“What are you doing?” I was in the university welding shop when my boss asked me that. He had more years of experience than I’d been alive and I still had a lot to learn. But the answer to that question seemed pretty obvious to me. I had a push broom in my hands, and …
If you’re leading people, you should be thinking about verbs. A lot. Now it may sound ridiculous to suggest that parts of speech are a critical aspect of developing your people and building an effective team but hear me out. To be clear, I don’t have anything against nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Prepositions, participles, …
The Light Bulb Moment The look in her eye told the whole story. I didn’t see it but my wife, Kiersten, did. I was coaching a young couple at our dining room table. They’re longtime friends of ours from church so Kiersten was there with us. This couple had recently started a business together. I …
A few weeks back I was running my weed eater through what turned out to be a whole bunch of poison ivy. And, while that in itself could be enough of a lesson to share with you today, I’m going to pass along something else I learned while I was cleaning up that ditch. As …
She was hurrying down the aisle of the crowded exhibition hall when our eyes met. She slowed her pace just slightly, then she stopped. I introduced myself and we began to talk. Jen’s story is fascinating. But the encouraging conversation that I’ll share more about in a moment almost didn’t happen. Why? For the same …
3 Simple Ways to Build Stronger Connections at Work Read More »
Most leaders have worked with someone they would privately describe as indecisive. You may have someone on your team that comes to mind immediately. You ask a clear question and you expect a clear answer. Instead, you hear: “Well… it depends.” “I’m not completely sure yet.” “I can see a few different ways this could play out.” “There …
“How long have you known each other?” What seemed like a simple question to me generated some interesting looks during a recent meeting I was in with a client. (An anonymized client, of course, to maintain confidentiality.) I was talking with the leadership team of a small, but operationally complex business. And they didn’t really …
Better Communication Starts with Better Understanding Read More »
Ariel, a first-time supervisor, has big problems with her team dynamics and she doesn’t even know it. She can’t see what’s really going on with Monica and the rest of the people on her team, and it’s costing her time, money, and trust. Favoritism, as Monica said she was experiencing, will do that. That’s where …
What Team “Favoritism” Often Reveals Beneath the Surface Read More »
Imagine you’re Ariel, leading a team for the first time. You’ve been an individual contributor your entire career and you just got that promotion you’ve been working hard for. Congratulations! Welcome to being a supervisor…and to tricky situations like this one involving Monica, your direct report. What Do I Do with This? Monica was recently …
I remember standing in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the summer of 1996, listening to our tour guide, George. You’d think that the most vivid memory I have from that experience would be George’s explanation of the world-shaking protests that occurred there just a few years earlier. But it’s not. George was doing an outstanding …