“You have to learn to manage up better.” Perhaps someone has said this to you or a colleague. To manage up, you need to be strategic in how you handle work relationships with your boss and individuals higher on the company ladder that possess more power than you. When you manage up with leaders, the [...]
Is strategic thinking important for leaders? When asked this question, most business leaders said "yes." The remaining said generic use of the term has muddied its meaning. Therefore, let me clarify what I mean by strategic thinking as it applies to work. In my experience, individuals who effectively demonstrate this capability: Use a broad “field of [...]
Whether you are a C-suite executive, middle manager or an emerging leader, you will continue to face setbacks. Maybe the company is not performing up to expectations or you are not getting the progress you want from employees on key initiatives. Setbacks can start to take a toll on you. How you do you respond [...]
“She is a leader who has some rough edges needing refinement.” “He has done well in his current role, but he isn’t sure how to get to the next level.” “He doesn’t recognize how demotivating he can be to the organization.” “We have tried to help her but nothing has worked. I’m not sure what [...]
If you are reading this on your computer or mobile device, chances are you and your colleagues will soon be discussing a change needed in your organization. Not only that, you may be asked to help successfully implement this change. Unless you are an expert, change management is difficult to get your arms around. If [...]
“If I take the time to explain what I need, they still won’t do it the way that I do. It’s just easier to do it myself.” How often have you or a colleague made such a statement? While you may believe that taking the time to explain is inefficient, take a moment to consider what [...]
Has trust in our dynamic, global marketplace reached a crisis level over the last year? According to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, the answer is “yes.” This annual, global survey finds the number of countries falling into the “distruster” category increased to two-thirds from one-half in 2016. For countries in this category, trust in business, [...]
“If there is one place many of our company’s leaders could improve, it is having candid discussions with people about how they are doing, especially if these people are failing to deliver on expectations.” Do you know any organizations like this? Since I regularly hear statements of this type in my line of work, I [...]
“What am I missing?” Janet, a concerned division leader, posed this question to me after reading a post I wrote about what leaders can do to get their employees to be accountable. She continued, “It makes sense for me to check situational constraints, ensure capability fit and assess the willingness of my direct reports. Could [...]
It’s the beginning of a new year which brings interest in what the market will look like for the next 12 months, especially from a merger and acquisition (M&A) standpoint. What do you anticipate? How ready is your organization if an M&A is on the horizon? When key market stakeholders were recently asked, most expected [...]