A simple key to leadership
May 8, 2011
People will do things when they know WHY they are important. Great leaders know this. They talk about WHY, not HOW. The WHY is what provides the motivational energy to do the HOW, so keep communicating the WHY. The “E” in CEO could really stand for Chief “Explaining” Officer, as one of the key success [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Our blind spots uncovered
May 1, 2011
Some of the most important growth areas for our personal development are not easily visible to us. We look at ourselves through our own set of filters and beliefs which gives us blind spots where it matters most that we can see. Others see us differently, so ask a trusted friend for honest feedback on [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Getting people doing what you want
April 17, 2011
In a nutshell, employees do what is measured, incentivised and celebrated. Write a list of these… >What do you measure? >What do you incentivise? >What do you celebrate? Are they focussed on the results you want? Do you do enough of each? Are they in balance? What could you add or change to get better [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Ostriches don’t do difficult conversations
April 10, 2011
There are those times when you know that you should talk with someone, but don’t. One reason is denial which is what the ostrich is famed for. However, probably the main reason we avoid those difficult conversations is that we imagine them turning out badly. So instead, imagine them turning well. To do this, mentally [...]
Read the rest of this entry »We need a strategy to fix this
April 3, 2011
“We need a strategy to fix this” – But what is a strategy anyway? I notice that many people get confused between strategy and planning. Given an objective, and asked to figure out how to make it happen, they immediately launch into planning, which means they missed a crucial step. The full process is (in [...]
Read the rest of this entry »How to get your ducks in a row
March 27, 2011
I have been working on a project recently and suddenly realised that I was making a classic mistake. I was waiting until I had everything “ready” before starting. When you see a mother duck waddling along purposefully, the ducklings are often lined up behind her. Stop for a moment and think how this happens. Does [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Manager as mediator
March 20, 2011
Disputes happen at work. Then what? The dispute could be a serious one between an employee and the company, or a spat between two employees over rosters or a prized parking space. In any case, as a manager, you are involved and may be called on to mediate a solution. Note that when mediating, you [...]
Read the rest of this entry »A breakthrough thought
March 13, 2011
A breakthrough, a change, a solution, or an insight comes as the result of a new thought. That’s all it is… a new thought. Thoughts arise and change all the time, so the possibility of a new thought about an old situation is natural and ever present. But the most unlikely place to find a [...]
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