Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
Leading With Estrogen
It’s time to have more estrogen in the leadership ranks. When I entered the workforce in the last century, I was considered a “feminist” because I hyphenated my name and then because I preferred “Ms.” I was told that women couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure, make difficult decisions or understand complex [...]
Being in BED is a Breeding Ground
“We got it done, but it was ugly,” the manager said, shaking his head in disbelief. Miscommunications, lack of communication, an inexperienced team leader and management on vacation resulted in cost over-runs exceeding $50,000, delayed implementation and loss of customer respect and confidence. The manager lamented that this was not an unusual experience. It happened [...]
A Failure To Communicate Can Be Costly
What happened when managers didn’t communicate? Productivity dropped 75% from 4.8 hours/day to 1.2 hours/day Social chat and gossip increased more than 100% from 1.5 hours/day to 3.2 hours/day Shocking, isn’t it? But hold on to your hat… Those are stats from a 1997 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [...]
Profit Maximization!
Years ago an executive announced: It’s time for the annual Austerity Program! Could anything be more uninspiring than an austerity program when trying to rally the troops? Most people don’t jump out of bed and ask: How can I be more austere today? Just pull the covers over my head and tell me when [...]
Bring Your A – Game
If you were asked to bring your “A-Game” to work, every day, what would that look like? And more importantly, what would be the results? Think about it. How would this change in attitude and behavior make a difference? What would you be doing differently if you were performing “at the top of your game” [...]
Too Many Chefs Spoil the Soup
There’s the story of the husband and wife who are both gourmet cooks. The husband is planning a meal for dinner guests and the wife says, “Oh! That sounds good! And if you add XYZ, and make this sauce and prepare the vegetables this way… it will be fabulous!” She even put all the ingredients [...]
Imagine a Win-Win World
Radical Collaboration. Imagine a world filled with “Radical Collaboration.” That was just one of many themes during the recent 5-day TED Conference where a chef-activist, a deep sea explorer and street artist explored what that meant to them in their worlds. What would Radical Collaboration look like in your world? How would Radical Collaboration change [...]
Spring Into Action Or Fall Behind
Driving down the boulevard I noticed some trees are bursting with fresh, new buds to welcome Spring, but the next tree has brittle leaves, leftover from the Fall clinging to the limbs. Organizations and trees are similar when it comes to renewal and change. Some organizations welcome change with all its possibilities of new life [...]
The “Non-Interview” Interview
“I won’t hire him because he couldn’t get the ketchup out of the bottle.” That was the explanation the manager gave Human Resources for not hiring a market research analyst. Horrified and aghast, they complained it wasn’t a fair reason. Consider this… During a luncheon interview, the candidate for a market research position attempted to [...]
What’s Your Participation Style?
How do you participate? At work, at home, in meetings… in life? Many think of participation in terms of sports or games: being a good team player, “playing fair.” But participation goes way beyond the court or field. Consider that your participation has a direct impact on the results you achieve and the life you’re [...]
RECENT POSTS
MARTY'S ASSOCIATIONS
CONNECT WITH MARTY