Blog

Meetings are often the subject of many jokes. Hours are wasted in poorly run or unnecessary meetings. Yet when they are facilitated well, meetings can be an important forum for hashing through difficult concepts and making good decisions. So how can you ensure that your meetings are not the source of someone else’s grief and frustration?

Making the most of our isolation resulting from our response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Feedback is tough. Just ask anyone who has ever given or received it. It’s not fun to be on either end of the feedback discussion; however, it’s necessary. Without honest feedback we would...

Ever hear talk at the office about how Sales and Operations can’t seem to get along? Marketing and Sales aren’t on the same page? What about the tension caused by the different rules that employees in the IT department play by? Want to fix it?...

Asking your employees how they are doing is an empty question that promises an empty answer. Want proof? Try this experiment: Walk through any hallway, busy corridor or the lunchroom at work. You can even try this experiment in your neighborhood, at your kid’s football game or at the grocery store. Ask each person you encounter how they are doing...

I have worked with many leaders over the years that earnestly want to help develop their current and future leaders. They care about the success of the organization and the personal success of those individuals who comprise the organization. Before bringing in all the line managers of a firm to tell them what they need to develop, I would suggest that we start with the leader. Leaders who model what I call a “Me First” attitude are...

“Know thyself” is a famous quote originally attributed to Socrates and later by the 19th century German poet and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Many contemporary authors refer to this quote when punctuating the importance of self-awareness. Indeed, learning how to see yourself as others do is...

I was recently approached with a question from a registered nurse who was frustrated by the nursing staff she had previously worked with. She said they were irresponsible and often behaved in ways that compromised the care of their patients. Her stress and frustration was obvious, and she asked me...

I have had many managers over the years ask for my help in developing their leadership teams. I usually ask them what they have in mind, what they have tried and what they want to accomplish. Invariably, there is some mention of a previous afternoon at a bowling alley eating pizza in order to build camaraderie between the team members. Now, I have nothing against bowling or pizza. I, in fact...

Generational transitions are risky times in the life of a family business. Preparing the new generation of owners is a critical part of ensuring long-term success of the firm. Research shows that a significant number of businesses fail during this time. In fact, in their book, Family Business, Poza and Dougherty cite only 30% of family businesses...

The general lack of awareness of organization development became clear to me while pursuing my master’s degree in OD. After my mother-in-law had a major surgery, I was helping her organize a complex medication regimen with a spreadsheet and color-coordinated labels on each bottle. A friend of hers had come to visit and commented on how complicated it all looked. My mother-in-law told her friend how grateful she was for my organization skills and proudly informed her that I was pursuing my master’s degree in organization...