Primary Prognosis: You Can’t Be Conflict-Averse and Win
Any leader who doesn’t stand up when it’s time to stand up will not be a successful leader for the long term. A leader who is consistently unable or unwilling to stand up won’t ever... 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
How to Improve Complex Customer-Supplier Relationships
Have you experienced the stress of a complex, high-ticket customer-supplier relationship going awry? The problem often occurs when there’s a mismatch between the customer’s expectations and what the supplier has available and can actually deliver... Continue reading
Does “Radical Candor” Really Work?
Let’s talk about “radical candor” now, before it gets too popular. Radical candor, also known as “front-stabbing,” is the management “secret” of former Google director Kim Scott. This direct form of critique is meant to... Continue reading
Is It More Effective to Work Neat and Tidy, or Cluttered and Creative?
Earlier this month, I had a funny correspondence with a favorite client. He claimed to have returned from vacation “to a clean desk with a relatively clear mind.” I gave him full credit for his... Continue reading
Do You Need to Stop a Passive-Aggressive Person from Slowing Down Your Team?
“I’m at my wits’ end,” my client said during our monthly call, and he explained how frustrating interpersonal dynamics were hobbling his team, making them work smaller and less creatively. Mostly, he said, the problem... Continue reading
This Is How Your Esthetic Can Hurt Customer Satisfaction in Unexpected Ways
“Tell me why you chose this place,” I said to the colleague I met at a hotel during an otherwise successful trip to Baltimore. “I always like the Kimpton properties,” she answered. “Why, did you... Continue reading
How to Manage Your Anxious “Tells” at Work
The senior director sighed. He had just conducted the third interview of the afternoon, and we only had a couple of minutes to debrief before the next one. “How well do these candidates stack up?”... Continue reading