I was in a meeting earlier this week where there was an invited speaker discussing a controversial topic. Several of the meeting participants disagreed with his point of view. Not a problem. In fact, dissent is shown to increase divergent thinking and creative solutions. The problem was the participants began personally attacking the speaker and […]
Few things zap your motivation than having a bad relationship with your boss. Trust me, I know from experience, people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. I have an executive coaching client. Let’s call her Mary. She doesn’t trust her boss, John. She feels John doesn’t have her back but doesn’t feel comfortable giving him […]
Part 4: A Progressive Career in IT The most fitting way to bring this series to a close is ironically the discussion of patience. I would like to thank all those who have been patient for the past four months as you read and followed this series of articles. The entire series has been possible […]
By Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth, Program Director, Government Contracts and Acquisition at American Public University After working for the U.S. government for four years right out of college, I landed a new job with the Department of Defense (DOD). I was a GS-12 and on my way to making a good living for my family. But, I […]
It’s a well-known fact that “freedom is not free,” but do we give sufficient thanks for the very freedom that permits us to live peacefully where we choose, with our families, and without fear? How many of us think about the expense of our freedom, and how many simply take our freedom for granted? How […]
“Dog Brain,” or as it was originally presented to me, “Lizard Brain” is acting with minimal thinking. I switch the name lizard brain to dog brain not as an insult or infringement to the instructor who uses it in his class, but rather to help clarify and solidify the concept with more commonly understood imagery. […]
In “Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World,” General Stanley McChrystal explores the challenges he experienced while commanding the Joint Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. I won’t provide too much detail, as I don’t want to call “spoiler alert” or prevent you from reading the book yourself, but Gen. McChrystal […]
One key attribute that makes leaders successful is having a point of view. You are being paid to be a great thinker and make decisions. However, many make the faulty assumption that they have to come up with all the answers on their own and end up doing more talking than listening. While I agree leaders […]
I recently had a discovery call with a new client. I asked my contacts, directors in a medium-sized service business, about the issues they were facing and what outcomes they’d love from the proposed culture initiative. We learned that changes in their market now require very different behaviors from company staff. The old ways of doing business […]
Everyone dreads the boot that come flying out of nowhere. I’m not just talking about a flying shoe in the air. I’m talking about termination, pink slips, bye-bye letters, or whatever you want to call it. I hardly believe that anyone would be “pleased” when and if (God forbid) that happens. Layoffs are difficult to […]
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