One of the most common uses for email among professionals is to broker important business introductions. It’s a highly effective practice, if it’s done thoughtfully. We’ve all read about the perils of careless email habits. From voluminous messages (seldom read), to emails with no apparent point; no advising, no call to action, no relevant information,…
Read More →One of the biggest challenges for CEOs in large organizations is preserving a healthy and vibrant culture. As an organization grows, and leaders are forced to focus outward, employees can begin to feel disconnected. The CEOs ability to maintain personal contact with employees up and down the org chart becomes daunting and eventually impossible. The…
Read More →I fancy myself something of a business book nerd. I’ll spare you the list. Suffice to say that I see value in nearly every popular business book written. But I have to admit that at this point, the pattern’s becoming clear. Many of the mantras are the same. Reframed, repackaged and resold. I’m also a…
Read More →I recently had the privilege of hearing Harvard rock-star professor, Shawn Achor, discuss the brain’s response to positivity and the sociology of happiness. Pretty simple stuff, really. And yet profoundly powerful and roundly ignored. Most companies and schools follow the flawed perception that “if I work harder, I’ll be successful. If I become successful, then…
Read More →How can you possibly focus on the big picture when you’re stuck in the weeds? It may be time for a kick in the pants. Maybe your company website needs a total overhaul. Or a great idea for a new product just isn’t getting off the ground. Maybe you’ve noticed that morale is low and…
Read More →Change comes at a cost: it makes people uncomfortable. In the previous post, you can see all of the many excuses we come up with when faced with change. Many of us understand that change is essential to remain competitive in today’s world, but it doesn’t make it easy. You’ll face unexpected obstacles. You’ll likely be…
Read More →Take a look at any organizations list of values or guiding principles, and odds are you’ll see “accountability” featured prominently… and for good reason. But what do we really mean by accountability? And how can we effectively track, measure and reward accountability? In leadership roles, accountability is sometimes described as the acknowledgment and assumption of…
Read More →There are sources of resistance and inertia even in the formulation stage of change. Meaning that the very idea of change, which signals a loss of control, invites resistance of all kinds. Change starts with the perception of its need, so a ‘wrong initial perception’ is the first barrier to change. The second main group of sources…
Read More →Organizational theorist and Wharton Professor Emeritus, Russ Ackoff taught that the most flexible part of a system will drive the system. “Humans are the ONLY organizational subsystem capable of situational awareness and adaptation to a shifting environment. Process and technology (often the focus of change efforts) are inert, and lack the ability to learn and…
Read More →At this point in the land of modern technology, we are at a precipice. Is email going, going gone? Doubt it. But there sure is a growing chorus of email-haters out there. And with good reason! How many emails does it take to setup a meeting, have a meeting — where it is then decided…
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