Several years ago, my sister gave me a book about how to deal with the controlling perfectionists in our lives. She said I might benefit from an impartial description of — get this — me.
Ouch.
Okay, so I only had two standards: perfect and unacceptable. That didn’t make me a bad person did it?
It’s not like I imposed my unreasonably high standards on my family or people at work. After all, I’ve always said, “Don’t let perfection get in the way of good enough.” And I talked plenty about building a culture where failures are learning experiences and not short-cuts to the unemployment line, of embracing our own failures as stepping stones on the road to self-improvement, yadda yadda yadda.
Other people’s failures, of course.
So what’s the problem with having unreasonably high standards? (more…)
I was the King of Malicious Compliance, and I wore the crown proudly.
Not familiar with the term? It’s a kind of organizational sabotage where the demise of the organization’s leader is the goal.
I’ve been known to rigidly comply with an instruction in a way that I knew would cause embarrassment for the instruction giver. (Ask me about my M&M watch sometime.)
Knowing I had the answer, I might deliberately withhold my contribution in a discussion unless asked a direct question.
I could adhere strictly to office hours – just the arrival and departure times, of course – while spending the intervening hours in decidedly unproductive ways.
Even worse, I might do something I knew was counterproductive, just “because you told me to.”
And I was pretty effective, because malicious compliance is contagious. (more…)
“Leadership is about influence and inspiration.” – Everyone who knows anything
Who has the most influence on the mood in your workplace?
If you’re part of the leadership – formal or informal – you do. Especially if your mood reveals your anxieties and worries about the business or your lack of compassion for those struggling to meet your expectations. (more…)
There’s been a lot of clamor lately about companies wasting their leadership development dollars. Many do, but that doesn’t mean leadership development is a waste of money. The simple truth is: if you’re not getting the bang for your buck, it’s because you’re doing it wrong. (more…)
Finding and keeping talented employees is at or near the top of nearly every senior leadership survey I’ve seen lately. Seems like the time should be right for the talent management gurus to show off their stuff and make a bundle. Throw a bunch of money at it and see what that gets you.
Guess what, leaders? Your talent doesn’t want to be managed any more than you do.
They want you to put your leadership pants and skirts on and create a work environment where they’re motivated and challenged to do exceptional work.
