I’m going to start with a story from my assistant DeAnne’s family: We enjoy having family nights on Friday nights. Sometimes those are movie nights and sometimes they are game nights. On this particular evening, it was game night, and we were playing a card game, Skip-Bo. We try to pick games that even the … Read more
We don’t know what we don’t know. That sounds obvious, right? But when tensions are high and conflict ensues, our view gets more narrow, and we don’t realize that we don’t know what we don’t know. People who seek counsel tend to consult with trusted advisors to help evaluate risks and possible outcomes. We’ll start with a real-life … Read more
People who exchange perspectives tend to encourage dialogue around new ideas and information. In a dysfunctional situation, a leader may do the opposite; present information without room for discussion. I was part of a team once that had to select chaperones for an international youth trip. The chairman explained exactly how the selection had been made four years earlier. … Read more
Personal development goals at work are essential for leaders in order to grow and develop in your career. This may include learning new skills, familiarizing yourself with company practices, policies, and technology, or getting feedback from others. Whatever personal development goals you choose, they must— 1. Be achievable 2. Be measurable Here are two formats … Read more
Recently, Sarah Noll Wilson asked me to be a guest on her Manager Minute or Two! series. I have a great appreciation for Sarah, so of course I couldn’t pass this up. And what better topic to cover than— BSaAFWYW. It’s the super simple acronym I coined for “Be Specific and Ask For What You … Read more
We are creatures of habit, yet we experience change in every facet of our lives. Some of these changes are good, some aren’t, but regardless of where the changes fall on the spectrum, they all require a mental shift. In her ground-breaking book Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discusses the stages of grief. She identified five non-linear … Read more
Here’s an idea for a team-building activity, with an added bonus— It can start the conversation about how important and welcome performance feedback is. First, ahead of time, ask each participant to come prepared with examples of two bits of feedback they’ve received in their career: One item that seemed harsh at the time, but … Read more
My wife, Julie, turned me on to a web-based app called RescueTime. The app tracks your activity during the day to see how efficient and effective you are, and how much time you waste. One thing I’ve learned is that I spend a stupid amount of time on email. Many days, one third of my … Read more
“What if feedback were so frequent that performance reviews became irrelevant?” This is one of my tweets from awhile back. I don’t have the data anymore, but it was the most re-tweeted tweet of my entire tweeting career. It struck a nerve. At the recent Professional Development Conference for the Central Iowa Chapter of the … Read more
At the recent Professional Development Conference for the Central Iowa Chapter of the Association for Talent Development, Sarah Noll Wilson served as the opening keynote speaker, and I’d like to share my favorite takeaway from that speech, because it fits so well with previous themes. Bottom Line Up Front: In every conversation, we are on … Read more