http://artpetty.com Leadership, Management and Professional Development Tue, 22 May 2012 11:58:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 copyright by Art Petty, 2011 art.petty@artpetty.com (Art Petty) art.petty@artpetty.com (Art Petty) 1440 http://artpetty.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Lcpodcast144x144.png http://artpetty.com 144 144 http://artpetty.com/feed/podcast Leadership Caffeine Podcast Host Art Petty interviews leaders, leadership authors, management thinkers and other professionals about creating high performance teams and organizations and developing effective leaders at all levels, during this weekly program. The goal is to share practical, powerful ideas to help listeners improve their performance and the performance of their teams and organizations. Caffene, Ldrshp, Profesional, Dev, Ledership, Ldrshp, Caffeine, Proff'l, Dev Art Petty Art Petty art.petty@artpetty.com no no http://artpetty.com/2012/05/22/new-leader-tuesday-beware-under-or-over-managing/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/22/new-leader-tuesday-beware-under-or-over-managing/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 11:54:50 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7714 The first year of your first job responsible for others (supervisor, lead, manager) is the early-awkward phase. Your technical or functional expertise and someone’s perception of your potential for leadership got you here. Your as of yet undeveloped or at least under-developed communication and coordination skills are what will carry you forward. Here are 5 suggestions to help you get this right.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/22/new-leader-tuesday-beware-under-or-over-managing/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2012/05/20/just-one-thing-services-are-performances/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/20/just-one-thing-services-are-performances/#comments Sun, 20 May 2012 22:57:11 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7700 Few things evoke as much negative emotion in otherwise kind and gentle souls as a bad experience as a customer. Focus in your mind on your last really bad customer service experience and you can sense the tension in your neck growing along with the rise in blood pressure. That bad experience becomes “the company” for us. What do your team's performances say about you as a leader and about your firm?

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/20/just-one-thing-services-are-performances/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2012/05/15/new-leader-tuesday-gaining-critical-context-for-your-teams-mission/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/15/new-leader-tuesday-gaining-critical-context-for-your-teams-mission/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 14:05:21 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7672 Many first-time leaders are given the equivalent of “battlefield” promotions with no more context than, “You’ve done a great job, you’re in charge.” If you end up on the receiving side of this “Go get ‘em Tiger,” philosophy of leadership development, it’s important for you to quickly gain context for your team’s role and accountabilities.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/15/new-leader-tuesday-gaining-critical-context-for-your-teams-mission/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 13:13:08 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7653 Performance counts. Efforts are nice, but ultimately, you are evaluated on the results of your team, not the amount of work you put into achieving your results. Here are 7 ideas to promote high performance with your team:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/07/leadership-caffeine-7-suggestions-to-strengthen-your-groups-performance/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/30/dont-get-blindsided-by-organizational-politics/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/30/dont-get-blindsided-by-organizational-politics/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:45:05 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7536 For all of us, ignoring this very real human behavior that manifests itself as organizational politics, is a sure-fire way to end up at best on the fringe of irrelevance, and at worst, to end up outside, wondering what happened. Here are 7 ideas you can apply to "play politics" and maintain your integrity:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/30/dont-get-blindsided-by-organizational-politics/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/24/leadership-caffeine-listen-with-intent/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/24/leadership-caffeine-listen-with-intent/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:54:38 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7503 Yesterday, a valued colleague described a fascinating professional interaction and used the phrase, “listening with intent.”While I imagine it is something on the level of “seek first to understand,” the phrasing works for me. It connotes a significant and deep personal investment in focusing on another human…something lacking from most of our interchanges in life and in the workplace.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/24/leadership-caffeine-listen-with-intent/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/19/professional-courtesy/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/19/professional-courtesy/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:05:41 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7491 The issue of professional courtesy (or seeming lack thereof) came up at a recent networking group meeting. With permission, I’m sharing the spontaneous suggestion list we generated, including ideas for live and social media settings. Please add to the list and let’s all strive to put these into practice in real-time. At Least 15 Ideas to Help Bring Professional Courtesy Back:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/19/professional-courtesy/feed/ 8 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/17/the-cruel-bitter-and-crushing-taste-of-dump-truck-feedback/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/17/the-cruel-bitter-and-crushing-taste-of-dump-truck-feedback/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:24:27 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7481 Right after avoiding it, the most commonly employed managerial strategy for dealing with feedback is, delaying it. The first approach is poor form… the latter approach is cruel.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/17/the-cruel-bitter-and-crushing-taste-of-dump-truck-feedback/feed/ 7 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/11/leading-in-the-matrix/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/11/leading-in-the-matrix/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:07:27 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7465 If speed, adaptability, learning…and the need to innovate are more than buzzwords and corporate clichés, but in fact are the requirements for success in this fast-moving world, then building cultures, teams and people capable of succeeding in the matrix must be a priority.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/11/leading-in-the-matrix/feed/ 5 http://artpetty.com/2012/04/02/leadership-caffeine-why-you-might-want-to-pause-before-voicing-that-decision/ http://artpetty.com/2012/04/02/leadership-caffeine-why-you-might-want-to-pause-before-voicing-that-decision/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:46:27 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7404 Teaching others to employ effective decision-making processes is one of the most important and often ignored responsibilities of those in leadership roles. Unfortunately, training your team to look to you for the calls on how to fix problems and move forward is much easier than teaching your team members to stand on their own for most issues.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/04/02/leadership-caffeine-why-you-might-want-to-pause-before-voicing-that-decision/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/28/leaders-principles-and-the-pursuit-of-high-performance-teams/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/28/leaders-principles-and-the-pursuit-of-high-performance-teams/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:30:22 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7315 Every high performance team I’ve experienced as a participant, a sponsor or an outside advisor, was governed by an overarching set of principles or values that formed and framed the culture. And while good words alone don’t create success, the combination of the leaders and participants living and acting according to those words everyday made things work.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/28/leaders-principles-and-the-pursuit-of-high-performance-teams/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:47:25 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7305 Just say “No” to the post-work invite from the team for the beer. While you’ll feel torn because you enjoy social time as much as the next person, pay attention to that little voice in your mind trying to get your attention with, “You shouldn’t, you’re the boss.” No moralizing here. I’ve simply known too many who shut this voice out and paid with their credibility and on a few occasions, their jobs. Not convinced? Here are 6 reasons why I believe you should pass on the post-work happy hour invite:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/26/leadership-caffeine-6-reasons-why-you-should-pass-on-the-happy-hour-invite/feed/ 32 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/21/energy-engagment-and-some-science-to-support-high-performance-team-development/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/21/energy-engagment-and-some-science-to-support-high-performance-team-development/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:11:05 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7281 As a lifelong team participant and now devotee of leveraging the power of teams, I was fascinated and excited to see the article, “The New Science of Building Great Teams,” in the April, 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review. I suspect we are all for adding some science to the stick, squishy and often problematic issue of how to get people to not only play nice together in the sandbox, but how to do so at a sustained high-level of performance. Here are a few thoughts and "blink reactions" to this interesting article and study:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/21/energy-engagment-and-some-science-to-support-high-performance-team-development/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/19/at-least-10-more-things-to-stop-doing-if-youre-the-boss/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/19/at-least-10-more-things-to-stop-doing-if-youre-the-boss/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:26:16 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7275 A few years ago, I wrote a post entitled, “At Least 20 Things to Stop Doing as a Leader” Reader comments quickly quadrupled that number. It seems there's no shortage of Bad Boss habits. Here’s a few more "fresh" suggestions provided by clients for publication purposes since I wrote the original post. (Note to readers, this and the predecessor post with comments are ideal for printing and quietly leaving behind on the boss’s chair.)

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/19/at-least-10-more-things-to-stop-doing-if-youre-the-boss/feed/ 10 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:13:31 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7268 Few events do more to suck the life and energy out of a team than the boss’s weekly status meeting. If you are the boss, it's time to exorcise these from your operating routine.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/12/leadership-caffeine-4-big-reasons-to-kill-your-weekly-status-meeting/feed/ 12 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/08/7-reasons-to-be-excited-about-the-potential-of-your-youngest-workers/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/08/7-reasons-to-be-excited-about-the-potential-of-your-youngest-workers/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:39:23 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7260 It’s easy for those of us who count our career in decades to discount how well attuned our youngest workers are to what defines good leadership and good business practices. To do so, is a mistake. Here are 7 reasons why you should work harder to leverage the potential of your youngest workers:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/08/7-reasons-to-be-excited-about-the-potential-of-your-youngest-workers/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/ http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:12:50 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7255 Newsflash: all good leaders make mistakes. A great number of them. Everyday. After all, there are people involved, and this would be really easy without the people. Fortunately, people are all that we have. The true test of your leadership character isn’t measured by the number of mistakes you make, but rather, by what you do moving forward once a mistake is recognized. Here are 8 ideas for effectively learning from and navigating your leadership mistakes:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/03/05/leadership-caffeine-8-ideas-for-navigating-your-leadership-mistakes/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:34:40 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7226 Sometimes the best leadership guidance comes in short, strong bursts flavored with a few blunt reminders. Warning: consume too many of these at one time and your team members will thank you, productivity will go up and work might become a lot more enjoyable. Here are 12 shots of Leadership Espresso to help you get it right:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/27/leadership-caffeine-12-shots-of-leadership-espresso/feed/ 11 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/22/leaders-tattoo-this-causal-relationship-on-your-forearms/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/22/leaders-tattoo-this-causal-relationship-on-your-forearms/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:47:59 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7210 I’ve been mildly surprised that the book, Beyond Performance-How Great Organizations Build Competitive Advantage by Scott Keller and Colin Price, hasn’t commanded more attention in mainstream business circles. Perhaps we’ve grown numb to the almost endless number of books purporting to show us the way to sustained success. However, don’t let the existence of 25,000 or so books published on managing change during the past two decades, blind you to some of the important and data-backed conclusions of Beyond Performance. Here are some reasons why this may be one of the more important books you will read this decade:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/22/leaders-tattoo-this-causal-relationship-on-your-forearms/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/20/leadership-caffeine-what-do-you-do-with-a-team-that-has-failed/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/20/leadership-caffeine-what-do-you-do-with-a-team-that-has-failed/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:50:09 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7206 We’re often too quick as leaders to throw in the towel on teams that have whiffed. That’s a mistake that may be more costly to performance and morale than the initial and temporary failure. Here are 5 signs that your failed team merits more time:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/20/leadership-caffeine-what-do-you-do-with-a-team-that-has-failed/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/17/friday-leadership-and-management-sound-bites/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/17/friday-leadership-and-management-sound-bites/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:15:15 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7196 Though-provoking quotes from my current management and leadership reading stack. If you are looking for some thought-provoking leadership and management reading, here are a few great choices:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/17/friday-leadership-and-management-sound-bites/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/15/beware-professional-performance-drift/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/15/beware-professional-performance-drift/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:49:55 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7181 The concept of performance drift (for professionals) is wonderfully outlined by John Hamm, writing in his recently published book, Unusually Excellent: The Nine Skills Required for the Practice of Great Leadership. Here are my added thoughts on helping you recognize and slow your own professional performance drift:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/15/beware-professional-performance-drift/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:14:03 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7171 I’ve yet to run a workshop or program on leadership where anything approaching a majority of the participants describe their initial days of their initial role as a team leader, supervisor or manager as a period when they received much if any support and coaching from their own direct manager. Most describe this particularly precarious professional time as more like a “hit and run.” That's unfortunate, because the flame-out rate for first-time leaders is high and the fallout on those around them heavy. Here are 8 ideas for you to strengthen your support of your first-time leaders:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/13/leadership-caffeine-get-invested-in-developing-your-new-leaders/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/11/newsletter-2-next-week-arts-writings-last-week/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/11/newsletter-2-next-week-arts-writings-last-week/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:32:46 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7160 Look for the latest issue of the Leadership Caffeine Newsletter (subscriber only content) next week. And in case you missed it, here are links to Art's posts on decision-making, strategy and career survival from last week. Enjoy your weekend!

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/11/newsletter-2-next-week-arts-writings-last-week/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/08/lessons-in-management-innovation-from-main-street/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/08/lessons-in-management-innovation-from-main-street/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:01:00 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7064 During the past few years, I’ve marveled at the start-ups and small to mid-sized businesses in my community who didn’t need an army of consultants or MBAs to teach them the very relevant and important lessons that Reeves and Deimler share in their recent Harvard Business Review article, "Adaptability-The New Competitive Advantage."

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