Seven of us were gathered from around the globe for three long days of meetings. We were a diverse group: Millennial, retired, male, female, and with a wide range of pet topics. Our choices would set the course of our organization for years to come.
It was a unique experience that I wish was common: In the face of diversity and considerable disagreement, there was an overwhelming sense of unity.
Unless you’re a fresh startup, your organization has a history. It’s a pretty good bet that your history includes some significant changes. And you’re about to introduce another…
Whether your company’s history is a source of pride and loyalty or a dark dungeon of despair, you can’t afford to ignore the past as you introduce change. The uncertainty of change stirs emotions even in those who aren’t inclined to express them. For some, those emotions may be positive as they see the potential for a brighter future. For others, even positive changes are accompanied by overwhelming anxiety. And if the change is in any way threatening… Continue reading Changes Now, Changes Past
You’ve just promoted a rising star. Now you’re wondering how long before someone else comes knocking at your door with, “I’ve been here longer – why haven’t I had a promotion yet?”
Like most leadership problems, the best solutions come before the problems arise. That’s because these situations are just symptoms of more systemic problems related to organizational culture and hiring practices (which are inextricably linked). Continue reading Promotion Grumbles
I want to give you a straight-forward, cookie cutter approach to building successful teams. I want to, but I can’t.
The problem is the number of variables that come into play. Building team skills into an Executive Team that has worked together for years (but perhaps not well) is different than pulling together a set of people who barely know each other – if at all – for a short-term project. A large organization with many players to choose from to form their team has different issues than the small organization that doesn’t really have options for who will be on the team. And the variables go much deeper than that since the organization’s culture impacts everything. Continue reading Building Teams That Succeed
In Part 1, I described the three levels of culture as defined by Dr. Edgar Schein. Now let’s look at why culture is important and some tips on how you can change it.
A strong, healthy culture can put even a mediocre strategy on steroids. But it can prevent even the greatest strategy from gaining any traction. We ignore culture to our own peril or we can leverage it for great benefit. Continue reading The Challenge of Changing Culture (Pt. 2)
I once had responsibility for a large technology project that never delivered on its objectives. We had a team of highly skilled people with a great track record of successful projects. They used processes that had succeeded repeatedly in the past. But we never got the traction to make this project take off.
The reason, I believe, lies in an unintentional shift that had occurred in the organization’s culture. That change sucked the energy, passion, and motivation from this highly competent team. They had always been passionate to succeed but now they were just trying to get a job done. Continue reading The Challenge of Changing Culture (Pt. 1)
Stewarding an organization’s culture is a core responsibility of every leader. Weak culture can bury the strongest strategy and vision. But a strong culture will put even a mediocre strategy on steroids.
Culture-fit can get distorted into an unhealthy form. Unhealthy culture-fit looks something like this: Continue reading What Cultural Fit Isn’t…
The popularity of my article, When The Boss Doesn’t Get It, leads me to address a related challenge…
The scenario: Your boss is all about his own reputation. In fact, sometimes he tells you to do things that will help him look good, even when the company or your clients will suffer for it. You’re between the old proverbial rock-and-a-hard-place.
Continue reading The Boss vs. The Company
Let’s just say it up front: No one’s perfect so there’s probably something every boss doesn’t get. But not all of those “somethings” are created equal. There’s no shortage of bosses who get how to manage but are clueless about how to lead people. And being “led” by a bad leader can be incredibly painful!
There is no silver bullet to overcome this challenge. But you are not helpless. In fact, if you handle it well your difficult situation can be a powerful gift for developing your own emotional intelligence and communication skills.
Jeff had been through new employee orientation. His resume was stellar. He had completed the in-house job training with flying colors. His first nine 
months on the job showed great potential. So how could he have made such a boneheaded decision that put the organization’s reputation on the line with a major stakeholder!
What would you do to avoid a repeat of Jeff’s scenario? Continue reading Getting Good Decisions
