When I was a teacher, I learned certain responses annoyed students when they asked clarifying questions: “If you were paying attention, you’d know.” “As I said twelve minutes ago…” “I just told you that.” “It’s in the syllabus. Did you read it?” No one likes to be talked down to. The best teachers answer the … Read more
We’ve all been there—a training session, a professional development day, or leadership workshop we enjoyed but never applied the concepts. Maybe it was good information, delivered decently, with acceptable materials. Yet something kept us from applying it. Perhaps we blame it on the session itself for not having enough takeaways. Or maybe it was great … Read more
I love systems. My bookshelf contains several books which show the importance of processes such as The E-Myth Revisited, Traction, and Good to Great. More recent reads, Atomic Habits, Yes to the Mess, and Inner Game of Work also stress the significance of systems. These books illustrate how the combination of clear systems and the ability to operate within the process leads … Read more
In Atomic Habits, James Clear shares one method for working on a new, intimidating habit: the two-minute rule. Instead of picking an overly long or complex habit, choose one aspect of the habit which takes two minutes. Instead of “Do a 30-minute workout,” try “Put on workout clothes.” Instead of “Write the weekly report,” try … Read more
“Normal” is such a relative term which encompasses a broad spectrum. Since the start of this pandemic, the phrase “new normal” has been used everywhere for just about every situation. The idea is that the pre-pandemic world was “normal,” and the current pandemic situation is the “new normal.” But post-pandemic life will, of course, go … Read more
I’m not the only one who has encountered this problem: We are told to keep online video sessions short.But…We need to cover a lot of material, and it can take several hours. Since mid-March, I’ve spent a lot of time studying and researching virtual class best practices. I’ve also been part of long Zoom classes … Read more
No team stays the same forever. In recent years Bob Iger, the Disney CEO, had a successor named only to decide that wasn’t the right direction. He stayed on longer until he recently named Bob Chapek as his successor. Disney watchers had been nervous about these false starts at the top, prompting unease at all … Read more
Curtis H. sent me a question via Linked-In: “As a previous leader in my fraternal organization at University, I found staying positive and bottling complaints overwhelming at times. If leaders shouldn’t show insecurity or vent around their followers, then is there an appropriate way to relieve those feelings?” Excellent question, Curtis. There are definitely inappropriate … Read more
New to conference calls? Intimidated by the video that went viral a while back? Seven tips for better conferencing. First, restrict small talk to the first few minutes and be ready to get down to business. Second, outline the agenda with quick bullet points. Identify who will take the lead on each topic. Third, early … Read more
Rubrics are such a nice way to organize and prioritize. But I’ve changed my mind about one thing since I wrote the first blog post on rubrics over four years ago. Now, I like a four-point rubric for most decision-making and prioritizing, instead of a 3-or- 5 point rubric. For my purposes, it usually looks … Read more