One of the rules of boating is that when you are docking or approaching, you assess the variables ( wind, current, traffic) and you should never be moving towards something at a speed faster than you would be willing to hit it. That’s a good life and leadership lesson too. Think about your approach. Play
As a manager, one of the most important things you can do is level set with your employees on rules of engagement. What do you need to be informed about? How do you want to be informed? The key here is that you don’t want any missed expectations, so setting a framework upfront is important.
I dont have authority, I can only influence I feel marginalized No- one else sees this as a priority but me I can’t get anyone’s attention I can’t get the right people to listen Until this gets fixed, i can’t do my job Sound familiar? We hear these kinds of statements all the time.
Good tip from Seth Godin: How to run a problem-solving meeting This is a special sort of get together, similar to the meeting where you organize people to figure out the best way to take advantage of an opportunity. In both cases, amateurs usually run the meetings, and the group often fails to do their
Bob Dylan got it right in Let’s keep it Between Us: “All we need is honesty, a little humility, and trust” Whether dealing with our families, our employees or with our customers, the story is the same – our character defines us – it defines us in our personal lives and in our lives at
An alligator has found his way into the lake of our Florida neighborhood. It happens occasionally. The last time this happened, some people in our neighborhood stopped running, walking their dogs, riding their bikes, afraid of that alligator. Because we manage with a certain degree of risks, because some influences are less controllable than others,
The Star Wars bar scene A high performing team is an amazing thing. When a leader puts together a strong team, they create an exponential force in their business. When a leader builds their team, they are doing two things. First, they are assuring that the individuals on the team are capable and in the
Good leaders bring all of themselves to the table. Our leadership consists of several facets to focus our team and motivate them to achieve goals. How we do that is a function of our style and our values. I have spoken before of empathetic leadership. The bottom line is that people follow a leader who
When looking at your business and relationships, think of the three Rs: Responsiveness – How responsive we are is something that is completely within our control. We choose to ignore, delay, vacillate; no-one else does that for us. Being responsive means you value the other person. Its an empathetic skill that tells your customer, your
Our company culture tints our view. Our daily business issues, agendas and priorities put us into a mental routine. We view the world, our business, our team, our processes through a filter of routine and familiarity. Do we question enough why we are having a particular meeting…again? Do we question why we are working a