If you ever feel “working mother guilt,” this post is for you. No matter how flexible your job, conflicts inevitably arise. A child gets sick on the day of an important meeting. The preschool Mother’s Day Tea is at 10:30 a.m., smack in the middle of the business day. A meeting runs long, and you must scramble to find someone to pick up your child, because you can’t get to the school on time. An urgent business call comes in at 8 p.m. as you are reading your child’s bedtime story.
There’s a lot of pressure, and even hype, out there about the need to be or become an expert. Of course, to be perceived as an expert you need to know something about your area of expertise. “Expert” also implies some depth of knowledge and understanding, as well as expertise in applying it. What if » Read More
Have you noticed how frequently the word ‘coaching’ is used these days? You don’t read an article, attend a leadership workshop, or even speak with managers without ‘coaching’ being generously referenced. It’s used to describe the act of: Helping someone do something Chewing others out Passing along information Delegating a task Recognizing what’s gone well » Read More
Many leaders fall into the quicksand of believing they can fix what’s wrong with other people. Some are motivated by a sincere desire to help people be their best. Other leaders have an ego-driven I can fix’em mentality. They’re motivated by an internal desire to be known as the hero who saves the day. The » Read More
A surprising number of organizations still deliver once-a-year performance appraisals without providing much interim feedback. Have you considered the dangers of this approach?
It has been a few months since I have retired as CEO/Superintendent of Schools and I am settling in to a life that is clearly different than the day-to-day demands, stresses, and responsibilities of leading a large organization. I have found that retiring after thirty-four years in public education has brought about feelings of unease, » Read More
Managers of people, it may seem expedient and even helpful to give answers, but to truly be a leader, it’s best to follow that sage advice about teaching them to fish. One of my clients recently told me about the wake-up call he had when his 10-year-old son accompanied him to work one day. After » Read More
Ashley was excited. Her degree wasn’t even hanging on the wall yet. She packed her suitcase with just enough clothes so she wouldn’t pay an extra $40 luggage fee at the airport. One last trip before getting a real job. Ashley’s degree was in Public Relations. Her dad Steve was a cardiologist. Successful, wealthy, and happy » Read More
Oops I knew Gary wasn’t happy. Early in my career, when I first began leading team-leaders, one of them was clearly struggling – he looked frustrated, sounded frustrated, and it didn’t take a genius to know something was bothering Gary. So I asked if I could buy him lunch and hear what was on his » Read More
I don’t think I have ever been in a work situation where there has not been at least some discussion about whether behaviours can be construed as bullying. I have been in some where bullying has occurred and people have experienced being bullied and it’s not pleasant. In the CIPD Employee Outlook Survey 2010, 16% of people » Read More
Recent Activity
