For highly skilled sales people, networking and identifying strategic relationships often come easily. These individuals tend to gain energy by meeting new people, create meaningful connections with ease, and quickly assess evidence of that person’s value within the network. This is part skill, part experience, and part art. But networking and building relationships is not a skill reserved for sales people. In fact, most models of High Potential include some combination of emotional intelligence and the ability to identify, develop, and leverage meaningful relationships. At the leadership level, exerting influence in the absence of formal power often comes down to … Read More
Thank You Note Controversy: Lessons Learned
Last week, Jessica Liebman (managing editor of Insider, Inc) wrote a controversial article on Business Insider declaring that the number one mistake an employment candidate makes during the selection process is failing to send a thank you note after the interview. She even went so far as to say, “As a hiring manager, you should always expect a thank-you email, and you should never make an offer to someone who neglected to send one.” She backed this claim by highlighting the hundreds of people she has hired over the last 10 years. Unsurprisingly, readers responded strongly to her arbitrary standard … Read More
Everyone Needs a Work Spouse
While many companies discourage romantic office relationships and have policies that prevent family members working together, there’s one form of employee relationship that delivers tangible benefits to the organization. The concept of a “work spouse” is becoming more common and less taboo. It’s important to establish exactly what a “work spouse” is and what it isn’t. A work spouse is one coworker with whom you connect on a deep level. You may have experienced an immediate connection with them or share similar interests/perspectives. The relationship is likely very low maintenance in that there are rarely disagreements and there are low … Read More
Which Came First—The Procrastination or the Stress?
I overheard a conversation in the coffee line on Monday that bothered me all week. Person 1: What’s up with you today? You seem a bit off. Person 2: I’m ok—just a bit stressed. Person 1: Really? Work stress or home stress? Person 2: I don’t know. Both, I guess. I have this huge project and there’s a lot of pressure with it. I really need it to go well. There’s just so much to do and I can never get ahead. I’ll probably have to work all evening every night this week to get it done. Person 1: Didn’t … Read More
Do You Sabotage Your Learning Culture?
When was the last time you learned something new? Think back on that moment and how it happened. Perhaps you were searching for more information on a topic and came across something new. Or the information may have been presented to you unexpectedly. If you pay attention, it’s likely true that you learn something new every day. But, establishing a learning culture in an organization is not as simple as it may seem. Many organizations have great intentions but fail to execute a strategy that truly transforms a culture into one that values constant development, knowledge transfer, and thoughtful inquiry. … Read More
Office Space 2019: It’s a Problem of Motivation, Bob
It’s been 20 years since the 1999 cult classic movie “Office Space” was released and workers everywhere bonded over their shared disdain for mundane work, lack of functional resources, poor communication and motivation, and ineffective reporting structures. We followed worker Peter Gibbons as he transitioned from disengaged employee through his awakening and career change. We saw what happens when the employee’s values and company culture are mis-aligned. And who could forget the satisfaction of seeing defunct office equipment destroyed with a baseball bat? Have we improved the workplace experience at all in the past 20 years? If a sequel to … Read More