Unwise conventional wisdom
The conventional wisdom on buying new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is the dreaded RFP process. It goes like this: 1. Hire an “unbiased” consultant in a nice suit to help you with system...
View ArticleThe Procedure-Less Office
Why does everyone want to be told what to do? Why do people want their lives spelled out for them in a nice neat well-labeled itinerary? Why do people feel better when they have an explanation for...
View ArticleThe Transparency Thing
You are the leader, and you want answers. You talk to your managers, and all you get is vagaries and finger-pointing. It’s all blame and obfuscation. Why won’t they be straight with you? Why are their...
View ArticleHow to Absorb Criticism Like a Chamois
If you are under fire in your job, here is a tip: If you can soak up the complaints that are leveled at you like that little ShamWow sucks water on TV, you will not only get better, you will build...
View ArticlePolitically Correct: 6 ways to squash company politics
It’s a familiar story: Jolene lands her first executive job at Ducks in a Row, Inc., a company that makes miniature ornamental duck decoys. She’s smart, ambitious, and has an odd affection for small...
View ArticleIdea Avalanche: Effectively Dealing with Employee Feedback
You decide to create an open collaborative culture at work, but when you first ask for feedback from the team, all you hear is crickets chirping. No one wants to open up. But you keep sharing...
View ArticleThe Introvert’s Guide to Sales Success
Years ago we did a company team building exercise where we all took personality tests. After being labeled either an introvert or extrovert, we separated into groups to discuss the opportunities and...
View ArticleSuperhero 101: Eight secrets to delegating more effectively
Telling a manager they need to delegate more is often like telling a superhero they need to set aside their vast powers and watch their employees do the world saving: “Did you save the world like I...
View ArticleBite-size Vision: How great leaders spur progress
The novice visionary points skyward to an uncharted planet that pulses with untapped potential. “This is where we’ll go!” he declares to his motley team of travelers. The team says, “But nobody’s ever...
View ArticleLeadership Butterfly Effect: A tactic to vastly improve teamwork
There is a concept in chaos theory called the butterfly effect where a butterfly flapping its wings conceivably causes a hurricane weeks later in a different location. It’s a bit unsettling, and it...
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