Best-selling author, Mark Batterson, has said that “you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right.” When it comes to making teams effective, it could be that as far as you’re concerned you’re not doing anything wrong; and yet for some reason you’re still not getting the results that you want. It’s possible that […]
Motivating employees seems to be a constant struggle for many leaders and managers. Try as they might, it seems to be a losing battle. They’ve tried carrots – pay increases, bonuses, stock options, fewer hours, more days off, and just about every other perk they can think of. They’ve tried sticks, too – threats to […]
For decades, organizations have used the same blunt instrument to reward good work: a promotion. The best salesperson becomes a sales manager. The strongest engineer takes over the engineering team. The most reliable analyst gets handed direct reports. We tell ourselves we are advancing top performers. What we are actually doing, in most cases, is […]
In the book The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael Porter suggests that differentiation is one way that companies can set themselves apart from competitors. While some advantage may be possible at a national level due to inherent natural resources, for example, we now know that this, as well as all the other means he suggests, […]
None of us achieve success alone, the world of work is probably the biggest team sport any of us will ever take part in, and yet, at times, it can feel like our coworkers are on the opposing team rather than playing on the same side and for the same company. Relationships Matter. When mistakes […]
Self-awareness has been identified as a cornerstone of leadership success. No leader is equally strong in all areas, and characteristics that were strengths yesterday may actually impede progress tomorrow. You need to know where you are strong and where you need development. It is important for leaders to look objectively at their particular competency profiles […]
Until quite recently, the expression “As rare as hen’s teeth” meant pretty much never. But several years ago, scientists at two universities (Manchester and Wisconsin) learned how to make them grow. Chickens, it seems, didn’t need dentures after all. That is an especially appropriate metaphor with respect to great managers, because although they can be […]
Nearly three out of four Americans say that they’re bored at work.* They feel that their knowledge, skills and abilities aren’t being used, and that their companies don’t care. To give you an idea of the size of the problem, imagine that instead of boredom, they were all too sick to even show up. The streets […]
Jesse Jacoby
Jeff Shuck
Morag Barrett
