lead with character - it's better.
Here’s a question: how many of us consider wildly subjective factors when making management decisions? Things like justifying an employee’s odd behavior because his kid just left for college; or choosing one intern over another because his name is only one letter off from your favorite author’s and that seems like a nice coincidence; or […]
Mars in Retrograde & Other Workplace Issues Read More »
Are we practicing what we preach? This post was written for and originally posted on the PMGblog. It takes a look the trouble with work/life balance idea through a social responsibility and sustainability lens. It was based on an earlier post here on Slate. Many thanks to Nicole Ravlin and PMG – great People Making
CSR, Sustainability and the Illusion of “Work/Life Balance” Read More »
I recently witnessed the birth of a cynic. It was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. And as I watched it happen, I felt powerless to stop it. A smart, effective, loyal employee had endured several years of oppressive management at a job he liked and was now a working for new ownership
The Sad Value of Cynics Read More »
Anybody out there work with humans? My condolences. We can be just awful sometimes. We can be wonderful, too. Most of us try to be helpful, aware and dependable more often than not. But we also have times when all bets are off and we are impeding, distracted and emotionally unpredictable. The fact that we
The Trouble with Colleagues… Read More »
Transparent Communication & Financial Health This is post is in response to Tom Szaky’s piece in the You’re the Boss section of the New York Times. Transparency is vital for building effective communication in a company. In order for employees and managers to gain confidence in that transparency, a company also must work to sustain
Clarifing the Importance of Transparency at Work Read More »
Using the data of emotion. No one wants to deal with the guy who is prone to losing his temper and pounding his fists in meetings. We often avoid the gal who berates coworkers and subtly shames them in front of others. Our eyes quickly look at the floor if a colleague gets teary when
Nope, this is not some weird mashup. This is what I realized I was doing while fighting a needless mental battle about the work tasks I resent. I, unlike Alice, strive to take the advice I give. Since my job is to help people become better communicators, it’s fairly vital that I do it well.
Alice in Wonderland is Raging Against the Machine. Read More »
A story about understanding the worth of your work The young woman walked toward my trade show booth as though a sharp stick was forcing her there. I said hello and watched her as she said, “Hi. Um, what do you do?” I told her about my work as management consultant and educator. I kept
The Value of the Blue Plate Special Read More »
In the US, we like people with independent spirits: people who want to blaze new trails, be masters their fate, and stake their claims. We like rugged individuals who are capable of rolling with the punches and figuring things out as they go, always ready with the self-confident knowledge that if there is a will
Asking Worker Bees to Wing It Read More »
I wrote this piece a year ago. I just had the same experience last week – different group, different profession, same problem. Last week I listened to a group of professionals talk about their work. They are all lawyers by training, but that’s not what they do for work. I was asked to give
