Blog
The Culture-Career Development Connection
This post is adapted from “Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Want.” When it comes to career development, what individual managers do matters. A lot. Their intentions, relationships, and interactions contribute to a tone within the organization. And they can change the lives of those who work for […]
Are You a Reflective of Reflexive Leader?
Tom is a mid-level manager in a technology firm. He’s risen quickly because of the volume of work he’s consistently been able to manage. He explains his success like this: “Given the pace of business today, you can’t overthink things. You’ve got to diagnose what’s before you, apply the appropriate fix and move on to […]
Development Plan or Development Planning? There is a Difference
If your organization is like most, you’re likely seeing less attention paid to development planning. It’s understandable. Leaders face time challenges like never before. Teams are increasingly distributed across geographies, making connections complex. The general sentiment that employees should own their own development frequently leads managers to a sensibility that’s too hands-off. And self-service/on-demand learning […]
Stop Blaming Zoom! The Problem with Your Meetings Might Be You
Long before COVID-19 entered the scene, requiring a significant portion of work and work-related communication to go virtual, meetings were an all-too-frequent feature of the business landscape. Our pre-pandemic research found that 77% of employees reported spending 25% or more of their time in meetings, while 42% were meeting at least half their day […]
VUCA Career Development for a VUCA Workplace
The expression VUCA has been around for decades. And yet, it’s as relevant today in business as it was when first introduced in the 1980s by the US military. VUCA — which stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — describes an unpredictable workplace characterized by constant flux, unknowns and unknowables. It’s the new normal […]
Why ‘No Thanks’ is an Unacceptable Response to Development Today
Given the scope and volume of what employees are grappling with today, it’s understandable that many have hit the pause button on their own development. Just getting through the day, concerns about personal safety, and back-to-back video calls frequently consume all of the energy an individual can muster. As a leader, it’s easy to ignore […]
