Have you ever made something out of nothing? That’s what we did, and it was amazing. Years ago, about this time, I was completing a six-month experiential training class. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, my group of about 12 people were given the task of creating a Thanksgiving meal for a needy family without using any money of our own. We were to rely solely on the generosity of others.
I recently spoke at a large company. Afterwards, two executives asked if I would be willing to coach them in dealing with one of their team members. I agreed. After visiting about the situation, I discovered that the employee in question had a toxic attitude about work, had not been performing the required tasks for their position, and was harboring ill feelings for the supervisor who was hired rather than them. When I asked how long this had been going on, I was told that it had been two years since this employee had been a committed, passionate, and engaged employee.
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. The way our brain processes and perceives incoming information can be a major obstacle. There are three distinct parts of our brain that play a big role in every conversation that you want to hold: the unconscious, subconscious, and conscious brains.
My first job in corporate America was in a human resources department. We received a call from a hotel in a major city, asking us never to book a certain executive from our company in their hotel again.
A few weeks ago, I was watching a college basketball game. At half time, I found myself looking through a variety of articles that popped up on my phone. An article on feedback caught my eye
Patty, as the office manager, was tasked with giving feedback to those that were performing poorly. Amber, who had started missing deadlines, been on the phone a lot, and had been coming in late for work, was identified as someone who Patty had decided she needed to talk to.
I love and hate this picture of a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. What do I love about it? The photographer captured the exact moment that a lateral wave hit the raft at just the right angle and speed to tip it up on the left outside tube, allowing it to balance for just a few seconds before the raft flipped completely over.
One of the biggest challenges that any leader faces is to ensure that employees feel comfortable speaking up when they have difficult issues to discuss Although such topics that are difficult to talk about, they can have a significant impact on the workplace, such issues as harassment, discrimination, or concerns about the company's culture.
12 Questions for Assessing the Employee Experience
Angie had been looking to create a foursome for a golf tournament that her company was holding. She had been having difficulty recruiting the final two participants needed to compete in the company tournament.
We have become so used to working in isolation that many people are uncomfortable in talking to those whom they may not know. Learning a few tips for establishing rapport will help you make connection with new acquaintances and those you already know.
Some people are difficult to deal with. However, with a little knowledge and some helpful guidelines, it is possible to turn a difficult interaction into a more positive one.
Workplace communication can be difficult sometimes, but people who don’t speak up can leave others with an incomplete view. Jane, a city manager, called me out of the blue to ask for some help. After visiting with her for a few minutes, she mentioned that she has an employee who doesn’t do the work that she assigns him. “What would you do?” she asked.
When I worked in corporate America as an employee, I had a manager who while he was a great person, was just not very deliberate in his approach to dealing with people. I remember a time when he had scheduled a meeting to discuss my career goals
Last fall I had a person reach out to me who was in charge of a huge change initiative in his company. He asked if I would identify a number of behaviors that leaders should avoid at all costs.
