This story is an excerpt from my book, Our Stories Matter. There are times when our filters, our preconceptions blot out reality, and by doing so we miss the opportunity to see life in others, to see the world from a broader perspective. As we look to become more self-aware, we do so by opening
Often, if we allow our thoughts to race ahead of us, if we start to worry or obsess about potential consequences, we find that we often become the victim of our self-fulfilling prophecies. We worry too much about potential outcomes, and subconsciously our actions start to take us in that direction. It is not a
Clarity of communication Clarity of goals Clarity of vision Clarity of purpose Clarity of expectations Clarity of boundaries Clarity of values Clarity. That is your job. Don’t be surprised if your team isn’t following your cues. Don’t hint or insinuate. Spell it out.
Today I launched my new Book, Our Stories Matter. The book is a collection of 20 character sketches of people I bumped into over my life but with whom I never really connected. I guess at their stories, I describe them, and by doing so open up to myself. Why? I hope with my book to
Building culture – It’s hard! We can spend a lot of time discussing the culture we want. We can document it. We can communicate it. We can even walk the talk and live it … most of the time. It is when those big unexpected things happen…the shocks in the system..when we are unprepared and
In the 25+ years of sitting down with my people and doing performance reviews I have had many a case where my employee expresses a readiness for career advancement but find themselves frustrated at the lack of opportunities. And inevitably the conversation goes to creating opportunities and the choices we are willing to make. I
Why is it that organizations have trouble moving from planning to action? Why is it that so many Leaders are dissatisfied with the execution culture of their organizations? 1. Focus – The plan sets the direction. Focus takes the direction and breaks it into specific priorities and actions for you and your team. Every action
Experience and Skill? I’m sorry – that is not even close to enough! In discussions about talent and strong management depth, deep experience and skill in performing the job are the key attributes I hear about all the time. Really? Those are chips to get in the game. That’s what you need to get considered
Many of the Leaders I work with tell me they want to instill a more task-oriented, execution-focused culture. “Less talking, more doing!” “How do I get my team, my organization to value execution?” As is true with most business imperatives, the Leader paves the way. How do you spend your time? What message are you
I value expediency. The idea of finding everything I want in one store and getting in and out quickly … love that. But there are times when I am not that shopper. When a purchase really matters to me, then I want more. Then I want intimate. Books matter to me. McNally Jackson Books in
