The frustration was palpable within a group of leaders with whom I recently worked. They were in a tough spot. Competition was emerging from unexpected sources. Revenue was not tracking to meet expectations. The organization was responding with significant structural change. And these leaders had been told by executives that if the business was to…
While passing through airport security during a recent business trip, I looked up to see a poster featuring TSA’s request that if travelers see something, they should say something. It struck me that this is excellent advice for air safety—but also for coaching. Too frequently, leaders treat coaching as a discrete activity that they plan…
In preparation for an upcoming executive education session, I conducted a quick pulse survey earlier this month. I wanted to understand whether the leaders attending my training believe that there is a difference in the importance of career development to their employees based upon their current level of performance. And they do. A Picture of…
A significant dimension of leadership is coaching… engaging in conversations that help others make the leap from where they are to where they want (or need) to be. Whether the focus is on correcting a performance problem, expanding capacity, improving relationships, or developing within one’s career, coaching is a powerful tool for supporting others as…
The human capital development strategy of mentorship is getting a lot of attention these days. From books to boardrooms, everyone is trying to crack the code and tap its potential and power. Mentors have the ability to accelerate the growth of others through their generous sharing of their perspectives, time, insights, coaching and experience. Is…
Career development consistently appears at the bottom of most organizations’ climate and engagement surveys. Employees routinely express their displeasure with the options, possibilities, and moves available to them… as well as the organization’s overall commitment to their growth. And managers are no happier. They lament the time they must find – generally deep into their…