Most entrepreneurial leaders are great at doing, but they’re not so great at thinking. That’s a mistake that always comes back to bite them, eventually. I was at a recent session with a client. We were discussing a specific issue, trying to get to the root (a process called IDSing), when the team realized that [...]
“But Jim, I completely disagree with the decision. How can you expect me to support John’s decision and commit to it when I think it’s wrong?” “Tom”, I replied, “I’m not asking you to agree with John. I’m asking you to do the greater good—to be unified as a leadership team in all the decisions [...]
I recently had a conversation with a friend who was struggling with managing a millennial. She asked me for thoughts on how to best manage her younger staff. As we talked, I realized that Millennials take a bad rap for being needy for things that we as leaders and managers should be doing anyway. I [...]
Most people would say that consensus is a wonderful thing. When everyone agrees, there will be no battles and the project will go on without a hitch, right? Unfortunately, no. In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni says, “Consensus is horrible. I mean, if everyone really agrees on something and consensus [...]
Tired of not getting what you intended from your business? “I’m buried in my own business.” “This company could be so much more, I just don’t know where to start.” “I’m not sure I have the right people to help me get to the next level.” […]
You need team conflict to have a healthy team. Yes, you read that right. (Actually, you need conflict for any relationship to be healthy, but I don’t do domestic so you’re on your own with how that works with your spouse.) As psychologist Michael Batshaw says, “Engaging in conflict isn’t going to end the relationship, [...]
Most companies end up structured in a way that is very unintentional. Recently I told a new client that many companies end up with an organizational structure that looks much more like a platypus than the stallion your company needs. They got a chuckle out of this. I soon learned that the nervous laughter was [...]
If you want to be a more effective communicator, have more productive meetings, and have people respect you more - skip the verbal hugs. “Sounds good Jim, but what the heck is a verbal hug?” Good question. A verbal hug is used to soften the blow of what you believe is going to be difficult [...]
Generally, when working with clients, it’s often easier to distinguish right person if the client has done a great job at creating meaningful Core Values than it is to distinguish right seat due to the complex nature of performance. Let’s consider the following scenario: You have been dreading, for a week now, the conversation that [...]
November 15th, 2016 Let me ask the leaders a couple questions. Do you find yourself clearly stating what needs to be done in your team? When a team member has an issue, do you tell them the best way to fix their issue? If you are working through a performance concern with staff member, do [...]