When used for the right reasons and with competent practitioners, executive coaching can provide significant and lasting benefits for both individuals and organizations. But like other innovations, coaching is in danger of becoming just another business fad. When not effective, it can cause harm … [Read more...] about Getting the Most out of Executive Coaching
Managing
Understanding Basic Human Behaviors at Work: What Drives You?
One of the earliest studies of human behavior at work was done at AT&T's Western Electric Hawthorne Plant from 1927 to 1932 by Harvard's Elton Mayo. Their principle findings are still relevant today: when workers have an opportunity to contribute their thinking and learning to workplace … [Read more...] about Understanding Basic Human Behaviors at Work: What Drives You?
Flipping the Coin for Talent: How Well are You Hiring?
Everyone agrees that talent is an important competitive advantage, but surprisingly, three out of four companies do not have a priority talent management program. Hiring processes are often random and decisions based on intuition. In many cases, hiring decisions have success rates similar … [Read more...] about Flipping the Coin for Talent: How Well are You Hiring?
Creating an Execution Culture – A Leader’s Most Important Job
“Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success and the cause of most of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes.” ― Ram Charan, author of What the CEO Wants You to Know and Boards that … [Read more...] about Creating an Execution Culture – A Leader’s Most Important Job
Where Have All the Good Managers Gone?
“No job is more vital to our society than that of the manager. It is the manager who determines whether our social institutions serve us well or whether they squander our talents and resources.” – Henry Mintzberg Nobody aspires to being a good manager these days. So much attention and resources … [Read more...] about Where Have All the Good Managers Gone?
Leadership Power Stress: Creating Renewal
Effective executives often find themselves caught in a cycle of stress and sacrifice, without any possibility or time for recovery or renewal. Most of those who make it to the top have proven track records for influencing others, getting teams to work together and achieving results. Such leaders … [Read more...] about Leadership Power Stress: Creating Renewal
The Quest for Great Customers
Most CEOs hope a stronger focus on customers will protect them from eroding profit margins and commoditization. But getting closer to customers is not a matter of installing better CRM systems or simply measuring satisfaction levels. Companies can take advantage of new, increasingly efficient … [Read more...] about The Quest for Great Customers
Information Overload: Taming the Electronic Beasts
Frantic, forgetful, fragmented and flummoxed. Does this describe you or someone you work with? If so, you’re not alone. Many smart leaders are being swept up by today’s frenetic, globalized, technology-driven lifestyle. We have plunged into a mad rush of activity, aided by high-speed Internet, … [Read more...] about Information Overload: Taming the Electronic Beasts
Dealing with Difficult People
They’re everywhere. Walk into any workplace and you’ll find them. Regardless of your company’s success or employee-friendly culture, difficult people pose challenges for managers and team leaders each day. Some are angry; some are anxious. Others are fearful, negative and obstinate. Some spark … [Read more...] about Dealing with Difficult People
Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories
“To be fully engaged in our lives, we must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned with a purpose beyond our immediate self-interest.” — Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, The Power of Full Engagement (2003) Executives strive to sustain high … [Read more...] about Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories