The Leadership Caffeine Blog
Career Webinar Replay and F.A.Q.s for the Career Reinvent Boot Camp
We received a great response to our recent webinar, Why a Career Pivot is Possible & Tips to Jump-Start Yours (you can view the replay here), along with some questions about our Career Reinvent Boot Camp (learn more). In this note, I’m sharing answers to the most...
Career Webinar Replay and F.A.Q.s for the Career Reinvent Boot Camp
We received a great response to our recent webinar, Why a Career Pivot is Possible & Tips to Jump-Start Yours (you can view the replay here), along with some questions about our Career Reinvent Boot Camp (learn more). In this note, I’m sharing answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Common Sense and the Role of Leadership in Project Management Success
As organizations grow increasingly dependent upon project execution and professional project management practices to drive strategy execution, a firm’s leaders have to be smart enough and engaged enough to recognize an imbalance between process and people. Methodologies are guidelines to be strictly or liberally adhered to depending upon circumstances. Good leadership in this sense means tuning in to project activities at a level sufficient to ensure that the right approaches are being applied for the right reasons. While your methodology might have its champions, don’t lose track of the fact that the methodology must enable success, not fight it.
What’s A Good Meeting Anyway?
I’ve heard the phrase “We had a good meeting,” or some derivative of it so many times that I’ve lost count. Whenever I hear this meeting review or it’s ugly stepchild, “We talked about a lot at that meeting,” alarm bells start ringing, my spider sense tingles and I have to resist the sudden urge to scream. I know then that I am in the company of a Professional Meeting Attendee!
Are You Making Progress?
Not surprisingly, it’s often difficult for senior executives and management teams to gain objective feedback on their individual and collective performance. I’ve worked with clients and in organizations where the management team was generally satisfied with their own performance and would give themselves high marks at a time when the employees would give them lower or even failing grades. In all cases where I’ve observed this perception gap, there was no objective, systematic means of measuring performance and perceptions in place.
Back to School!
One of the things we often lose as busy working adults is that sense of excitement about learning. It’s easy to let years and even decades slip by and focus on everything but our own self-development. Sure, we attend mandated training in our company and possibly even the periodic seminar to earn the Continuing Education Units (CEUs) mandated by our professional certifying organizations. Unfortunately, neither of those formats creates the exhilarating sense of learning and discovery that we may have had at some time earlier in our lives, but lost along the way to becoming responsible adults.
HR Has Yet to Establish Credibility As Weapon in War for Talent
While not quick to throw stones as my own functional counterparts (sales and marketing) have plenty of their own challenges, it is time for HR to stand-up and be counted on as a key enabler of strategy. They can start by helping their firm institutionalize talent identification, recruitment, retention and development.
The Leadership Art (and Importance) of Encouraging Constructive Dissent
This topic goes to the heart of creating an effective feedback culture—one where everyone is comfortable tackling the tough topics and highlighting when the Emperor has no clothes. The discomfort of a team in expressing alternative viewpoints with a leader is one sign that all is not right with the feedback culture. In many cases, some simple behavioral adjustments and appropriate reinforcement on the part of the leader can open the spigot to some great ideas from some smart people. Remember, the contest is in the market for the hearts, minds and dollars of your customers, it’s not in your team meetings to show that you’re the smartest.
We Are All Just Temporary Stewards
From my own perspective, I like the concept of thinking about our tenure as finite. It creates a sense of urgency and it helps focus on priorities. I’ve observed too many corporate managers that lost track of the fact that they are not guaranteed a job or even that their company will be there next week. Once you start acting like you own the bricks and mortar and the chair and desk that you sit at and even the people that work for you, your judgment clouds, your motivation weakens and your intentions become suspect.
Drive Out Fear in Your Organization’s Leadership Approaches
Spend some time to determine whether “fear” is a factor in your organization. If people are in fear for their jobs or living in fear of falling under the wrath of a bully boss, they will not create, innovate or even execute their basic job functions in a quality manner. While today’s corporate bully is not shaking down the other kids for lunch money, he or she is shaking them down and stripping away their self-esteem, their drive and their desire to help the organization succeed. It’s time to hit back.
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.