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
Following a recent training session, a manager expressed their frustration about not getting buy-in from a team member. “Almost everyone on my team puts this into practice, except for a few. What am I supposed to do when someone doesn’t buy in—especially when I know how well it works?” We dug into the problem and … 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
After 30 years of teaching and facilitating workshops, one lesson is abundantly clear: people learn more when exploring with others. This can be in practice, breakout groups, and table discussions. Side conversations make learning real. Applying learning to real-world situations and breaking it down with the people you actually work with is the way to … Read more
It has been a year since the world turned up side down. Whereas the lockdowns are easing, people are getting vaccinated, and life is beginning to look more like “normal,” we are faced with a hard truth: people are burned out and mental health problems continue to increase. One positive result of the pandemic is … Read more
In chapter three of Quiet, Susan Cain tells us “Collaboration Kills Creativity.” The notion that working in teams can sometimes stifle innovation has been making the rounds for a while now, and Cain provides a brilliant explanation of the phenomenon and what to do about it. She calls it the danger of the “New Groupthink:” … Read more
Be bold. Strike out on your own. Chart your course. Do it first. Come out of your shell. Stake your claim. These sound natural in our culture, and you might see versions of them on posters in offices and locker rooms. They are meant to inspire and encourage hard work. But what about phrases like … Read more
“Most feedback is correct and delivered poorly.” A deep-thinking and well-read client, Ryan, said this during a session and it really hit me. It’s simple and important. Most feedback is— Correct Delivered Poorly Have you ever disregarded feedback because it was delivered poorly? Can you filter out the delivery and accept the correctness? Poor delivery … Read more
I once thought I was reassuring my employer’s one tech person when I told her, “I’m pretty savvy, so I installed my own printer driver updates. You can skip my computer.” To my surprise, she responded, “Okay this time, but please don’t let anybody know. Knowledge is power, and I need to make sure my … Read more
“What can you control?” is a coaching question so basic, I sometimes move past it too hastily. The pandemic has reminded us of its importance. Since March, I have been engaging in as many informal conversations as I can with clients and others to simply ask, “How is it going?” The answer to this question … Read more