“Nothing ever gets done in meetings. Meetings are a waste of time. Meetings are of no value.” For a list of reasons, we all try to avoid getting stuck in a meeting that goes on and on. There are many suggestions to improve meeting productivity, but all will be for naught if your meeting does not include Mitch Zenger’s first recommendation. Source: Meetings at … [Read more...]
Difficult conversations with your boss
Knowing your audience is an essential part of success for a public speaker. It can also be effective when you have one of those difficult internal conversations with someone higher up the ladder than you. Dr. Joel Rothaizer’s advice in this article will make that interaction easier and the outcome more productive. Source: Forbes, April 20, 2021. Link. Taking the perspectives … [Read more...]
Refining leadership skills
No doubt 2020 was challenging for everyone. What was projected as 14 days to flatten the curve will soon morph into 14 months and counting. One lasting lesson is the need for the constant fine-tuning of leadership skills, as Melissa Daimler points out. Source: Forbes, November 24, 2020. Link. It has demanded an evolution of how we work and what we learn. The shifts in these … [Read more...]
Engage sales reps as resources
The great reps that call on your clinic are first interested in your success because they know it will aid their success. In my most recent column for Vet-Advantage magazine, I suggest ways reps can be of further help during this pandemic. You can start the process by engaging your rep in this conversation. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2021 Digital. Link. They (Engaged … [Read more...]
Women can be strong leaders
Once upon a time, revealing your emotions in the workplace was considered a sign of weakness, especially for women. However, “once upon a time,” is the opening line of fairy tales. Passion, compassion, and emotional intelligence are leadership strengths and always have been Source: Business News Daily, April 1, 2019. Link. Every successful entrepreneur and business leader … [Read more...]
Two steps forward, one step back
Career development is not always a straight line of challenges. Sometimes the challenge is a parallel move or a step back. Your willingness to alter course to gain additional experience, skills or competencies can pay huge dividends in the future as Diya Jolley points out. Source: CNBC, October 4, 2019. Link. So many people are laser-focused on scoring a higher role. But if … [Read more...]
Lead by example
Lead by example may be a cliché, but it also an effective way to develop future leaders, as my friend Scott Mastley points out. Perhaps more than ever before, it is crucial that your actions are consistent with your words. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 18, 2021. Link. Be yourself and be accountable for your actions. INSIGHT: Today’s leaders are responsible for … [Read more...]
Complex simplicity
Leadership is one of the most written-about topics in the world. Some present it as complex, while others present it as simple. It is both. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 10, 2021. Link. That means, in a business setting, it is important to remember that you work for your employees, they do not work for you. Your job is to build your team, provide value, and give them … [Read more...]
Show your leadership in the storm
Leadership is easy in good times. Effective leaders tend to get out of the way and spend their time looking ahead. However, when the pandemic is celebrating its one-year anniversary, more is required. Source: peoplehum.com, January 2021. Link. This is when real leaders need to stand up, speak out, and lead. INSIGHTS: As the leader, you communicate whether or not you are … [Read more...]
Pandemic leadership lessons can help you
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a unique crisis for businesses. These leadership tactics can serve you and your team for years to come. Source: enterprisersproject.com, August 31, 2020. Link. In challenging times, people will step up if we let them. But if you try to solve the world’s problems on your own, your team can only stand back and watch. Bring your team into … [Read more...]
Saying it and doing it are different
I learned a valuable lesson from my mentor, “Saying you want something is one thing, but actually doing something about it is very different.” We prove what we desire most by our actions, not by our words. Source: becomingminimalist. Link. In too many cases, what we say we want is different from what we pursue. INSIGHT: A goal without a plan is just a wish. … [Read more...]
Managers need leadership training
Driven by the incredible pace of change in globalized business and the new will of the workforce that prioritizes development and flexibility, today’s business world is agile and dynamic. Source: Gallup, January 21, 2021. Link. This habit of reserving high-potential develop for the top layers of a company is a major blind spot for executive leaders, and it threatens the … [Read more...]
Engage millennials with good work experiences
Advancing from the least-engaged age group to the most-engaged age group, thanks to the pandemic and its baby, remote work; millennials are engaging like never before. Their engagement surge clearly relates to a particular employee experience – one that can be analyzed, categorized – and replicated. Source: Gallup, January 6, 2021. Link. Millennials are the majority and as … [Read more...]
2020’s Leadership lessons
All those who made it through the past 12 months did so by learning, being conscious of their situations and being open to change. Here are five important lessons. Source: Executive Grapevine, January 13, 2021. Link. Interactions are essential. INSIGHT: My personal mantra for 2020 and beyond is “Assess, Adapt and Act.” … [Read more...]
The 2021 employee experience
To create a best-in-class workplace, leaders need to consistently deliver on the fundamental, unchanging elements of a great employee experience. At the same time, leaders must ask smart questions in response to pressing demands and strategically adapt their employee experience to accommodate those challenges. Source: Gallup.com, January 8, 2021. Link. Onboarding new … [Read more...]
The fallacy of more education
Far too often we believe that more education will solve every problem. It will not. If it did, we would have achieved 100 percent compliance years ago and this entire column would be unnecessary. Source: Vet-Advantage, December 2020. Link. When you mention vaccines or preventatives, your customer will begin to formulate an attitude about that subject. The attitude they adopt … [Read more...]
Resilience needed for ongoing success
For many of us, and in most businesses, change is constant. Whether a business is adapting for relevance, roles are expanding for progress or departments are realigning for efficiencies, something new is at the heart of the change initiatives. And, never has this been truer for all of us in a global pandemic. Source: Turknett Leadership Group, December 17, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
That is logical
Becoming a logical person involves cultivating intellectual habits and skills that, though they may seem simple and obvious, are only achieved after years of struggle and education. Source: The 10 habits of logical people, Foundation for economic education, fee.org. January 21, 2018. Link. The authentically logical person keeps his logic rooted in truth and never lets it … [Read more...]
The future of work?
Upon examination, these months of operating in survival mode provide valuable insight into how organizations and people can move forward from this disruption and position themselves to navigate future disruptions that are bound to occur. In short, we see a path toward thriving, not merely surviving. Source: Forbes, November 18, 2020. Link. Going forward, leaders and teams … [Read more...]
Habits and the Grand Canyon
I am not sure there is a way to adequately prepare yourself to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. But for those who have always lived nearby it is just a fact of life, part of the usual environment. Like a habit. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, November 18, 2020. Link Replacing a bad habit with a good one is not as easy as that sounds, but it is doable. You do not have to be … [Read more...]
The new manager challenge
The transition from individual contributor to manager is not an easy one. In many cases, the skills that got you a promotion will not be the same ones that make you effective as a manager. Source: Inc., August 7, 2017. Link. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself, in others, and leveraging this awareness to manage your … [Read more...]
Creativity – nature or nurture?
Some people think creativity is static. You are either born creative, or not. Jesse Hemphill believes creativity is more of a muscle that you can strengthen. Sure, some people are born preternaturally fit, but we can all do a lot to get a lot stronger. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, November 2, 2020. Link. If you are looking to grow professionally as a writer or a hotel staffer or … [Read more...]
Learn to say, “No.”
To make the most of your time, you will need to say no to things that are not particularly aligned with your personal or professional goals. Source: Forge, September 21, 2020. Link. The question is not would I rather do this thing or nothing, it’s would I rather do this thing or everything else in my already packed life that I’m currently living. INSIGHTS: Time is a … [Read more...]
Opening a conversation
If you find yourself starting conversations with, “How are you?,” Bill Murphy, Jr.’s column will help you. Because it turns out there is a solid argument for why choosing a different phrase could subtly improve the ways that other people perceive you. Source: Inc., October 10, 2020. Link. Most of the time, you don't ask "How are you?" because you actually want the other … [Read more...]
Leadership is often not pretty
Many consider leadership an art and sometimes that art is imperfect. The market changed and you did not see it coming. That new hire turned out to be all style and little substance. Regardless of the specifics, mistakes happen, and Jason Aten’s article may help you manage them. Source: INC, October 10, 2020. Link. One of the most challenging parts (of leadership) is that you … [Read more...]
Dreamer or doer?
Warren Buffett shares four life choices. Common sense, yes. But, to many of us, it is not common practice. That is, until we become believers than the principles work. All you need to do is act on them with positive intent. Source: Inc., September 24, 2020. Link. You will move in the direction of people you associate with. So, it is important to associate with those that are … [Read more...]
Zooming as the norm
With more people than ever working remotely, it feels like we’ve been in more meetings than normal in 2020. The desire to sync up with our teams more often when we are all working from our homes makes sense. Source: Giant Leap Consulting, September 9, 2020. Link. That is, start your meetings by making sure everyone on the call understands the Purpose, the Outcomes, and the … [Read more...]
Clear expectations needed for best results
Our expectations are world-class customer service.” Does this mean we answer your call within three rings? Does it mean our customer service representatives are multi-lingual? Does this mean our customer service department is open 24/7/365? Does it mean the customer is always right? Exactly what does it mean? It illustrates the need to set clear expectations. Rachel Botsman’s … [Read more...]
Grief leadership needed during Covid-19
The coronavirus pandemic has put in perspective the need for leaders to prepare for disruption of work routines, anxiety within their communities and organizations, and even deaths of community members, friends and team members. Source: Uniformed Services University, May 2020. Link. During pandemics, leaders must attend to many responsibilities, including effective … [Read more...]
Too many options
The information age has provided decision makers greater access to more information faster than ever before. While information is beneficial, too much of a good thing can create problems. This is where the concept of “strategic ignorance” can help decision makers succeed. Source: ideas.ted.com August 31, 2020. Link. If you’re serious about achieving goals and intentionally … [Read more...]