Management needs to dramatically improve how to listen to employees’ ideas to improve the workplace. In the the day-t0-day interactions with customers, with one another and interacting with work processes (or lack of), employees are closest to the work. They are positioned to shed light on improvements and needs that a majority of managers just […] Read more… Read More»
Executives and leaders are critically important in engaging and focusing their teams. The best leaders in organizations help lead their teams and colleagues out from under the cloud of a layoff and use the event to challenge the old ways of working and thinking.
Here is what we’ve seen leaders do amidst a layoff:… Read More»
Thank God for this week’s guest, Tim Kuppler, former president of Dennison Consulting, author of The Culture Advantage and founder of Culture University. Not only does Tim get it, but he’s been studying it for most of his career. He wrote a book on it, a collaborative effort with four other experts, and he’s built an insight-delivery vehicle for leaders to access the true significance of this all-important aspect of business…. Read More»
The subject of workplace culture was once again in the limelight with the media and political circus surrounding the massive General Motors ignition switch recall crisis that led to at least 13 deaths. I started the research for this post thinking I would share some fundamentals about true culture change and connect them to GM’s management of this safety crisis. I now believe Mary Barra, the new GM CEO, will successfully lead one of the most significant culture transformations in history. We should all watch as this live case study unfolds because the insights will be meaningful for any organization…. Read More»
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” The article noted that the actions of many of the actors in these unfortunate events “rarely seem to have recognized the path they were going down because they decided to fool themselves.” So how do we, as leaders, avoid fooling the “easiest person to fool”?… Read More»
If you’ve spent any time around here, you’re bound to know my favorite business book of all time, which we affectionately refer to as “The unofficial manifesto of ExchangeGain:” Give and Take, by Adam Grant.
Yes, it’s that good…. Read More»
PowerPoints can hide many sins – from incorrect information, no input or validation from the right people or a recommendation that can never work. The “deck” is just the communication channel of choice, not the end game. Are you being fooled?… Read More»
When Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer, decided to eliminate telecommuting last year, there was backlash on both sides of the debate. For one side, Yahoo’s decision signaled the end of telecommuting and work flexibility as we know it. But for the other side, Mayer and her senior management team simply served as an example of the out-of-date managerial styles that will someday be far behind us. One year later, it seems that telecommuting and flexible work options are indeed growing trends, and that’s because smart leaders embrace work flexibility.
Here are three reasons why smart leaders embrace flexible work options…. Read More»
Most of us experience a wonderful and rewarding feeling when someone recognizes us for a meaningful contribution we have made or for a special quality or characteristic we have. Most people enjoy that warm feeling that comes when we feel special – when we know that we matter. When we feel valued and appreciated, we feel energized, are more productive, feel connected, and do our best work. When employees are engaged, organizations excel and become more profitable…. Read More»
As business leaders we are part of the problem. Leading the process of buying and selling goods and services in an ever-growing number of sectors, we may think that we are simply helping to provide for people’s needs. But through those acts of buying and selling, through saying ‘this thing is for sale’, we are part of a system that does much more than that. And more, in this case, is not good…. Read More»
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