One problem I have with team building assessments is that most of the data gathering and evaluation questions are very passive. It seems as if team building is something that happens to people. As opposed to people being active players in their work life. Working with a Managing Partner in a law firm he shared … Continued
The pablum of executive coaching literature consistently points to setting goals. The goals of the coach and executive must be measurable, specific, and quantitative. Cherry picking something Peter Drucker Never Said! of “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” It is interesting to read Drucker’s thoughts on this, “Your first role . . … Continued
In the middle of a meeting with an executive leadership team, the COO yells, “we need to state our companies goals clearly, only then can the staff have the motivation to complete their work.” This is true and not-true at the same time. Much of the leadership development and planning literature states goal setting as if … Continued
Meeting with a client I shared that we will take an uncommon strategic planning approach. They seemed relaxed and concerned at the same time. The uncommon idea is to build the system for identification of weak signals for progress and regress that re-focuses the strategy. You cannot plan for strategy. You can plan how you … Continued
“Don’t ever criticize a manager for not being a leader if no one has ever told them their role. Rather criticize the inept organization that appointed them.” – John Adair Does leadership development need boundaries or does it just happen organically within the organization? This question made me flounder for a bit, due to my … Continued
image When we sell ourselves as a business or executive consultant, remember that our advice will impact people’s lives and their livelihood. When selling me a more expensive shirt, shampoo, or a consumer product that only affects my life, a knowable deception is acceptable. I fully know that drinking a particular kind of beer or … Continued
Goal Setting and achieving goals is impossible in an environment where the goal changes, moves as you make progress, you have little to no control over other people, who are required, to achieve the goal external forces (government regulations, laws) that change their focus are an intricate partner in controlling the goals or in completing … Continued
Supporting an organization through an interesting experiment. The company has ~28% turnover rate, which is not too bad, and they want to reduce that to about 20% in 2-years. We decided to hold a series of ‘Stay Interviews’, to create a continuum of stories about employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction, with people who have remained with … Continued
Consulting a team of managers in the Understanding organizational complexity and change process, one of them asked me what types of questions I may ask a team or person to understand better how to support their progress in change and complexity. I smiled, and we worked out a series of questions. Many of them are … Continued
While organizations and Human Resources promote theories of engagement, multiple generations, and cultural fit; we continue to seek the recipes and others to show us ‘what matters or what should matter’ to a diverse workforce. Paradoxically this causes a dependence on others to point out how we should be engaged or what cultural fit ought … Continued