Do you have a blank wall somewhere at your office? Consider trying out this idea: Transform the blank wall into a Wall of Appreciation. It’s fairly common knowledge that being appreciated at work impacts a host of factors: retention, engagement, productivity and customer satisfaction. A few research examples: “The number-one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that … Read more
When’s the last time you were on your way to work and thought, “Today I want someone else’s life miserable!” Not likely. But maybe there’s someone at work (a boss, employee, vendor or customer) whose sole purpose on earth seems to be to make your life miserable.Just thinking about them can prompt a strong emotional … Read more
The research firm Universum recently queried over 2,000 business leaders and professionals, asking: What’s the most important quality that you expect future leaders to possess? The #1 response (41%): They empower their employees. Empowerment. It became a business buzzword twenty years ago, and has been in and out of vogue ever since.At it’s core, it’s about … Read more
Working with others means that you’ll eventually face conflict and disagreement. Conflict isn’t bad: we need work cultures that support differing perspectives, multiple opinions, and divergent thinking. However, how we communicate our disagreements can either help or hinder our workplace relationships and results.A new paper in the Academy of Management Review identifies four distinct categories of conflict expression: how … Read more
If leadership was easy, more people would be great leaders. Leading is smooth sailing when things are going smoothly. The real question is: How do you fare under pressure? I was flying from Hartford to Charlotte last week, on the first leg of a multi-day business trip. The flight was proceeding smoothly. As our … Read more
Last week, I was consulting with an executive team. We were discussing a leader’s competence. As a leader, the measure of your competence isn’t set by you: it’s set by the people you lead. Tom, a VP of Operations, shared a story from a professor when he was in business school that relates to a … Read more
Has this happened to you? You’re leading a meeting. You’ve got 25 people scheduled to attend. (For simplicity, let’s assume all of your attendees are meeting in person together.) The meeting is supposed to start at 9 am. It’s pouring rain outside.At 8:58, you look around. Only 14 of the 25 people are in the … Read more
Our social world is governed by unspoken norms. Want to freak someone out? The next time someone says “hello” to you, just ignore them and don’t reply. (Just thinking about doing that probably freaks you out.) As someone who wants to influence others, you need to be particularly attuned to what people say to you. When … Read more
