The Secret of Teams
Guest Post by Mark Miller There was a lot in the news this week about a ship adrift at sea – its passengers stranded. The ship drifted 90 miles in one night, pushed by the currents. Have you ever been on a team that felt like it was moving but not purposefully?...
Are You Ready for Your “Second Act”?
Guest Post by Don Maruska and Jay Perry Pursuing a second career in a different field can be either an opportunity for excitement and fulfillment or a nightmare. These three critical actions will help you succeed. 1. Think it through – not just on your own but with...
Alfred’s Wake Up Call or How to Create the Life You Want to Be Remembered For
Alfred came from a long line of Swedish scientists, engineers and inventors. He learned the principles of explosives at a young age from his father who owned a machine tool and weapons factory in Russia in the mid 19th century. He studied chemistry in Paris and the...
Create an Unbalancing Force If You Want To Move an Elephant
Chris is unhappy at work. He thinks the work is boring, and he doesn’t like his boss or co-workers. Why doesn’t he quit? The answer lies in Newton’s First Law: An object continues to do whatever it happens to be doing and resists change unless an unbalancing force is...
Collaboration Is the Remedy for Polarization
Polarization keeps us apart, disconnected. Polarization keeps us from finding creative solutions that benefit all. There is no winning in polarization. There is only “win-lose.” Leadership is about bringing people together, unifying around a common vision. It...
6 Self-Serving Behaviors That Will Torpedo Your Team
As a team member, you share responsibility for the success of your team. If your team meetings are boring or wasting your time, explain the problem from your point of view. Then do a reality test. Do others feel the same way? If they do, there is a team issue, and by...
How to Keep Your Team Goals on Track
“It was so much easier this year to set our team goals, now that we have a shared vision,” Chris remarked, reflecting on the visioning process they had recently completed. “We are way ahead of the curve this year!” Was he right? Maybe .... It depends on whether his...
2012 in Review – My Top 10 Blog Posts
As 2012 draws to a close, I have taken the opportunity to sit by the warm fire on this snowing New England Sunday and identify my top ten posts of the year. I decided the top posts would be selected by my readers - by whether they felt a post was important enough to...
Pause, The Moment of Between
It is the winter solstice – the darkest day of the darkest week of the year in the northern hemisphere. It is the moment before the balance shifts and light begins to overtake darkness. The darkness has been particularly difficult this week, in the face of...
Feeling Pain and Taking Action
With a heavy heart and prayers for the grieving Sandy Hook families and the Newtown community, I have taken a break from blogging and regular online conversation these last few days. Throughout Connecticut we are in shock and devastated. This is a small state and not...
Employee Engagement –It’s Not About Them, It’s About You
Guest post by David O'Brien Ray was quite frustrated with his team and their apparent lack of engagement. After listening for almost 15 minutes to a litany of problems caused by their carelessness and lack of follow through, I asked what he wanted. He explained that...
First Engage Yourself: 7 Ways to Increase Your Own Engagement and Satisfaction
It's been over 10 years since the dismal results of the Gallup employee engagement study were first reported by Marcus Buckingham. Since then, the term "employee engagement" has become common place. With such a strong focus on its importance and over a decade to...