Tag: problem-solving
How Missed Signals Show When We Don’t Understand Each Other
One day last week after lunch, while walking back to my office, I noticed a man parking in the last of four curbside spots in front of the Post Office. He maneuvered a bit and... Continue reading
The Surprising Truth about Consensus
Consensus sounds so nice: Everyone agrees and moves forward together. Kumbaya! Seems like a good thing, right? But here’s how one client described the way his company practices consensus (with my italics): “We have to... Continue reading
This is What to Do When a Longstanding Employee Is in a Slump
Has someone been on your team so long that their performance is tanking and they appear to have stopped engaging in the relationship? As one client described it to me: “I’m surprised to be feeling... Continue reading
Want to Be Your Managerial Best? Try a Walk in the Woods
“You’re always saying how important it is to see the forest and the trees,” read the email from a guy I mentor. He’s a high-performing high potential whose career is at the inflection point between... Continue reading
6 More Ways to Help Your Team Learn to Problem-Solve
One of the major goals of every leader should be teaching team members to solve problems. Last week’s post, Isn't It Time to Stop Solving Your Team’s Problems for Them?, reviews the basics. Depending on... Continue reading
Isn’t It Time to Stop Solving Your Team’s Problems for Them?
If you care about developing the people on your team to be junior execs and eventually senior leaders, make sure they can manage the organizational, interpersonal, and market problems that will inevitably come their way... Continue reading
3 Disruptive Reasons That You Might Need to Fire a Customer
When a business has to fight for every sale, the idea of intentionally turning customers away seems like sacrilege. In fact, taking advantage of customers is such a common societal trope that there’s a plethora... Continue reading
Who Defines Your Service Rules?
According to an old Swahili proverb: “When the elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.” That’s certainly true in organizations where executives have ongoing disagreements. Whether the situation involves explicit, pitched battles, or covert, passive-aggressive... Continue reading