I can’t believe that Labor Day is around the corner. This was a milestone for many people earlier in the pandemic, then it fizzled to “ho hum” as the summer wore on and the economy didn’t return to its former vibrancy.
Take a moment to remember why we celebrate Labor Day. Everything from a five-day workweek to paid vacation time has roots in the labor movement, which spawned huge changes for working people.
You know the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. We all succumb to this from time to time. And when it happens, it’s not always easy to snap out of it.
During challenging economic times we don’t have time to be “insane”. We need to do. We need to be productive. We need results.
The days of in-person cocktail parties, lunches, coffees, or association gatherings are distant memories. While it may be a while before we again break bread with clients or colleagues, you can still nurture your network virtually.
Some people are reluctant to stay in touch, concerned that they may hear some bad news, creating an ackward moment for someone. You won’t know if you don’t ask. And the longer you wait to reach out, the harder it will become.
Many managers – especially inexperienced ones – suffer from resistance to delegation. They often declare that it’s easier to do it themselves than to ask someone less experienced to handle it.
The challenge is, of course, that if you don’t delegate, you’ll suffer from perennial mountains of work and your “delegatees” will never get the experience.
A recent Gallup article discussed ways that companies can continue employee development in spite of tighter budgets. Among the many good points raised, the author emphasizes that leaders could focus on the development of behavioral skills that are key to high performance.
Some leaders express frustration over the need to consider employee development when there are so many “more pressing” issues to consider. This is short sighted.
The answer to this question requires action! Reflect on the conversations you’ve had recently with your clients or customers. Do you really know what’s on their minds, or are you making assumptions?
Often, we project our opinions onto our clients. If we are struggling with COVID related problem X, we assume that our clients are also struggling with the same problem.
Creativity is so important for businesses, now more than ever during the pandemic. Leaders who have taken the position of “we’ve always done it this way” have found themselves in dire conditions. Revenue that plummeted is taking far longer than ever imagined to return.
Most companies that find themselves in this situation have made at least some efforts to modify how they do business to generate new sources of revenue. But small changes aren’t enough to keep troubled companies in business for the long term.
A Case Study of The Brooks Group
Organizational culture is a topic that baffles many executives because culture seems like a soft and squishy topic. After all, you don’t go out and buy a how-to manual on creating corporate culture! Although the topic may seem soft, hard, tangible results can ensue when your people are aligned with your culture.
An organizational culture is a set of shared values and beliefs that are disseminated and understood at every level of a company. It’s an easy concept to understand, but not necessarily easy to implement. Everyone should be able to answer the question, “What is important to your company?”
The other day Chief Executive magazine featured a synopsis of an interview with Dana Cavalea, a top performance coach for athletes (including Derek Jeter) and CEOs.
He commented that the habits that have the biggest impact on athletes and CEOs alike are consistency, discipline, and conviction.
Welcome to the second half of 2020.
Having gone through the wild and unpredictable ride of the past four months, where do you go from here? Do you have a handle on various scenarios that you can plan for the next six months?
Rather than wandering aimlessly through the rest of the year, it’s worth establishing three scenarios that you can adapt to depending on the continuing impact of the pandemic and economic challenges. Here are some broad strokes that can help to inform your specific situation.