It’s hard to imagine that in the workplace something as constructive, positive, and uplifting as recognition could go wrong. After all, it’s free. And research consistently points to how effectively appreciation builds morale, engagement, and bottom-line results. But...
Leadership Matters
Plaques and platitudes can lead to paralysis
Walk down Mahogany Row in most corporate offices and you’ll be able to read a lot about what the organization stands for. You’ll likely see plaques that outline core values, posters that tout a commitment to the customer. Some examples: Guiding Principles • Mission •...
Great Work = Great Career Development
While most organizations expect great work, we don’t necessarily take the time to identify what actually contributes to it. In his book, Great Work, David Sturt has done that for us. Drawing on the research of O.C. Tanner and a Forbes Insight Study of over 1,000...
Brand Boring
A prospective client asked to talk with me recently. (To protect her identity, we’ll call her Lara.) Lara’s executives wanted to clarify and begin driving a leadership brand throughout the organization. What unfolded during our conversation was a plan whereby their...
How Well-Populated is Your Pipeline?
Last year, the Aberdeen Group conducted a research study exploring the business impact of building learning capability. Using three key performance criteria to distinguish best-in-class companies, it was found that: 83% of employees in these companies received...
The New Game of Management
Today’s managers and supervisors are under tremendous, and often competing, pressures. They’re challenged to balance short-term results with long-term focus. They must keep costs down but drive ever-increasing levels of contribution and value. They must follow...
The Latest Leadership Craze: Caboose Coaching
What could be more helpful to a leader than having nearly 24/7 real-time access to an experienced coach who literally follows him or her around throughout the day? That’s what many organizations are providing in an effort to enhance leadership effectiveness and...
Stop Driving Employees Nuts
This article originally appeared at SmartBlog on Leadership in November 2012. After dedicating a large portion of my professional life to helping leaders develop new skills to improve workplace performance, I’ve come to a startling (and perhaps career-limiting)...
Measuring Career Development Success
Metrics and data are the name of the game today. Since what gets measured gets managed, organizations and the leaders running them are constantly searching for ways to quantify the impact of their initiatives and efforts. Some dimensions - like sales or customer...
What’s Your ‘Leader-Print’?
This article first appeared at Lead Change Group in July 2012. Ever wonder why there are more than 350,000 leadership titles on amazon.com? The plethora of models, seminars, speakers, authors, and books on the topic confirms something I’ve been thinking for a while:...
