It’s really not that complicated, which makes it even more maddening that meetings seem to be run poorly so often. If you have been recently frustrated about that, click here for some comic relief with a clip from the classic, Bloody Meetings. Not every meeting has the same purpose, but following are general guidelines for running an effective meeting. Feel free to forward … [Read more...] about Top Ten List: Running a Great Meeting
Leadership
Healthy Team Debates
We know that “constructive conflict” is an important part of effective team decision making. If individuals within a team do not feel comfortable proposing alternative ideas to one another then the first idea suggested might be approved or, maybe worse, whatever idea the boss suggests will be adopted. Many authors, including Patrick Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), … [Read more...] about Healthy Team Debates
Implementing Integrated Strategy
The three most important questions that your strategy should answer are: *What products/services/programs of value are we going to provide and to whom? *Who do we need to staff the provision of these products/services/programs? *How will we finance all of this activity? An organization should have at least one strategic goal which relates to each of these … [Read more...] about Implementing Integrated Strategy
The Ideal Board Chair
This column is written in honor of Richard R. Gibbs, who was the first Board Chair I worked for and who passed away during this past week. Richard was an exceptional leader and was a very supportive Board Chair of a very young Executive Director who didn’t really know what he was doing. I learned a lot from Richard and am very thankful for him in many ways. Here are some … [Read more...] about The Ideal Board Chair
Engaged & Exhausted
Employee engagement is the current Holy Grail for organizations. Many employers – including my own, the University of Maryland – are spending millions of dollars to assess employee engagement and implement programs to increase engagement. Given the research on the payoff of having an engaged workforce, these investments make sense (e.g., see extensive research by Gallup). … [Read more...] about Engaged & Exhausted