During a recent teambuilding and communication workshop I delivered one of my clients stated, “50% of all our obstacles to success center around team dynamics. Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In other words you can have the best plans, strategies and initiatives, however if everyone is not team oriented, working well together and getting along,…
Those of you who read my blog know that the most anticipated day of my son’s life arrived on Friday: the big screen debut of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax! He had been waiting for months for the big event and I am delighted to say he was not disappointed…neither was I. In the aforementioned blog,…
Two-thirds of all large-scale change initiatives fail to achieve their expected business benefits. This failure rate represents billions of dollars in lost productivity, wasted resources, opportunity costs and rework—not to mention the cost of lost jobs and workforce disengagement. Companies that learn to manage change effectively and consistently deliver expected returns from their large-scale change…
The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder-a wait, a nothing, a no man. – Thomas Carlyle One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotsman demonstrated the game to President Ulysses S. Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf…
Discovering your value-add offering to your network requires you to take an honest look at who you are, what you value and what your core beliefs are. It will be impossible for you to be authentic and communicate your value to others is you’re not living your life honestly. Fourteen years ago, I had my…
The times they are-a-changin’! Programmers with great ideas are becoming billionaires, the internet is streamlining small business ownership, and those who seek job stability are being questioned for their lack of ambition. The once normative corporation culture is becoming leaner. We travel (and even talk on the phone) less than we used to. Our conversations…
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream. – C.S. Lewis What do Colonel Harland Sanders, Ray Kroc, William Amos, Laura Ingles Wilder, and Henry Ford all have in common? These successful people did not achieve the greatest levels of success in their respective lines of work until each…
“It’s difficult to connect with people while pursuing your selfish agenda. By nature, connecting is a giving experience.” –John C. Maxwell Have you ever been a victim of a network drive-by? Or been personally violated by people claiming to be networking but are just out for themselves and what you can do for them? If…
A manager I was coaching recently explained (away) the behavior of one of his supervisors: “He isn’t an angry person. He means well. It’s just that he’s often sharp with people. And sometimes they take it the wrong way. He’s really a good worker. I’ve told him that people can be intimidated by him, so…
“There are lots of times we have to pinch ourselves and ask, Is this really happening?” – Jeremy Lin The headline from Sports Illustrated writer Pablo S. Torre sums up one of the most remarkable sports storylines in recent memory, “’From Couch to Clutch’, After being cut twice, Jeremy Lin emerged from the end of…
I recently heard Marc Benioff say that working at Apple changed his career perspective. The great Steve Jobs turned the hot box programming room into an extended organizational culture. Finding “doors” in programming function became a quest for a new frontier. It was no longer about writing better code; it became a mission to change…
At the core of The Leadership Circle (360 degree assessment) model are the Reactive tendencies and Creative competencies. If you look at the circle itself, you will see Reactive structure of mind represented by the lower half of the circle and Creative structure by the upper half. When leaders operate from the Reactive mind-set they…
Positive self-talk expands your power; negative self-talk restricts it. Your personal power dramatically shapes your professional, personal, and social destinies, all with multiplying impact. Take the situation of entering a large ballroom full of unfamiliar faces. Immediately, if fearful thoughts take hold, you can talk yourself right out of a positive experience and the potential…
A good boss makes his men realize that they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. – Charles Erwin Wilson “Undercover Boss” has emerged as one of CBS’ top-rated shows on Sunday evenings. As CBS states, “Each week, the show follows a…
I continue to be amazed by that fundamental truth about living: how we choose to see a situation dictates the choices we–and others–make about it. Take a look at this 2-minute clip that demonstrates it better than any more words I can write. You will be glad you did. How you choose to deliver feedback…
No man, who continues to add something material, intellectual and moral well-being of the place in which he lives, is left long without proper reward. – Booker T. Washington John Maxwell shares a story about a man who was enjoying an afternoon in a small boat on a peaceful lake. He fished as he munched…
In his short, wonderful book, Helping, Edgar Schein presents us, whether we are a professional coach or a manager playing a coaching role, with three ways to respond to a request for coaching/mentoring help (or, for that matter, advice with a problem on the job). We can be: an expert resource who provides information or…
I am always asked what makes a great leader. We are all different. Some people have exceptional product knowledge while others know how to fill in strategy gaps. There are those who inspire their team and others who keep their team honest. While every individual has their distinct areas of expertise, there is a method…
One of the most important keys to success in your personal and professional life will be determined by your ability to get along with others. Below is a quiz I provide to people at my workshops as well as to those I coach. Take the quiz and see how well you do. Also have your…
By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. – Christopher Columbus There is a story that I came across involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at the time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves.…