Critical thinking, decision making, and solving problems are among the top desired skills in nearly any role. We want people who can identify problems, evaluate information, and draw conclusions quickly and effectively. Studies show individuals with strong critical thinking skills have higher educational and occupational attainment than those who struggle to think critically. Naturally, with such an emphasis on selecting and developing great thinkers, that should translate into highly successful organizations where problems are effectively identified and addressed. Unfortunately, where we may lack a critical thinking problem, we often find a management problem. In hierarchical organizations and those with poorly distributed … Read More
Navigating through Uncertainty
Over the weekend, I completed some pre-Summer cleaning in my office. This has become a bit of a coping technique for me to get through the past few volatile months. While unemployment rises and the economy dips, I can still maintain a degree of control through organizing my workspace so that I don’t add to the mental clutter. In the process of organizing old documents, I came across my 2020 Strategic Plan. Instead of tossing it in the shredder, I took some time to reflect on what a wild few months it has been. Like any good strategic plan, there … Read More
Getting Back to Basics in the Face of VUCA
“In these unprecedented times…” How many times have you read (or written) an email with that introductory line in the past 2 months? The world has been turned upside down, and we all feel like we’re stuck in a lifeboat adrift in the sea. I used to loathe the use of the term VUCA in reference to the workplace because it was used so liberally. Was the workplace really more volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous than in previous years, or do we just have a poor memory? But it would be hard to argue against labeling 2020 of the most … Read More
Things Your Employees are Afraid to Tell You, and Why
There’s a meme floating around social media that says “If you ask a Midwesterner how they’re doing and they say ‘I’m hanging in there,’ you need to send help. They’re not okay!” As a Midwesterner, I can attest that this is, in fact, absolutely true. Even during a time of shared misery, we find ourselves putting on a brave face and pretending we’re fine. Granted, when most people ask how you’re doing, they expect a superficial answer anyway. Being honest about our present emotional state would require a high degree of vulnerability and trust that the other person would know … Read More
When You Lose Your Leadership Mojo
In so many ways, being a leader is a labor of love. Leaders have the privilege of sharing good news, but also the responsibility of delivering bad news. Leaders work to bring out the best in their employees and watch them flourish, but also mourn when they decide to move on to other opportunities. And when times are tough, they have to put on a brave face and inspire everyone to charge ahead even when they disagree with the battle plan. In today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) business world, it’s easy to lose your way. After you’ve been … Read More
Up Next: Uncharted Territory for Leaders
After weeks of Coronavirus coverage and updates, we’re all feeling a bit of COVID conversation fatigue. We’re anxious for life to return to normal as soon as safely possible. We long for the day when we can share a meal with our friends and family. We are hopeful that when businesses are allowed to re-open, we’ll feel this sudden bounce back to normal life. Unfortunately, it will likely get worse before it gets better. Organizations responded to stay-at-home orders quickly out of necessity and everyone adapted over time. Getting back to work will come with a new set of challenges … Read More