Photo by Theo Decker It’s October. Three months remain in the year, and somewhere in your organization someone is saying, “We need to finish strong.” Fair enough. There are commitments to honor, customers to serve, and goals people have worked toward all year. Finishing strong is a reasonable expectation. But before you ask everyone to pick up the pace, have you taken a fresh look at what you’re asking them to accomplish? Quite a bit may have changed since January. A customer you … [Read more...]
Are We Shaping the Future of Work Together?
Every powerful new tool changes work in two ways. First, it changes how a task is performed. Then, over time, it changes what people are capable of doing. We’re beginning to see both changes with artificial intelligence. You may have read about new AI models that can predict protein structures and use computer models to screen promising molecules during the early stages of drug discovery. Laboratory testing and clinical trials are still essential, but researchers may be able to narrow the … [Read more...]
What Happened to the Deal?
For a long time, there was an unwritten agreement between employers and employees. You showed up. You worked hard. You did your job well. You supported the organization, and in return, you expected the organization to support you. Nobody necessarily handed you a document explaining the arrangement. It was simply understood. Stay with the company. Do good work. Take on more responsibility. In return, there would be opportunity, reasonable security, increasing compensation, and perhaps … [Read more...]
Building Something Better
America is celebrating its 250th birthday. In the history of nations, is 250 years old…or surprisingly young? The answer depends on what we’re measuring. Civilizations around the world trace their histories back thousands of years. By comparison, the United States is still a relatively young nation. Yet in only 250 years, America has become one of the most powerful and influential countries the world has ever known. How does that happen? I don’t believe the answer begins with geography, … [Read more...]
Trust Is Built in Small Moments
When most people think about trust, they think about defining moments. A promise kept. A promise broken. A difficult conversation. A crisis. A betrayal. A second chance. Those moments matter. In fact, some of them can change a relationship forever. But defining moments rarely appear out of nowhere. More often, they reveal what has already been built. Early in my career, while serving as a Third Mate aboard a U.S. flag tanker, our ship was scheduled for an inspection by the American Bureau … [Read more...]
When Nobody Questions the Process
Over the years, I’ve spent time inside organizations of all sizes. Some were growing rapidly. Some were struggling. Some were trying to figure out why growth had stalled despite having talented people, solid products, and years of experience. Interestingly, one pattern appears more often than you might think. A process exists. A report gets produced. A meeting takes place. An approval is required. A customer issue is handled a certain way. And when someone asks why, the … [Read more...]