Today’s managers shoulder the significant responsibility of delivering individual and organizational performance, and doing so in a fast-changing environment. For many, accomplishing this mission involves sophisticated monitoring systems that provide real-time data about how results are tracking against goals, with a focus typically upon when the mark is being missed. Many leaders have become masters…
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…
The beginning of the new calendar year frequently corresponds with the start of a new performance period. As a result, managers and leaders everywhere are preparing for those annual conversations designed to establish the goals and objectives that employees will work toward for the next twelve months. Today, few managers make the overt mistakes that…
Andy (a leader I met last week) was very disappointed. One of his employees had missed another deadline, making him and his whole team look bad with a high-profile client. Andy had learned that feedback was most valuable when shared in a timely manner, and he knew that he needed to start documenting performance. So…
Failure is getting considerable attention in leadership and management circles these days. Articles, books, and keynote speeches preach the value of mistakes and learning from failure. The current dialogue begins once the mistake or failure occurs and addresses how to leverage it for maximum return. But before any of this is possible, the employee must…
In a world where perfection and strength are highly valued, we’ve lost our appreciation for vulnerability and the gifts it offers. Last week I had the pleasure of judging a student competition. More than one hundred high schoolers taking part in a Youth and Government program presented mock legislative bills they’d prepared with the goal…