In earlier posts, we’ve looked at the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and we’ve looked at DiSC. Please look back for a refresher if you need one. Most teams struggle with the “Trust” and “Conflict” behaviors, and this series of … Read More
Patrick Lencioni has done it again. His latest book, The Ideal Team Player, is brief and brilliant. In this fable, followed by a model outline, Lencioni shares a hiring secret of his own company, The Table Group, and shows us … Read More
Change is inevitable, and so there are many resources to help organizations deal with change. The John Kotter works (Our Iceberg is Melting) are very popular, and for good reason. You’ve heard of Who Moved my Cheese? as well, certainly. … Read More
Leaders must avoid beginning sentences with, “To be honest…” Why? It sends the message that everything prior to this statement was a lie, or that it wasn’t totally true, and it casts your other communication into a less credible light. … Read More
A couple years ago, I did a 4-post series on “Being Easy to Work With” which was based on DiSC styles. It’s time for a simple reminder of a serious key to success for anyone – leaders, or direct reports. Keep … Read More
I hit “send” on an email, and immediately regretted it. It was to a friend and colleague. We had a touchy business situation going on, and I realized that I was way too cold and formal in the email, and … Read More
In previous posts about the Four Levels of Maturity, we’ve explored the notion that Level 2 (Independent) is the most dangerous. At Level 2, people are generally: correct justified able to blame problems on others technically in compliance with standards … Read More
One of the toughest calls that a positive, needs-meeting leader must confront is when and how to give a second chance when someone goofs something up. And I choose that phrase “goof something up” deliberately; there are no second chances … Read More
Last week, I wrote about shame having no place in effective leadership. Shame is a destructive discomfort. But, other discomforts can have a lot of value. We only grow when we are uncomfortable. Leaders not only make sure the work gets … Read More
Good leaders never use shame or public demeaning as a leadership tool. Discomfort, yes. New situations, a bit of a comfort zone stretch, some natural consequences to actions, sure. But shame – to make someone feel guilty as a motivator to change – will … Read More