Recognizing ‘Robligation’
rob·li·ga·tion /rˌäbləˈɡāSH(ə)n/ noun (invented) the heavy, suffocating experience of agreeing to a project or assignment only to realize that it hangs over your head, robbing you of the experience of joy until it’s completed It’s something I’ve experienced since high school; and I thought was my own unique brand of neurosis. I would take on a significant responsibility, assignment or task. I might have been excited about and even honored by it… until it became mine. Then, this potentially joyful and interesting opportunity would immediately transform into something very different—an obligation or duty I was somehow bound to until completion. …
Posted in Happiness Matters
Tagged imagination, obligation, opportunity, reframing, stress
The Magic of Making an Effort
Just over a year ago I gave a keynote speech at a conference in Russia. I worked diligently to master a few key phrases. But, between having no natural capacity for foreign languages and not hearing much Russian in my day-to-day life, the result was dreadful. I actually might have insulted their mothers as I greeted the audience; but they smiled and clapped enthusiastically. Throughout the conference, I tried out my slow and very clunky greetings. It was uncomfortable for me and probably sounded like nails on a chalkboard to those with whom I spoke. Yet, even my worst attempts …
Posted in Leadership Matters, Learning Matters
Tagged demonstrated effort, effort, flexibility, perfection, stretch assignments
Rethinking Remote Relationships
According to a VitalSmarts survey of 1153 global workers reported in Harvard Business Review (April 2018), remote employees feel left out and disadvantaged as a result of their status. And it goes far beyond ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ In dramatically larger numbers than their co-located colleagues, remote employees feel that: Colleagues lobby against them with others Colleagues speak badly of them behind their backs Colleagues don’t fight for their priorities Colleagues make changes to projects without warning These findings offer leaders who want to make the most of today’s decentralized and distributed workforce an important new focus. For …
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged check-in, co-located, connectivity, distance learning, field trips, partnerships, relationships, remote
Diagnosis: Career Path(ology)
March 28, 2018 | | Leave a comment
An epidemic is sweeping many organizations. How will you know if yours might be infected? Symptoms include: Increased expectations for roles and moves that may not exist Difficulty engaging disillusioned employees Painful exchanges about promotions that aren’t happening Sore feelings and skepticism Decreased trust Swelling in the number of employees who feel stuck or misrouted The disease is career path(ology) and here’s how it begins. An organization, in an effort to address the needs of individuals to grow and develop, create elegant career paths that outline how one can go from one point on the organization chart to another. These …
Posted in Career Matters, Leadership Matters
Tagged career development, career paths
Work-life Balance: It’s Becoming a Blur
First introduced in the UK in the late 1970s, the term “work-life balance” has only become more popular and relevant over time. While the focus has morphed over time to consider the needs of different audiences within the workplace—mothers, the sandwich generation, millennials and more—the basic question has remained constant: How can we find and keep hold of that elusive holy grail—the equilibrium between the two competing elements, work and home? The answers to this question have frequently been either less-than-satisfying platitudes (from “you can have it all” to “you can have it all, just not all at the same time”) or less-than-effective advice about how to better manage one’s time in a way that manufactures the …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged progress, target ranges, work-life balance
Attenuating Attrition: How Leaders Can Create a Sticky Situation
As I led a recent session with regional executives within a global organization, the conversation turned to retention—or more accurately, attrition. The most senior leaders lamented their powerlessness over the dynamic facing them. They described a talent market that valued a level of progression, compensation and benefits that exceeded what was expected—or accommodated—anywhere else in the world. And they expressed their frustration that global corporate standards for consistency tied their hands when it came to being able to take action locally to retain their high-value employees. It’s a conversation that plays out daily with managers, even at the most senior …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged attrition, leadership, managing a team, retention
Now Is The Time for Introverted Leaders
February 27, 2018 | | 1 Comment
Guest Post by Jennifer Kahnweiler I could not be more pleased to host this week’s guest post from my friend, Jennifer Kahnweiler. Jennifer was one of the first Berrett-Koehler authors I met after publishing Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go. I have been so grateful for her warmth and her wisdom. As an introvert myself, I’ve frequently bumped up against stereotypes and misconceptions about what leadership looks like. Jennifer’s books illuminate introversion – and how to optimize its quiet power. In this second edition of The Introverted Leader (which I highly recommend!), she updates her bestselling classic and offers new insights …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged engagement, extroverts, introvert, leaders, productivity, strengths, talent
Catching Organizational Culture
February 13, 2018 | | Leave a comment
Guest Post by Marcella Bremer I’m delighted to host this guest blog from Marcella Bremer, author of Developing a Positive Culture. Marcella’s work focuses on the practical steps that anyone can take to develop a positive culture. She draws on research and field work to offer a range of tools to engage others and contribute to a constructive and productive workplace. Did you ever “catch” organizational culture as it happened? Maybe not consciously, but you did. Just like the deeper layers of values, a culture is represented and sustained in the daily (inter)actions. What do the routine, mundane interactions within …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged collaboration, engagement, postive culture, productivity, purpose, resourceful, results
Whoa! What are Today’s Most Common Leadership Mistakes?
January 30, 2018 | | 5 Comments
In today’s highly complex and fast-paced environment, leaders constantly navigate a wide margin of error. Given globalization, heightened competition, and ever-shrinking budgets and cycle times, the potential for leaders to make mistakes is great. Some leaders err by commission—actively undertaking acts that undermine team or organizational success. Others err by omission—failing to do something that’s necessary. But there’s another group of leaders who, with the best of intentions, may do the most damage of all. These are the leaders who err by whoa-mission. (“Whoa,” as in the command riders use to pull a horse back, slow it down, or make …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged employee development, fairness, helpfulness, leadership, recognition, self esteem
The Value of Visibility
January 16, 2018 | | 3 Comments
If you’re a leader, you likely struggle to find creative and effective ways to help your employees grow. Formal training can be expensive and time-consuming. Informal training sometimes lacks the focus and application required to make the investment pay off. And the stretch assignments and projects that typically characterize experience-based learning require significant ongoing support over time. Want to offer an employee a targeted burst of development? Consider setting him or her up with an opportunity for visibility. Whether it’s attending a high-profile meeting, representing you with a key customer, or presenting at an upcoming conference, the intensity associated with visibility: …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged learning, mentorship, targeted development, visibility
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When you help employees grow….engagement, retention, productivity, and business results will grow as well.
