There are two activities I go to for team GTKEO (get to know each other). The Meeting Introductions Tool is one I learned from Manager Tools, and works quite well for lighter events. My newest, and favorite, go-to is Patrick Lencioni’s Family Histories Exercise. There are just three questions: Where did you grow up? How … Read more
Let’s make this easy. If your religious or political convictions are strong, AND you believe that you are called to use your leadership position to do everything in your power to bring your team members around to your point of view, this post is not for you. Go watch the small but lovely film “The … Read more
I was sitting at my desk, staring into space, thinking about my work. Thinking about current work, but also daydreaming about the future and reminiscing about the past. I was daydreaming. And, I got caught. My boss walked in, so I jerked myself to a “working posture” and grabbed a pen. I said, “Oh, man, … Read more
Everyone is busy, right? “Busy” is a common notion – so common that saying “We’re keeping busy” is similar to “The sky is still blue.” It’s like it goes without saying. Oh, but it’s still quite loaded. Depending on the context, “busy” means many things: If I am busy, then I’m productiveprosperousa good husband/fathersuccessfulindustrious But if you … Read more
Leaders develop their people — it’s important to help them grow, to make yourself more effective by delegating, and to see who could advance to leadership themselves. A first step to determine readiness is to simply ask for more. This could be either faster delivery, more complete work, or greater pro-activity. Here are four approaches, each … Read more
You may recognize this post as a “rerun” of years’ past, but it bears an important reminder that can be easily looked over. We’re edging closer and closer to the Winter Solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year. As a stark contrast to the holiday season, it can exacerbate hidden internal sadness in … Read more
Recently, I made a Facebook post that praised someone I think highly of, a journalist named John. I said: Something I appreciated watching you work today was the way you were relentless in the pursuit of great shots, but always aware and considerate of the audience and musicians. His response was delightfully humble. It read: … Read more
There is a sweet spot when it comes to personal development. It’s this: “I know I don’t know it all, but I’m open to learning more.” The most successful leaders embrace this. Yet, we’ve all seen the leader who says, “I’m doing just fine,” but is really insecure and doesn’t really know how much they … Read more
My favorite definition of leadership comes from Kouzes and Posner: “Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.” That’s a great, dense package that generates discussion about the complexity of leadership. However, sometimes we need something more active. That’s why I like: “Leaders Meet Needs.“ I know I’ve written … Read more
A very common transgression that starts small, then grows when not addressed, is lateness. Whether it’s late delivering on a deadline, or late to meetings, it needs to be addressed early and directly. How? Let’s start by addressing meeting lateness. Below are four approaches; feel free to adapt however is most comfortable for you. Note … Read more