Look at your calendar for the next few weeks. How much of what’s on it did you deliberately choose, and how much is there because it was there last month? The recurring meeting, the report someone requested in February, the project that keeps getting another extension. Each may have served a useful purpose when it began. The question is whether it still does. Last week, we discussed fourth-quarter priorities and recognizing what your people have accomplished. This week, let’s look at a few … [Read more...]
The Fourth Quarter Deserves a Fresh Look
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...]
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...]
Every Leadership Decision Teaches a Lesson
The announcement was met with applause. A senior manager had been promoted to Vice President. On paper, the promotion made sense. The numbers were strong, important projects had been completed successfully, and the individual had developed a reputation for getting results. From a distance, the decision appeared straightforward. Yet within hours, conversations were taking place throughout the organization. Not about the title. Not about the compensation package. Not even about the … [Read more...]
People Are Always Watching What You Do Next
A coaching client recently told me he wanted to improve trust and communication within his organization. The intention was genuine. The challenge was that people were paying less attention to what he said and more attention to what he did. Several employees had tried to connect with him over the course of a few weeks. One wanted five minutes to discuss a customer issue. Another had a quick question about a project. A third wanted clarification on a decision affecting her team. Some received … [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...]