Leaving a good job isn’t easy. You’ve built relationships, learned valuable lessons about yourself and others, and developed new skills. Your job becomes part of your life story, whether you were there for one year or for ten years. Therefore, … Read More
Recently, I worked with a CEO and his immediate team in a very fast environment. We spent time processing thoughts and feelings the whole enterprise was experiencing during current major changes. This is a relatively small business, and the group … Read More
Have you ever heard the saying, “Nobody’s perfect?” Have you ever used that saying? How often do you use it? It’s probably one of the most popular things we say and/or think, because it’s true. But what does it mean … Read More
I’m going to start with a story from my assistant DeAnne’s family: We enjoy having family nights on Friday nights. Sometimes those are movie nights and sometimes they are game nights. On this particular evening, it was game night, and … Read More
I heard Tim Kight speak at the Iowa SHRM conference, and he had an elegant way of boiling down the role our choices make in determining outcomes. Event + response = outcome Essentially, if we don’t have influence over events, … Read More
We all work and breathe in four organizational frames. These frames are Political, Structural, Human Resources, and Symbolic. Political—power, conflict, coalitions Structural—organizational charts, policies, procedures Human Resources—meeting individual needs, teamwork, leadership, people problems Symbolic—culture, ritual, stories, traditions In times of … Read More
Based on the book by Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, there are five dysfunctions in a team that create tension, conflict, and stress. These dysfunctions are heightened in times of change. Each dysfunction builds on the one … Read More
How are your communication habits? Would others agree with your assessment? Do they change during times of stress? Change and stress complicate situations and relationships. It’s when we need more communication with each other, but what generally happens is just … Read More
We have a habit of withholding in times of stress and change. But what we need to do is get back to the basics of communication and embrace the power of SMaC. Too often we find ourselves in only one circle … Read More
In times of change, we tend to avoid adapting to others’ personality styles. Our reduced capacity to adapt can cause us to revert to unhealthy habits, especially in conflict situations. If you don’t know your DiSC personality style, use this … Read More