One of the most important roles leaders find themselves in is setting or changing direction for their team. Whatever happened in the past, there is a need to clarify a future that is different or distinct. The operating environment or fundamentals may have shifted. New threats or opportunities may have changed the pathways for progress. And the metrics for success may require modifications. (more…)
Think of being in one of the following situations. How will you respond to it? Or if you’ve already been there, how did you respond?
I’ve become a recent fan of playing the New York Times’ daily puzzles online, and one of my favorites is Connections. Sixteen words are provided, and the goal is to form four groups of four words that are in some way connected. You have to figure out what the connection is, and you get four mistakes, after which the game ends and the correct answers pop up. For example, on the day that I’m writing this, four connected words are bar, dinner, liberty, and tinker. They’re all “words before ‘bell’”.
When I first started playing, I would find two or three words that appeared to be obviously connected. But finding the last one or two for a group proved elusive. My initial thoughts about the connections were generally wrong. Then, I would look up definitions to refresh my memory on how they were used. I’d think about informal uses of words, and different ways of how they might be linked. The good news is, once I got the first three groups, the last one was obvious (there were only four words left!), even if I didn’t understand why they were connected. (more…)
Communication is simultaneously one of the most simple and complex activities we engage in as humans. Two or more people can talk about a topic and completely understand each other in one moment, and in the next moment recognize a disconnect has occurred. Colleagues who have trusting relationships will typically recognize this more quickly and get back on track. But often in organizations, leaders with contrasting priorities will continue to move forward without recognizing the growing divide between their work and that of their associates. They focus more on talking than listening. And failure to listen to colleagues ultimately impacts organizational productivity and profitability. (more…)
Does your team know your core values and personality style?
Is your behavior consistent in all your interactions with your colleagues?
Do you sometimes find yourself following a pattern of behaviors that others’ expect from you, instead of creating your own?
Do you experience a level of stress trying to perform to others’ standards? (more…)
A skyscraper in lower Manhattan, New York City is reportedly leaning three inches to the north. The 58 story, 670-foot tower, known as One Seaport is only partially built. And in 2019, the tower’s contractor sued the developer alleging they allowed it to be built on a substandard foundation. The developer in turn alleged that the lawsuit was a distraction based on the contractor’s inability to complete the structure. You can imagine how the accusations are flowing from there. And the misalignment of the structure is compromising the installation of the building’s glass exterior. (more…)
As leaders welcome the new year and identify priorities for themselves and their organizations, one topic stands out that may be badly in need of more attention. It’s their organizational values.
Organizational values are at the core of each company’s culture. They are the key principles that guide and direct the decisions made at all levels within the group, and lead to the desired business results. Astute leaders understand the importance of ensuring their values provide a foundation to govern behaviors both at an individual and team level. They are therefore purposeful in identifying the most critical beliefs that will drive performance to create the desired culture. (more…)
All across the U.S., after several months of orders to stay at home, shelter in place, and work remotely, resulting in many places of business being shuttered, the pressure is on to open up the economy again. The “save lives” focus is shifting to “save the economy.” Several states are venturing forward by opening public spaces and business-to-consumer locations.
Corporations are using a multi-pronged approach to prepare the physical environment based on data, building standards, logistics and artificial intelligence. Then they’re communicating with and training employees on how to work differently and reviewing their policies on how to get employees to actually feel safe. This may require leaders to accommodate a variety of personal needs to enable the organizations to be fully functional. (more…)
As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest crisis in our lifetime, we’re hearing about many acts of heroism, kindness, generosity, and creativity.
Medical supplies are being donated by TV medical shows, skilled tradesmen, craft groups, and citizens; and manufactured by companies big and small to support first responders and healthcare workers.
Big businesses and individuals are donating money to support small businesses and people whose jobs and livelihoods have been impacted by mandated shutdowns.
Neighbors are helping neighbors, friends are supporting each other to check on their health, ensure everyone has food, and that other needs are met. (more…)
I frequently begin my leadership insights with a story, but none is needed today. We all know the story, and the title is COVID-19. It is a pandemic that has impacted virtually every country and continent in the world. The potential for serious illness and loss of life is enough to make all of us quickly change our normal routines, postpone or cancel what we previously thought to be critically important meetings, and stockpile supplies (including more toilet paper than we know what to do with, me included).
As a coach, consultant and speaker, my face-to-face training and coaching sessions have all been postponed or moved to online delivery. And, as the wife of a heart transplant recipient who is on immunosuppressant medications, I have decided to “hunker down” inside my home office for most of the next three weeks to minimize bringing germs inside. (more…)