In their ground-breaking book, First Break All the Rules, authors from The Gallup Organization report the findings from their extensive research on what strong vibrant workplaces look like and what the world’s greatest managers do to find, focus, and keep talented employees. Interestingly, they found that most managers follow incorrect assumptions about management, … [Read more...] about Break All the Rules
Culture
Making Change Stick
Recently I had a chance to do a half-day workshop on “Making Change Stick” for a group of nonprofit executives at a conference sponsored by NeighborWorks America. Here’s one of main take-aways that may help you when you are in the process of leading a change. These particular nonprofit leaders have been working on various improvements in their organizations for the past year … [Read more...] about Making Change Stick
“Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch”
One of the guest speakers we had in for the Nonprofit Strategy graduate course I taught this past fall at the University of Maryland shared this quote with the class, and it was one of the students’ favorites of the term. I’m not sure who originated the quote, but there are lots of articles with this title and even a new book about to come out by that name. (I have not … [Read more...] about “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch”
Inspiring a Sense of Urgency
I was inspired to write this prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers football game last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. I was worried. The Steelers had shown no “sense of urgency” during the prior week against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and almost lost. “They cannot afford to do that with Cincinnati, ” I worried, “Coach Tomlin better find a way to inspire a sense of … [Read more...] about Inspiring a Sense of Urgency
Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance
Interestingly enough, focusing your organization’s “tribe” on your values can actually lead to higher levels of performance. It makes sense when you think about it. Imagine that an organization has clearly answered the questions “Why are we here? & What do we stand for?” – and that this is widely understood among the staff and key volunteers; your “tribe.” Establishing … [Read more...] about Improve Your “Tribe’s” Performance