Random Thoughts…Part 1
I had an idea for this blog post. I was going to borrow a technique from one of the most impressive people I have ever encountered, Thomas Sowell. Doctor Sowell is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. To …
Take the Shot
I was 14 years old. I was the point guard on our ninth-grade basketball team. We were playing a team from a neighboring town – a school that was five times larger than ours. The history of this matchup was a slaughter …
Leadership: Too Much Variance
Most every large organization has some terrific leaders within its ranks of executives, some mediocre leaders working right next to them, and often an abysmal leader or two thrown into the mix. The result is that a given employee’s likelihood of working …
Culture Surveys: the Good and the Ugly
One of MindSet’s most often encountered cognitive blunders involves individuals or organizations who believe (or at least hope) that if they avoid acknowledging an issue or problem, perhaps it will just go away – and the worst of these offenders continue to …
The National Search Mistake
“An expert is an ordinary fellow from another town.” ~ Mark Twain Many years ago I served as a board member of a good-sized nonprofit organization. (I was drafted, i.e., I felt compelled to say “yes” because of who asked.) The board …
Working Remote: The Price We Pay
I had a recent experience that has given me more pause regarding what we are losing by moving toward working remote. We had a 60 year old, experienced and talented extended family member come to our home for a visit. This is …
Who Gets Promoted to Lead Humans
The sizable majority of business leaders are neither evil nor stupid. Given that, it is worth considering why, in one important regard, many business leaders continue to make foolish decisions. When you make the following statement to a group of business leaders, …
What Bucket Are You In?
If you are in a high title position, it is likely that you should be more Shaq-like. What the heck is Shaq-like? Watch this video. I am well aware that you are not a hall-of-fame athlete – and it’s likely no one …
Go Fix It!
I have recently worked with an executive who needed to more clearly establish and enforce expected performance standards for the staff members she supervises. She made good progress, replacing her previously hazy thoughts with a sharp vision of what she expects. One …
Engaged Employees – Good Grief, Charlie Brown!
For the past 20 years or so, it has been all the rage for companies to claim that they have a workforce comprised of “engaged employees.” Now I suspect some of you are as tired of this topic – or at least …
