What do Santa Claus and performance reviews have in common? Basically, everything. Your boss may not look like a jolly man with a round belly and a stable of reindeer, but at performance review time, he/she certainly holds all the gift-giving power with their big bag full of bonuses and merit increases. As a child, when did you start thinking about Santa Claus? April? August? No. You started thinking about Christmas when the big toy catalog arrived in the mail in late October. Suddenly, as you flipped through the pages and circled every item for your wish list, you remembered … Read More
It All Starts with Trust
Half of the country woke up last Wednesday morning wondering “what happened here?” How could nearly every poll, pundit, and expert be so wrong in predicting the next President of the United States? Through canvassing, online polls, telephone polls, social media mentions, rally size, and so many other ways, we thought we accurately analyzed all of the data that should predict voter behaviors. This same methodology has worked in nearly every other presidential election in modern history. But this time, the system failed. What happened here? It boils down to trust. The questions were asked. “Who do you plan to … Read More
From the Front-line to the C-suite
Download Jim Morris’ revealing white paper, “From the Front-line to the C-Suite,” and find out more about shared leadership competencies and the perspective shifts leaders must make to navigate the leadership ladder. Jim facilitates the transformational front-line leadership program, Step-Up, offered by Executive Forum, which applies these leadership traits and perspectives in cohort and facilitated classroom learning. Numerous studies demonstrate that individuals who take the opportunity to practice leadership and management skills under the supervision and support of someone who has mastered a specific competency develop the competency faster and more effectively model the desired behavior. Leaders who have been … Read More
Trial and Error Leadership
When I was a young recruiter, one of my favorite interview questions was “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake.” It’s a tough question to answer as a candidate. In an interview, we have been trained to present the most positive version of ourselves in an interview and hide any potential flaws. The interview question puts the candidate in a tough scenario where they want to provide a truthful, informative answer without damaging the positive impression they’ve built throughout the interview. Of all the times I asked that question, the “mistakes” candidates shared with me never scared … Read More
The Golden Rules of Email
What would we do without email? Email allows us all to connect, coordinate, share, and document in an instant. It also opens a world of opportunity for misunderstanding and confusion. While email often helps us work more efficiently, it can also derail progress when the tone of an email is unclear. The recipient spends hours poring over every word trying to analyze the intent; meanwhile, the sender had no hidden agenda or intentional subtle wording. Every word we type in an email matters. Each word will be read, analyzed, discussed, and saved for future reference. Anyone can send an email. … Read More
Three Steps to Being Heard
If there’s anything an election year reminds us, it’s that disagreements are uncomfortable. When each side feels passionately about a topic, and neither is willing to hear facts, perspective, or concerns from the other side, the discussion reaches an impasse. Occasionally, when debate occurs between people in a healthy relationship, it’s possible to agree to disagree. But when the opponent is your boss, and the issue at hand can’t be ignored, a more thoughtful approach is necessary. Influencing senior leadership requires planning and careful consideration. Unless the company is built on a culture of radical transparency and honesty, a small … Read More