I have clients who ask me all the time, “Why don’t people just do what they are supposed to do?” It is a simple question that, unfortunately, doesn’t have a simple answer. Not everyone thinks the same way you do about getting work done and there could be other issues that need to be uncovered. Here are a few examples of what could be happening. The easiest way to think about it is that every person comes to work each…
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Holding other people accountable can be a challenge for leaders. The leader makes an assumption that their direct reports are just like them. No one has to hold me accountable, so why do I have to hold other people accountable? Why don’t they just do the work that they have to do? Does this sound like a thought you have had or you have heard from other leaders? There are multiple reasons why holding direct reports is necessary. They don’t…
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Imagine that you and I are at a networking event and someone in the group that we are talking to says, “My company is creating a culture of accountability.” It tends to bring up a negative connotation for people when they hear that phrase. Managers don’t want to be micro-managers and employees don’t want to be micro-managed. So why would you need to create a culture that focuses on accountability? It would be necessary if you have a culture that…
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I saw a clip last night of the UCONN Women’s Basketball Coach, Geno Auriemma talking about the importance of body language in a game. “We put a huge premium on body language,” Auriemma said. “And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game. Ever. I don’t care how good you are.” The Coach has set this expectation with his team and for him this applies whether you are in the game or sitting on the…
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Have you been in a situation at work that you are unsure of what to do? I am sure that this has happened to you in your career at some point along the way. It is a vulnerable place to be as a leader feeling like you should have all the answers. Although you are in the leadership role for what you know and what you can get done, it is just not possible for you to know everything. I…
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“The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.” -John Wooden This quote was a good reminder to me that leaders have to set the tone no matter what is going on in the organization. Change is a constant and leaders are getting new information to process all the time. They need to discern if it is something to act on, share with their team, communicate to the rest of the organization or keep it to themselves. …
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Imagine that this is what is on your calendar this week…3 presentations, 15 meetings with various groups, 6 meetings with your direct team and your kids have two sporting events that you need to attend after work. Some of you may be thinking how on earth can that be real? I can tell you that it is absolutely real and the way that many people will be spending their week. It seems crazy, but this is actually probably conservative…
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When I first started out as a leader, I was much more directive than I should have been. I didn’t know another way to lead a team yet. Now many teams and many years later, I have learned that there is a much better way to lead. This style of leadership sets the vision for the organization, empowers the team and helps the team learn the skills they need to be successful. Being a leader who leverages coaching skills helps…
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I remember when I first became a leader of a team. I went to a training class for three days to learn how to be a leader. I learned a lot of things at that first session, but I didn’t have a whole lot of real life experience to apply at that point. However, I took those lessons to heart and began to lead my first team. Even though I tried really hard, I made many mistakes along the way. …
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Over the last few months I have been trying out a bullet journal to plan my business and my life. I had originally looked at this about a year ago on bulletjournal.com, but I never pursued using it. In June of this year, I somehow ran across an article talking about a woman using a bullet journal in a pretty creative way. I remembered that I had looked at it before, so I checked out her you tube videos. Her…
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