The Trouble with Bosses—Part One
A few years ago, I was sitting in my office at 5:30 pm on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon when the CEO dropped by to chat with my colleague next door. As I finished my work and gathered my things to head out for the weekend, I heard my colleague phone his wife to explain that he’d be late again because he’d just been given an assignment that had to be completed before he left the office.
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Can You Hear Me Now?
When I'm on the consumer side of a business transaction, I frequently wonder if anyone is listening to me. It seems that most sellers are more interested in telling me what I can buy than how their product or service can solve a problem or provide a benefit. When I describe my needs and am then offered a product that doesn't match what I've just described, I get frustrated and usually find another seller.
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Career Detours
With millions of people unemployed, it may seem like the best career management strategy is to hold onto the job you have-if you have one-and take whatever you can get if you're searching. That may be the right approach for some, but, even in this difficult market, jobseekers are finding positions that support their overall career strategy, even if it's a bit off their expected path.
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Resilience Resolution
"Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up." I found this proverb on my tea bag one recent morning and it seemed to be speaking to all of us who have been battered around by the global economic recession.
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Taking Off the Cruel Shoes
I had a pair of shoes that looked terrific sitting on the shoe rack in my closet. They were a perfect match for several things I love to wear so I kept them for a long time, even though I seldom wore them. From time to time I would sit down and try them on, feeling them hug my feet snugly and admire how stylish and smart they looked.
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Your Trust Account
Wouldn't it be great right now to have a big trust account-a large sum of money or property held by someone else, intended solely for your benefit? Most of us are not fortunate enough to be the beneficiaries of a fat savings account created by a rich relative, but we all do have a trust account. It is the repository of belief others hold for us.
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The Fear Factor
Fear is inescapable today - it permeates the news and our conversations at work and at home. Like a toxic cloud, fear hovers over conversations at the coffee shop, in the check-out line and at business networking events.
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Too Much of a Strong Thing
When I was first introduced to the idea that the greatest performance improvement could come from doing more of what I do well, as opposed to trying to overcome my weaknesses, it seemed inherently logical, like sailing with the wind rather than trying to fight it, or walking up the down escalator.
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Personal Operating Systems At Work
I recently met with the owner of a local business to talk about collaborating on a Business Coaching program. I was suggesting that I would hold this seminar in his store, which would bring my coaching clients in to his business establishment, introducing them to his products and services, which were a perfect fit for the topic of the program.
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Creating Sticky Goals
Rather than setting goals that require a lot of attention to remember and fulfill, what about setting goals that are unforgettable -- that stick in the mind. Creating sticky goals may well be the first step to achieving success.
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Structures for Success
An associate recently described how she had installed a radar detector in her car and set it at the highest sensitivity level possible. At that level, the alarm is so sensitive that it goes off when a car with a garage door opener is nearby, not only in the presence of police radar.
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The Noing of Knowing
Last month I had dinner with colleagues after a full-day planning meeting, in which I munched on snacks and goodies all day. The dinner menu was very creative, the food delightful, the company engaging and I ate much more than I enjoyed.
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The Business School of Life
As a graduate business student I took a wonderful class in which we studied ancient cultures and looked at the lessons they contained for modern managers. It was an amazing experience to look at how their rituals, patterns, values and governance shed light on the challenges faced by contemporary business leaders.
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