The kids may have just started a new school year, but in the corporate world it’s time to start working on 2018 strategies, budget, production plans, etc. That also means we’re right around the corner from performance appraisal time. Let’s face it, the only people who enjoy annual performance reviews are the ones who had a phenomenal year. For the rest of us who have struggled and clawed our way through the year, performance appraisals are like pouring salt in the wound. Recounting all the things that didn’t go as planned can be painful and emotionally draining. Even when the … Read More
When You Can’t Control the Storm
Last week was rough. If you watched even a few minutes of the news or spent any time on social media, you were, no doubt, bombarded by unsettling words and images. No matter how fast you changed the channel or closed the laptop lid, the images and feelings stayed with you. The feelings of shock, anger, pain, anxiety, sadness, helplessness, etc., permeate everything we do. What do we do now? Take a deep breath. Now get back to work.
Building a Leader’s Bucket List
The idea of a Bucket List was popularized by a 2007 film starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, but Bucket Lists aren’t just for senior citizens. In fact, as the end of summer nears and the first day of school looms, I’ve been looking over my family’s summer Bucket List to make sure we accomplished all of our goals — like going on a road trip, attending a concert, and catching the upcoming solar eclipse. The idea of a Bucket List is to prioritize all the things you want to accomplish before it’s too late. Bucket Lists are great ways … Read More
Check Fear at the Door
There are Transactional Leaders, Coaching Leaders, and Charismatic Leaders. Some leaders prefer a Command and Control style, where others prefer a more Laissez Fair approach. Many leaders motivate with a carrot, while others prefer to cast a vision bigger than the job itself. There are hundreds of different leadership styles, and no single style is always right all the time, but there is one that has no place in today’s workplace. Few leaders set out to be a Fear-Based Leader. Who would willingly fill the role of company villain? Most leaders envision themselves much more like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos … Read More
Beware the Golden Handcuffs
Successful, profitable organizations are able to offer competitive pay, flexible hours, and attractive benefits. It is much easier for those organizations to attract, recruit, and secure top talent than it is for organizations that offer average or below average compensation packages. Naturally, organizations that offer competitive salaries are also able to retain their employees longer and experience lower turnover. But is that always a good thing? When it comes to compensation, too much of a good thing is possible.
Numbers Don’t Lie: Making the Case for Employee Development
Does this scenario sound familiar? You identify a common skills gap within your team and express your concerns to HR/Leadership. They agree and say they’ve seen a similar issue. You ask for support/funding to train your team. You know they need it, and HR knows they need it, but senior leadership is reluctant to allocate the necessary budget. After all, they just spent tens of thousands on an updated virtual video library for their LMS. Often, identifying the skills gap and the training/coaching solution is far easier than getting budget to fix the issue. Additionally, using a basic ROI equation … Read More