Do you want to know the #1 secret to improve performance? Catch people doing something right. I’ve led, been led, and helped leaders for over 35 years, and how to improve performance always leads to lively discussion. I began on the wrong side of it. I used to think constructive criticism was a leader’s most […]
You’ve told me that attracting and retaining talent is at the top of your concerns. The economy is in full employment, and people are less willing to job-hop, so gaining new talent is challenging. Widening the applicant pool by reducing your standards is tempting, but what invariably happens is that you get more wrong-fit employees, […]
Thank you for your replies on the topics you want me to address. The most popular thing on your mind is recruiting and retaining your top talent, so I’ll give you a powerful tool to help you do that. The Great Resignation (or Great Escape) has receded, so fewer people are job-hopping, which means that […]
My heart goes out to the families of the six killed and all people harmed by this terrible tragedy. The Singaporean-flagged ship, Dali, lost power on its way out of Baltimore’s harbor, crashing into a Key Bridge pylon and destroying the majestic bridge. Similar to the 9/11 hijackings, the risk of this particular catastrophe is […]
Mental health is finally a workplace topic of conversation, and it’s a welcome change. No one deserves to be put through psychological abuse such as belittling, bullying, and gaslighting, and leaders have an obligation to handle those who use such tactics. Life outside work also creates emotional taxes that people may carry into the workplace. […]
For most of my military career, gaining buy-in for change was pretty easy. I had an excellent system for acquiring feedback, so I learned what frustrated my troopers and took action to address the problems. They readily helped me implement the changes. I presumed it was because they had confidence the game plan would work. […]
Have you ever struggled with how transparent you should be with your employees? Pay levels, promotion decisions, disciplinary action, and profitability rank among the more difficult information-sharing decisions. You may invite conflict and grievances if you share too much information about everyone’s pay. Share too little, and an employee may leave, suspecting you are screwing […]
I love helping people, so being a good mentor is essential. My journey towards good was rocky sometimes because I offered too much value too quickly. I’d often latch on to my employee’s or client’s first words and provide advice. I made this mistake with Geraldine (not her real name), one of my first clients. […]
I was so sure that leaders would jump at the opportunity for leadership seminars at historical battlefields that I hired a digital marketing company, made excellent videos, created sales funnels, and poured thousands into Facebook ads. It was an epic fail. 2 million views, over 250,000 likes, not a single buyer. I was right that […]
Alexei Navalny reportedly died in prison after an accident, a dictator’s typical euphemism for murder. What’s striking about Navalny is that the Russian government tried poisoning him on an international flight. He recovered in the UK and could have remained a dissident in exile. Instead, he returned to Moscow, knowing that he would be imprisoned […]
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