Category: Teamwork
This Is Why Being an Employee Is Not Like Being a Navy SEAL
An up-and-coming manager at one of my client companies asked for help with a longstanding employee. Over time, his behavior had become problematic for other employees — and sometimes for customers as well. In addition... Continue reading
How to Deal with a Colleague Who Threatens You
“I won’t oppose you now, but if anything goes wrong, I’ll go toe-to-toe with you.” My colleague was already standing practically toe-to-toe with me — and besides being much taller and stronger than I, he... Continue reading
How to Make a Small Tweak in Communication for a Surprisingly Big Change
When I interviewed a group of highly experienced technical employees at a client company last week, one of the things I asked them was what consistently made them nuts on the job. They told me... Continue reading
Here Are the 3 Unexpected Things I Learned from Surviving a TEDx Talk
A couple of years ago, when a dear colleague emailed me to ask if I’d consider speaking at TEDxBaylorSchool, I was terrified. Not of speaking, per se, but of the combination of requirements that characterize... Continue reading
8 Ways to Prevent Participation and Innovation
Employees can be such a headache, especially the proactive ones! They’re always asking questions, wanting things to be either some new way or the way they used to be, or else they’re making suggestions and... Continue reading
2 Never-Fail Rules to Make Change Initiatives Successful
Last week I facilitated a senior staff meeting that focused on silo-busting and improving cross-departmental collaboration. The group leader wrote to me afterwards to say he was very happy with how things went, and asked... Continue reading
What Happens When Leaders Divide to Conquer
Working with teams or leaders in conflict is a crucial part of many of my assignments -- even when it was not included in the original scope of work. Sometimes these disagreements arise because individual... Continue reading
Are You Tired of Being Condescended To?
In the past 10 days, three people from different organizations have complained to me about a boss or colleague who’s behaved condescendingly toward them. Not one of the three is a slouch, or a junior... Continue reading