What Really Happened When the Lights Went Out
It's cold here. It’s been a week since we lost electric power in the small towns of central Connecticut. Last Saturday we were caught by a freak storm that dumped eight inches of heavy wet snow. The beautiful trees, still sporting their fall foliage, held the heavy...
Seeing is Achieving
Today's post is a guest post by Mark Goulston, M.D. This article first appeared in the Los Angeles Times, distributed by Tribune Media Services. Dr. Goulston is a business psychiatrist, executive coach and author of Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through...
Diagnose and Cure Team Drift
This week's blog post has been published in the Harvard Business Review. Click here to read it. One of the most common complaints I hear from managers is, "I want to re-energize our team. We used to be cohesive and enjoy working together. Now everyone is focused on...
Be the Boss You’d Like to Have
The friendly gentleman sitting next to me on the airplane said: “I like my boss because he is genuinely interested in me and what I’m doing. He doesn’t just ask generally how things are going, he says, ‘how’s the [specific] project going?’ I know he’s paying...
What Happened to Vision? Your Thoughts?
Here's a question I have been mulling over for awhile. I don't have the answer and am hoping your responses will help provide some clarity. In the 1980’s and 90’s there was great interest in the topic of vision. Countless books, articles, and studies addressed the...
The Empty Carriage: A Leadership Lesson
A story is told that one day as Elimelech of Lizhensk, a great rabbi in the 18th century, was riding in a carriage, he noticed a throng of people following. He asked his coachman, “Why are all the people trailing behind?” The coachman explained that the people wanted...
Vision Statements That Work: The Long and Short of It
How long should your vision statement be? The answer: Long enough. Long enough to evoke a noble sense of purpose, provide a call to action, and describe a clear picture of your destination. These four vision statements work because they condense a lot of information...
The Key to Visions That Work
. . . .. .. What makes a vision work? Why do some visions galvanize people toward great achievement while others cause your eyes to glaze over? What all great visions have in common is they provide an answer to these three questions: 1) Destination: Where are we...
Five Easy Ways To Tell If An Organization Is Really Values-Driven
What do Zappos, Ben and Jerry’s, and Southwest Airlines have in common? They are all financially successful, values-driven companies. A lot of companies claim to be values-driven. They publish their values and use them in marketing messages. However, this does not...
Simple Communication Tips to Set Up Respectful Global Relationships
If you haven’t communicated with a client or colleague in another country recently, chances are you will do so soon. Technology and our global economy have shrunk our geographical boundaries. Developing a global customer-centered approach to communication is essential...
The Right Decisions Depend on “How” – 3 Things You Can Do to Help Your Team
Almost all of us have experienced or observed a team that made a “right” decision that wasn’t effectively implemented because team members did not feel good about how the decision was made. Developing and using effective team behaviors ensures your team not only makes...
How the Power of Vision Can Help Your Family & 4 Tips to Create One
Today’s children live in a world where stress and pressure comes at them from countless sources – from peers, teachers, and coaches to the media that paints a picture of unattainable perfection, parents who want the best but sometimes push too hard, and a world that...