So You Think Your Manager’s Like a Bad Joke?
A critic, a control freak, and a micromanager walk into a conference room… Do you know the punch line to this joke? No? That’s because it’s not a joke. Each of these folks can suppress... Continue reading
What If Your Service Is Two Chairs and a Napkin Short?
A few weeks ago, we attended a gala event, and a series of service bobbles reminded me again that even when service people are perfectly nice, the service itself can still be inadequate. How much... Continue reading
How to Cope When Difficult Colleagues Won’t Cooperate
It’s frustrating to try to get through your own work or to help your team make progress when you can’t get your colleagues to cooperate. Last week’s post covered some of the reasons that you... Continue reading
How to Confront Your Fears with Difficult Colleagues
Some midlevel and senior executives are perfectly comfortable holding their staff members accountable for their responsibilities, but they get flummoxed when a peer is unenthusiastic, uncooperative, or downright obstructionist. These execs may not perceive it... Continue reading
What’s the Business Equivalent of Making the Bed?
The right ritual can get your day off to a productive start. For me, the best mornings begin in a quiet house, making and drinking my coffee just the way I like it. Everybody’s got... Continue reading
How to Keep Your Staff from Heading for the Exits
My office is on the fifth floor of a five-floor building and, although I take the elevator up, I usually take the stairs down. Every so often, I find someone from another office standing somewhere... Continue reading
Is Your Service Ivy League or Minor League?
Last week, I met with a client at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. Membership in a university club can be very practical, especially for out-of-towners; the club serves as a well-appointed home-base hotel, providing a... Continue reading
This Is Why Leaders’ Work Is Never Done
Team development never ends -- not if you want a well-functioning, effective team. Sometimes when a team has recently averted a crisis or resolved a significant problem, they exclaim in a kind of relief: “We... Continue reading