This picture takes me instantly back to my kidhood. The homework or test is handed back to me from the teacher with a grade, and if you did well and got really lucky, it might have one of these stars on it. The star – whether blue, green or gold, made my day. It told… Read More
Helping People Become More Creative
About a year ago, I was asked a question on my Facebook Fan Page (if you don’t follow me there, please do). I thought giving you an answer here might be helpful, because I’ve been asked a similar question many times in workshops over the years, including again recently. Here is the basic version of the question. How can… Read More
How Many Hats are You Trying to Wear?
I don’t know exactly how many hats you have to wear now. But I’m guessing that during this Shutdown the expectations that you have for yourself (or others have for you) has changed. Since everyone’s situation is different, I can’t give you a definitive description or perfectly applicable advice. But I can list the roles… Read More
How One Word Can Kill Your Ability to Influence Others
That is an interesting title isn’t it? Does it leave you curious? Or does it leave you scanning through words in your mind, in a competitive way, trying to guess if you come up with the right one? Either way, I hope I have influenced you to read on . . . While you likely… Read More
How Remote Leaders Can Have an Open-Door Policy
Most leaders want to make themselves available to their team members. Typically, we call this the open-door policy, as in “My door is always open, let me know how I can help you, anytime.” While most say they have an open-door, far fewer actually live it in practice – which is the topic for another… Read More
How to Keep the Negative Attitudes of Others from Impacting You
It is a proven fact – the attitude of those around you is contagious. This fact is great, when the attitude we are infected with is a positive one. But that isn’t the purpose of this article. Since negative attitudes are just as contagious as positive ones, if you are like me, you’d like to… Read More
How to Keep the Negative Attitudes of Others From Impacting You
It is a proven fact – the attitude of those around you is contagious. This fact is great, when the attitude we are infected with is a positive one. But that isn’t the purpose of this article. Since negative attitudes are just as contagious as positive ones, if you are like me, you’d like to… Read More
How to Make Every Performance Review More Effective
When you think about performance reviews, what do you think? Chances are, your first thoughts aren’t positive, and the day of your performance review isn’t a day you circle with positive anticipation. The fact is that . . . Most performance reviews . . . aren’t very effective. Most performance reviews . . . are stressful…. Read More
How You Must Change to Move from Stellar Salesperson to Effective Leader
When you look at the title you likely are focusing on the back half of it – “the stellar to effective” part. But let me be clear – the only way to have that part happen starts at the beginning with “you must change.” If you got past the title and are still reading you… Read More
Is It Okay for Leaders to Be Scared?
It’s okay to be scared when it’s Halloween or you’re watching a scary movie. But this is a brief experience and leaders lead all year long, so the question asked by the title of this piece is a good one – “Is it ok for leaders to be scared?” Most leaders would say No! After… Read More
Leadership and the Power of Perspective
I’ve been thinking recently about the importance of perspective to our role as a leader. And when I recently saw the work of Gus Petro, who put a new perspective on New York City and the Grand Canyon, it prompted me to write this article. The project is called merge (and the website can be… Read More
Leading a Sales Team, Not Just Managing Sales
If your title is Sales Manager, or something similar, I’m writing to you. If you aren’t a sales manager but want to be, or even if you just want to be a more effective salesperson, I am writing to you too. My goal is to clarify the role of a Sales Manager. Most would think… Read More
Lessons From a Coal Mine
A few weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity to tour one of the most productive coal mining operations in the United States. The River View Mine outside of Waverly, KY is also the largest mine of its type in the U.S. – bringing 62,000 tons of coal and rock out of the mine each… Read More
No More Meeting Madness: Simple Steps to More Effective, Efficient Meetings
Perhaps no topic I talk about in workshops gains more immediate and heartfelt groans than the topic of meetings. You likely attended too many last week. You likely attended at least one last week that was a waste of your time. You likely can think of a recent meeting that you didn’t even know why… Read More
On Silos and Accountability
I was at my farm recently, and I was looking at the silo you see a picture of here. Erected in 1979, it was the “Cadillac” of structures of its type. Today, the entire silo business is nonexistent. The change is a story largely of the modern dairy (and to a lesser degree hog) farm…. Read More
OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE
What do you see in the title above? Do you see “opportunity is nowhere”? Or do you see “opportunity is now here”? The letters are the same so both of them are “there”– and it depends on what you see as to what actions you might take next. You have the same situation as you… Read More
Overcoming the Organizational Communication Gap
I’ve been working with people in all levels of organizations for nearly thirty years – from CEO’s to middle managers, from frontline employees to first level leaders. And the single most common concern I’ve heard across all those people, across all those years is: communication in the organization. I’ve worked with organizations where it truly… Read More
Questions to Make Your Virtual Meetings More Effective
Few consider meetings the highlight of their workday – more probably consider it the bane of their work life. It is true that meetings, while important and potentially useful, aren’t always very good. Sadly, now that most meetings are being held virtually, it hasn’t gotten any better. The challenge is how to have more effective… Read More
Remarkable TV: What It Takes to Lead Remotely
Remote teams are changing how we lead. Here are 3 competencies to help you adapt your leadership style to lead your remote team more effectively.
Seven Great Questions to Ask Others
Just this morning, in a coaching conversation, I asked a question that, as stated by the other person, was exactly what would help them past their obstacle. I’m gratified that I could help. The same question, without trust between the other person and me, might have fallen flat. The intention and purpose of our questions,… Read More
Seven Key Actions to Greater Personal and Professional Development
“What did you learn today?” It’s a question that sounds familiar to most of us. You were likely asked it when you were a kid. And, if you are a parent, you’ve probably asked it of your kids too. But when was the last time you asked it of yourself? “What did I learn today?”… Read More
Seven Keys to More Effectively Leading Teams
Maybe you find yourself in a new team environment and leading a team for the first time, or maybe you have been working with and leading teams forever. Either way, the keys in this article – whether as new information or a fresh reminder – can make a world of difference in morale, productivity, and… Read More
Seven Steps to Setting Clear Expectations
Expectations are important, and once we realize the ultimate importance of expectations, and the areas in which they need to be set, we also need to know how to actually set them. That is the purpose of this article – to give you a seven step process as a supervisor, leader, manager or coach, to… Read More
Seven Ways the Best Leaders Set an Example by Going First
To lead someone or something means, literally, to be in front, so that others can see and follow in that direction. Stated another way, if you think you are leading, but no one is following, you are just taking a walk. In yet other words, leaders are leaders because of what they do, not because… Read More