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/2012/05/14/just-one-thing-vary-your-routine-for-a-change/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/14/just-one-thing-vary-your-routine-for-a-change/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:23:19 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7660 Routines are comfortable..and at the risk of being redundant, habit forming. Eventually, routines become mind numbing. Here are five ideas to help jump-start your thoughts on breaking the routine:

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]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/03/moving-forward-on-what-matters/feed/ 12 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/2012/04/02/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/2012/03/26/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/2012/02/15/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/2012/01/20/the-heavy-lifting-of-career-re-invention-5-keys-to-moving-forward/ http://artpetty.com/2012/01/20/the-heavy-lifting-of-career-re-invention-5-keys-to-moving-forward/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:02:52 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6930 Whether you are a few years removed from college or a few years removed from that time when prior generations began thinking about retiring, chances are, you or someone you know is involved in defining or redefining their career. It’s a daunting task in a world where the old rules no longer apply. Here are 5 key areas for you to focus on as you move forward with this challenging work:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/01/20/the-heavy-lifting-of-career-re-invention-5-keys-to-moving-forward/feed/ 8 http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/ http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:45:41 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6916 Too many people fail to overcome resistance and start moving forward. Instead of heeding Drucker’s advice, fear rents space in their minds, creating a never-ending litany of excuses that help ensure that their feet remain firmly planted in place.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/01/16/leadership-caffeine-success-one-step-at-a-time/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2012/01/04/are-you-running-in-place-when-it-comes-to-your-professional-development/ http://artpetty.com/2012/01/04/are-you-running-in-place-when-it-comes-to-your-professional-development/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:35:40 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6895 Unlike the resolutions that so many of us make in January and discard just as quickly by February, our own professional development requires a deliberate and consistent effort to improve. Here are 7 ideas to help you stop running in place and start moving forward.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/01/04/are-you-running-in-place-when-it-comes-to-your-professional-development/feed/ 3 http://artpetty.com/2011/12/31/thoughts-on-your-personal-and-professional-success-in-the-new-year/ http://artpetty.com/2011/12/31/thoughts-on-your-personal-and-professional-success-in-the-new-year/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:02:48 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6877 I was truly gifted in 2011 to gain access to and work with and support some remarkable professionals across a number of different market segments…from high tech to professional services to manufacturing, and I learned something with every engagement and encounter. Here are Six Lessons Learned that Can Help Us All in the New Year:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/12/31/thoughts-on-your-personal-and-professional-success-in-the-new-year/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/12/30/best-of-management-excellence-trying-not-to-fail-is-not-the-same-as-striving-for-success/ http://artpetty.com/2011/12/30/best-of-management-excellence-trying-not-to-fail-is-not-the-same-as-striving-for-success/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:59:54 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6867 When we focus on not failing, fear rents most of the space in our mind, and we see monsters in need of slaying everywhere we turn. We lose track of the original vision that propelled our actions, and the sheer act of working becomes at best a passionless exercise and at worst, drudgery. Here are some thoughts as you head into the new year on rediscovering your sense of purpose in the workplace.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/12/30/best-of-management-excellence-trying-not-to-fail-is-not-the-same-as-striving-for-success/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2011/12/29/best-of-management-excellence-an-effective-leaders-resolutions-are-calendar-blind/ http://artpetty.com/2011/12/29/best-of-management-excellence-an-effective-leaders-resolutions-are-calendar-blind/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:43:24 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6860 I’m as guilty as the next person of finding the impending resetting of the calendar a cathartic cleansing, where the failures of the past year are suddenly washed away and replaced by the empty and unknown space filled with promise and time stretching out in front of us. There is something remarkably powerful and alluring about the chance to start-over, right wrongs and vow to do things right the next time around. Resolutions start out as good intentions early in a new year and often end up as regrets later. As a leader, you cannot afford to fall victim to the boom and bust cycle of annual resolutions. Here are eight key questions to resolve about your own leadership practices.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/12/29/best-of-management-excellence-an-effective-leaders-resolutions-are-calendar-blind/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/10/23/arts-weekly-leadership-message-step-up-to-cure-effective-dialogue-deficit-disorder/ http://artpetty.com/2011/10/23/arts-weekly-leadership-message-step-up-to-cure-effective-dialogue-deficit-disorder/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:47:35 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6714 The medical community and drug companies have their ED malady and cure, but too many management and project teams suffer from their own form of ED…with two more D’s…EDDD… Effective Dialogue Deficit Disorder. It’s not that people aren’t talking. There’s no deficit of hot air swirling around most meeting rooms. The issue is all about the quality of the dialogue. Here are 5 ideas for you to use immediately in pursuit of stomping out Effective Dialogue Deficit Disorder:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/10/23/arts-weekly-leadership-message-step-up-to-cure-effective-dialogue-deficit-disorder/feed/ 7 http://artpetty.com/2011/10/14/great-ideas-management-leadership-week-in-review/ http://artpetty.com/2011/10/14/great-ideas-management-leadership-week-in-review/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:16:10 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6635 Every week (ok, that's not a promise, but an aspiration), I'll offer a few articles/posts and an occasional book suggestion, that I believe are worth sharing and worth thinking about and even acting on in our lives. This week's selections offer inspiration for those striving to achieve, ideas on diagnosing and curing team performance problems, a resource on creating and sustaining organizational performance and some provocative thoughts on what the world needs from leaders.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/10/14/great-ideas-management-leadership-week-in-review/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2011/09/19/arts-weekly-leadership-message-engage-with-purpose/ http://artpetty.com/2011/09/19/arts-weekly-leadership-message-engage-with-purpose/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:23:15 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6479 Note from Art: Starting with this post, the Weekly Leadership Message is a new Monday feature here at Management Excellence. Use them in good health and great leadership! This week: Engage with Purpose. You don’t get time off from your role as a leader. There are no time-outs, no after hours hang-up-your-hat and become one of the gang situations. The best leaders understand that every encounter represents an opportunity to do something positive for someone or some group.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/09/19/arts-weekly-leadership-message-engage-with-purpose/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/ http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:50:08 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6427 If you work for a leader who practices what Goffee and Jones described in their HBR classic, “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You,” as Tough Empathy, you can expect to be on edge a good deal. Respond well to this demanding but respectful leader’s style, and instead of teetering precariously on the bleeding edge of survival, you will be reaching constantly for the high performance edge. Read this leader incorrectly however, and you might be setting yourself up for a miserable experience.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/09/06/leadership-caffeine-surviving-and-thriving-under-the-tough-empathy-leader/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2011/08/24/next-call-for-interviews-product-project-managers-organizational-integrators/ http://artpetty.com/2011/08/24/next-call-for-interviews-product-project-managers-organizational-integrators/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:39:42 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6371 When chatting with leadership author and expert, John Baldoni, on the Leadership Caffeine Podcast (published on itunes last week), I asked him which of his books was his favorite. I loved his response…"The one I’m working on now.” I’m just a few weeks away from the publication of book #2 for me, a collection of essays organized into helpful…self-help sections for professionals striving to survive and succeed (Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development), and try as I might to resist the urge to do this again (right away), I have to have a book in process in my life. Next! Bring on the Organizational Integrators and Informal Leaders!

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/08/24/next-call-for-interviews-product-project-managers-organizational-integrators/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/08/02/guest-post-success-in-collaboration-from-an-unlikely-source/ http://artpetty.com/2011/08/02/guest-post-success-in-collaboration-from-an-unlikely-source/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:53:35 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6267 Why is collaboration so difficult? Like that intersection, effective collaboration is governed by rules that may not be clear to the inexperienced. Players come and go, challenges and obstacles can appear from any direction, and no one seems to be in charge – or everyone is. It’s no wonder that many managers approach collaborative assignments with apprehension, fear and a white-knuckled grip on the wheel. Here are 5 ideas for improving your ability to collaborate.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/08/02/guest-post-success-in-collaboration-from-an-unlikely-source/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/ http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:23:32 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6127 Understanding how big your “perception gap” is and working to close this gap is an important part of your professional development program, regardless of your role. And like everything else in life worth pursuing, measuring and managing your “perception gap” takes time, effort and the willingness to do something about the problem-areas. Here are 11 Actions that will help you measure and manage your perception gap.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/07/18/leadership-caffeine-assessing-the-view-on-you/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/07/11/leadership-caffeine-9-ideas-to-help-you-jump-the-gap-between-failure-and-success/ http://artpetty.com/2011/07/11/leadership-caffeine-9-ideas-to-help-you-jump-the-gap-between-failure-and-success/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:49:50 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=6030 People and teams fail on their way to success all of the time. That’s great. That’s how it’s supposed to work. The people and groups I struggle with are those who just fail. Often, the gap between failure and success appears wide, deep and ominous. This perceived gap keeps people frozen in place for a long while and then as time passes, fear turns to regret. Here are 9 ideas to help you jump the gap from failure to success.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/07/11/leadership-caffeine-9-ideas-to-help-you-jump-the-gap-between-failure-and-success/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/06/27/leadership-caffeine-do-you-see-beauty-or-blemishes/ http://artpetty.com/2011/06/27/leadership-caffeine-do-you-see-beauty-or-blemishes/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:48:07 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5926 If you’ve ever worked for or around someone who is an expert critic…one of those individuals who can look at a masterpiece and spot a flaw, you know how demoralizing the experience can be. They look at beautiful pictures or great outcomes and focus on describing the flaws. Here are 5 ideas for improving performance by overcoming your own tendency to look for the blemishes.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/06/27/leadership-caffeine-do-you-see-beauty-or-blemishes/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2011/06/22/7-tips-for-nailing-your-presentation-to-the-board-of-directors/ http://artpetty.com/2011/06/22/7-tips-for-nailing-your-presentation-to-the-board-of-directors/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:35:58 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5898 While some people view an invitation to present to the Board of Directors as a prison sentence (or worse), this truly can be a career enhancing opportunity. However, like any challenging situation, preparation and attitude are keys to success. Here are 7 tips to help ease your anxiety and ensure you stay focused on delivering a great presentation.

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