Team collaboration is one of the most misunderstood concepts within many organizations. The old axiom of the sum is greater than the contribution of the individual parts it not working. Too much feedback from the wrong people and not enough from others creates predictable patterns of frustration. Teams need real Read more
One of the major weaknesses I find through my executive coaching is many leaders avoid or even hate conflict. This inevitably leads to even more conflict because the situation was not dealt with before it escalated into a crisis. The only way to avoid this is effective ongoing feedback. This Read more
I find myself in working with executives debating whether prioritizing results or activities is the best approach to building a healthy organizational culture. The activities approach is more directive and seeks to define what things should be done well that will give the greatest return. When you use results as Read more
Empowerment is a hot topic for most organizations and their workforce. It increases trust across the board and significantly improves the capacity of the teams to do more work effectively. However, if it becomes another branding trick to simply get more work done without investing in your people it can Read more
Most leaders who were trained in the last century in leadership theory were told to use their positional authority and to become the answer man. The best way to help your people was to be the smartest person in the room and to always be ready to give clear direction Read more
Organizational culture consists of the beliefs and values that allow people and processes to work together for producing the greatest results. It is far more strategic than tactical, however there are some best practices that cross over most organizations. This post by Micah Solomon contains some great advice: “Whatever kind Read more
There is nothing worse than a bad meeting. The lost productivity for everyone in the room not to mention the ongoing withdrawals of trust are painful. In a collaboration culture they are necessary but they must be prioritized for maximum effectiveness. This Fast Company post is helpful: “Meetings can be Read more
One of the major issues I face with every client I help with leadership development is how to align managers who many times are Boomers with team members who are Millennials. Productivity and job satisfaction are damaged because they do not understand each others core values and therefore trust is Read more
Directive leadership has taken such a hit that it almost seems out of place in any leadership situation. Tell that to the passengers on any plane or to the patients in any major surgery and they would beg to disagree. Delegation on the other hand is never appropriate until the Read more
Probably the best leadership book I read in 2017 was The Speed Of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey. In the first chapter he quotes Jack Welch,”If you’re not fast, you’re dead.” When everyone faces the reality that demand almost always exceeds capacity, we can’t afford to waste any productivity because Read more