If being a leader is tough, then leading employees in their very first job out of college is like the Spartan Race of leadership! These new grads enter the workforce with excitement, wonder, determination, and sometimes anxiety. And as every blog post or article on Millennials and Gen Z will tell you, they often enter the workforce with unrealistic expectations and unchecked assumptions. As their first boss, you have to give the new grads a dose of reality while not crushing their dreams and killing their motivation. It’s a tough balance. In addition to the normal onboarding process you complete … Read More
The Best Part of Your Worst Year
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.
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
The One Unacceptable Uncertainty
“There is nothing certain, but the uncertain.” – Proverb The term VUCA has gone from a trendy corporate buzz word to a common expression of the unique challenges presented in the workplace today. VUCA is an acronym that stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. In other words, “Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!” The term originated in the military sector and has been adapted to organizations faced with newly complex conditions including rapid global expansions, technological disruptions, shifting demographics, etc. In a VUCA world, the leaders who get it right aren’t the ones who are the … Read More
Seven Universal Soft Skills Everyone Should Master
A 256% net return on investment—it’s the holy grail of training outcomes and easier to achieve than you might think. A study conducted by Boston College, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan found that soft skills training does NOT create soft results. The study showed that even minimal time investments in each skill (5-12 hours) boosts productivity and retention 12 percent and those results last up to 9 months.