The Leadership Caffeine Blog
A return of the manager as a character in a horror story?
The toxic manager style is alive and functioning in too many organizations. In my practice, I hear from clients daily about the approaches and tactics of these managers—some responding to the pressures from above and others seemingly thriving in leading by...
A return of the manager as a character in a horror story?
The toxic manager style is alive and functioning in too many organizations. In my practice, I hear from clients daily about the approaches and tactics of these managers—some responding to the pressures from above and others seemingly thriving in leading by intimidation. This latter group—those thriving by promoting fear—are the stuff of evil characters in a horror story.
Giving Thanks for Our Veterans
We in the United States are the beneficiaries of a long line of remarkable individuals who in times of peril risked or sacrificed their lives to defend our country, and who in times of peace work in harm’s way to keep us safe. While “thank you” is the minimum we can offer, there are many ways as citizens to acknowledge how grateful we are for their service.
Organizational Transformation is the In Thing—And It’s Darned Hard Work
Succeeding with organizational transformation is no easy task. Success demands a confluence of conditions and behaviors in a perfect storm of the right actions. Here are seven things that must fall into place to have a chance with organizational transformation:
First-Time Managers Academy—Redefining Online Professional Development
First-Time Managers Academy blends the convenience of online learning with the rigor of a structured development and continuous improvement process. Registration for the last cohort of 2019 closes at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on November 6, 2019.
How to Fight the Pressure to Make a Bad Decision
Yet again, we are faced with a firm that potentially allowed the pressure-to-produce force decisions that impacted not only lives but all of the organization’s stakeholders. As a manager, you may not face life or death consequences, however, manage long enough and you will encounter situations that challenge your ethics and values. Here are six ideas to help you navigate a situation where the prevailing approach is one you believe detrimental to the firm.
Managers—Less of You is Probably Enough
As managers and leaders, we often fall victim to the belief that our teams need us to survive and thrive. In reality, if we’ve done our jobs right in selecting, developing, and placing people in the right positions, and worked hard to create a healthy environment, what they need is less of us.
A Focus on Leadership and Strategy
A number of my recent articles on strategy and strategy execution are found only at SmartBrief on Leadership. This post points you to those articles.
Free Webinar: 4 Conversations to Help You Develop New Managers
On Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. central, I am hosting a new webinar entitled: 4 Critical Conversations for New Manager Success. My goal in this free event is to share a framework of four sets of conversations and supporting activities promoting managers can use to strengthen their selection and early-stage development of new managers on their teams.
Designing Constructive Feedback Discussions for Success
Delivering quality constructive feedback is elusive for many managers and much desired by individuals striving to strengthen performance. In this article, I share an overview of the four core processes around effective feedback development and delivery.
Four Conversations Essential for New Manager Success
Developing new managers is hard work that all-too-often is skipped inside our organizations. Fortunately, for all of us, there’s a solution that’s within your control. It comes in the form of four different series of conversations essential for new manager success.