What Scottish Whiskey Tastings Taught Me about Teamwork
I’m not a single malt whiskey drinker, but as a visitor to Scotland enjoying the heather-covered moors, shortbread, and fine woolens, I decided to also do a tasting tour of Scottish whiskey by trying two per day. While tasting my way through Scotland, here are two major discoveries I had, with lessons applicable to working with a team.
A Greener Form of Human Resources
There are a great many industries in which individuals who have successfully completed a career track in one area will often seek and find a like opportunity in another line of work, often for a nearly-identical job. Here are just a few of the many examples we may be more familiar with
Prevent Your Organization From Succumbing To Red Tape
One thing most leaders can agree on is that organizations need rules; how else can fairness and consistency be ensured across the organization? But when rules devolve they can inhibit efficiency, effectiveness, sanity, well-being, and more.
Culture Change and Its Quickly Changing Dynamics
One of the most significant characteristics to consider when accepting or rejecting a job offer is the workplace culture. Unlike other characteristics, workplace culture can change quickly whenever there is a change in management personnel.
The Insider Secrets to Launching a Superior Personal Brand
Last month I started to dive into personal branding. However, how can job seekers create a great personal brand? Let’s discuss where and how you can start as well as maintaining consistency.
Connecting What to Why: A Critical Component of Employee Engagement
Even if you think your team SHOULD know the why behind your what, it’s worth quick check to be sure they really understand. Doing work without knowing why, is the shortest path to disengagement.
Career Moves: Where Do You Want to Be?
It’s often tempting in life to do what’s easiest and in front of us rather than stepping back to take a wider and more considered view. Doing something, anything, can feel better than nothing at all. Although tactics may get you somewhere, however, is it where you want to be?
7 Leadership Rules for Gaining More Influence
It can be lonely at the top. When we are in a position of leadership, we can find it difficult to share our struggles. If we share our challenges with those that report to us, it can seem like a weakness in our leadership ability.
Service and Sacrifice: When Thanks Are Backed By Action
Did you know that anyone who enlists in the US military the first time incurs an eight-year service commitment? A recruit might sign a two- or four-year active duty contract; after their active duty period ends, they engage in active or inactive reserve duty for the remainder of that 8-year commitment, whether having been drafted or having volunteered into service.
I Can’t Believe You Said That! Statements Not to Make to Millennials
I recently had the opportunity to attend a team meeting where the manager was giving feedback to his team of 30 millennials who worked for him in a local catering business. I remember some of my supervisors in the past saying the same type of things to me. His statements brought back a flood of memories and reminded me how ineffective such statements can be.
50 Ways to Love Your Leader
Many of us will remember a catchy tune by Paul Simon from the 1970’s called, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. As I listened to it in my car yesterday during my commute, I found myself actively thinking about trying to follow along with the song as I pondered some strong themes in how we can support those who lead us.
Importance of Professional Growth Plans
For those who have utilized career centers at colleges, or for those who have read one of the many advice articles about planning one’s career, this process may seem familiar to a growth plan.
3 Excuses Good Managers Use to Avoid Giving Feedback
Managers avoiding feedback are like fish that avoid water. One of a manager’s main roles at a company is to provide employees with both negative and positive feedback when appropriate. Yet so many managers avoid giving feedback and will go to great lengths to avoid telling their employees how they are doing.
Does Emotional Reasoning Get in the Way of Your Career?
We all face that conundrum on occasions whether to listen to our head or to our heart when making decisions. Some of us lead with our heart and forget or ignore our head. Others start with their head and then pull on the heartstrings. Both are troublesome. So, what should you watch out for when making job and career decisions?
Six Reasons Why Your Project Manager is Frustrated
Your project’s off schedule and you’re frustrated. You’ve applied more heat to your Project Manager, but nothing has gotten any better. You’re scratching your head because normally this guy’s solid. If your project’s off course, despite your project manager’s best efforts, take a deeper look to see if in any of these factors are at play.
Internal Internships: A Winning Practice
If you’ve ever been part of a great internship program–on either side of the desk– you know that it can be a fantastic job preview–an extensive 2-way interview process. It’s an opportunity to try before you buy.
Recognition is the Best Way to Improve Employee Morale
More than ever before, organizations rely on their employees’ involvement, enthusiasm and commitment to be successful. The best customer service can only be achieved when employees bring their best selves to work each and every day. But how can leaders in an organization ensure that each employee does this?
Digital Transformation: Beware of Elephants and Gorillas
It seems that everyone these days is racing to transform their organization in order to take advantage of the Big Data wave. As I’ve been saying for several years, Big Data and Business intelligence are important and valuable technologies every organization should implement if they want to keep up with their competitors.