Ever feel like you just squandered your time? Why? You chose to spend that time exactly as you did, so why do you feel like you wasted it? I just spent the last twenty minutes staring at the scene pictured above. A few unpleasant thoughts crossed my mind during that twenty minutes… You know, those…
Believe it or not, organization and productivity really do go hand-in-hand. I already know what some of you are thinking: There’s a methodology to my mess!” If I move it off the top of my desk, I’ll forget about it.” Or how about this one – It takes too long to calendar and set reminders….
This is a true story about a bright, ambitious, twenty-three-year-old who started showing up to work every day with a bad attitude. She’d sigh big, heavy sighs of exasperation, and wouldn’t speak to her coworkers – except the ones who would listen to her complain during lunch hour. If she didn’t absolutely have to, this…
Have you ever had a boss you considered to be a great leader? I have, twice. Over the years I’ve spent time considering what made them great, as compared to others who ranged from ‘absolutely horrible, have no business having authority over other people” to solidly “good”. Of course, there are several characteristics that differentiate great…
An executive, whom I greatly admired, once told me “if you aren’t meeting them by June, you will not meet your goals for the entire year.” I took those words to heart and for the next 2 years, with great stress and feelings of inadequacy, I mentally gave up on any goals my organization was…
Your leader’s primary role is to be the strong base for your success support system, right? I mean, the very definition of a leader is to engage and inspire, while achieving organizational goals through the efforts of the team. So,what happens to you and your teammates when you have a disengaged boss? In my experience,…
Did you know the use of proactive mediation in the workplace can effectively decrease the costly effects of lingering conflict, and in turn increase morale, productivity and overall organizational success? Historically, organizations have waited until workplace conflict turns into the worst-case scenario – EEO complaints and litigation – before seeking resolution through professional mediation services….
Having trouble creating synergy at your workplace? I hate to break this to you, but it might just be YOU. Many of us don’t take the time to consider how we communicate when conflict arises. Unfortunately, most of us have been trained to speak a language that encourages us to alienate ourselves, through our communication…
Great leaders understand organizational success requires commitment to core values and goals; authentic and timely communication; collaboration to identify the best possible action plans, timelines, and solutions; and, they know how and when to celebrate! Indeed, great leaders celebrate! They celebrate the big wins of course, but more importantly, they seek opportunities to celebrate the…
Commit, Communicate, COLLABORATE, and Celebrate. Did you know Henry Ford spent a great deal of time bouncing ideas off his friends Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone? Man, what would it be like to collaborate with heavy-hitters like that? Well, Mr. Ford changed our world through the power of collaboration. He said “If there is any…
Twenty years ago as a new manager in the insurance industry, I remember being told by a corporate leadership trainer “the key to being a successful manager is Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!” I also remember looking skeptically into the eyes of that trainer and thinking “Really? You are getting paid to tell me I need to…
Recently, I pointed to meerkats as a fine example of successful collaboration, stemming naturally from the shared vision, mission, and values of a group. Today we’ll begin to “unpack” traits I observed within the meerkat clans, which keep them aligned, moving forward, and enjoying themselves along the way. Commitment, Communication, Collaboration, and Celebration are the characteristics…