 | 10:13 am
    USA Today has a great article about the resiliency of Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, MO and their recovery and resilience after the tornadoes that ripped through these towns last year. My favorite part of the article is the beginning “Here is what you do after a massive tornado slashes the heart of your city, killing scores of citizens, wiping away landmarks of a lifetime.  You rethink everything.”  Willingness to rethink old ways of doing things is part of being resilient and these two cities are the epitome of resilience.  Read the entire article here.

  • Nurses Week and no Weak Nurses!!

    Eileen
    9 May 2012 | 12:08 pm
    Just returned from York, PA and the funeral of my almost 96-year old Mother.  In the course of the past four years, I’ve watched nurses in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and hospice settings. Without a doubt, these women and men represent a resiliency in the face of systems and situations that could wear anyone down. During this week as the nation salutes the nursing profession, we’d all be well served if we took a few lessons from these professionals. Speaking to 300 Directors of Nursing (DONs) from LifeCare Centers of America, I listened to their passion and concern for their…

  • How Great Women Lead By Bonnie St. John and Darcy Deane

    Eileen
    7 May 2012 | 6:16 pm
    A colleague, Bonnie St. John, has written a brand new book with her daughter Darcy Deane titled “How Great Women Lead: A Mother-Daughter Adventure into the Lives of Women Shaping the World.” In boardrooms and lecture halls, on the field and at home, strong female leaders are making a statement around the globe. In HOW GREAT WOMEN LEAD Bonnie St. John and her teenage daughter, Darcy Deane, explore the qualities that motivate some of the world’s most powerful women. Through engaging, out-of-the-spotlight interchanges, the authors discover commonly held values, behaviors, and…

  • Bouncing Back—Or rather, As I believe—GROWING THROUGH

    Eileen
    3 May 2012 | 10:05 am
    Bouncing Back is a Success.com article by Melissa Balmain.  The author starts with the heart breaking story about Howie Truong.  Howie is a Vietnamese who leaves  postwar Vietnam in a boat, only to have his wife murdered and his son kidnapped. Despite all this, Howie makes it to the U.S. and builds a wonderful life.  To learn more about his story and what you can do to build resilience in your life read Bouncing Back.
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    360 Feedback: A Leadership Blog

  • Keep a Pulse on the Health of your Workforce

    Jeremy
    16 May 2012 | 10:27 am
    When Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL, the sports community was sadden that he would miss the rest of the playoffs.Rose is one of the best in the NBA, but he’s also a team player, and losing him impacts the entire team from top to bottom. So much so, that the Chicago Bulls were unable to get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.Some blamed the shorten NBA season for all of Rose’s injuries. Too many games packed in such little time didn’t give much room for him to truly adjust and recover, proving the idea that “no pain, no gain” is probably…

  • Finding the ROI of 360 Feedback

    Jeremy
    2 May 2012 | 11:02 am
    In the current era of layoffs, mergers, acquisitions, and budget cuts companies were quick to implement spending cuts across the board to solve short-term spending issues.Nevertheless, companies cannot afford to ignore that the global business climate is increasingly challenging and more competitive than ever. And it is no secret that long-term competiveness lies in a company’s leadership.To help leaders grow and fulfill their roles as efficiently as possible many companies have a renewed focus on leadership development, according to a poll by the Southern Methodist University Cox Executive…

  • Leaders must stay cool under pressure

    Jeremy
    24 Apr 2012 | 10:36 am
    Effective communication skills will always be crucial for leaders. However, some leaders might not realize how the timing of their decisions is just as important as the message they communicate.Leaders are called on to make decisions in a timely manner particularly when there is a crisis or there are risk and opportunities that occurred due to change. They can’t afford to be indecisive, because if all leaders adopted this philosophy absolutely nothing would get accomplished.You must have the ability to evaluate information and respond quickly. If you are not keenly aware of the latest news…

  • Are you truly self aware?

    Jeremy
    18 Apr 2012 | 10:37 am
    Self-awareness is a complicated skill for just about everyone. You might think you have a wonderful sense of humor, but your wife begs to differ. And you probably assume you’re doing the best job you can as the leader of your organization, but yet, many of your employees could be completely disengaged.Self-awareness is an extremely important leadership competency, but it doesn’t receive much attention or focus. Think about it, we have been trained all of our lives to act as if we are the best at what we do. If you admit you have areas that need improvement in your leadership style, your…

  • Why a Little Tension can help Workplace Productivity

    Jeremy
    11 Apr 2012 | 10:31 am
    I’m sure you have come to the conclusion that tension and stress is unavoidable, and it is a fact of life in the workplace. While there are health concerns that can arise if one gets too frazzled, stress will always be prevalent in one or way or another, so we can choose to ignore it and get even more stressed out, or we can embrace it.Too much stress does reduce the ability to work productively, but too little tension encourages complacency in not only yourself but your team members.The key is to handle stress in a way that can help you achieve success. It is part of the manager’s role…
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    Hauke Borow . org

  • How To Make A Swot Analysis

    haukeborow
    29 Apr 2012 | 3:51 am
    The SWOT-Analysis is a very well-known strategic management technique. Nearly all executives I know could tell you something about this ultimate method which seemed to be the decisive tool to deduce profitable strategies in their own area. But I noticed quickly that the SWOT-Analysis has been applied incorrectly in many cases. Probably most decision-makers believe [...]

  • Leadership and Flexibility

    haukeborow
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pm
    Perhaps you ask yourself now: What the … has flexibility to do with leadership? Perhaps you agree with the statement that flexibility is nice to have. But flexibility as an essential tool of holistic leadership? Mhmm…. So please let me explain. What would you consider to be the most important task of a leader? Motivating [...]

  • The Truth About Change Managers

    haukeborow
    21 Oct 2011 | 3:20 pm
    Nowadays it’s very popular to talk about change. It seems as if change is something that accompanies us all through our whole lives. And you know what? It’s true. We don’t need to go so far and look at the content of our lives. It’s already sufficient to have a look at life itself. Life [...]

  • How Learning Management Systems Can Improve Efficiency

    haukeborow
    2 Oct 2011 | 9:02 am
    Learning management systems go well beyond simply providing training programs to employees. In addition to a tool for delivering content, a learning management system will have tracking features that allow managers to check which courses have been completed. It may also have social learning features that give user the opportunity to share and communicate ideas, [...]

  • My Personal Motivation Strategy

    haukeborow
    23 Sep 2011 | 4:14 pm
    Being motivated is a skill. Did you know that? Please be honest… Most people I know are convinced that motivation is something like a lucky emotional state. Today I feel motivated to do something. Yesterday I didn’t. Tomorrow…? Maybe. I can’t say. Motivation comes and goes like the daily sunrise. But unfortunately not so regularly… [...]
 
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    Thank God It's Monday!® Blog

  • Clean that Filter!

    Roxanne Emmerich
    13 May 2012 | 1:41 pm
    “I can.” “I can’t.” “I’m not good enough.” “Good stuff just happens to me.” “I always get sick every winter.” Explanatory styles. We all have them—the filters through which we run all of life’s events. And scientists now know that every thought creates a physical response in your body. Just reading the ideas above triggered subtle emotions, which in turn triggered your pancreas and your adrenal glands to get busy secreting hormones. Different areas of your brain surged with increased electrical currents, causing…

  • NO is not a four-letter word! Responding to stressful times.

    Roxanne Emmerich
    5 May 2012 | 9:07 pm
    Ask Roxanne! Dear Roxanne, I’m seriously losing it. Our staff has been reduced again, and I’m taking on more and more. I feel like the boss is counting on me, but I have never had so many plates spinning at once, and a crash is inevitable. What can I do?—Kristina W. Dear Kristina, Stop treating yourself like a machine, that’s what. Working hard is a terrific thing, but the human mind and body have limits. If you push yourself beyond those limits for too long, it becomes counterproductive. You’ve got to learn how to say no, both for your sake and for the sake of the work. I’ve…

  • Set Your Own Targets

    Roxanne Emmerich
    29 Apr 2012 | 4:45 am
    Ask Roxanne! Dear Roxanne, My manager is a very decent guy, but not much of a leader. As a result, the place is falling apart. Everyone is reverting back to high school behaviors. I want to stay the course, so I’ve been asking the boss for some position targets so I can know what I’m aiming for. He keeps saying, “You’re doing just fine,” which doesn’t help a bit. What can I do to get some clarity?—Denise E. Dear Denise, Good for you for rising about the ruckus, and targets will help you do that. It’s ideal if management sets targets for you, but if…

  • Showing Up

    Roxanne Emmerich
    22 Apr 2012 | 4:29 am
    Ask Roxanne! Dear Roxanne, I am a dad and a department manager at a national freight company. I also coach my son’s soccer team. It’s a bit of a juggling act sometimes, but I get everything done by multi-tasking. Now my immediate supervisor has started ragging on me about phone calls home and checking my Blackberry during meetings AND my wife is complaining about the work I bring home! I need somebody on my side here. Please help me show them that the outcome is the thing, and I’m doing all of my jobs well.—Philip W. Dear Philip, Hate to disappoint you, my friend, but I’m gonna have…

  • Be the Leader

    Roxanne Emmerich
    15 Apr 2012 | 3:40 pm
    There’s an old country music song my cousin played every year at the holidays that goes, “ya done stomped on my heart…and you mashed that sucker flat.” Well, that’s how it feels to be in the workplace some days. Our souls are stomped on. People’s behaviors seem childish, unkind and self-consumed—feels a bit like adult day care. So the responsibility of every team member is to put on her big girl pants or big boy pants and bring that “higher-self” good character to work every day. It’s a choice. WE only act like children in the workplace because we don’t stop to reflect…
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    High Performance Organization Blog

  • Job Engagement: How to Improve Work Performance

    jeanyahres
    29 Apr 2012 | 12:47 pm
    Job Engagement Employers face the complex tasks on finding ways to improve job engagement, work performance and job satisfaction.  A global economy of discriminating employees has placed demands on employers never before seen.  Employers face the challenges of maintaining productivity, job performance as well as keeping their workforce engaged and satisfied with their jobs. Environmental pressures, increased regulations, rising costs, and the needs of the workforce have placed management in a complicated and tenuous situation.  The answer lies with creating a work environment that…

  • Great Customer Service! How to Create an Exceptional Service Team

    jeanyahres
    16 Apr 2012 | 11:03 am
    DATE May 3, 2012 3:00-4:00 SUMMARY When your customer service team loses their drive, it’s detrimental to productivity, profits and personnel.  Learn how to create an excellent customer service strategy and motivate your service team to provide superior service, inspiring customers to return and spread the word.   Join us for this 60-minute webinar where you and your colleagues will discover: Strategies to Boost Morale and Work Ethic Among the Front-Line Reps Tips and Tricks to Increase Profitability Through Stellar Customer Service How to Promote Customer Brand Loyalty: Keep Them Coming…

  • Employee Recognition Ideas to Drive Motivation and Job Satisfaction

    jeanyahres
    11 Apr 2012 | 10:46 am
    Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Employee recognition is a powerful tool in building morale, motivation and job satisfaction. A pat on the back or a personal note from a peer or a supervisor does wonders. Small, informal celebrations are many times more effective than a once-a-quarter or once-a-year formal event. Employee appreciation and recognition are critical to achieving organizational goals. All humans need to feel appreciated. In a survey conducted by Robert Half International, results showed employee recognition and appreciation was…

  • Favorite Leadership Videos

    jeanyahres
    4 Apr 2012 | 7:08 pm
    Here are a couple of good leadership videos I recommend. One on Zappos and the other about Southwest Airlines. I also added an interesting video delivered at Harvard by J.K. Rowling. Hope you enjoy. Greg Smith | Lead Navigator | 770-860-9464 | Chart Your Course International Chartcourse.com | HighperformanceOrganization.com Tweet This Post

  • Top 10 Human Resource MegaTrends

    jeanyahres
    2 Apr 2012 | 4:18 pm
    1. By 2020, the demand for labor will outstrip supply by almost 18 million people. ManpowerGroup: Talent – The New IT 2. 90% of employers experience difficulties filling mission-critical roles because of candidates’ lack of necessary skills and experience, insufficient qualifications or a lack of soft skills. ManpowerGroup 2011 Talent Shortage Survey – May 2011 3. Only one in five employers is concentrating on training and development to fill the knowledge/skills gap. ManpowerGroup 2011 Talent Shortage Survey – May 2011 4. By 2018, 63% of all jobs will require some postsecondary…
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    Career Advancement Blog

  • 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Pursuing Your Dream Job

    Garfinkle Executive Coaching
    15 May 2012 | 9:20 am
    “When we dream we make meaning of life, discover the essence of ourselves, truly grow up, and most importantly, model for children how to dream.” ~ Whitney L. Johnson ~ Years ago, an associate of mine was working in a job that had already made him more money than most Americans earn in a lifetime. Right out of college, he landed a position with a major tech company and helped design several iterations of the world’s leading networking equipment. Some might call my associate’s career a study in success—a perfect example of how a smart, hard-working, enterprising…

  • Increase Visibility at Work: 3 Signs that You Lack Visibility

    Garfinkle Executive Coaching
    10 May 2012 | 2:15 pm
    Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. ~ Will Rogers ~ Are you asking yourself the question, “How do I increase visibility at work?” If you’re not, you should be. According to executive coach Joel Garfinkle, increasing your visibility and getting known in your organization is critical to landing the promotion you want, getting others to value your work, and getting ahead in your career. So how do you judge if you’re visible enough or not? Here are three warning signs to help you determine whether you need to work on being more…

  • Career Change Reasons – 3 Questions to Ask Before Changing Careers

    Garfinkle Executive Coaching
    7 May 2012 | 12:58 pm
    For many people a job is more than an income—it’s an important part of who we are. So a career transition of any sort is one of the most unsettling experiences you can face in your life. ~ Paul Clithero ~ Do you feel like your career has reached a dead end? Or is it that you just aren’t motivated to do your job anymore or you find you’re not making best use of your full potential, talents, and skills? There can be many reasons for a career change and the constant hope of finding your dream job—a job that you have a strong passion for—can actually make the process of a career…

  • Productive Executive Meetings – How to Make Meetings Productive

    Garfinkle Executive Coaching
    3 May 2012 | 10:21 pm
    “Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” ~ John Kenneth Galbraith ~ Did you know that there are over 11 million formal meetings held every day in America? According to a study conducted by the University of Arizona, that comes to more than 3 billion meetings per year. Most managers spend an estimated 20% of their working hours in formal meetings of five or more people. A meeting between several executive leaders may run a firm over $1000 per hour or more in salary costs alone. Ineffective or unproductive meetings could cost Fortune 50 companies losses…

  • Personal Leadership Coaches Can Help You Get the Success You Deserve

    Garfinkle Executive Coaching
    1 May 2012 | 8:54 pm
    “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” ~ Bob Proctor ~ Personal leadership coaches will help you convey confidence as a business leader. You’ll learn how to be respected as an authority, create impact and provide value at work. Leadership coaches will help you develop your executive presence so you can operate at the highest level and become an influential business leader. An executive coach will discover your strengths and weaknesses personally and professionally, developing strategies to…
 
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    Unfolding Leadership

  • Responsibility as Abdication

    Dan Oestreich
    3 May 2012 | 5:12 pm
    I once worked with the CEO of a hospital who took responsibility for personally ensuring that every single piece of furniture purchased would fit the hospital’s existing decor. Now, to be fair, the decor was a little different from other health care facilities and had a relationship to brand. But it was difficult to imagine that only the CEO had the good sense to keep the design congruent. When I asked him about it, and how his control over furniture decisions might be viewed by his senior team members, he was a bit embarrassed, but he also quickly added that he saw this as his…

  • A Perfect System of Misunderstanding

    Dan Oestreich
    16 Apr 2012 | 12:35 pm
    In a familiar communications training exercise people draw a picture of their lives on a clear plastic sheet, a “view foil” or “transparency” — the stuff used in the past with overhead projectors. The idea is for each person to use colored pens to fill up his or her sheet with a variety of images — of childhood and family, work and profession, life experiences and turning points, values, aspirations and expectations. Then, in the next part of the exercise, people hold the sheet up in front of their faces and look through it at someone else looking back at…

  • Ends of the Earth

    Dan Oestreich
    2 Apr 2012 | 8:22 pm
    There is something both dangerous and fantastic about going to the ends of the earth. There is a place where I experience both of those qualities in equal measure — along the road south of Cannon Beach, Oregon, just at the rise on the side of Neahkahnie Mountain. Whoever built the road, and the pull-out to admire the view and watch for whales, left a clue on the far side of the stone retaining wall: three steps down toward a thin trail that leads through five foot high salal bushes across the top of a ridge and down — nearly straight down — to a pile of rocks above the…

  • An Ultimate Kind of Creativity

    Dan Oestreich
    23 Mar 2012 | 11:47 am
    Daisaku Ikeda is a Buddhist teacher. The quotation from him in the epigraph, found here, deeply inspires me. I urge you to read the statement from which the quotation comes in full, so here it is: The Creative Spirit by Daisaku Ikeda The times when I have most intensely felt and experienced the inner reality of creation have been those times when I have thrown myself wholeheartedly into a task, when I have carried through with that task to the very end. At such times, I experience a dramatically expanded sense of self. I can almost hear the joyous yell of victory issuing from the depths of my…

  • Of Eagles

    Dan Oestreich
    12 Mar 2012 | 9:40 pm
    I am not so wise as to know what wisdom is, and pretending only calls up its opposite, folly. A couple of years ago I was crossing one of the floating bridges that spans Lake Washington, here near Seattle. You can see the bridge in the image below. I was driving east — in the image from right to left. It was late in the day and a golden light illuminated the bridge and the dark waters north and south, a little rougher to the south — as usual. Just past the “high-rise” section (on the right), as I came through the arched metal of the trusses, an eagle suddenly dove down…
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    Motivation, Leadership and learning tango

  • A fellow climber

    Patrick Stahl
    26 Apr 2012 | 1:10 am
    I have climbed quite a bit over the years. Nowadays I only climb the career ladder Climbing has given me many good memories, and a bunch of insights into my own limits and potential. And much like tango, it is still a strong source for reflecting upon my own leadership. The following quote is by a much more accomplished climber, and the quote is actually often misattributed to Goethe. It is one of my favourite quotes. Read it, and if you like it – share it. “Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas…

  • A little sumthin’ to move to

    Patrick Stahl
    19 Apr 2012 | 1:37 am
    I can recommend this playlist on Spotify. Something old, something new. Assembled by Daniel. Thanks! Tangos para bailar I will put together my own little playlist too. But that is a treat for another night

  • Asocial tango

    Patrick Stahl
    29 Feb 2012 | 1:58 am
    I have started to realize that I practise something that should be called Asocial tango. Not social tango. Asocial. Like the bears in the dictionary. Most people tango in order to dance with others, socially. To date, to impress a date, to get oh’s and ah’s from people in the milongas or dance studios. They enjoy or crave or strive for that social dimension of tango. To ask someone for a dance or to be asked to dance, that complicated game of people in groups. Tangling here and tangling there. I am assuming all of this, because I have never ever been to any kind of gathering of…

  • The mistakes and discipline of leadership

    Patrick Stahl
    25 Nov 2011 | 1:35 am
    [Celebrate your Mistakes November 17, 2011] http://positivesharing.com/2010/06/top-5-reasons-to-celebrate-mistakes-at-work/ We’re taught to do things the right way. But if you want to discover something that other people haven’t, you need to do things the wrong way. Initiate a failure by doing something that’s very silly, unthinkable, naughty, dangerous. Watching why that fails can take you on a completely different path. It’s exciting, actually. [Leadership & Discipline  November 14, 2011] http://www.n2growth.com/blog/finding-the-zone/ The difference between good…

  • More wisdom from Tim Ferriss

    Patrick Stahl
    24 Nov 2011 | 1:27 am
    [Filling the Void: Thoughts on Learning and Karma  November 16, 2011] http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2011/11/16/filling-the-void-thoughts-on-learning-and-karma/#more-6281 From the man who brought us the 4 hr work week. “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. -Viktor E. Frankl, Holocaust survivor, author of Man’s Search for Meaning”
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    yourthoughtpartner.com

  • Free to Be You and Me

    David Grossman
    16 May 2012 | 9:45 am
    When you ask employees, they want to be able to connect with their leader—today more than ever before. Employees want to know what you have to say; they also want to know what you stand for. Authenticity starts with self-awareness. You need to know yourself and be comfortable sharing who you are with your employees. Employees want to get to know the real you. Who are you as a leader? What motivates you to lead? What were defining moments in your career that helped shape you as a leader? Tell stories about yourself that have a clear business moral, allowing your staff to learn something…

  • Communicating a $2 Billion Loss

    David Grossman
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    JPMorgan made a mistake. A $2 billion mistake. In April, CEO Jamie Dimon dismissed concerns about the bank’s trading, calling concerns raised by the media a “tempest in a teapot.”  Less than a month later, the same trading group lost $2 billion over a six-week period through complex financial trades. Then a funny thing happened. Only a few weeks after Goldman Sachs showed the world what not to do in a crisis, Dimon and JPMorgan essentially did the opposite.  Thursday night he held an analyst conference call to acknowledge the loss. He admitted there could be…

  • Information vs. Communication

    David Grossman
    10 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Employee to manager: “I’m starving!” Some food for thought on the difference between information and communication: employees are bombarded with information but starved for meaning.  Communication only occurs when an exchange results in shared meaning. Communication is all about facilitating dialogue. To build a successful team, you need to create a culture where it’s safe to dialogue about issues to ensure the smartest decisions possible. Here are some suggestions to consider: Ensure you have regularly scheduled opportunities to dialogue with your work group, in…

  • Starting Thought: Spring Cleaning, Communication-Style

    David Grossman
    9 May 2012 | 10:58 am
    I’ve started the seasonal ritual of cleaning and organizing my home, and was reminded this past weekend that – with the best intentions in mind -- I sometimes bite off more than I can chew.  In my case, I was overly ambitious and while I accomplished a lot, I didn’t set myself up for success. Instead of creating a few small wins, I created one larger mess.  At least the former clutter was organized clutter.  Now there was clutter just about everywhere, which left me not with the feeling of success but of dread, and part of me just wanted to throw everything…

  • What Should Employees Expect of You?

    David Grossman
    8 May 2012 | 10:15 am
    How do you decide what information is mission-critical for employees? Many employees want to know everything that’s going on. It’s impossible to accomplish and is also an unrealistic expectation.  Follow these two guidelines for when to share (or not share) information: A leader’s top priority is sharing information employees need to do their jobs well (work- or job-focused information designed to help employees perform well). A secondary priority is sharing information so employees can advocate on behalf of the organization as brand ambassadors (typically information…
 
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    L e a r n i n g 3 . 0 Lifelong Social Learning

  • How do you know when coaching works?

    admin
    4 May 2012 | 9:24 am
    This is a question that anyone involved in coaching – from both sides – client and coach wonder about. There is a thread on LinkedIn with the same title that is well commented, some are a bit too eclectic for … Continue reading → Related posts: How do you know if you are getting Coaching? A Cosy Chat? – 10 Things that Coaching is Not How Coaching Works

  • Communication Problems and Best Practices in Outsourcing

    admin
    4 May 2012 | 7:44 am
    Effective communication plays a big part in the world of outsourcing where people with different nationalities, culture, and interests work in cooperation to achieve their business targets. While it is now straightforward and convenient to talk to people overseas, thanks … Continue reading → Related posts: Why Bother Writing Learning Objectives? 25 Tips to Motivate People in Your Organisation The Six Hats of Creative Communication or – Using De Bono’s Tools for a Unique Message Effect

  • How do you know if you are getting Coaching?

    chris
    4 May 2012 | 7:44 am
    Coaching - the word that either leaves us with very positive or very negative feelings, due in part to the pseudo-psychological techniques that are sometimes used in this almost mystical practice. Now, I am in no way a purist, in … Continue reading → Related posts: Want to be more effective? 20 tips to Create a ‘Not-To-Do’ List There is More to Listening than You May have Heard! Social Media & Business – The Wisdom of the Profits

  • Want to be more effective? 20 tips to Create a ‘Not-To-Do’ List

    admin
    4 May 2012 | 7:44 am
    The great thing about process time is that it lets us do just that – take a step back from the breakneck speed of life at work and concentrate more on the How and less on the What of our … Continue reading → Related posts: 21 Tips for ultra-productive meetings Look at Yourself After Watching This – How do you Feel? 25 Tips to Motivate People in Your Organisation

  • Social Media & Business – The Wisdom of the Profits

    admin
    4 May 2012 | 7:44 am
    Twitter use is growing daily throughout the world – it was announced today (9 May 2011) that a Turkish and a Russian version has just been launched. Figures released in April 2011 show the number of twitter users has recently … Continue reading → Related posts: Social Media Marketing – 11 of the Most Critical Words to Use in Social Media Social Media and business – is the Customer King again! A Short Primer on Twitter As a Powerful Social Media Resource
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    Bob Mason

  • Employee Engagement

    admin
    9 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Employee Engagement Employee engagement. It’s become something of a buzz phrase in the management and leadership world. While employee engagement isn’t that difficult, it does seem to be something a lot of leaders have a difficult time with. I recently saw an interview with Randi Zuckerburg. If you recognize the name, it’s because she is Mark Zuckerburg’s sister. She left a promising career with a marketing firm to join Facebook and help with the startup and then spent several years directing marketing for Facebook. As a leader, something you should get from the…

  • Got Vision?

    admin
    3 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Got Vision? One of the first questions I like to ask leaders is about their vision. Do they have a vision and have they clearly articulated that for everyone in the organization? Unfortunately, many leaders I talk to don’t really have a good answer to that question. They haven’t sat down and really given thought to what their vision for the organization is. And, even if they have, they haven’t made it clear to everyone in the organization. Having a big vision is important for two reasons. First, it provides a foundation for everything else in your organization. The other…

  • Finding New Leaders

    admin
    26 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Finding New Leaders Last week I talked about this interesting phenomenon of high unemployment and companies that can’t seem to fine qualified workers. I’ve also heard some complaints in the area of leadership that are quite similar where companies can’t seem to find the people they need to lead them into the future. In fact, when I was writing my book, Balancing the Generations, my research showed that many consider Generation X to not be leadership material. I think that’s kind of interesting to classify an entire generation that way, especially since I’ve…

  • Can’t Find Qualified Workers? Try This

    admin
    19 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Can’t Find Qualified Workers? Try This I’ve been noticing something very interesting happening lately. At a time when unemployment is higher than it’s been in over 20 years, companies are complaining that they can’t seem to hire workers. They’re looking for specific skills and abilities and workers with those skills just don’t seem to exist. Some people suggest we should have a government program to retrain workers and give them skills that would make them more attractive to potential employers. I’m not a big fan of government programs, especially as…

  • Vision

    admin
    4 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Vision August 28, 1963 was a warm and pleasant day in Washington DC as Martin Luther King mounted the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he looked out on the Washington Mall and several hundred thousand people. And then he uttered those famous words, “I have a dream.” “I have a dream that my four little children will live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” King had expressed a vision. He’d expressed a vision so well that it actually is credited with being a major force behind passage of the Civil…
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    Blog by John Brubaker | Coach Bru - Success Strategies For Performance

  • Surprise, Delight and Water Your Bamboo

    CoachBru
    5 May 2012 | 9:18 pm
    I recently met a world-class sales professional named Aaron Ouellette at my local Starbucks. Aaron is the store manager of U.S. Cellular in Auburn, Maine. When I went to pay for my espresso, the barista smiled and told me to leave my Starbucks card in my coat pocket because my coffee was paid for. I simply assumed I had accumulated enough “frequent caffeinator” miles on the card to qualify for a complimentary drink. Not the case, she let me know the gentleman located in the corner of the store purchased it for me. I immediately made my way over to introduce myself and thank him for his…

  • The Big Mo' - Gaining & Maintaining Momentum (Ignite Boston 9: John Brubaker)

    CoachBru
    10 Apr 2012 | 6:08 am

  • Little Things Win Big Games

    CoachBru
    27 Mar 2012 | 12:40 pm
    During my coaching years, I often told my team "Little things win big games". Now as a consultant my mantra to clients is the same.  Never underestimate the power of little things. They add up, building momentum over time and before long become big things. Specifically, allow me to illustrate this in terms anyone from the ages of 5-85 can understand. Little things add up over time and to understand this you need to look no further than the shoes on your feet. The average person spends approximately 973 hrs in their lifetime tying their shoes. Assuming you tie them 4 times a day…

  • PRE-SEASON TRAINING

    CoachBru
    7 Dec 2011 | 10:23 pm
    November/December represents a time when at most colleges and high schools winter sports pre-season preparations are beginning to be made. At the same time business leaders should be preparing to transition from the fourth quarter of 2011 to the first quarter of 2012 with new goals, a vision and focused energy. When your “practice” begins in business it is important to be certain that the team members and departments within your organization are prepared to consistently bring the best version of themselves to the office every day.  With this must come awareness: awareness of self and…

  • Understanding

    CoachBru
    7 Dec 2011 | 10:18 pm
    I believe I now understand why my father, Lt. Col. Thomas F. Brubaker, loved to tell stories about World War II. In my youth, while growing up listening to those stories I really didn’t. I don’t think he enjoyed reflecting on his experience as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force because he missed the dogfights and the combat. I know he sure as hell didn’t miss being a prisoner of war. I now realize he missed the feeling. Not the feeling of malnutrition or not knowing if he would return from a mission; rather the feeling of caring so deeply about a cause and about the…
 
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    Manage Fearlessly Feed

  • Why Jack Welch Just Doesn't Get It

    Laura Gamble
    15 May 2012 | 4:15 pm
    bias |ˈbīəs| noun Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. read more

  • Can You Cash Out of Your Business But Keep the Legacy Alive?

    Cindy Flanders
    11 May 2012 | 4:06 pm
    We’re excited to present our guest blogger, Verit Advisors. Verit has been a strong supporter and sponsor of Manage Fearlessly and on top of that, they’re really smart people. For all  business owners, this is a must read. THE VERIT VIEW Verit Advisors’ view is that demographic, social and current macro-economic factors are supportive of increased employee ownership strategies for privately held middle market businesses.  We believe... read more

  • If You Made Meetings Optional, Would Anyone Attend?

    Cindy Flanders
    8 May 2012 | 3:20 pm
    In a recent Forbes article, Christopher Frank estimated the weekly cost of meetings for a 10-person team to be just under $24,000.  He assumed 2-3 days worth of meeting s a week, which sounds about average to me.   Is anyone surprised then that productivity rates for the first quarter of 2012 have declined?     read more

  • 5 Reasons Twitter Should Replace Email

    Cindy Flanders
    3 May 2012 | 3:25 pm
    Back in February, I read an article about a company's goal to eliminate e-mails. Theirry Breton, the CEO of a   European IT company plans to put a zero email policy in place by 2013.  He argues that only 10% of the emails are of any value. Most of us would be hard pressed to argue with him, but ZERO emails? Short of reverting back to archaic forms of communication like phone calls and letters, what’s the alternative?  I offer up-Twitter!   read more

  • The Right Way to Get a Job Reference

    Cindy Flanders
    30 Apr 2012 | 7:14 am
    Former employees often call and ask to use me as a reference. It’s not surprising that anyone with half a brain will only use a reference they feel will be positive.  But what is surprising is how ill prepared the person seeking the reference can be.   read more
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    Mark C. Crowley - Lead From The Heart

  • A Leadership Lesson From Howard Stern. Yes, that Howard Stern

    Mark C. Crowley
    14 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    “Not every contestant can be wonderful.” “You’ve got to be up front with people.”                                                 Howard Stern … Continue reading →

  • 7 Books That Will Change Your Life And Leadership

    Mark C. Crowley
    7 May 2012 | 5:45 pm
    Since the publication of my book, Lead From The Heart, last fall, I have written 49 blog posts.  This therefore, is number 50. Since that number represents something special to me, I’ve been noodling over what would be a compelling … Continue reading →

  • The Sharp Drop-Off In Worker Happiness — And What Your Company Can Do About It

    Mark C. Crowley
    7 May 2012 | 5:25 pm
    Note: This article was first published by Fast Company Magazine on April 30th, 2012.  It was the most read story on their website for the next entire week. http://bit.ly/I8j98C A friend of mine resigned his long-time bank management job this week … Continue reading →

  • Four Magnificent Leadership Practices Of The Dalai Lama

    Mark C. Crowley
    30 Apr 2012 | 6:30 am
    His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, spoke at my alma mater, the University of California, San Diego last week, and it was an honor and great privilege for me to attend. Noting that the Dalai Lama is one of our … Continue reading →

  • We Scale Mountains For Generous Leaders

    Mark C. Crowley
    23 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    “For it is in giving that we receive.”                                         St. Francis of Assisi Since my book was published last fall, a … Continue reading →
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    The Leadership Connexion

  • 4 Often Neglected Responsibilities of Effective Leadership

    Stephan De Villiers
    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    How do you ensure effective leadership by balancing the tension between achieving the goal and focussing on people’s needs? I struggle with this question sometimes.  I am sure I am not the only one.  As a leader you have to achieve certain goals.  There are certain change outcomes you have to manage and in between [...] No related posts.

  • 4 Reasons Why Vision is Not Important for Leaders

    Stephan De Villiers
    8 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Where there is no vision the people perish… Proverbs 29:18 (The Bible) So how important do you think vision is for successful leadership? Looking at the piece of scripture, vision does not seem important for leadership.   Note I did not say vision is not important.  Vision is very important.   I just want to make sure [...] No related posts.

  • Desmond Tutu’s Take on Servant Leadership

    Stephan De Villiers
    1 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    “One day, I was standing in the street with my mother when a white man in a priest’s clothing walked past. As he passed us he took off his hat to my mother. I couldn’t believe my eyes – a white man who greeted a black working class woman!” – Desmond Tutu This was one [...] No related posts.

  • Resolving Tension: How Often Do You Make This Leadership Mistake?

    Stephan De Villiers
    24 Apr 2012 | 2:00 am
    I enjoy bass fishing very much.  I like the challenge of either getting the fish to believe the lure you present can actually be eaten, or making the fish angry enough to want to destroy the lure at the end of your line.  Successful presentation of your lure will result in the fish striking.  Once [...] No related posts.

  • Struggling with Your Projects? 5 Steps to Simplify Your Project Plan

    Stephan De Villiers
    17 Apr 2012 | 2:00 am
    So how do you get from idea to outcome?  Idea execution is the bridge, spanning the chasm between having an idea and seeing the benefit created through the implementation of your idea. During the next phase you will make sure you work according to a detailed project plan. Draw Up a Project Plan If you [...] No related posts.
 
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    In the CEO Afterlife

  • Why Boards Should Give a Damn about Culture

    John
    13 May 2012 | 9:35 pm
    During my tenure as a CEO, my Board of Directors never challenged me with questions pertaining to corporate culture. I wasn’t surprised in the least. Jacobs Suchard Directors expected me to run their North American operation as an entrepreneurial enterprise, and as long as the returns were acceptable, they assumed I was doing just that. Like most Boards, their interest was profit, shareholder value, efficiencies, headcounts, labor climate and strategic initiatives. Maybe it was the times – a quarter century ago, culture was beginning to come of age. And even though culture is a…

  • The ‘Old Economy’ Needs a Rocket Man

    John
    6 May 2012 | 11:44 pm
    So much has been written about business innovation this past year. Those walking the talk are on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. These are the businesses whose products and services are having an impact across their industries and our culture. Ninety percent of these organizations have yet to experience a mid-life crisis; they are still under the age of 40. Are we to deduce that innovation is the domain of new economy and early-stage life cycle businesses? Seems that way – but this isn’t necessarily the case. Fast Company’s list…

  • Where (and When) the Magic Happens

    John
    1 May 2012 | 10:05 am
    A picture is worth a thousand words; clichéd but true. This illustration may also become clichéd, but whenever I see it, I grin and nod. Although the Promised Land lies within that magic circle, most of us can’t break out of our comfort zone. Recently, the Apple Corporation has shown the world a glorious example of how big business creates magic. No doubt, many CEOs will try to replicate the principles that catapulted Apple to the most valuable company on the face of the earth. Will they be able to do it? One thing is certain; the place to start is the corporate culture. Magic can’t…

  • Does a Mentor have to Breathe?

    John
    28 Apr 2012 | 11:10 am
    To most of us, mentors are people of experience and knowledge who help the less experienced advance their careers and/or their education. There are plenty of well-known examples throughout the course of history; Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great, Laurence Olivier mentored Anthony Hopkins and Freddy Laker mentored Richard Branson. In the early days of my 40 year business career, I was lucky to work under two gentlemen who instilled several critical success factors that guided me from Brand Manager to CEO. One of my mentors was brilliantly creative, the other skillfully strategic. But…

  • The Gulf Spill: BP Still Doesn’t Get It

    John
    26 Apr 2012 | 9:39 am
    (First published in Forbes.com, April 20, 2012) Two years have now passed since the explosion at BP’s deep-water rig in the Gulf of Mexico. In the aftershock, the world watched BP and its chief executive, Tony Hayward, make blunder after blunder while their crude continued to gush, literally and figuratively. BP’s talk about caring for the environment was for naught, as its actions failed to match its message. And although the company finally fired Hayward, paid restitution, enhanced its drilling standards, and sponsored several feel-good TV commercials, it has failed to regain the trust…
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    Ridiculously Efficient

  • It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Staying Motivated on Long-Term Goals

    Marissa Brassfield
    16 May 2012 | 10:17 am
    (CC) Lululemon Athletica/FlickrStarting a project is tough enough, but staying motivated on long-term goals is even more challenging. I tend to break big projects down into small, bite-sized chunks and tasks. That way, I get the instant gratification of completing daily milestones and simultaneously support my long-term goal.Another trick that helps is to schedule regular review intervals in which you look at the progress you’ve made over a period, celebrate your successes and brainstorm ways to supercharge your effectiveness over the next period. I do this on a monthly basis. During a…

  • 3 Warning Signs a Top Employee is About to Quit

    Marissa Brassfield
    15 May 2012 | 9:57 am
    (CC) Carey Ciuro/FlickrEven managers who focus on culture and motivation are sometimes unable to retain high-performance team members. Here are three warning signs that indicate a top employee is getting ready to quit.Asking for more opportunities or development. This behavior is the workplace equivalent of a cry for help. Ignore the employee, and you intensify his desire to quit.Disengagement. Once-cheerful employees who become bitter or otherwise disengaged are looking for emotional ammo to reinforce their impending resignation. Recognize the signs and reel the employee in, ideally by…

  • Monday Must-Reads: Managing the Social Network Generation

    Marissa Brassfield
    14 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    (CC) Rosaura Ochoa/FlickrToday’s must-reads tackle how Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest have shaped the way leaders manage the so-called social network generation. The hands of time continue moving forward. Here are seven tips to help you better manage your social media-obsessed employees. [HubSpot]Curious about government’s role in the .net generation? Here’s some insight. [GovLoop]Gen X and Gen Y employees require a different style of management. Find out how social media plays into this new style of management. [HubPages]There’s a new generation of customers who use…

  • Weekend Reading: Work Motivation Guest Posts 5/7 – 5/11

    Marissa Brassfield
    12 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    (CC) Andrew Roberts/FlickrEach week, I contribute dozens of articles on business and work motivation-related topics to a variety of Web properties. Here are some of my favorites from this week.Can Bringing Your Dog to Work Boost Job Satisfaction? [infographic] [PayScale]Do You Experience Social Anxiety? Research Reveals Influence of Small-Group Dynamics on Perceptions of IQ [PayScale]Can Shortening Your Commute Save Your Life? [infographic] [PayScale]Bennett Olson Beats Postgrad Job Crunch With a Promotional Billboard [PayScale]5 Ways to Manage Your Emotions and Avoid Venting at Work…

  • Avant-Garde Offices: The Smoffice

    Marissa Brassfield
    11 May 2012 | 9:41 am
    (CC) The SmofficeThe Smoffice, this week’s Avant-Garde Offices star, is an itty-bitty workspace about the size of a bathroom. The office was created as a part of Durham, North Carolina’s Smoffice contest, which aims to “highlight the importance of the coffee shop in the entrepreneurial world,” as Chamber of Commerce startup strategist Adam Klein described to Fast Company.During the monthlong contest, companies competed for six months of free rent in a 30-square-foot office space with Wi-Fi, tech assistance and a downtown condo. As you can see from the sketch above, the…
 
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    MyStrategicPlan | Strategy Development & Execution Software

  • Prune the Deadwood to Communicate Strategy

    Kristin Larsen
    3 May 2012 | 7:11 pm
    If you want your strategic plan to get traction, communicating it in a purposeful manner is essential. Don’t just give it lip service. “Communication” and “Teamwork” are more than words that appear on the motivational posters collecting dust in cubical halls across the country. Spring has sprung and it’s time to do a clean sweep. Don’t misinterpret the intent here: Upon first reading, the practical wisdom in the posters is nice. It’s soft, fuzzy and maybe even inspirational, but at the end of the day inspiration does not belong on a wall…

  • Strategy Huddle: Open Line Q&A May 2012

    Ryan Olsen
    3 May 2012 | 10:17 am
    Watch a recorded video of the latest Strategy Huddle (May 2nd, 2012).  The purpose of the huddle is to answer real world questions, handle high-level strategy issues, and share best practices on strategy, execution and planning.  The topics of focus were: Strategy Stat: How to Put Your Money Where Your Strategy Is Topic: Open Line Q&A Question 1: What sort of timing should I set with my team for how long it should take to develop a strategic plan and work through all the steps in your system? Question 2: I have found that the most frustrating challenge to strategy planning effectiveness…

  • Nine Tips on How to Roll Out Your Strategic Plan

    shannon
    27 Apr 2012 | 12:16 pm
    Rolling out your plan can range anywhere from a big, high-profile campaign to a low-key announcement. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to inform everyone in your organization. You may choose to give complete copies of the plan, including background material in the appendixes, to certain groups of stakeholders, whereas you may give other groups only the body of the plan without its appendixes. Here are 9 tips for involving people in your plan and having a successful rollout: Consider an annual state of the union message where the finalized plan and vision are rolled out to the entire…

  • Why failing to succeed made Trader Joe’s a success

    shannon
    25 Apr 2012 | 5:34 pm
    Failing your way to success is not the most common thing you hear these days in business strategy, but being innovative and creative is what makes companies stand apart from the rest.  Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s grocery store explains how trying and failing made their grocery store different from the others. You may also be interested in:What is Trader Joe’s Strategy? What is Trader Joe’s strategy? The strategy encompasses carrying highly... Talking Points: Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail Need talking points to convince your boss or board of... The…

  • Start Including More Stakeholders in Your SWOT

    Kristin Larsen
    19 Apr 2012 | 6:25 pm
    One of the fundamental references used for strategic planning is the “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats” assessment. We offered two newsletters in November, breaking down the SWOT analysis, but for today we are calling out the fact that this research is usually not given enough time or resources. Typically, organizations will look internally to develop their SWOT. The executives will be interviewed, the employees will be surveyed and sometimes the customers will be included in the process. The reality is that organizations depend on several other stakeholder groups to be…
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    Fulcrum Associates | Leadership Development and Teambuilding

  • Give Me Something (or Someone) to Connect to

    Ian Cook
    14 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    There is enough research on Employee Engagement to show that engaged employees give more “discretionary effort” (going above and beyond job expectations…without being told/asked) to their employer. Yet levels of engagement have not changed over the last ten years or so, through a period first of  boom, then of bust. Consider this data from the Gallup organization. They surveyed around percent of employees who are (1) engaged, (2) not engaged, and (3) actively disengaged. Check the trend since the year 2000: 2000 – 26%/56%/18% 2008 – 29%/51%/20% 2010 – 28%/53%/19% 2011 –…

  • Every Job Matters (to Someone)

    Ian Cook
    3 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Recently I heard a presentation by Jim Gibbons, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries. In it he said that “every job matters.” Every job has someone relying on the incumbent of the position to do their job well so that the other person can either: benefit or do their own job well. Your client/customer is either internal or external.You serve (or produce for) the external client or someone who delivers to the external client. This is true whether you operate in the private, public or non profit sector. This is a powerful concept to help your employees find meaning in their…

  • Your Final Performance Review

    Ian Cook
    9 Mar 2012 | 2:09 pm
    I get some great ideas from my clients. In a recent coaching conversation my client and I were strategizing about how to fire up an employee in his 60′s with about two years left before retirement who was slacking off.. I suggested he challenge the individual to make the choice to make his last two years his best two years. My client liked the idea. After pondering it for a moment he said, “What if I were to invite him now to draft what he would like his final review to say, the one that will cover his last year of service?” What an intriguing idea! I mean, we’ve all…

  • What’s the Real Reason You Work Those Extra Hours?

    Ian Cook
    27 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
    Ever notice? When you ask someone how they’re doing, they rarely say “fine.” No, just about everybody says “busy.” Yeah, we’re so busy that we have to work all those extra hours–come in early, or work through lunch, or stay late, or pull a Saturday and/or a Sunday…or all of the above. Now, I’m not averse to high performing people working long hours. Often the reality is that there is no way you can get everything you need to do done. Too many mandatory meetings. Too frequent interruptions and fires to put out. Just too many tasks to accomplish,…

  • At the Heart of Development, Awareness

    Ian Cook
    16 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
    A manager I was coaching recently explained (away) the behavior of one of his supervisors: “He isn’t an angry person. He means well. It’s just that he’s often sharp with people. And sometimes they take it the wrong way. He’s really a good worker. I’ve told him that people can be intimidated by him, so he knows he sometimes comes across this way.” But does he really know this? He may acknowledge it in his head but does he recognize it when he is being curt, or better yet, just before he is about to be curt? All of us, in one way or another, go around…
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    Great Leaders Serve

  • How to Create a Growth Environment

    mark
    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Last week at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, John Maxwell talked about personal growth for leaders. No surprise there. John has been challenging and equipping leaders for decades. On this occasion he shared a few of the big ideas from his upcoming book, The 17 Laws of Leadership Growth. This post is about the Law of Environment which says, Growth thrives in conducive surroundings. Here’s what John looks for in a growth environment… Others are ahead of me. I’m continually challenged. The focus is forward. Atmosphere is affirming. I’m often out of my comfort zone. I wake up…

  • 5 Ideas to Help You Find Great People

    mark
    14 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    I had lunch with a good friend and great businessman last week. We talked about his family, his faith and his growing, successful business. Eventually the conversation turned to an issue that I believe is ever present for leaders: How do you find GREAT people? As we talked about the challenges, I assured my friend that he was not alone – I’ve talked with hundreds, if not thousands, of leaders over the years who’ve asked the same question. I don’t think that made him feel any better. We talked about what a leader could do to meet this challenge head on. Here are a few ideas for you to…

  • Work Space Matters

    mark
    11 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    I’ve long had a fascination with design – all types: architectural, graphics, products, interior design, all of it. I’ve also been a student of how workspace affects our productivity and our creativity. A few years ago, we decided to see what we could learn from other organizations about how to create spaces that would inspire our people and help them produce great work. We visited Pixar, Ideo, Lucas Films, the D School at Stanford (both their old and new locations), Google, HP, the Berkeley School of Design and more. It was an amazing journey of discovery! Since those initial trips,…

  • What Has Become Clearer…?

    mark
    9 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    There are many great questions in the universe. I continue to be amazed at the power of questions to take us places we’ve never been before. I’ve written previously about some of my favorite questions, but this post is about one that had fallen off my radar and now, it’s back. ”What has become clearer to you?” My friend and mentor, Howard Hendricks, introduced me to this question many years ago. I’ve never asked him if this was an original question or if he got it from someone else. Regardless, this is an outstanding question. Our brains have the awesome ability to synthesize vast…

  • Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2012

    mark
    7 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    On Friday, I joined 125,000 other leaders around the world in a one-day event designed to help leaders grow. Although I am clearly biased (it IS the CHICK-FIL-A Leadercast), I thought it was a really good day. The theme was around the choices we make as leaders. We heard from Tim Tebow, Pat Lenchioni, Marcus Buckingham, Soledad O’Brien, John Maxwell, Andy Stanley, Urban Meyer and more. Although I could do a post on what I learned from each of these leaders, for now, I want to focus on what Angela Ahrendts said about her experience at Burberry. Burberry is an organization that was founded in…
 
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    Frank Sonnenberg Online

  • It’s Time to Eliminate Bureaucracies

    Frank Sonnenberg
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Bloated bureaucracies crush aspirations, stifle creativity, suppress ingenuity, and slow down responsiveness. Unfortunately, once bureaucracy develops, it is as difficult to control in business as crabgrass on a suburban lawn. It causes people to thirst for power, value personal ambition over team gain, and put paperwork before people. In bureaucracies, employees “don’t matter” because they are single voices, and individual customers “don’t matter” because they are never heard by the people who determine policy. People choose the political solution rather than the best answer.

  • What Does Red Tape Cost Your Business?

    Frank Sonnenberg
    8 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Think about the time wasted by cumbersome review processes. Individuals with new ideas first have to build a case for their recommendation, preparing a written proposal or presentation for management to review. Then, they must set up a meeting, often involving multiple individuals whose travel schedules have to be coordinated, which may take days or weeks. (Of course, before the meeting takes place we have to define if there are any internal politics or personal preferences, and anticipate potential objections.) And then the meeting takes place. When all is said and done, the decision ends up…

  • Are Role Models Becoming Extinct?

    Frank Sonnenberg
    1 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    When we were growing up, our teachers saluted great individuals who changed the course of history; during dinnertime, our parents lovingly recalled their idols; and of course, we had our own personal heroes who walked on water. Martin Luther King, Princess Diana, Leonard Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Colin Powell, Helen Keller, Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates, John Kennedy, Vince Lombardi, Steve Jobs, the Beatles, Tim Russert, John Glenn, Mother Teresa . . . to name a few. There was something about these people that made them special. They led by example, raised the bar for us, and were simply the…

  • Sales tip #19. Managing Expectations is Key

    Frank Sonnenberg
    24 Apr 2012 | 4:00 am
    A good precept to follow is to underpromise but overdeliver. Always try to do just a little more than the client expects. This can best be accomplished if you understand how expectations are created. Sometimes they are based on hearsay; for example, a client may get a rave review about you or your organization from friends. Expectations can also be based on advertising claims or on a prior experience: “Vendors have always provided me with terrific service.” Other times they are the result of personal expectations. Once you understand how expectations are created, you can manage them:…

  • Are You Talking to Yourself?

    Frank Sonnenberg
    17 Apr 2012 | 4:00 am
    Today and in the years to come, organizations will have to focus on winning employees back; building trust, respect, and teamwork between people; being receptive to and then acting on the best ideas; and once again instilling employees with pride in and commitment to the organization. Internal communication will be a major force in achieving those ends. In the past, leaders controlled the information employees needed to make day-to-day decisions. Leaders who continue along that path will become frustrated as they lose the confidence of employees whose desire for timely, customized, and…
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    Plain Talk

  • Traits of Stress-Hardy, Resilient People

    Eileen
    15 May 2012 | 10:37 am
    The Stress To Power blog has a list of the traits of resilient people who are stress hardy.  It’s a wonderful little list and worth reading.  Take a look for yourself.

  • End Malaria Wins The Eric Hoffer Award For Culture

    Eileen
    14 May 2012 | 10:45 am
    You may remember that I am a contributor to the book End Malaria.  I’m pleased to announce that End Malaria has won the culture category from The Eric Hoffer Award. The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US…

  • 2 resilient cities 1 year later

    Eileen
    11 May 2012 | 10:13 am
    USA Today has a great article about the resiliency of Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, MO and their recovery and resilience after the tornadoes that ripped through these towns last year. My favorite part of the article is the beginning “Here is what you do after a massive tornado slashes the heart of your city, killing scores of citizens, wiping away landmarks of a lifetime.  You rethink everything.”  Willingness to rethink old ways of doing things is part of being resilient and these two cities are the epitome of resilience.  Read the entire article here.

  • Nurses Week and no Weak Nurses!!

    Eileen
    9 May 2012 | 12:08 pm
    Just returned from York, PA and the funeral of my almost 96-year old Mother.  In the course of the past four years, I’ve watched nurses in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and hospice settings. Without a doubt, these women and men represent a resiliency in the face of systems and situations that could wear anyone down. During this week as the nation salutes the nursing profession, we’d all be well served if we took a few lessons from these professionals. Speaking to 300 Directors of Nursing (DONs) from LifeCare Centers of America, I listened to their passion and concern for their…

  • How Great Women Lead By Bonnie St. John and Darcy Deane

    Eileen
    7 May 2012 | 6:16 pm
    A colleague, Bonnie St. John, has written a brand new book with her daughter Darcy Deane titled “How Great Women Lead: A Mother-Daughter Adventure into the Lives of Women Shaping the World.” In boardrooms and lecture halls, on the field and at home, strong female leaders are making a statement around the globe. In HOW GREAT WOMEN LEAD Bonnie St. John and her teenage daughter, Darcy Deane, explore the qualities that motivate some of the world’s most powerful women. Through engaging, out-of-the-spotlight interchanges, the authors discover commonly held values, behaviors, and…
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    Anecdote

  • Story quote of the week

    10 May 2012 | 3:00 pm
    Click to see larger version 800x600

  • Letting a story do the work

    8 May 2012 | 6:35 pm
    Shawn and I have spent the last couple of days working with a client helping them create their strategic story down in the Mornington Peninsula. There are certainly worse places in the world to spend a couple of days than at a winery in such a beautiful spot. It was a throughly enjoyable off-site, made even more so by working with such an energetic, passionate and fun bunch of people. During lunch yesterday I noticed that Harry, the guy sitting beside me, was checking his emails, and on his screen was the image below from The Sun newspaper. Obviously curious I asked him what that email was…

  • Jonathan Gottschall is turning business storytelling into a toothless tiger

    3 May 2012 | 10:53 pm
    Jonathan Gottschall, a literary scholar, has just written a piece for Fast Company called Why Storytelling is the Ultimate Weapon and in the process has set back the field of business storytelling with his emphasis on fictitious stories. I can imagine that being a literary scholar gets Jonathan entwined in myths and legends and literary works to a point where it must be hard for him to see the real life stories told every moment of every day in a company. A good business storyteller recounts things that have happened to them or tells the stories they hear about in their company or other…

  • Telling Stories Puts Our Brains in Sync

    1 May 2012 | 12:20 am
    Greg Stephens, Lauren Silbert and Uri Hasson are Princeton University neuroscientists who in 2010 conducted a series of experiments showing that an audience's brains light up (imagine they are all in a fMRI machine) the same way as the presenter's brain when she tells a story. In their words, "Speaker and listener brain activity exhibits widespread coupling during communication." The mere fact that our brain activity gets in sync when we share a story is pretty amazing but there are a couple of other findings which might be even more important. More on that later. But let's start with what…

  • More thoughts on why we retell stories

    13 Apr 2012 | 12:50 am
    The following few paragraphs are part of an exercise I'm doing with Madelyn Blair. We're writing an Essay in Two Voices, a format invented by Madelyn and Victoria Ward I believe. Here, however, you're only hearing one voice, mine. My first part (500 words) is here. Here is my second part (250), which is partly in response to Madelyn's first 500 words. Just as some context, you should know that Madelyn told some anecdotes about stories her grandparents used to tell her. Family stories are such an interesting case. I know with my daughters they'd always request as youngsters a story I'd make up…
 
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    Manager by Design

  • What to do when someone on your team resists change (part 2)

    Walter Oelwein
    14 May 2012 | 10:30 am
    In my previous article, I describe the importance of not attacking a change agent, but instead taking steps to manage the change, not the change agent.  Many managers receive “feedback” that is resistance to change, and then turn around and give that feedback to the change agents, implying that the manager doesn’t actually want the change agent to instigate the change. The first five steps to this were: 1. Listen 2. Document the issue 3. Track the issues. 4. Delay in responding to them 5. Look at the issues as a team. Today, I provide tips on what to do next: 6.  Communicate your…

  • What to do when someone on your team resists change (part 1)

    Walter Oelwein
    7 May 2012 | 10:30 am
    Many managers are in the position of instigating and overseeing change on the team, with the intent that this change improves how things are done and obtains better results. But managers can quickly fall into the trap of resisting the change they instigated by reacting negatively to the ramifications of change, and seeking to eliminate all resistances (a.k.a., complaints) to the change. They do this by treating incoming complaints of the change agent as a performance feedback opportunity to the change agent.  This implies that the change can occur and without resistance and essentially…

  • Are you asking a change agent to make a change, and then resisting the change?

    Walter Oelwein
    30 Apr 2012 | 10:30 am
    Many managers want to get great results.  To do this, they seek and find high performers who drive toward these results.  One way a high performer can achieve great results is through creating and implementing structures and processes that provide ongoing value and systemic improvement.  Or, in other words, change. The high performer is a change agent.  This is what managers want.  Managers want change for the better, and rely on the “high performers” to instigate and implement the change.  That’s what makes them a high performer. But there is a mistake that many current managers…

  • Using perceptions to manage: How this undermines efforts for change

    Walter Oelwein
    23 Apr 2012 | 10:30 am
    This is the latest in a series of articles about how using perceptions in managing a team can be a recipe for disaster. Think about the manager who says, “There’s a perception that you expect too much of other people” or “There’s a perception that you are not very well liked.”  This is the manager attempting to manage perceptions and not behaviors, and is something that needs to be banned from the manager’s vocabulary.  I provide reasons here, here, here, here and here (there’s a perception that this is a very thorough series!). In today’s article, I discuss how negative…

  • Using perceptions to manage: An example of how to transform a perception into improved performance feedback

    Walter Oelwein
    16 Apr 2012 | 10:30 am
    In today’s article, I take an instance of when a manager feels compelled to use the line “There’s a perception that. . .” as a means to give performance feedback.  For example, a manager may intend to “help” the employee by saying, “There’s a perception that you are difficult to work with.”  The implied notion is that the perception is the negative impact, and “being difficult to work with” is the behavior that needs to change. However, this is badly given performance feedback, and there is an alternative! Citing perceptions as feedback is the reverse order of good…
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    Innerwealth - Inspired Change

  • How Can Managers Play a Positive Part in a Coaching Relationship at Work

    7 May 2012 | 6:24 pm
    Coaching at work has become more common as a way to develop employees and improve performance. These coaches are often specialists from another function or from outside the organisation. Yet there is another person with stakes in the employee's developmental priorities... their line manager. To date, there has been little scrutiny of how they affect the coaching process, but a new study helps clarify the role of this third party. Helen Ogilvy and Vicky Ellam-Dyson's study performed semi-structured interviews with 18 coachees (those receiving coaching) and 12 of their line managers, then coded…

  • VISION INSPIRATION AND PURPOSE IN TEAMS - WHY IT"S CRITICAL

    7 May 2012 | 6:17 pm
    Here's a great article about a guy who suddenly realises there's a GAP between where he is and where he wants to be. It demonstrates the benefits of maintaining a personal VIP - Vision - Inspiration - Purpose..at home and at work Original Article hereCarter is at a formal drinks for a colleague back from secondment, part of a fast-track management scheme. he remembers opting not to apply for the scheme five years ago and wonders how things would be now had he taken that plunge: the overseas experiences, the pressures, the opportunities. What would that Carter be like? In subsequent…

  • REAL SPIRIT

    15 Apr 2012 | 10:12 pm
    Innerwealth - Sometimes it comes from a hard road...but it comes - amazing video

  • WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU

    13 Apr 2012 | 11:09 pm
    Our work is based on the philosophy that the world is a good place and the people in it are good at heart.It's on this basis that we want to help people, teams, groups and communities create lifestyles at work and at home that celebrate this goodness.Our attempt to create some form of order in this process is to divide life into seven equal areas and focus on each one independently. This is not to suggest that they are exclusive, in contrast, we think the opposite, that each area impacts the other. To create a healthy lifestyle one needs to pay attention to all seven areas of life equally.

  • The Secret to Great Team Leadership

    11 Apr 2012 | 7:26 pm
    It breaks my heart to see what some people have to put up with under the guise of "be a team leader." I have seen that awful demand ruin great relationships. There are hundreds of books that claim to define how to be a great team leader but there are few that say "don't bust yourself trying to do the impossible" If you defy nature's laws, you just can't THINK INSPIRED ... that's the Innerwealth Message for today... Please excuse any typos in the following draft .... “A leader is only as good as the team they lead - a cow is a cow no matter what you think”Know PeopleWhen you look…
 
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    Manage Better Now

  • How I Spot True Leaders

    Manage Better Now
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Do you have a leadership diamond in the rough? How can you tell? (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I am constantly critiquing the leadership talents of those above and below me in the organization.  I believe in a lot of cases that I can spot a good leader relatively quickly.  For a long time I thought maybe I could instinctively spot a good leader, but I don’t think that it is instinctive at all.  I think that there are a few tell-tale signs that can quickly give you an indication of whether you are dealing with a true leader (keep in mind that true leaders may not have a fancy title, but…

  • When Times Get Tough, Micromanagement Flourishes

    Manage Better Now
    15 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Need a new stapler? Ask the CEO.(Photo credit: Wikipedia) If you are a mid or senior level manager, then you will eventually get to a point that you have to make a very critical decision.  Times will get tough and you will be faced with delegating responsibility or taking it on yourself.  I have seen managers face this dilemma hundreds of times, and the tendency is always that managers take on more and more responsibility as times get tougher.  In my world I see this often when it comes to hiring decisions and overtime approval.  When sales are down, one of the first things I see happen…

  • A Supermanager’s Guide To Spring Cleaning

    Manage Better Now
    14 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    A very special treat today, a guest post by Greg Blencoe.  Greg is a frequent commenter on this site and the author of The Supermanager.  If you are not familiar with the book, I highly recommend that you check it out. A common saying these days is that employees need to “do more with less.”  The reality is that employees need to be more productive in order for their companies to continue to be competitive.  The result is that a large percentage of employees have a greater workload and more responsibility than they did in the past.  The same or more output is expected with fewer…

  • A Few Tips On Writing Your Twitter Bio

    Manage Better Now
    13 May 2012 | 4:50 am
    Your bio may be the most important thing that you write on Twitter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) So I have a solid four months of experience on Twitter now, and I will fully admit that barely have any idea of what I am doing.  I have however noticed that the Twitter bio is perhaps the most important piece of writing that you will do on Twitter.  Every time I get a new follower, I click on the bio to see of their interests are aligned with mine.  If you pass the bio test, then I move on and check out your most recent tweets.  If I see something there that captures my interest, then with a…

  • Do You Ignore The Middle Employees?

    Manage Better Now
    12 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Are you ignoring the employees that fall into the middle of the performance bell curve? (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I manage just under a hundred employees on my team.  I have some fantastic performers in that group.  I also have a few employees that struggle to meet the basic standards that we have established, but the majority of my team falls somewhere in the middle.  I am a huge proponent of giving employees praise regularly, but I find that the majority of that praise goes to the high and low performers.  The middle group, which is by far the majority of the employees, gets largely…
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    Managers Are Heroes

  • The 3 incentives that motivate employees more than money

    Mike Brown
    15 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Studies show cash rewards can lower performance Looking to get employees more involved and engaged in their work? Unless your employees do mostly repetitive, mechanical jobs, you might want to skip the cash incentives. Not only don’t they work, they may actually lower performance, says business author Dan Pink. Incentives work for specific jobs Pink cites two studies in which people were asked to take on various challenges for different-sized cash rewards. Some challenges were simple, such as throwing a ball. Others were more complicated. The results: When people were asked to perform…

  • Someone’s been stealing employees’ food from company refrigerator: Now what?

    Mike Brown
    7 May 2012 | 8:29 am
    The Scenario “I can’t believe it!” yelled Mike Robinson as he stormed into Stu Capper’s office and slammed the door behind him. The HR director looked up from his paperwork to see Mike toss and empty paper lunch bag on to Stu’s desk. “Someone took my lunch again!” said Mike. Food thief strikes again Stu stared at the empty bag, then took a deep breath and rubbed his temples with his hands. “This is getting ridiculous,” he said. “You’re telling me!” said Mike, his hands on his hips. “This is the third time someone…

  • “He is driving me CRAZY!!!” – 5 steps to changing employee behavior

    Mike Brown
    28 Mar 2012 | 11:18 am
    Every manager has at least one difficult employee – the one who crushes the morale of all who cross their path. Here’s help for troubled managers from Janelle Brittain of the Dynamic Performance Institute. Brittain offers five steps to stopping unaccpetbale behavior, allowing you to create and maintain a more positive work environment for your entire team: 1) Define the gap What’s the difference between the employee’s current behavior and the kind of behavior that’s acceptable to your company? Take, for example, the receptionist who’s chronically late for…

  • Employee’s behavior was inappropriate on trip: What now?

    Mike Brown
    23 Mar 2012 | 7:09 am
    The Scenario “Wait till your hear this one,” supervisor Bob Wallace announced to Stu Capper as he plopped into the chair in front of Stu’s desk. “Swell, said the HR Director, grimacing. “This wouldn’t be a tale from your recent conference, would it?” “Who’s cuter?” “Oh yeah,” said Bob. It happened on our last night in Orlando. Greg Morton, me, Jill Simeon, we’re all in a dinner meeting with a vendor. “We’re just sitting at dinner, talking – this is after a few cocktails, of course – and the…

  • Aggressive supervisor burns out staff: What to do?

    Mike Brown
    19 Mar 2012 | 7:54 am
    The Scenario This was not an easy conversation Stu Capper was looking forward to. Dennis Gross was not known as an easygoing guy. So when Dennis sat down across from his desk, the HR director took a deep breath and dived right in. “Dennis,” said Stu,” I need to talk to you about the way you treat your employees.” “What the heck are you talking about?” snarled Dennis. “I treat ‘em all the same as I have for 17 years. They get the job done or they hear about it from me. Simple as that.” Times have changed “Problem is, things…
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    The New Laws of Leadership

  • The #1 CEO Mistake That Will Kill Your Company

    Christine Comaford
    8 May 2012 | 4:58 pm
    Image Credit: vannevar.blogspot.com Bob’s business was growing by a consistent 30% per year. Then it stopped. Two of his key sales people had left, followed by his VP of Marketing. A handful of his most promising emerging leaders were moving toward the door too. Bob’s revenue had flatlined. I was called in to stop the exodus and turn things around. Sue’s business was growing by 100% per year. The speed at which the company was expanding was barely manageable. At any given time her company had 20+ job searches under way. And there was no sign of a slowdown. Until her people’s…

  • Network Better Than Bill Clinton: 6 Ways To Build Bonds Faster

    Christine Comaford
    23 Apr 2012 | 1:29 pm
    Image Credit: teacher.scholastic.com Do you like networking? Me neither. I often want to run screaming from cocktail parties. Yet I do like people–they are endlessly fascinating. And this, my friends, is how you can learn to love networking. Here’s the key: The more you help people get what they want, the more they’ll help you. When you’re networking, you’re not just looking blindly for people who can give you stuff; you’re looking to create another kind of family—people you care about, people who will care about you. “Palm Up”  Networking Have you ever noticed…

  • Got Inner Peace? 5 Ways To Get It NOW

    Christine Comaford
    4 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Image Credit: paraveda.hubpages.com When we stop our thoughts, we stop the world. When we stop the world we experience peace and mental clarity. According to the research of Dr. Fred Luskin of Stanford University, a human being has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day—and 90% of these are repetitive! 60,000. Wow. 90% repetitive. Wow. Wow. Wow. All that mental noise… if even 10% of it were stopped, what could you create, understand, see, more clearly? Let’s find out. We have repetitive thoughts because we haven’t trained our minds to be still. When we do we’ll see results…

  • The 4 Crucial Mistakes Companies Make During Downturns

    Christine Comaford
    25 Mar 2012 | 6:29 pm
    Image credit: blogs.bufferapp.com Now that we’re starting to see signs of economic recovery, it’s key to assess where we’ve been, the mistakes we’ve made, and how to course-correct for the next burst of growth. Here’s the reality: companies make mistakes all the time. In an economic downturn, however, avoiding the big slip ups becomes all the more crucial. When the heat is on some CEOs will react impulsively, and while this may earn them some points for courage and speed, in a rough economy one needs to take the long view and pace themselves. To get funded, stay funded, and even out…

  • Double Your Sales And Trump Your Competitors In 3 Easy Steps

    Christine Comaford
    19 Mar 2012 | 1:11 pm
    Image Credit: thevarguy.com Why do so many businesses struggle with ramping up sales? It’s because they’re pitching, not educating. Seems obvious, right? Wrong. Comparing notes with one of my sales guru pals, Chet Holmes, I knew I had to write this blog. Let’s say you sell telephone systems, like Company X does. Company X practiced sales by cold calling prospective companies to ask if they were interested in talking about a new telephone system (yuck—this is a standard product pitch). They had four salespeople making hundreds of calls per day. The result? A whopping three appointments…
 
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    The Working Bee-workplace issues

  • A good value for restaurant dining.

    Michael
    12 May 2012 | 1:15 pm
    Hello worker bees…… We are about to celebrate Mother’s Day and patronize many restaurants. Take you Mother to a high scale restaurant for a frugal price. Many of you are aware of this restaurant website, but they are unknown to some of you because you have never read my review. I thought long and hard about a service that would help my Bee family. I am writing this review to help you discover a good deal. I enjoy going out to eat at least once or twice a week.  When I first tried Restaurant.com I had to learn how the company operates; I am going to tell you how I got to eat…

  • Lying on your resume | Is it ethical?

    Michael
    11 May 2012 | 12:25 pm
    Would you lie on your resume to get a job? I do not have to tell you the economy has taken a hit in the past few years.   Americans are doing what it takes to feed their families.  Gasoline prices are rising. Job seekers are getting frustrated.  The company is no longer hiring or you do not qualify for the position.  Sometimes the companies promote within.  Is this a case of favoritism or is the person more qualified?   It is Sunday night and you are thinking what does this week hold in store for me.  Your children are wearing hand me down clothing.  You never expected to be in this…

  • Should men care about women equal pay?

    Michael
    9 May 2012 | 2:49 pm
    Why should men care about women equal pay? There are a lot of single parent homes and a good majority of those families are headed by single women.  I was raised by a single woman.  I do not envy my Father for leaving because the love in my life was filled by my Mother. Women have always and always will be the backbone of the family structure.  A father maybe the bread-winner, but the bread does no good until it is prepared for consumption. In  this society, we pretend to care about women issues but the reality is we truly do not care until it affects us.  It has already affected you if…

  • The winner of the easiest scavenger hunt contest ever!!!

    Michael
    8 May 2012 | 11:47 am
    As some of my readers may know I hosted another one of my spur of the moment blog contest.  It was like a scavenger hunt. All the winner had to do was find  my guest blog article and send me a link.  Just as I figured the contest was over in less than 24 hours.  I literally posted the contest around 4:00 pm and my winner had already completed the task when I woke up this morning around 7:00 am. I try to host easy blog contest twice a month.  You can get in on the fun by being notified as soon as I post a contest by following The Working Bee. My winner is David from Allthingspondered.

  • I am at it again!!!

    Michael
    7 May 2012 | 8:01 pm
    I wrote a guess post on Keisha’s blog Weblogbetter last year.  I am doing another one of my easy blog contest.  I respect your time so I will make this very short. All the first person needs to do is send me a copy of the article I posted on Kiesha’s blog. The instructions are simple so all I want is for your to get the directions correct. The first person who sends me a link to the article wins. Now the prize, I will give the winner 10 dollars and a get post highlighting their product or blog. There are no rules, you can Google it, ask Kiesha, visit her blog, or anything…
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    JMLalonde.com

  • The Power of Real Communication

    Joseph Lalonde
    16 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    Have you ever been at a company where there’s little interaction with your boss? You may chit-chat and say hello, talk about the weather, or the kids. Something is missing. The chit-chat rarely leads to a conversation about your job, your aspirations, and how you’re doing. Image by Ed Yourdon That something is real communication. Communication is defined as: The imparting or exchanging of information or news. Real communication goes deeper than this definition. It involves taking the time to get to know the employees. Finding out their dreams and passions. If things are going well…

  • Sometimes The Grass Really Is Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence

    Joseph Lalonde
    14 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    We often hear people saying that the grass just looks greener on the other side of the fence. That our grass is just as green or greener. But that’s not always true. Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. Image by Robb North You may be shocked that I said that. Think about it for a minute. Let the saying really settle into your mind. When we really think about it, I know it’s true. And I think you do too.   WHY? You’re probably asking Why? right about now. There’s a simple reason why the grass is greener on the other side of the…

  • Are You Asking Why?

    Joseph Lalonde
    12 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. – Bernard Baruch Image by Alex Murphy Are you asking why?
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    John Maxwell: A Minute With Maxwell

  • DEDICATION: John Maxwell Leadership Coaching

    johnmaxwell
    16 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Words are an essential part of communication and leadership. Subscribe to John Maxwell’s “A Minute With Maxwell” video podcast to gain insight on a different word every single day, add value and make a difference in your life. John Maxwell is an author, coach, speaker, teacher and leadership communication expert. To learn more, subscribe via email, tell a friend or to suggest your very own word visit: http://www.johnmaxwellteam.com/

  • TRANSPARENCY: John Maxwell Leadership Coaching

    johnmaxwell
    15 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Words are an essential part of communication and leadership. Subscribe to John Maxwell’s “A Minute With Maxwell” video podcast to gain insight on a different word every single day, add value and make a difference in your life. John Maxwell is an author, coach, speaker, teacher and leadership communication expert. To learn more, subscribe via email, tell a friend or to suggest your very own word visit: http://www.johnmaxwellteam.com/

  • SIMPLICITY: John Maxwell Leadership Coaching

    johnmaxwell
    14 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Words are an essential part of communication and leadership. Subscribe to John Maxwell’s “A Minute With Maxwell” video podcast to gain insight on a different word every single day, add value and make a difference in your life. John Maxwell is an author, coach, speaker, teacher and leadership communication expert. To learn more, subscribe via email, tell a friend or to suggest your very own word visit: http://www.johnmaxwellteam.com/

  • FOLLOW THROUGH: John Maxwell Leadership Coaching

    johnmaxwell
    12 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Words are an essential part of communication and leadership. Subscribe to John Maxwell’s “A Minute With Maxwell” video podcast to gain insight on a different word every single day, add value and make a difference in your life. John Maxwell is an author, coach, speaker, teacher and leadership communication expert. To learn more, subscribe via email, tell a friend or to suggest your very own word visit: http://www.johnmaxwellteam.com/

  • EXECUTION: John Maxwell Leadership Coaching

    johnmaxwell
    11 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Words are an essential part of communication and leadership. Subscribe to John Maxwell’s “A Minute With Maxwell” video podcast to gain insight on a different word every single day, add value and make a difference in your life. John Maxwell is an author, coach, speaker, teacher and leadership communication expert. To learn more, subscribe via email, tell a friend or to suggest your very own word visit: http://www.johnmaxwellteam.com/
 
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    Unconventional Leadership

  • Futures Forecasting: Not About the Weather

    Patrick Love
    7 May 2012 | 2:59 pm
      We unthinkingly create our own future every moment of every day. Each action we take, each decision we make, we are shaping and creating our future. The fact that you chose to read this blog post is shaping your future. But most of us, most of the time, are not conscious of this reality. But that lack of consciousness isn’t really the problem. The problem is that when we ARE consciously trying to look to the future (e.g., through … →

  • Silos, Fortresses and Lunch With Strangers

    Tony Doody
    25 Apr 2012 | 10:35 am
    Is your organization a series of fortresses where departments battle each other for resources, attention, and influence? Too often in large organizations, staff may rarely connect with others outside their department unless forced to do so through meetings, processes get implemented without an understanding of broader implications and consequences, and information passes only through select channels. The result is not an effective organization committed to global goals, but a series of petty fiefdoms whose individual focus often distorts the larger … →

  • When Goals Become Limits

    Patrick Love
    15 Apr 2012 | 8:31 pm
    I am a goal setter. I set goals at the start of each year, each semester, even every weekend. What do I hope to accomplish? How much? How high? How far? I set goals in my work life, in my personal life, in my musical life, and in my running life. Goals help me stretch; goals help me go beyond where I have gone before. I want to run 250 miles in a month; I want to have a 50% … →

  • 6 Ways to Encourage Risk Taking and Disruptive Innovation

    Tony Doody
    9 Apr 2012 | 8:56 pm
    Photo courtesy of Ken Douglass Successful leaders are forever under pressure to produce consistent results and maintain high standards. The inclination over time is to protect status by making conservative decisions and taking fewer risks, but this kind of behavior leads to stagnation. The most innovative organizations thrive on leadership and a culture that encourages appropriate risk-taking. Before having children, I used to snowboard frequently. I loved pushing the limits of speed and danger by attempting tricks and maneuvers better … →

  • Managing Your All-Stars

    Patrick Love
    2 Apr 2012 | 2:02 pm
    An important task of anyone in middle management is to identify and recruit high quality talent. Entry level staff tend to show up to professional meetings intending to impress, get noticed, and be on the lookout for that next opportunity. The purpose of networking for new professionals is primarily for the individual (which early in one’s career is not a bad thing!). But at some point we realize the value in noticing and identifying people who we would like to … →
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    Karen Keller, Ph.D.

  • The Connection Between Happiness and Success

    Karen Keller, Ph.D.
    15 May 2012 | 5:01 am
    Link your happiness with your success So many people are laboring under the impression that in order to be successful, you have to give up a little piece of your happiness. Whoever told you this is full of it, because I am a proud believer that we can all have a happiness and success at the same time. Finding success and happiness at the same time isn’t necessarily the easiest thing in the world. It takes time and dedication and the ability to ask for what you deserve. And what we all deserve is a fulfilling career, right?  Here’s how: F: Fully embrace your career U: Unapologetically…

  • Power: What Women Do Right

    Karen Keller, Ph.D.
    10 May 2012 | 5:41 am
      Are you using your power to lead or direct? I recently came to a realization the other day that we (including myself) spend a lot more time focusing on all of the possible negative outcomes of women getting power. Now, while I maintain that you always need to be careful with the power that you have, there is absolutely nothing negative about women in positions of power. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty darn awesome to see a lady with some real responsibility. So, what are all of the great things that we, as women, do with our power that we may overlook? Help others. One thing that most…

  • Coaching Others to Develop a Strong Intuition

    Karen Keller, Ph.D.
    8 May 2012 | 5:17 am
        Once you understand your own intuition, it’s time to teach others. You’re a successful woman. You’ve worked hard to get where you are (and where you’re going!) and a good part of that is by learning how to listen to and analyze your intuition. I’m sure that you have employees that you rely on to help you finish projects and handle various tasks and I’m sure that there are one or two that you would like to mentor and teach some of your “secrets” so that they can find success as much as you have. Well, one of the things you’re probably going to have to teach them…

  • Top 10 Ways to Know if You’re Becoming Arrogant at Work

    Karen Keller, Ph.D.
    3 May 2012 | 7:16 am
      When we find success it’s important to avoid getting an over inflated ego. Forget David Letterman, ladies, because today, we’ve got a top ten list that you do not want to miss. When you’re at the top of your game, it can be really hard to keep your feet on the ground and remain level-headed. I thought I would keep this light, but remember; only you can prevent your own big ego. And now, without further ado, the top ten ways to know if you’re becoming too arrogant at work. 10. You assume anyone coming into your office is there to talk your coffee or lunch order. Even if it’s…

  • The Importance Getting Organized at Work

    Karen Keller, Ph.D.
    1 May 2012 | 6:00 am
      Don’t let a disorganized life keep you from success. If you’re reading this in your office (at home or work), stop for a moment and take a look at the desk in front of you. What do you see? Is it a mess of receipts, sticky notes, reminders, food wrappers, business cards and other clutter? Can you even see your desk through the mess? If you said yes, it’s ok. You aren’t alone. Many of us experience disorganization in our lives. We handle so many other tasks that keeping things organized is usually at the bottom of our list of things to do. But there are several reasons why…
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    marleeward.com | Where Faith, Business, and Fun Intersect - Mindset & Marketing Advice for Micro Entrepreneurs

  • Monday Mindset Training: How To Know You’re Making Decisions In Your Business & Life That Are in God’s Will

    Keep It Real!
    14 May 2012 | 2:46 pm
    If you’ve determined want to use your God-given gifts to develop a profitable business to God’s glory, you’ve probably wondered or asked, “Is this God’s will?” Or maybe you’re clear on your call into entrepreneurship, but you wonder if the steps you’re taking in your business are the one’s God would really want you take. How can you know for sure? Knowing God’s will can seem tricky, but trying to gain a clear understanding of where He is leading you in your business (and your life) is essential to truly being able to glorify Him in…

  • Monday Mindset Training: How To Develop the Courage & Boldness to Take Game-Changing Action In Your Business & Life

    Keep It Real!
    7 May 2012 | 3:01 pm
    It’s Mindset Training Monday! Here’s the cold hard truth. If you want to reach your maximum potential, if you want to build a profitable (and God- glorifying business), and if you want to continue to achieve new levels of success in your life – you have to develop courage and you have to be bold. If you think you can sit around hoping for a blessing to fall on your business(it could happen), but it’s not likely. Whatever it is that you desire for your business is going to require that you take some risks. It’s going to require that you do some things you fear.

  • Monday Mindset Training: The Secret Truth That PREVENTS You from Achieving the Results You Want In Business and Life

    Keep It Real!
    30 Apr 2012 | 5:17 am
    It’s Mindset Training Monday! Do you ever to set out to do something, or decide that you are going to try something new, and somehow the accomplishment continues to evade you? Or maybe you have a burning desire to accomplish a goal in your business, but you still find yourself at the same level of progress as last year? Why is it that sometimes we know exactly what we want to do, what we need to do, or what we should do yet we still don’t do it?! In today’s episode of the Faith. Business. Fun. podcast, we are going to discuss a secret truth that prevents you from achieving the results…

  • How To Avoid Implementing Bad Marketing Advice

    Keep It Real!
    25 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
    Are you blindly following bad advice in your business? Once a month I host a meetup group for entrepreneurs in my local community. I do this because: 1. It gets me out of my home office and engaging with human beings other than my clients, 2. It allows me to share what I know with (and learn from) like-minded entrepreneurs, 3. And it gives me an honest and clear perspective of what other entrepreneurs are facing in their businesses (which makes me more effective in my own work with entrepreneurs). The group has been active for nearly a year and it is starting to become a community of its own…

  • Monday Mindset Training: How to Lay an Indestructible Foundation for Success as an Entrepreneur

    Keep It Real!
    23 Apr 2012 | 2:12 pm
    “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”– Steve Jobs Do you ever feel like the odds of your business success are truly stacked against you? Does it sometimes seem like enduring the rise and fall of opportunities and obstacles you face isn’t worth the pursuit of entrepreneurship? Do you ever think to yourself, “It just feels too hard.”? If you’ve ever felt that way or had those thoughts, here is what I can tell you for sure, you are not alone! Entrepreneurship is incredibly rewarding, but…
 
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    Skip Prichard | Leadership Insights

  • Senator Bill Bradley on How We Can All Do Better

    Skip Prichard
    15 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here. He has a record of achievement few can match:  Rhodes Scholar Graduate of Princeton and Oxford Olympic Gold Medalist 2-time NBA Champion with the New York Knicks Basketball Hall of Famer Senator from New Jersey for 18 years Presidential Candidate Managing Director, Allen & Company Host of American Voices on Satellite Radio Author of seven books Director serving on numerous charitable boards And the list could go on and on.  I’m talking, of course, about Senator Bill Bradley.  Senator Bradley recently sat…

  • A Desert Escape (Without Leaving Your Desk)

    Skip Prichard
    11 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Recently, I was in Arizona for a conference.  The desert’s natural beauty has a calming effect on me.  On this trip, I didn’t have time to take any pictures, but I pulled out some photos I took a few years ago to share with you.  Take a few minutes and put yourself in a different place. Read the rest of this post...

  • What if your closest friend is someone you haven’t met?

    Skip Prichard
    9 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    There’s an old story I want to share.  Like most old tales, I’ve heard it told in various forms.  True or not, the point is a good one.  There was once a university professor who visited a Japanese Zen master (I’ve also heard this was a Buddhist monk, but you get the point).  The professor wanted to learn more about Zen.  After welcoming his visitor, the Zen master asked if he would enjoy some tea.  Knowing he should accept, the professor smiled and thanked the Zen master for his generosity.  The Zen master disappeared and then quickly reappeared with two cups and some steaming…

  • Learn How to Enhance Your Own Creative Genius

    Skip Prichard
    8 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    When the advance copy of Tina Seelig’s inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity came across my desk, I couldn’t wait to read it.  Read her book and you will find yourself on the front row of her always-filled class on innovation.  It’s a practical guide helping anyone improve his or her creativity.  Tina Seelig is the director of the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation and the executive director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.  In addition, she has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University Medical School. Dr. Seelig recently answered a few…

  • Learning From Life’s Storms

    Skip Prichard
    3 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    One Saturday in March we had the oddest weather in Nashville.  You’ll know exactly the type of day I am describing because we’ve all seen it.  One minute it’s a magnificent sunny day, then an approaching ominous cloud unleashes a downpour of rain.  Then, as fast as it comes, it disappears and the sun returns only to repeat the process over and over again.  I usually wish for that perfect, sunny day.  Most of us do.  We don’t like the bad weather, the dark clouds, lightning and thunder.  It’s like that in life, too.  I am always hoping for that perfect weather.  We don’t…
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    Nischala’s Space, Thoughts, Expressions…

  • The Indian Social Media Blogs I Follow…

    Nischala
    16 May 2012 | 5:09 am
    I’ve been in the blogosphere for several years now. However, I’ve not really followed the Indian Social Media blogs till a few months back. And today as I look back, a few Indian Social Media blogs stand out and have become my personal favorites: In this blog, I have listed the Indian Social Media Blogs I LOVE to read: BlogWorks @ http://blogworks.in/blog/ BY Rajesh Lalwani Digital Inspiration @ http://www.labnol.org/ BY Amit Aggarwal ARKarthick.com – Awesomeness @ http://arkarthick.com/ BY A K Karthick LightHouse Insights @ http://lighthouseinsights.in/ BY Prasant and Vinaya…

  • The Mommy Blogs I LOVE to read!

    Nischala
    12 May 2012 | 6:08 pm
    On the occasion of Mother’s Day, I’m dedicating a post to all the Mommy blogs I love to read. And I know that there are zillions of them in the blogosphere.. But these are personal favorites.. These mommies write regularly These mommies write from the heart There mommies touch your heart! And every time I visit their blogs I learn, laugh, feel like someone understands me or come back wiser! Listing them below in random order: First Steps by Sree Empty House, Full Mind by Sharon Greenthal My Little World by Kalpana Because I said So by Dawn Meehan Dooce.com by Heather Armstrong ParentHacks…

  • The 6 Must Haves for a Working Mother

    Nischala
    10 May 2012 | 11:09 pm
    The decision to get back to work after becoming a mother is a personal choice. For some women, the decision if out of free-will, to some out of necessity, to some due to lack of choice and to some out of choice. What I’ve realized based on my own personal experiences and interactions with other mothers are that most working mothers do go through phases in their life when they need to strive extra-hard just to find a balance between their personal and professional priorities. And what clearly sets apart those who somehow manage to make it all work are: 1) Desire to Work This tops the list.

  • Nischala’s Blog-o-Rendezvous with Dr. SMITHA RADHAKRISHNAN

    Nischala
    7 May 2012 | 11:09 pm
    About Smitha Dr. Smitha Radhakrishnan is a sociologist, and dancer, and a mom. Her professional work in and out of the classroom focuses on questions of gender, globalization, nationalism and development. Her newly published book, Appropriately Indian: Gender and Culture in a New Transnational Class (Duke University Press, 2011) examines the culture of Indian IT professionals in urban India, Silicon Valley, and South Africa. She is currently in India conducting research for a new project on educational programs aimed at microfinance borrowers. In her previous research, Smitha has studied…

  • 22 Ways to Create Compelling Content

    Nischala
    3 May 2012 | 11:09 pm
    Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.
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    Driving Results Through Culture

  • The Biggest Mistakes Leaders Make

    Chris Edmonds
    14 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    I had the pleasure of presenting a Ken Blanchard Companies webinar on this topic recently to 1000 global participants. The content was extremely well-received so I was inspired to present highlights... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Great Leaders Leverage Employee Dreams

    Chris Edmonds
    7 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Years ago I was interviewing a CEO before presenting a keynote to 500 of his company’s leaders. I asked him what differentiated his company from other competitors in the industry. He told me,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • New Secret Service Rules Are A Good Thing

    Chris Edmonds
    30 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    This week, in response to the Columbia sex scandal, the US Secret Service put into place ten new rules to govern agent and officer behavior on international trips. Some see the rules as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Out-of-the-Box Thinking about Corporate Culture

    Chris Edmonds
    23 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    I’m always on the lookout for unique corporate cultures. There’s no “wrong” corporate culture, so long as three elements are fully present: 1) employees demonstrate high work... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Don’t Get Distracted – Focus On Culture

    Chris Edmonds
    16 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Spring has sprung here in the Rocky Mountains. At 8400 feet above sea level,  ”Colorado Springtime” brings a wide variety of weather. Two weeks ago we were evacuated because of wildfires.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
 
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    2020 IT Leader

  • Bad Boss: Learn from his 5 mistakes

    Anthony Vigneron
    28 Apr 2012 | 5:00 am
    Trains in London are often delayed so rather than stressing in queues, I immediately divert to the nearest coffee shop. This week, I witnessed there the very best and very worse of managers in less than 20min!  Today I share how – let’s call him “Bad Boss” – brought a grown man to tears in a [...] No related posts.

  • Mix Cloud Services with ifttt recipes!

    Anthony Vigneron
    26 Apr 2012 | 7:22 am
    With the multitude of digital tools we are all using for very specific purposes, we’ve created a monster of inefficiencies and silos; the very thing cloud services aimed to tackle! To address this, many new tools are being created for automation either of services consumption or content distribution across those digital tools. Here I share a [...] You may like these posts too!: 3 Ways to Explore Cloud Computing School in the Cloud: Swap textbooks for Kindle My Twitter usage policy

  • Do you want to be more successful? Write Down your Goals

    Anthony Vigneron
    23 Apr 2012 | 11:30 am
    “16% of the population have goals but don’t write them down. Less than 4% write down their goals and less than 1% review them regularly. Those individuals will have 9x more success, over the course of their lifetime, than those who don’t set goals” - David Khol If you want to be one of those individuals, [...] You may like these posts too!: What are Your Goals in Life? GTD Weekly Review is Key to Your Success

  • My May 2012 Speaking Engagements

    Anthony Vigneron
    1 Apr 2012 | 12:04 pm
    I will be speaking at one event in May: May 1-3 , 2011 – Blackberry World 2012 (Orlando, FL) If you are interested in having me speak for your organisation, I have a few dates left in June 2012. Check out my Speaking page for more information. You may like these posts too!: DevOps Journey at LinkedIn You may like these posts too!: DevOps Journey at LinkedIn

  • How do you handle Recurring Tasks in GTD?

    Anthony Vigneron
    1 Apr 2012 | 7:28 am
    How do you handle recurring tasks in GTD? This is one that deserve a custom answer for each of us! Before answering this question, it is important to remind ourselves why we use GTD in the first place: to capture “stuff” that needs doing at the right moment that we would otherwise forget or worry [...] You may like these posts too!: GTD Weekly Review is Key to Your Success Improved Productivity with Essential GTD Tools Effective Time Management with the 2020 Leader Calendar
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    Switch and Shift

  • 12 Most Emboldened Questions to Live Life on Purpose

    Shawn Murphy
    14 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    Forget about foreplay. Let’s go straight to it: why are you here? Here in this world. This is no attempt to have a philosophical conversation. Nor is it an attempt to spread metaphysical platitudes. I ask you this question with my two feet planted firmly on the ground, head NOT in the clouds. See in our hyper-connected world distractions are plentiful. At stake is your clarity on the work you want to do. At stake is your purpose lost in the fuzziness of a splintered attention span. Each of us has the capacity to create a life fueled by our passions. Yet it’s more than that. It’s a life…

  • Is Facebook Already Over?

    Ted Coine
    11 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    As we cruise through Facebook’s “quiet period” on its way to its IPO, and as the media whips us into a speculative frenzy over this fascinating corporate wunderkind, I can’t help but wonder: Is Facebook already on its way out? I’m certainly no swami, and there’s no way I can answer that question. I have no insider information that might lead me to believe that the world’s undisputed #1 social platform is in any sort of trouble whatsoever. But I have a few questions or you: Is Facebook Exxon-Mobil, or is it Sears? Is Facebook GE, or is it HP? Is Facebook Amazon, or is it Myspace?

  • How to Recover after Being a Jerk

    Shawn Murphy
    9 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    In the throws of conflict we all have cringe-worthy stories of when our actions and words were inappropriate or over-the-top. You know the moment when you say or do something and you immediately think, “CRAP!” At work recovering from those moments of being a jerk is crucial to your success. What’s more important is team effectiveness that enables success. How do you recover and repair the damage? Here’s a great place to start. Look in the mirror Regardless of who’s in the right, it takes two to have a conflict. If you’re involved, look at how you contributed to the problem. Then…

  • Are you managing for engagement or performance?

    Jason Lauritsen
    8 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    My four year old daughter recently took up playing her first team sport, soccer.  As any parent who has had a young child in soccer knows, it’s quite a spectacle to behold when you turn loose six youngsters on a soccer field.  They play three on three games, no score kept.  It’s all about teaching and getting the kids some experience playing on a team and learning about soccer. Being someone who works with employee engagement for a living, I found some really interesting parallels between engagement and my daughter’s experience with soccer.  Primarily, I think she would qualify as a…

  • 10 Actions of Servant Leaders

    Shawn Murphy
    7 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    This is conclusion of a two part post. Read part one here. “The servant leader is servant first . . . it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, serve first. Then conscious choice bring one to aspire to lead.” Robert Greenleaf wrote the above quote in his 1970 essay on servant leadership. Over 40 years later Greenleaf’s message grips the keen servant leader tuned into the level of disengaged, unhappy, employees and energy-depleted cultures. But, what does a 21st century servant leader do in the face of such discontent? Is it all too much to do something about?
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    Unconventional Leadership

  • Futures Forecasting: Not About the Weather

    Patrick Love
    7 May 2012 | 2:59 pm
      We unthinkingly create our own future every moment of every day. Each action we take, each decision we make, we are shaping and creating our future. The fact that you chose to read this blog post is shaping your future. But most of us, most of the time, are not conscious of this reality. But that lack of consciousness isn’t really the problem. The problem is that when we ARE consciously trying to look to the future (e.g., through … →

  • Silos, Fortresses and Lunch With Strangers

    Tony Doody
    25 Apr 2012 | 10:35 am
    Is your organization a series of fortresses where departments battle each other for resources, attention, and influence? Too often in large organizations, staff may rarely connect with others outside their department unless forced to do so through meetings, processes get implemented without an understanding of broader implications and consequences, and information passes only through select channels. The result is not an effective organization committed to global goals, but a series of petty fiefdoms whose individual focus often distorts the larger … →

  • When Goals Become Limits

    Patrick Love
    15 Apr 2012 | 8:31 pm
    I am a goal setter. I set goals at the start of each year, each semester, even every weekend. What do I hope to accomplish? How much? How high? How far? I set goals in my work life, in my personal life, in my musical life, and in my running life. Goals help me stretch; goals help me go beyond where I have gone before. I want to run 250 miles in a month; I want to have a 50% … →

  • 6 Ways to Encourage Risk Taking and Disruptive Innovation

    Tony Doody
    9 Apr 2012 | 8:56 pm
    Photo courtesy of Ken Douglass Successful leaders are forever under pressure to produce consistent results and maintain high standards. The inclination over time is to protect status by making conservative decisions and taking fewer risks, but this kind of behavior leads to stagnation. The most innovative organizations thrive on leadership and a culture that encourages appropriate risk-taking. Before having children, I used to snowboard frequently. I loved pushing the limits of speed and danger by attempting tricks and maneuvers better … →

  • Managing Your All-Stars

    Patrick Love
    2 Apr 2012 | 2:02 pm
    An important task of anyone in middle management is to identify and recruit high quality talent. Entry level staff tend to show up to professional meetings intending to impress, get noticed, and be on the lookout for that next opportunity. The purpose of networking for new professionals is primarily for the individual (which early in one’s career is not a bad thing!). But at some point we realize the value in noticing and identifying people who we would like to … →
 
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    Jimenez Weerden

  • Review Tribes by Seth Godin

    Jimenez
    8 May 2012 | 3:05 am
    A couple of weeks ago I finished reading Seth Godin’s book, Tribes. And since Seth is one of my favoruite authors, my expectations for this book were quite high. Luckily Seth, once again, provided enough food for my philosophy and am I writing a review for this awesome book!         What is this book in short about?:Tribes is all about: Leadership. It made me realize that leadership isn’t a gift or just a title (like CEO or CFO)… it’s a choice.A tribe is defined as a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to…

  • The farm philosophy

    Jimenez
    3 May 2012 | 7:21 am
    The farmSomewhere near a forest there is a farm. At the farm there are sheep and cows. All owned by the farmer and around the forest there are wolves. Everyone is surviving. The farmer survives by eating and selling of his farm, the farm animals survive by eating grass and the wolves survive by hunting and eating the farm animals. The farm animals usually stand in herds eating grass. When someone or something passes by they don’t bother watching or questioning who it is. Standing and eating grass is all they do and the farmer loves this because it’s quiet and easy.However, whenever a wolf…

  • Show that you care

    Jimenez
    23 Apr 2012 | 7:18 am
    Caring is an ingredient for happiness. If you want to be happy and want others to be happy, you must care. My definition of to care would be: “To be interested in someone and want them to be well and happy.” People do careOh boy, if I had a dollar for every time someone says: “I don’t care” I’m quite sure I would never have to work for money ever again. People very often say “I don’t care” … but do they really? Do people really don’t care about what you’re tweeting or posting as a Facebook status? Do they really “don’t give a f*ck” about what others think…

  • Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world

    Jimenez
    12 Apr 2012 | 12:42 pm
    I believe that the way you look is caused by the way you think and feel. Your outside is the only thing people can see when they first meet you. Make sure it’s a GOOD reflection of your inner world. It DOES matter how you look!I have often heard people say things such as: I don’t care what people think about my looks. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Well … Hate to say this, but unfortunately people DO judge books by their covers and if you want to make it in most industries, people WILL judge you based upon the way you look. Even when they shouldn’t, they still WILL. Sorry.

  • Getting the best out of mistakes

    Jimenez
    7 Apr 2012 | 9:35 am
    We’re all making mistakes … on a daily basis. We are often not aware of our mistakes when we make them and that’s why they are called MISS-takes. However, mistakes matter but what matters more is how we deal with our mistakes. What are we learning from them? Are we bound to repeat them? Our attitude towards a mistake is more important than the mistake itself. ImperfectionI just see mistakes for what they are. Our imperfection in action. They make us human.So we’re always going to make them for as long as we live. Some bigger than others, but we’ve made them and we’re still…
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    POSSIBILITY/TRANSFORMATION/LEADERSHIP

  • If the herd is headed for the cliff the sane thing is to break free from the herd no matter how uncomfortable you feel!

    Maz Iqbal
    14 May 2012 | 4:53 pm
    What am I to be, to do, to have in this world? How do I decide what/how I am to be in this world?  How do I decide what to do, how to conduct myself, what to chase after in this world?   Of all questions these are the most important questions and they do not have easy answers. Given that these are the most difficult questions and there are no ready made answers how do I answer these questions?  The default is simply to follow the herd: look around me and buy into the way of life that everyone around has bought into. Look deeply and you will notice that we human beings are herd animals. …

  • It takes inner strength to be yourself; being yourself is the greatest accomplishment

    Maz Iqbal
    10 May 2012 | 3:17 pm
    The illusion of individuality Those of us who are thrown into Anglo-Saxon cultures (at birth) live under the tight grip of the illusion of individuality.  We buy into the following myth: I am an individual and you are individual and as such you and I are free to be just ourselves – no constraints.  People thrown into Easter cultures have a much deeper appreciation of how much it takes to really be an individual – to really stand for who you are, what you believe in. The being of human beings is that we are beings-in-the-world.  What is a prominent feature of this…

  • “You are a fraud!” Thank you, I am totally ok with that

    Maz Iqbal
    5 May 2012 | 11:06 am
    “You are a fraud!” One of the people who knows me well asserted: “You are fraud!”.  What is the context that gives rise to this statement, this assertion?  Simply the disconnect this person experiences between how I show up for her and how my speaking/writing shows up for her.  There is a big gap and therefore the assertion: “You are a fraud”. How to deal with that?  Do I attack?  Do I dispute?  Do I assert that she doesn’t see the full picture?  Do I find reasons/excuses for the difference between my speaking and my being/doing that shows up…

  • I have failed, am I failure? (part II): Werner is right, I don’t know my ass from a hole in the ground, do you?

    Maz Iqbal
    3 May 2012 | 11:09 am
    This post is a follow up to the last post I wrote:  I have failed, am I a failure?   The source of this post is a friend that reached out to me after my last post.  Before I speak/share that with you allow me to prepare the ground by sharing some of Werner Erhard’s sayings on our relationship to Reality. What does Werner say about our relationship to Reality? “You don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground. Anybody who knew their ass from a hole in the ground could stand up and tell me how they know when something’s real.” “There is no necessary relationship…

  • I have failed, am I a failure?

    Maz Iqbal
    2 May 2012 | 1:44 pm
    Karl Jaspers on failure “The ultimate situations – death, chance, guilt and the uncertainty of the world – confront me with the reality of failure. What do I do in the face of absolute failure, which if I am honest I cannot fail to recognize? …Crucial for man is his attitude toward failure………………The way in which man approaches failure determines what he will become.” When I look at my life it occurs to me that I have failed in so many ways I have failed to be the kind of husband I imagined and was up for being. And I imagine…
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    Management is a Journey

  • Seven Reasons Why Managers Fail to Plan

    Robert Tanner
    15 May 2012 | 2:46 pm
    Some believe that planning is dead!  They say that today’s environment changes too often and too quickly. Despite the disruptive and unrelenting pace of change, planning is still an important function in the workplace. A good plan provides a framework for organizing company resources and it provides direction for employees on how they can help the company [...]

  • Saturday’s Quote – Roger Wilkins on Diversity and Creativity

    Robert Tanner
    12 May 2012 | 11:06 am
    The best hope of solving all our problems lies in harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people. –Roger Wilkins

  • Everyone Has it in Them to Shine [Video]

    Robert Tanner
    11 May 2012 | 7:30 am
    Some managers question the value of coaching an under performing employee.  They argue that it is much simpler for them to just get rid of their non performing employee and replace them with someone who can do the job. As I coach managers, particularly newer managers, I stress the value of adjusting this perspective of [...]

  • What’s Your Power in Your Organization? Don’t Give it Up!

    Robert Tanner
    8 May 2012 | 9:15 am
    I’m tired of giving 150% to this organization and only getting grief back from my boss! I’m going to pull back and just do the minimum until I can get out of here! I remember the frustration I felt from “Karen” as she said these words to me.  Karen’s frustrations were valid.  She was a [...]

  • Saturday’s Quote – William Brown on Performance Management

    Robert Tanner
    5 May 2012 | 9:10 am
    A failure is an event, never a person. – William Brown
 
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    EcSELL Institute™ Sales Coaching Blog

  • The leader’s dilemma – Today’s outcomes or tomorrow’s growth

    16 May 2012 | 6:54 am
    Today's sales leaders have a constant battle - to they focus on today's outcomes or tomorrow's growth.  This story about Julie, a bright, well-educated leader, illustrates the answer. Julie was brought into to turn around one of the divisions of a publicly-traded company.  When Julie joined her new company, the direction she received from the CEO was clear – define a new way of delivering services to increase our revenue.  Driven and confident, Julie knew she was up to the task. Generating Sales Results Today After gathering and analyzing customer feedback, Julie…

  • 6 Steps To Conflict Resolution

    14 May 2012 | 6:41 am
    Conflict is inevitable. How you resolve conflict is critical. Handling it effectively a key to success but handling it poorly is the roadmap to further conflict.  Robert Pagliarini the founder of Richer Life a community of passionate people who want to learn and achieve more in life and at work, recently wrote an article for CBS MoneyWatch based on his experience counseling hundreds of people on financial disagreements. He shared the six key steps to conflict resolution.  Whether dealing with a money issue, a disgruntled employee, or a frustrated boss, these six steps apply. After…

  • Why you can't "manage" your way to sustainable growth

    9 May 2012 | 6:30 am
    As we lead our sales teams, we do everything in our power to hit our sales goals and grow our business.  We define processes so we can have efficient execution.  We employ never ending searches for time saving, cutting edge technologies.  We develop strategic plans so we can have predictable outcomes.  We manage sales activity so we can ensure we hit our quarterly number and annual goals.  We constantly strive to do more, always looking for the next great growth tool and opportunity. This isn't enough anymore! Too often, sales leaders stop there.  They see the…

  • Lessons of Leadership

    7 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    As we advance in our careers, we become more aware of what it takes to be a great leader. Harvard Business Review recently published an article written by Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything. Tony shares twelves of his favorite leadership lessons.  Read them and then add to the list! Lessons On Leadership 1. The more we know about ourselves, the more power we have to behave better. Humility is underrated. We each have an infinite capacity for self-deception — countless unconscious ways we protect ourselves from pain,…

  • 4 Common Traits of Top Sales Managers

    2 May 2012 | 7:15 am
    According to Harvard Business Review writer Scott Edinger founder of Edinger Consulting Group, the leadership job that's hardest to do is the head of sales. And not just because sales brings in the revenue and tends to feel the friction from the external environment first, though both are certainly true. But because in addition, sales leaders deal with situations no other department encounters! Below are the highlights of Scott's article "The Most Challenging Leadership Job" Sales organizations are unique in ways that create unique challenges. First of all, in most cases, sales reps are…
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