Change is a healthy part of any enterprise intent on thriving long-term. Failure to adapt eventually means irrelevance, regardless of the organization. Here are two definitions to start. Mistakes in technique – With any change management effort, plan on mistakes in technique. This is the ‘how’ of change, the specific methods and experiments to move » Read More
I was sitting in a coffee shop writing a post and there was interview going on at the next table. What struck me, as I tried to write, was the amount of time the interviewer spent talking to versus listening to the interviewee. He would ask a question and as soon as she started to » Read More
The underlying belief of exhortation is that people simply are not giving it their all, and so management’s job is to entice and encourage people to do a better job than they previously have. The great search for ways to engage employees involves many well-intended but misguided approaches. Exhortation. Management by objectives. Tools and techniques. » Read More
Many authors have written about people management, project management or corporate culture as separate topics. But a new book by Ben Snyder ties together all three subjects and paints a clear picture of how they interact to nurture (or damage) employee engagement and organizational performance. Read this review, find the book and set fire to the status quo.
I’m working with a client right now who is leading his organization through a massive restructuring. He engaged me to help with the inevitable human reactions to monumental change. My favorite line I heard from him on enabling his employees to accomplish the transition successfully is: “I can’t just hand them a business card with » Read More
Your corporate culture is your soil. It’s where your employees grow or wither. Are you cultivating it? Or are you washing it away in your quest to maximize this year’s profits?
I was a new middle manager on my first trip across the country to the Corporate Office and was seated in the Executive Boardroom for a meeting. As we were preparing to take a short break, the CEO leaned across the table and asked me, “Chery, have you shared your vision with your team?” I » Read More
In recent weeks, several articles have offered worthwhile ideas on how to boost worker motivation. But experts have been sharing this counsel for years, and employee engagement continues to decline. This post focuses on nine specific things that damage engagement. What’s at play in your organization?
Have you stocked up on garlic and holy water? Is there plenty of candy prepared by your door? Got the tune of Michael Jackson’s, ‘Thriller‘ stuck in your head? It’s All-Hallow’s Eve and the ghosts and goblins will be out in force tonight! I love Halloween. It’s an evening of contradictions. Tricksters are encouraged to » Read More
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t » Read More
