“Is she coachable?” It’s the question every manager asks as they consider the future of an under-performing employee. If I give direct feedback, flex to her learning style, and offer new techniques, do I envision a pathway where this individual becomes an impactful part of the team? The question of coachability is too broad, though. Several key factors that contribute to coachability must be considered first. These include overall competency, self-awareness, openness to feedback, learning agility, motivation, time, resources, etc. Given unlimited attention, budget, and patience, perhaps most people are coachable. However, reality often places constraints that may limit the … Read More
Getting Unstuck
As one’s career ebbs and flows, it’s common to experience times of peak productivity and effectiveness as well as times of frustration and stagnation. When everything is working as it should, the highs are incredible and create natural energy to drive you forward. But when the tough days turn into rough weeks, months, or even a year, that job can start to feel a bit like quicksand. When the lows hit, the worst thing you can do is keep pushing ahead without making any changes. You can’t run out the clock using the same ineffective behaviors and choices you used … Read More
Leading While Walking and Talking
The research on sitting is clear. We’re slowly killing ourselves through inactivity every day. In addition to developing poor posture, sitting for long periods of time is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia—regardless of diet. In addition to the net negative impact on health, sitting also impacts productivity. Energy level drops, creativity is impacted, and brain fog emerges. While corporate wellness programs may encourage step count competitions and provide great education on overall wellness, leaders should take an active role in increasing physical activity in the office.
Six Reasons to Implement Job Rotation
Job rotations often fall in the ‘sounds good, but we don’t have time” category for most organizations. Most leaders believe that, in theory, the advantages outweigh the possible negative effects of workplace disruption. Yet, few organizations have an active job rotation strategy or plan. The feeling is that most teams are barely keeping their heads above water. They simply can’t lose any team members, nor can they take extra time to train a temporary outsider. This view is understandable, yet short-sighted. We prioritize what matters. From job swapping to shadowing and rotations, here are some benefits that alternative job assignments … Read More
Taking Ownership of Organizational Culture
You never know when you’ll experience an ah-ha moment that transcends the original application. Two members of our team recently experienced one of those moments while attending a performance of BodyVox, an internationally touring dance company based in Portland. While reflecting on the unfortunate lack of appreciation and support for liberal arts in the education system, Jamey Hampton, BodyVox co-founder and co-artistic director, commented. “We can’t say it’s a cultural problem. We ARE the culture.” “Ah-ha,” we said. There are no spectators when it comes to culture (both within the organizational context and beyond). Everyone plays a role, and the … Read More
Breaking Through the Organizational Change Myth
“No one likes change.” It’s one of those statements we’ve all heard so often in business that we’ve come to accept it as fact. No one likes change. On face value, it seems reasonable. We can all think of some organizational change initiative that was met with resistance by a few (or many) vocal opponents, so anecdotally the statement seems to hold water. But look past the failed change initiatives and think about the ways we seek out change every day. We buy new cars and homes. We meet new people and build relationships. We start families and change careers. … Read More