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/2012/05/03/moving-forward-on-what-matters/ http://artpetty.com/2012/05/03/moving-forward-on-what-matters/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 14:37:28 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7549 Whether professional or personal, it seems that most of us carry around ideas and dreams that inspire us and give us hope for our future. Unfortunately, many of us don't do much more than think about those dreams as they age and then spoil in our mental cellars. Here are 6 slightly different ideas to help you get going on pursuing yours:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/05/03/moving-forward-on-what-matters/feed/ 12 http://artpetty.com/2012/02/10/weekend-career-focus-invest-in-your-professional-survival-skills/ http://artpetty.com/2012/02/10/weekend-career-focus-invest-in-your-professional-survival-skills/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:33:31 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=7134 Too many people are caught seemingly by surprise (for some odd reason) that all bets are off on promises of on-going employment

]]> http://artpetty.com/2012/02/10/weekend-career-focus-invest-in-your-professional-survival-skills/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/06/03/i-finished-my-mba-whats-next-a-few-dos-and-donts-for-new-mbas/ http://artpetty.com/2011/06/03/i-finished-my-mba-whats-next-a-few-dos-and-donts-for-new-mbas/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:51:49 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5827 All over the U.S., there’s a fresh new crop of MBA graduates leaving behind their books and case studies, and in some cases, preparing to rediscover their families after several years of their noses buried in books and their fingers glued to their keyboards. A key question on their minds is, "What's next?" Here are seven ideas for freshly minted MBA as they navigate the end of one career journey and the beginning of the next.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/06/03/i-finished-my-mba-whats-next-a-few-dos-and-donts-for-new-mbas/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2011/04/27/the-millennial-view-why-job-hunting-is-like-dating/ http://artpetty.com/2011/04/27/the-millennial-view-why-job-hunting-is-like-dating/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:27:16 +0000 Eric Rodriguez http://artpetty.com/?p=5699 Job searching is like dating and I can relate to these feelings because for the past couple of months I have been trying to transition into a new career. It hasn’t been easy and sometimes it feels like I stand a better chance of scoring a date with Katy Perry than I would to land a new job - ok I’m exaggerating. Here are four thoughts on why job searching is similar to dating:

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/04/27/the-millennial-view-why-job-hunting-is-like-dating/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2011/03/08/leadership-caffeine-when-leading-is-an-unnatural-act/ http://artpetty.com/2011/03/08/leadership-caffeine-when-leading-is-an-unnatural-act/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:43:26 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=5409 One of the interesting outcomes I’ve observed when engaging truly thoughtful people in the process of understanding the role of a leader and the commitment required for success, is that some people decide it’s not a good fit. However, we don't make it easy for them to reach this conclusion.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2011/03/08/leadership-caffeine-when-leading-is-an-unnatural-act/feed/ 15 http://artpetty.com/2010/08/17/dont-expect-easy-my-top-15-suggestions-for-coping-as-a-professional/ http://artpetty.com/2010/08/17/dont-expect-easy-my-top-15-suggestions-for-coping-as-a-professional/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:14:51 +0000 Art Petty http://www.buildingbetterleaders.com/?p=1338 "Easy" is not a term that should be on your mind, except when it comes to improving the experience for your customers. Outside of making life easier for your customers, there are few circumstances where "easy" shows up or where you are justified in expecting things to go that way. Here are my Top 15 Suggestions for Coping as a Professional.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2010/08/17/dont-expect-easy-my-top-15-suggestions-for-coping-as-a-professional/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2009/12/08/how-not-to-build-a-better-leader/ http://artpetty.com/2009/12/08/how-not-to-build-a-better-leader/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:27:13 +0000 Art Petty http://www.buildingbetterleaders.com/?p=709 I had a great conversation the other day with a talented twenty-something who just exudes confidence, competence and excitement about her career and her interest in professional development. Her reviews are top flight, she has been managing a major client account to great results, and she is actively pursuing her M.B.A. degree. This is one motivated young professional! It’s too bad that her biggest dilemma is, “My job is fine, but I’m starting to get bored. I want some bigger challenges and I want to lead, and they keep telling me that they are working on a program for that."

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/12/08/how-not-to-build-a-better-leader/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2009/11/12/finding-your-extra-performance-gear/ http://artpetty.com/2009/11/12/finding-your-extra-performance-gear/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:29:09 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=2881 I know a great number of people working hard and digging deep to find that extra-something inside that will allow them to push through the almost overwhelming challenges on the path ahead. While none of the people that I’ve spoken with in the situations described above are resting easily, to my observation, they share a stubborn commitment to persevering in spite of the fact that the road ahead seems to be unpaved, uphill and against the wind the entire way.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/11/12/finding-your-extra-performance-gear/feed/ 10 http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/ http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:55:44 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=2248 One of the rude awakenings for leaders promoted from within a team is the uncomfortable recognition that the easy camaraderie of the pre-promotion days immediately gives way to an awkward distancing of relationships. Congratulations on your promotion. Oh, and you’re no longer part of the gang

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/feed/ 6 http://artpetty.com/2009/07/31/18-ideas-to-avoid-becoming-a-ghost-while-between-jobs/ http://artpetty.com/2009/07/31/18-ideas-to-avoid-becoming-a-ghost-while-between-jobs/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:32:05 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=2229 I had a chance to chat with a number of recent and not so recent additions to the ranks of unemployed professionals, and to a person, they reported experiencing a range of emotions, most particularly, an uncomfortable feeling of helplessness, and in one case, an increasing sense of futility. The individuals also agreed that the fight for economic and mental survival is a two-front war….taming the internal demons and turning what one described as creeping lethargy into action. We discussed coping strategies, and here’s the list of very compelling suggestions offered up for anyone uncomfortably thrust into the role of formerly employed.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/07/31/18-ideas-to-avoid-becoming-a-ghost-while-between-jobs/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2009/04/03/develop-culture-sensing-skills-and-take-the-blinders-off-of-your-career/ http://artpetty.com/2009/04/03/develop-culture-sensing-skills-and-take-the-blinders-off-of-your-career/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:18:15 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=1423 One of my greatest career misfires was accepting a role in a firm where I had failed to properly assess the culture. I was blinded by the allure of this successful and global firm and by the sharp people that I met during the interview process. I can think of few skills more important for professionals, product and project managers and other lateral leaders to develop than culture sensing. All of the functional or vocational expertise in the world is for naught if the individual fails to take into account and leverage cultural idiosyncrasies to achieve results and drive performance improvements.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/04/03/develop-culture-sensing-skills-and-take-the-blinders-off-of-your-career/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2009/01/12/leadership-and-the-young-professional/ http://artpetty.com/2009/01/12/leadership-and-the-young-professional/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:06:50 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/?p=900 very academic quarter for the past few years, a good colleague has invited me to be a guest speaker in her senior-level college management class and talk about leadership. I'm on the schedule tonight and I love this experience. It’s great to have to stand in front of a group of early-career professionals and go through the humbling experience of recognizing that you are talking based on the road traveled and their view is on the unchartered horizons in front of them.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2009/01/12/leadership-and-the-young-professional/feed/ 2 http://artpetty.com/2008/08/14/strengthen-your-team-by-seeking-people-who-believe-that-they-can-grow/ http://artpetty.com/2008/08/14/strengthen-your-team-by-seeking-people-who-believe-that-they-can-grow/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:19:48 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/08/14/strengthen-your-team-by-seeking-people-who-believe-that-they-can-grow/ Look back on your own recent string of hires and promotions, and if your batting average is lower than you would like it to be, consider Ms. Dweck’s advice: “look for both talent and a growth mind-set in prospective hires—people with a passion for learning who thrive on challenge and change. And remember to open your eyes and look around you for talent in unexpected places. Your greatest future success stories might be closer than they appear.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/08/14/strengthen-your-team-by-seeking-people-who-believe-that-they-can-grow/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/07/14/what-to-do-with-a-lousy-boss/ http://artpetty.com/2008/07/14/what-to-do-with-a-lousy-boss/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:32:58 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/07/14/what-to-do-with-a-lousy-boss/ More often than not during a workshop, someone will raise their hand and ask, "All of this stuff about being a good leader is nice, but what do I do about my lousy boss?" Being fairly fast on my feet, I resort to the facilitator's fail-safe of "asking the audience" before offering my own suggestions on this dicey issue. Not surprisingly, there are few satisfying answers (that don't include jail-time for you as a possible outcome) to this dilemma shared by so many.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/07/14/what-to-do-with-a-lousy-boss/feed/ 4 http://artpetty.com/2008/07/11/leader-whats-your-strategy-for-managing-your-30-and-40-somethings/ http://artpetty.com/2008/07/11/leader-whats-your-strategy-for-managing-your-30-and-40-somethings/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:45:46 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/07/11/leader-whats-your-strategy-for-managing-your-30-and-40-somethings/ As a leader, you cannot afford to allow the best, brightest and most-experienced employees to feel detached and unmotivated. I suspect that more often than not, you as the leader have a hand in creating this problem, and you definitely can help solve it. It's time to sit down, talk and most importantly, listen to what your thirty and forty-somethings have to say. These are the leaders in your immediate future. Don't come up short just when these talented professionals are ready to pay off.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/07/11/leader-whats-your-strategy-for-managing-your-30-and-40-somethings/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2008/05/07/three-simple-low-cost-ideas-to-help-jump-start-leadership-development/ http://artpetty.com/2008/05/07/three-simple-low-cost-ideas-to-help-jump-start-leadership-development/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 13:06:55 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/05/07/three-simple-low-cost-ideas-to-help-jump-start-leadership-development/ Jump-starting a leadership development activity does not require a tremendous investment in program development, outside consultants or big company meetings. Sometimes the best results come from simple approaches, and anything that gets people talking about the right issues can serve as a starting-point. The key point is for you to do something. Any or all of these three simple ideas can get you started.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/05/07/three-simple-low-cost-ideas-to-help-jump-start-leadership-development/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2008/05/01/staying-strong-in-the-middle-while-your-company-is-falling-apart/ http://artpetty.com/2008/05/01/staying-strong-in-the-middle-while-your-company-is-falling-apart/#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 13:40:36 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/05/01/staying-strong-in-the-middle-while-your-company-is-falling-apart/ There are no magic answers for taking a horrible company situation and suddenly making it better. There are also no guarantees that your heroic efforts will save the day. However, as a professional and an emerging leader, these are the situations that test your skills, that challenge you to mature and that give you the tools to succeed the rests of your career. If you plan on walking through the door in the morning, show up prepared to fight for your firm. And when you walk out the door at night, remember the wise words of a good friend: "Family and health count, all the rest of this stuff is just politics and money." Keep it in context.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/05/01/staying-strong-in-the-middle-while-your-company-is-falling-apart/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/04/22/teammate-yesterday-manager-today/ http://artpetty.com/2008/04/22/teammate-yesterday-manager-today/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:15:02 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/04/22/teammate-yesterday-manager-today/ ndoubtedly, one of the most difficult and awkward professional transitions is the jump from team member to team manager. The people that you've worked with side by side, joked with and shared lunch with are no longer your peers, they are your employees, and for good or bad, your relationship with them will never be the same. If you are truly interested in developing as a leader, this awkward situation is an outstanding rite of passage, complete with some hardcore lessons on what it takes for you to build credibility, motivate, direct, support and lead others.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/04/22/teammate-yesterday-manager-today/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/04/09/read-any-good-cultures-lately-honing-an-essential-career-skill/ http://artpetty.com/2008/04/09/read-any-good-cultures-lately-honing-an-essential-career-skill/#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:23:33 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/04/09/read-any-good-cultures-lately-honing-an-essential-career-skill/ Every organization has a distinct culture defined by its history, norms, values, and behaviors, and every team in an organization develops its own subculture. Learning to read a culture and adapt your style to fit (or at least complement it) is essential to success regardless of your level or role. It's also something that can be honed as a skill through increased awareness and consistent application of a few basic approaches.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/04/09/read-any-good-cultures-lately-honing-an-essential-career-skill/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/04/04/more-thoughtful-career-advice-to-ignore-on-your-path-to-becoming-a-sales-leader/ http://artpetty.com/2008/04/04/more-thoughtful-career-advice-to-ignore-on-your-path-to-becoming-a-sales-leader/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:09:59 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/04/04/more-thoughtful-career-advice-to-ignore-on-your-path-to-becoming-a-sales-leader/ From the same organization that brought you this enlightened sales manager and his timeless advice on how to prosper: "The only way that you will succeed on my team is if you are married to the job," and "The reason that I am not in any family vacation pictures is because I'm on the phone. If I'm in the picture, you can be sure I have a blackberry stuck to my ear," is back with: "The problem with you is that you care too much about people." I love this organization. There are very few other places where a simple phone call offers me a priceless quote on really bad ideas from lousy leaders.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/04/04/more-thoughtful-career-advice-to-ignore-on-your-path-to-becoming-a-sales-leader/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2008/03/18/the-meeting-is-never-for-decision-making-a-product-management-lesson-i-learned-at-matsushita/ http://artpetty.com/2008/03/18/the-meeting-is-never-for-decision-making-a-product-management-lesson-i-learned-at-matsushita/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:02:30 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/03/18/the-meeting-is-never-for-decision-making-a-product-management-lesson-i-learned-at-matsushita/ While the technique or reaching agreement with your stakeholders one by one ahead of formal approval might seem a bit like playing politics, I prefer to view it as covering the bases. Leaders invest in people they trust and have a sense for, and the ceremony of a group meeting is the wrong place to try and build your trust and credibility.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/03/18/the-meeting-is-never-for-decision-making-a-product-management-lesson-i-learned-at-matsushita/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/02/26/leader-how-do-you-recharge/ http://artpetty.com/2008/02/26/leader-how-do-you-recharge/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:13:11 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/02/26/leader-how-do-you-recharge/ Most high performance leaders that I know understand that they need to shift gears and get away from the day-to-day firefight once in awhile or they risk burning out. Quite a few of these leaders learned this lesson the hard way, succumbing at some point early in their career to the often self-imposed requirement to keep running at top speed out of fear of falling behind. A few cultures that I have been around actually encourage (or at least, don't discourage) this destructive pace, almost as part of some bizarre survival-of-the-fittest ritual. One of your core responsibilities to yourself and to your team members is to stay on top of your game mentally and physically (they go hand in hand). You owe it to everyone around you to be at your mentally sharpest when guiding, mentoring, helping with decision-making or engaging with colleagues. Just like the human body and brain needs sleep to function, I'm convinced that your effectiveness is function of giving your work-mind frequent and appropriate breaks to process and to recharge.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/02/26/leader-how-do-you-recharge/feed/ 1 http://artpetty.com/2008/01/14/a-dozen-interviews-two-job-offers-and-not-one-discussion-about-leadership/ http://artpetty.com/2008/01/14/a-dozen-interviews-two-job-offers-and-not-one-discussion-about-leadership/#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:19:05 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/01/14/a-dozen-interviews-two-job-offers-and-not-one-discussion-about-leadership/ A good friend that knows my passion for all things leadership, recently switched jobs and offered some comments on the nature of his dozen or so interviews. I paraphrase: "My leadership skills, experience or approach were not discussed during any of the interviews." I was shocked. "None of the top executives that I spoke with singled out and discussed leadership or people development during discussions about their business and strategy." I started to get depressed. And: "Nope, it wasn't covered with the recruiters either." I had a headache. What gives?

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/01/14/a-dozen-interviews-two-job-offers-and-not-one-discussion-about-leadership/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2008/01/09/merger-reality-trust-your-gut-not-the-press-release/ http://artpetty.com/2008/01/09/merger-reality-trust-your-gut-not-the-press-release/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:10:21 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2008/01/09/merger-reality-trust-your-gut-not-the-press-release/ If your company is involved in a merger, there is one certainty. Everything will change. Regardless of the carefully crafted words in the press release. (Unless of course your company is being purchased by Warren Buffett, who is famous for only buying well-running companies and leaving them alone to run well.) During the past few days, I talked with two associates going through mergers in very different industries, and both were attempting to convince themselves that things would be fine following the merger. They both cited the "no expectations for layoffs" verbiage in the press releases announcing their deal, and both engaged in some self-rationalization about the importance and "safety" of their respective departments. My instinct was that neither individual truly believed what they were saying. They should trust their gut on this issue.

]]> http://artpetty.com/2008/01/09/merger-reality-trust-your-gut-not-the-press-release/feed/ 0 http://artpetty.com/2007/12/17/leading-the-generations-an-example-of-what-not-to-do/ http://artpetty.com/2007/12/17/leading-the-generations-an-example-of-what-not-to-do/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:01:18 +0000 Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2007/12/17/leading-the-generations-an-example-of-what-not-to-do/ I attended the family holiday party this weekend and while munching on too many cheesy ryes and catching up on the lives of the out-of-town relatives, I was stopped in my tracks by the story of the job change that my Gen X second cousin described. It was a stark description of the gross mismanagement of the generations at a unique time in history when we have four very distinct generations in the work force.

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