“Find out what it means to me.” It turns out that most managers could learn something from the late Queen of Soul. Recent research reported in Harvard Business Review* explains that when you ask workers what means most to them, they often say feeling respected by superiors tops the list. Yet employees report more disrespectful behavior each year. Leaders need to learn … [Read more...] about R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The Power of Self-Compassion
Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy. We set high performance standards for ourselves – which is great, but then beat ourselves up when we do not meet them – not so great. Recent research, as reported in Harvard Business Review*, shows that we should instead treat ourselves with “self-compassion.” This includes: *Be kind rather than judgmental with ourselves about … [Read more...] about The Power of Self-Compassion
Strategy Overload
We know we can’t do everything – but that does not seem to stop us from trying. At the organization level – this can create Strategy Overload. That is, too many goals, initiatives, and projects to the point that none of them are truly “strategic.” Everyone in the organization should know the top three Strategic Goals that should be completed in the next three years. The … [Read more...] about Strategy Overload
Building Organizational Grit
Grit – the exceptional stamina that individuals demonstrate to achieve high performance – is the topic of a recent article* in Harvard Business Review. People strong in grit are always striving to improve, make the sacrifices necessary to achieve, and remain in love with what they do. Research shows that grit predicts high performance in a variety of domains. Given the … [Read more...] about Building Organizational Grit
No Risk Strategy
When I share examples of strategies from other organizations with people, I often hear “that sounds risky.” I respond “Absolutely!” There is no such thing as a “no risk strategy.” Certainly some strategies are riskier than others, and we need to be responsible about the amount of risk we take. However, I think that most organizations err on the side of playing it too … [Read more...] about No Risk Strategy