In the beginning, it was important that Alan lay out in detail for me exactly what amount of time he intended for me to spend on different tasks. This helped me plan my week, knowing that I needed a couple hours for this task, and a few hours for that… But there was one thing … Read more
At the Disney Institute, participants are challenged to think about how your decisions as a leader or team member make others feel. That seemed basic, even insulting, until they pushed us to look even more closely… Most of us think about how big things make people feel — we’re sensitive during that “crucial conversation,” we … Read more
My first week on the job, Alan sat down with me to tell the story of Group Dynamic. Its past, present, and the future he sees for it. He did this, as you may recall, to ensure I was a good fit. We discussed the core values of the company and agreed to come back … Read more
Accountability is one of the areas of dysfunction mentioned in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. If you haven’t heard Alan discuss this, check out this video – it goes over the dysfunctions in a quick and compact way. In order for us to achieve the best results, Lencioni points out that … Read more
Deadlines are kind. They give people a way to prioritize their time and efforts. Priorities are also kind. Not setting them becomes fertile ground for frustration. Without priorities, people are led to think one of two things: 1- All of my tasks are equally important. 2- None of my tasks are important. The result? The … Read more
Some think a weekly one-on-one is just for the corporate environment, between full-time, salaried workers and their supervisors. There’s a lot out there on that – including this great guide from Manager Tools. One-on-ones truly work in a variety of environments, though. I’ve had a client in a medical clinic who added monthly one-on-ones with … Read more
Hersey and Blanchard’s concept of Situational Leadership dictates that we provide a level of leadership and attention that is appropriate to a follower’s levels of expertise and motivation. Often, leaders believe they are “empowering” and “granting autonomy” by being hands-off, and letting people learn on their own. While that sounds good, it only works in cases … Read more
Is this a typical small-business hiring process? (…is it limited to “small” businesses?) -You’re too busy. You need someone to do some things, so you advertise and hire someone who seems good. -You hire that person, and get that person up to speed on the tasks right away so he/she can start making your life easier as quickly as … Read more
Recently I was asked to be a guest blogger for a business leader focused blog. (www.upatdawn.biz) I provided an older post from this blog that I’m pretty proud of, but Jeffrey Kirk over at Up At Dawn helped me understand that his audience was different from mine. Nonsense! My audience is also business leaders, … Read more
Last week we dipped into Five Dysfunctions of a Team; this week we dive. I take you through a high-level overview of the Five Dysfunctions, and tell a short story about their accidental impact. This is a touch longer than 90 seconds, but I’ve gotten feedback that folks are hungry for more on this topic, so … Read more