The Biggest Mistake Flexible People Make When Internal Competition is ToughDo you pride yourself on how well you 'stay flexible' or 'adapt to whatever the company needs.' Sometimes that's advantageous, but the biggest mistake flexible people make when internal competition is tough is to adopt the strategy of staying so flexible that no decision-maker really knows what you want.
How to Excel at the Ultimate Oxymoron: a Recession-Era Corporate Holiday PartyFor those of you having a corporate holiday party, here are some timely tips for leaders the organization.
Five Signs You're in Poor Standing with Your BossWith the economy so tight, people are nervous about their jobs. Are you picking upo n the right signals? Here are some clues that you might want to look for.
Develop Trust by Speaking Up During Uncertain TimesAre you being a silent leader? Many times, during troubled times, executives feel they have to go it alone to address the challenges of the business when they should actually open their mouth and let the words come out, over and over and over again. Those leaders that speak up clearly and frequently gain trust and loyalty.
Five Simple Ways to be a Hit at the Company Holiday PartyIt's corporate holiday party season. Are you prepared? Here are some tips that will help you ensure that you're remembered for all the right reasons.
Do You Want to Calm Your Fears?We've been on an economic ride lately. There are a lot of things to worry about. Several years ago, a Chinese leader told me that 'change' is not an individual word, but a composition of two words: Wei and Gi. Wei means danger and Gi means opportunity. Danger and opportunity are intertwined, and how we deal with the danger defines how we will see and benefit from the opportunity.
Office-Furniture Stores Target WomenWith women-owned small businesses growing almost twice as fast as all small business nationwide, retailers are just starting to wake up to the demands of female entrepreneurs. These include office chairs and desks scaled to women's smaller frames, as well as furniture that has more storage to hold purses and other personal items - a top priority for women.
How to Create Shared Values so You Can Make Your Customers and Employees HappierThe message in this article is so important in this era of cynicism that everyone needs to see it. The scenario is this: you've been tapped to lead the Our Corporate Values project. How bogus. You dread it. Nothing holds less appeal for the typical leader than being assigned a vague internal project.
Are you Worried About Motivating Top Employees During a Down Economy?Here are some tips to keep in mind with your current staff that are not costly to implement but they're important for every leader and business owner to do. You should actually be doing them on an ongoing basis, but especially right now.
Are You Worried about Throwing Away Money on Executive Coaching?We have found that the value of executive coaching is exponentially increased when sponsored by the employer, aligned with the employer's goals, and involving the employer at key points in the leader's growth. For employers, executive coaching is a savvy investment.
#1 Reason 75% of Organizational Change Efforts Fail and How YOU Can Be Part of the 25% that SucceedHave you ever tried to lead a major organizational change that failed? It's something we don't forget very easily. Because of this, I've been an avid student of how to make organizational changes successful. I advise clients on how to avoid all of the mistakes I made and ensure that their changes will be smoother and more successful. Let me share some of what I've learned.
The Hidden Secret to Manage Your Workload and Reduce Your Stress -- That Nobody Talks AboutIs your career wearing you out? Are you too tired to enjoy your family and friends on the weekends, or what little part of the weekend you have? Well, I have a secret to share.
How to Quickly Warm Up Your Team so You Can Get Them to Tell You the TruthHave you ever had to take over a team that had reason to not tell you the truth? This can be tough. The article list includes questions that have worked well for me over the years. Multiple wording options are included because - you guessed it - some teams respond better to certain words than others.
Five Easy Ways to Spot an Introvert at WorkNow that you know introverts and extraverts can work together, let's walk through ways to identify who's who.
Feedback as a Competitive SportA common roadblock to success is the use of feedback to win, to dominate the person seen as the opponent. Dealing with this can affect your happiness and your sanity. Organizations in which leaders and managers routinely share high-quality feedback are easier to scale and have fewer nagging problems and less operational drag.
Traveling Light: LiterallyTraveling with carry-on luggage for 19 days. Can it be done? Why would you do it? The Wall Street Journal recently reported that this summer is projected to be the worst ever for congestion and delays. No checked luggage = one less line at the departure airport. It's another way to avoid all the extra fees for checked bags, which means more money to spend on your vacation.
Extraverts and Introverts: You CAN Work Together Without Going NutsWe all essentially fall into one of two camps: extraverts get most of their energy from the outer world of people, while introverts get it from the inner world. How does this play out at work? Plan for both and you reap the benefits.
Hold a Successful Meeting: At Last!Meetings have a bad reputation. It's unfair, really. It's not the meeting's fault. It could be good, if only people would let it. You can vastly improve the outcome of a routine meeting simply by using a mere five of my favorite tools.
The Five Best Ways Improve Your Organization during a RecessionWith so many companies bracing for a recession, beware of acting rashly when it comes to leadership development and training budgets. Learn how to intelligently stretch your development investment during a downturn and avoid the problems caused by indiscriminate budget cuts.
You're Not a Loser...and Other Deep Insights You May Have Missed Along the WayWondering why you got that promotion or assignment? Wondering why they picked you? Maybe you're better than you think. Maybe it just doesn't matter. Now's your chance to show them what you can do.
I've Completed My Coaching Program Now What?Now that you've finished your coaching, do you find yourself falling back into old habits? Here are some keys steps to help you avoid doing just that.
How Great Leaders Successfully Jumpstart Reorganized TeamsWhen launching new teams, beware of the assumptions you make about people you already know. The steps are the same; it's the nuances that are different. As the leader, be sure to check your relationship assumptions. In this article, you'll find four steps for creating successfully teams.
Five Biggest Ways Leaders Sabotage AcquisitionsThere are at least a dozen ways to sabotage an acquisition, but for the sake of brevity, and to stay focused on the areas in which I can speak from the most experience, let's explore five of them.
How to Build an Innovative Culture so You Can Leave Your Competition in the DustSome companies manage to pull off significant innovation, much to their advantage. It comes down to a dozen factors that are directly correlated with innovation. Some of them are obvious, while others are surprising.
Beware the Life Coach Who Offers to Help You Fulfill Your DreamsThese days, you'll have to pierce through a lot of noise in the system to get to a good coach whether of the career, leadership, or personal variety. I know, because I am always trolling for affiliates to join my team. For what it's worth, here are the minimal criteria I think you need to use. I use them myself when screening candidates.
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