Corporations, not-for-profits, and governments are comprised of staff. Most employers are essentially doers and some managers. Where I see the deficit is in the number of true leaders. Not that the opportunities to lead don’t exist at many levels (there is a misconception held by many that leaders are only at the top and all people at the top are leaders) but organizations often fail to recognize, foster, and reward leadership skills. Most people don’t see themselves in the role. Can you be a manager and be a leader, of course you can, but you can also be a manger who doesn’t lead? Yes. [Read more…]
Introducing Ideas Your Employees Hate
We’ve all faced it with employees, colleagues, our friends, or kids — solving a problem or introducing a new idea people hate, or there resist.
In the workplace managers often take an unpopular stand on certain issues or policies. Predictably, some of those impacted will not endorse it; a few may outright oppose it. How do you bring people to your way of thinking and more importantly, to agree to follow and not sabotage? [Read more…]
Essential Traits of a High Functioning Team
Often when I facilitate a team-coaching program, the first thing I request of participants is “Tell us about the best team you were ever a part of.” Many will name sports teams from when they were young. Some remember, fondly, being part of a group who was either supporting or opposing a cause. Rarely, [Read more…]
Mistakes Managers Make
Management skills are something most of us were never taught (at least at a practical level) but learned on the fly and often through trial and error. Here are a few of the most common mistakes managers make at all levels.
Manager Mistake #1: Assuming staff can read your mind. Too many managers [Read more…]
Termination of an Employee
Recently a few of my executive coaching clients have been faced with the challenge of deciding if an employee should stay or go. Employee termination is never an easy decision (in fact, if it becomes too simple or “no big deal” you should check yourself). On the other hand, many otherwise competent managers and leaders torture themselves with the decision, and more importantly fail to take timely action. [Read more…]
Let Them Know Who You Are
CEO, Ivy grad, mid-50s. Loves, French Gothic, Italian Renaissance. Looking for extremely intelligent, intellectually challenging woman. Photo a must.
This ad in New York Magazine caught my attention, enticed me to write a note (but not send a photo), and helped me find the man who has held my heart for 18 years. As some of you know this is how I met my husband Arthur. [Read more…]
Do People Hate Work and the Workplace?
There has been considerable buzz about an article that appeared in the New York Times. It has the provocative title, “Why You Hate Work.” It followed on the coattails of recent Harvard Business Review covers touting “A Great Place to Work” and “Work vs. Life: Forget about Balance — You Have to Make Choices.” The question is, why now and what can we do to straighten the course? [Read more…]
What Do Employees Want?
I came upon a survey by Universum, a global employer branding company. They asked more than 65,000 college students to list what they considered to be the top 250 employers. No surprise Google ranked #1. Consulting companies such as McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting were high on the list as were brand names such as Coca-Cola, Disney, and Proctor and Gamble. Just like workers in other age [Read more…]
Hospitality in the Workplace — It’s Just Not about Service
I was privileged to hear Danny Meyer in a small group setting. If you don’t know who Danny is, you would do yourself a great favor to read his bio “Setting the Table” or looking him up on Wikipedia.
Danny is known as a world class restaurateur. For ten years the top two “favorite restaurants” in NYC were his. That’s one and two out of 22,000. If you asked Danny, [Read more…]
Extroverts in the Workplace
In contemporary psychological terms, “extrovert” is used to describe individuals whose temperament type or preference directs and receives their energy from external sources. In the practical sense, they are action people who plug into others for their juice. They’re not generally drawn to reflection, they are “doers.” Talking things out is an extrovert’s way of understanding, solving problems, reducing stress, sharing, and communicating. I am less likely to say to myself, “what are they really thinking?” when working with an extrovert. [Read more…]
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