There are times in business when we find ourselves carefully crafting every single word we string together, whether it is in a company-wide email about possible layoffs, a sales proposal/contract, or a press release. When we’re more relaxed, we speak effortlessly and forget most of what we say within minutes. But we often underestimate the impact casual, common phrases have in the workplace. Words matter. The way they’re said matters. But the way they’re interpreted matters the most. Here are three common phrases that every leader should avoid:
Five Things You Don’t Need to Lead
It may seem as though the summer has just begun, but in a few short weeks, the summer section at Target will be replaced with crayons, backpacks, and #2 pencils as kids prepare to head back to school. My own daughter will be heading to Kindergarten this fall, which means we’re pouring over Kindergarten Readiness checklists and school supply shopping lists to make sure she’s ready for her first day. As I looked over the remaining skills she needs to acquire before school starts, I started envisioning what a Leadership Readiness list would look like. Much like school supply shopping … Read More
Collaboration and Leadership: It Takes a Village
There’s a unique bond that happens between business travelers when flights are delayed. We all grab our laptops and try to make the most of our time on the ground/tarmac in a desperate effort to preserve the delicate work-life balance we’ve constructed. We make apologetic calls home to the spouses who desperately need a break, and we begin rapidly assessing the potential impact of future delays. On this particular severely delayed trip, I was huddled around the one accessible power source with a senior design leader for a tech company. I was struggling to concentrate because every few seconds an … Read More
Are You Finding Time to Lead?
Last week I attended a local networking group for leaders from various industries. At each meeting, they invite a speaker to kick off the meeting by sharing their thoughts on a specific aspect of leadership. There was nothing particularly earth-shattering or edgy about the presentation. It was mostly about how leaders must spend time cultivating relationships, developing trust, and maintaining a healthy workplace culture to drive higher performance and engagement from team members. It was all pretty basic and universally accepted, but the speaker did have some unique ideas about specific things a leader can do to create connections, so … Read More
Time to Ditch the Employee Engagement Survey?
As we near the mid-way point for the year, many organizations are conducting employee engagement surveys to address satisfaction, productivity, and retention issues. Ironically, the employee engagement survey experience is typically less than engaging. Employees receive an email from Human Resources asking them to answer 10-15 minutes worth of questions that inquire about everything from workload to leadership’s vision. And in the end, most employees feel like the survey was a waste of time. It’s not that the employees lack opinions, they just lack trust that their responses will drive change.
Critical Feedback for the Frontline
Frontline leaders are crucial to an organization’s success. Frontline leaders are the closest leadership level to the customers and are responsible for day-to-day operations. In addition, they must ensure their team is engaged and exhibit positive, impactful workplace behaviors that realize the organization’s vision. They are vitally important to successfully meeting business objectives. Yet, this is also one of the most undertrained positions on the leadership team. Approximately 60% of frontline leaders say they’ve never received training for their role. This is staggering given the weight of responsibility being placed on them.