The Problem With Opportunities
When I first read Karen Martin’s book, The Outstanding Organization, her definition of a problem versus opportunity stuck with me. “In recent years, it has become popular to avoid the word problem in organizations, recasting it instead as an opportunity...5 Ways to Surface Team Conflict and Live to Tell About It
We all know deep in our hearts that teams need conflict. Conflict is “healthy.” Leaders and teams have been talking about Tuckman’s forming, storming, norming, performing model since the mid 1960s. Teams were storming long before that. We get it...Children's Advice For President Obama
What advice do you have for President Obama? We’ve been asking kids for their advice for Obama since the election results came in. We asked them to consider… What would you say to the President to help him with his next term? If you were President what...Why Isn't This Incentive Program Working?
Incentive programs continue to be one of the most debated topics in management. Sometimes incentive programs work well. Sometimes they do not. Leadership can make a difference. Have you ever experienced any of these scenarios? You’ve implemented a new incentive...
How To Build A Community of Collaboration
What is a community? Can you have one at work? Should you? If you want more of a community feel, how do you create it? Whose job is it? Senior management? Frontline leaders? The employees? HR? Do programs produce community or do people? Today, I raise more questions...Your Mentor May Not Be Helping Your Career: Find a Sponsor
Great mentors prepare you for the next level by challenging, teaching, sharing stories, and offering perceptions. However, many people assume that their mentor is also their sponsor. This is not necessarily the case. Mentors prepare. Sponsors promote. Your mentor can...
7 Ways to Ensure Your New Hire Has a Great First Day
Jack and Jill are both new hires who started their new jobs today. Both of them are nervous. Both of them had other offers. Both are looking for validation that they made the right choice. They both still have lots of logistics questions that they were too embarrassed...
The Biggest Recruiting Mistake
The recruiting process for my first job was intense. The sales pitch began with shiny brochures and a promise that once I “graduated” from this “elite” and “intense” management training program, I could move to any aspect of the...
