Having shortcomings is not the problem – as humans we all have them. The problem is not knowing what they are
There is no question that we need to align people with jobs and situations that play to their strengths. There is nothing more powerful than leveraging what people do well: it builds engagement, accelerates projects and initiatives, and significantly increases the likelihood of personal and organizational success. Besides, who wants to spend their life working at…
How to reduce the chances of making a decision you’ll regret somewhere down the road
A month has passed since the SNC-Lavalin affair, but the storm continues to swirl, and I’m inspired again to draw on this situation as a leadership learning opportunity. There have been no shortage of ‘What were they thinking?’ moments as this scandal has unfolded, causing us to wonder about the quality of the decisions being…
How to build and maintain relationships critical to being an effective consultant
I have a routine I try to follow each morning. I take a shower, do 20 minutes of yoga stretching, pour myself a cup of coffee, and sit down to read something that centres and inspires me. A little Seneca, thoughts from a Buddhist teacher, a chapter of Eckert Tolle. This morning, I opened Oriah’s…
Why do we always blame the manager for failed performance management? Doesn’t some of the accountability rest with the employee?
Recently I found myself commiserating with a friend over a failed performance conversation. She was frustrated by the fact that while she was trying to provide one of her direct reports with some much-needed feedback, her team member was just not listening. I, too, have had the experience of dealing with a tone-deaf direct report.…
There is a new reality out there and, like it or not, we are all going to have to adjust our expectations
When Jack first learned his company was going to be making personnel cuts, and that they were likely to occur in his area, he was anxious. By Friday it was known that his department would, indeed, be impacted. By Monday morning he was actually looking forward to receiving his separation agreement: he and his wife…
Working easily and fluidly with others is simply how things get done in the 21st century
The ability to collaborate with others is a must-have skill to be successful in work. It doesn’t matter if you’re a project manager, a self-employed editor or the chief financial officer, part of your success is probably going to hinge on how well you can work with colleagues. Our work world is a complex system,…
Donald Trump may be a caricature-like and extreme example of someone who can't help but steal centre stage, but such people lurk everywhere. We have all worked on a team or sat in a room where someone dominated the conversation to such an extent everyone else started to fade into the background. Maybe you are…
There is no question that we need to align people with jobs and situations that play to their strengths. There is nothing more powerful than leveraging what people do well: it builds engagement, accelerates projects and initiatives, and significantly increases the likelihood of personal and organizational success. Besides, who wants to spend their life working at…
