During this past calendar quarter, I’ve worked with two very different clients with leadership teams in the early stage of implementing new strategic plans. In both cases, one or two executives abandoned a mutually agreed... Continue reading
“My boss just doesn’t want to hear it!” I heard this line from three different managers this week, and each time it was related to the challenges of returning to the workplace rather than continuing... Continue reading
This article originally appeared on hbr.org. It’s hard for many of us to feel in control as the global pandemic drags on. And yet, many business leaders nonetheless feel a tremendous amount of guilt about the... Continue reading
When I ran into a local café to pick up some lunch, I saw a young woman who used to work there. She was visiting old colleagues after her first month as a first-year college... Continue reading
Expand your market share. Increase your margin. Reorganize your team. Given the constant drumbeat of new and changing initiatives, it’s reasonable to wonder which priorities are truly the most important. I hear about this from... Continue reading
“But I’m entitled to my opinion!” a vice president insisted. I was facilitating a work session with a client’s leadership team. Our goal was to resolve a longstanding business problem, with the full participation of... Continue reading
“Why is no one ever held accountable here?” A vice president was fuming at me, and not for the first time. “Why do we always act like everything’s fine instead of holding people accountable?” I’ve... Continue reading
Years ago, I had a client who actually used to say, “Fire! Aim! Ready!” when he was issuing some decree or other. This business owner acknowledged he was shooting from the hip, reacting suddenly and... Continue reading
I had a call with an up-and-coming middle manager who presented a complex situation and then asked a sincere question. A small cross-functional working group was trying to resolve some interdepartmental workflow and boundary issues.... Continue reading
Many business owners prefer to make all their decisions on a case-by-case basis, as determined by their deep understanding of individual circumstances and well-developed gut instinct. They resist creating formal policy, believing that each situation... Continue reading
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