Category: Management
Ways to Handle People Who Try to Frighten You Off When They’re Under Pressure
Have you ever worked with someone who had so much trouble being confronted or found in the wrong that they would create a deflective smokescreen of issues to avoid accountability? And if so, did you... Continue reading
4 Ways To Free Yourself From Conflict Even When You’re Horribly Stuck
This post originally appeared on Forbes. Sometimes you just can’t resolve a conflict completely, even if it’s a righteous one. Maybe your boss refuses to cough up the resources you need for your people. Or... Continue reading
Want Improvements? Help Your Boss Feel Safe Enough to Try the Better Way
It can be quite startling to recognize how often leaders and other people with authority and status behave ineffectively. Their difficulties can be interpersonal, as when a leader shows favoritism to specific individuals or groups... Continue reading
Is It Better to Resign or to Figure Out What Your Touchy Boss Needs?
After months of working together, Steve really thought he and his boss, Mitch, had come to an understanding: Mitch would focus on strategy and marketing while Steve would handle day-to-day operations and virtually all communication... Continue reading
How to Help an Emotionally Unregulated Boss Who Needs Feedback
Here’s a situation that no one wants to be in. Let’s say you report to the founder/CEO of a startup. The founder has no management experience and the startup has grown beyond a size they... Continue reading
In Forbes: How Babies’ Examples Can Help Us Strengthen Work Relationships
This post originally appeared on Forbes. Most of us believe that being in a successful relationship with our boss, colleagues or subordinates means we understand each other well and feel aligned and in sync on—well,... Continue reading
Advice, Please: I Want to Hire My Friend. Is That Too Risky?
Last week, a client asked me this question: “Is it okay to hire my friend/cousin/other connected person in my ecosystem?” I replied that it could be terrible–particularly if and when the job comes to an... Continue reading
Every Organization Has Unique Problems. Most Leaders Need Support in 3 Areas
An executive asked me the other day, “When a company hires you to fix a problem, what do you look for?” It varies from organization to organization, but I described a pretty typical set of... Continue reading