How to MBWA Without Getting in the Way
My phone rang, “Karin, she’s here …” “Crud, just what we needed today! Bad MBWA. Aghhh. You know the drill, warn the others. I’ll let John (my boss) know.” John picked up the phone, “Okay, is your team ready? Remember...
How to Motivate Your Team When You Don’t Set the Goals
Wondering How to Motivate Your Team When You Don’t Set the Goals? Hint: Don’t Motivate, Cultivate Have you ever been given a goal by your supervisors and thought, “Ugh! What are they thinking? My team’s gonna hate this!” If so, you’re not...
Ceremonies, Celebration, and How to Create Meaningful Beginnings
Imagine the Olympics without the opening ceremonies. What if the games just started. No torch. No sexy flag carriers, no dancers. No music. No costumes. No human interest stories. No ceremonial coming together of divided political interests. Just, “Up first,...
Innovation and Creativity at Work: A Frontline Festival
Are you searching for ways to bring more innovation and creativity to your team? In this month’s Frontline Festival, thought leaders from around the world share their insights on how to foster innovation at work. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vizwerx...
One Surprising Reason Your Nonprofit Struggles to Grow
I regularly speak with nonprofit leaders who wonder why their nonprofit struggles to grow. They have a great theory of change, clear intended impact, enthusiastic donors, but … something is wrong. Here are a few quotes from some of these leaders. I’ve disguised their...
Overlooked For Promotion Again: Now What Should I Do?
Dear Karin and David, I’ve been sitting in the “ready now” box on the performance potential grid for over a year. But this is the third promotion in a row that’s gone to someone clearly less qualified for political reasons. I’ve been...
One Obvious Secret to Retaining High Performers
Recently, I received an incredibly strong message about retaining high performers. The message came from Jennifer, a former store manager at a national women’s clothing chain. Jennifer is outgoing, incredibly gifted at making customers feel comfortable, and was...
Workplace Drama: How Do I Stop It and Improve Morale?
Get Past Workplace Drama to Increase Productivity and Improve Engagement Are you having trouble with workplace drama? Perhaps this will sound familiar. Dear Karin and David, I try so hard to be an empathetic leader. I really do care about the human beings on my team....
