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Subtle Warning Signs Your Work Environment Sucks
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 26, 2012
There’s an analogy of a frog and water. If you put the frog in cold water and slowly turn-up the heat, the frog won’t notice and slowly cook. However, if you put the frog in boiling water, the frog will jump out. In this analogy the frog is us, and the water our environment. The […] Read more… Read More»
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What are you for?
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 24, 2012
Ask someone what they believe in and you’ll likely hear the opposite. Same is true when you ask a team about their project’s successes: they can tell you quickly the issues and drama. Perhaps the positive isn’t as alluring or sexy as the trouble and toil. When it comes to your leadership style, knowing what […] Read more… Read More»
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Leverage Your Leadership
Written by: Ted Coiné | January 23, 2012
If you’ve ever created a business from scratch, you’ve unquestionably run into this problem: The how-to of your company is entirely in your head, and it’s obvious to you. Articulating it in a way that facilitates your firm’s growth – that part is not nearly as obvious. Maybe, if your temperament is anything like mine, […] Read more… Read More»
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No time is not acceptable
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 22, 2012
What message are you sending when you don’t make time to coach or have one-on-ones with employees? Let me offer a few suggestions: “I don’t have time to talk with my people.” “The meetings and tasks I have to attend and do are more important than you.” “I don’t want to deal with my discomfort […] Read more… Read More»
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Ted’s Twitter Follow-Back Policy
Written by: Ted Coiné | January 21, 2012
I’m going to share the policy I’ve been following since my first Tweet in April 2009. It works well for me. You can adopt this policy for yourself or not, as you wish. Ready? It’s really straightforward. I follow everyone back on Twitter. (Just about). There, that’s my policy. Here’s why: For whatever odd reason, Twitter […] Read more… Read More»
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The Decay of Command-and-Control Leadership
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 19, 2012
Ted and I are big fans of Vineet Nayar’s leadership philosophy that places employees over customers. Central to this belief is turning the hierarchical pyramid upside down. At the top of the inverted pyramid are employees. Central to this seemingly radical move is the disbelief that management holds the answers to business problems or has […] Read more… Read More»
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Leaders: Learn from the Deli Owner
Written by: Ted Coiné | January 19, 2012
If you haven’t read The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki, you owe yourself the treat. It’s fascinating. The main premise is to show how our collective wisdom just plain crushes the expertise of even the highest-paid gurus, at least over the long-haul. Surowiecki also explores a number of side-issues, and he does it in the […] Read more… Read More»
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Why Human Value is a Competitive Advantage
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 12, 2012
The race from the bottom and the race to the top keeps managers and employees extraordinarily busy. So busy that the proverbial foundation is showing cracks, signs of weakness. In the frenetic pace to innovate, execute and outsmart competition, managers have left a wake of bruised and bloodied employees behind them. Hell, even the managers […] Read more… Read More»
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How To Never Make a Stupid PR Mistake Again
Written by: Ted Coiné | January 11, 2012
First, let’s be clear on the definition of “Stupid PR Mistake.” A stupid Public Relations mistake is an error in judgment that attracts negative attention from customers and/or the press. It creates a backlash that often ends up costing the company more money than the mistake was meant to bring in. In other words, it’s […] Read more… Read More»
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Be Bitter or Better
Written by: Shawn Murphy | January 9, 2012
The grim reality hovering over many companies is employees and managers are not happy. If you need proof, Gallup’s Well-Being index shows work environments suck. More eloquently positioned, our workplaces are suffering. Despite the dismal news, you could shift and switch the trend to one more positive. It’s a choice. You could grow bitter from […] Read more… Read More»