Coaching News
Stupid should hurt… Learn from your business mistakes.
I was recently involved (as a participant) in a strategic planning event; the facilitator, Alan Pue, was discussing many of the ways that planning — and its subsequent implementation — can go wrong. In part of that commentary, he mentioned as an example a firm’s...
What Does Leadership Feel Like?
Probably too many attempts have been made to define leadership. Everyone seems to have their own favorite definition. More often than not, it comes down to “I know it when I see it.” So instead of struggling to identify good leadership behaviors, try looking at the...
Who’s Got Your Six?
As a leader in your organization, who’s got your back? Are the people you work with watching out for you, or do you find yourself covering your six to keep from being stabbed in the back? I’m a huge supporter of the new “Got Your Six” campaign to unite...
I Hate Goal Setting
– it’s not the same as setting goals. I hate goal setting. The whole business of it. That’s why I was surprised by a conversation I had with my daughter a couple of weeks ago. Home from her fall semester, she was describing her goals to me – her grad school...
It Is What It Is
–But what is it? I looked up from my desk the other day and noticed (again) a retirement present from a good friend and co-worker that says, “It is what it is.” Too often, I hear that phrase uttered in a tone of voice that conveys resignation to an unpleasant...
Boss, We’ve Got a Problem
—now’s not a good time to overreact! Leaders must be intentional about creating a culture where employees aren’t afraid to identify situations that need problem-solving and where they feel empowered to suggest improvements. That kind of climate doesn’t develop by...
Integrity isn’t Flexible
–if you don’t have it at the top, don’t expect it at the bottom Regardless of what a company says, how a company deals with ethics and integrity issues directly reflects actual senior management values and loudly communicates those values to its employees. It...
Span of Control
What’s the optimum number of direct reports? How many people should a single manager have working for them? What we are referring to, of course, is “Span of Control,” and though there can be unique situations in some organizations, there are also decent historical...
Process beats promise any day…
One corner of my Performance Triangle is Process. These are what – and how – things happen within your organization. They include things that are formal, informal, in writing, unwritten, etc. Some of the more obvious include: • Organizational structure • Policies and...
Yooo-hoooo… Here I am!!
I didn’t disappear, just fell victim to the “wait until the end of the year to do that” disease. I did, and it hurt. Traveled 6 out of the last 8 weeks out of the year… and remember, I’m one of those that doesn’t even like to travel. Simply brutal. Further, with the...
Hammers and Paint and Tile, oh My! …and renovations suck
Today marks day 81 of a 3-week home renovation project. I hate everyone. Especially contractors. Not hate really, though at a minimum, I am significantly miffed. We’ve been without normalcy at home for going on three months. As someone who works from that home, it’s...
Get a Real Job! …and make sure they know what you do
A couple of decades ago, my daughter accompanied me to my cubicle in the Pentagon as part of Take Your Child to Work Day. Pretty boring for an 11-year-old who observed that my entire morning consisted of “playing” on the computer, talking to my friends around the...
Fish or Fowl?
Fish or fowl? Black or white? Day or night? We frequently find ourselves arguing whether human resources — as a function — is a true business partner in the strict financial sense or an employee advocate in the most liberal sense. We’re wasting our time arguing...
