Workplace Wisdom Blog

Want More Engaged Employees? Help Your Leaders Improve

Do an online search for “employee engagement” and you’ll get 10.6 million hits. Search for “employee attrition” and you’ll come up with 1.38 million hits. The old line is that employees don’t leave companies, they... Continue reading

A Surprising Example of Disruptive Skill

One morning, several months ago, on the train heading into New York City, I watched a woman put on her makeup. She had the process down to an art: reaching into the cosmetic bag on... Continue reading

Caution! Why You Need to Cut Down on the Risks of Precipitous Action

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

4 Powerful Steps on the Way to Cross-Functional Agreement

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

How to Make Exceptions When Real Life and Policy Collide

My friend recently shared a story about a striking customer experience after she accidentally left her wallet at a meeting. When I showed up to claim it, the receptionist asked: “Do you have photo ID?”... Continue reading

Stay Out of the Trap of One-Off Leadership

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