High Performers Have Breaking Points Too


You know the expression, “to reach the breaking point.” Not only do you know it, but surely, you’ve experienced it. Breaking points occur when so many things accumulate that the person gives way under stress.

Leaders are typically mindful of how much they can pile on to their average employees before they reach a breaking point. In fact, the typical employee is usually quick to point it out before it occurs.

Read More


“If You Stay Ready, You Don’t Need to Be Ready”


A friend of mine offered this adage. We were talking about an overseas trip he had taken with his CEO, who unfortunately was stricken with food poisoning the night before their first meetings. He ended up making 10 presentations in three days on behalf of the ailing CEO.

This situation would be terrifying for most people, but my friend was totally prepared. As I listened to his story, I thought about how few people project beyond the boundaries of their own job and could step in for someone with no notice.

Read More


The Reliability Factor


Reliability is one of those amorphous characteristics that is sometimes neglected in the work place. We see it in different ways. One team member may be reliable in terms of making deadlines while another is reliably late. One person may be reliable in completing tasks while another is reliably inconsistent.

Obviously, leaders want to emphasize the positive aspects of reliability. They also can’t ignore the negative factors, though, and need to emphasize to team members how this can be career limiting.

Read More


“I Don’t Have Time…”


This is one of the chronic problems in today’s work place: too much to do and not enough time. Leaders may feel especially pressured by this issue with the myriad tasks and projects that fall on their plates.

Leaders, however, need to tackle this issue a little differently than those who work for you. People are relying on you and are going to interrupt your day almost always at the most inconvenient times.

Read More


Are your top performers holding it together?


There are times when you’re running fast and furious, and your team is doing a great job. But how are the people holding up under the pressure? When you see great results, you may not see fraying around the edges. If unravelling has begun, though, you need to jump in and be on top of it.

You’ll know about your lower performing employees early on. They’ll complain about the work and grumble to their co-workers about how difficult everything is. These aren’t the people to worry about because odds are you aren’t relying on them for the most important deliverables.

Read More


No Surprises


My friend Andrea recently gave performance reviews to her staff. She was pleased with their responses, and I offered kudos on how she delivered these reviews.

She replied, “You owe the people below you as much as you do those above you.”

What a great comment! Andrea provides regular feedback and treats her team with professional courtesy and respect. Her statement embodies these values. The positive response from her team is a consequence of this ongoing, regular dialogue.

Read More


What’s Happened to Reading?


Time magazine recently reported on an American Psychological Association study that a third of U.S. teens haven’t read a book for pleasure in over a year. This struck me as a combination of sad and a little scary.

Reading is important for young people for so many different reasons. Aside from the obvious ones, such as building vocabulary and their own writing skills, it helps build their critical thinking and even their social skills.

The time spent reading has been replaced by time spent on social and other digital media, which doesn’t have the same impact on their intellectual development. This will become our problem as today’s teens are our future employees.

Read More


Have You Taken Vacation?


What happened to summer? Do you realize that next weekend is Labor Day? Aside from most people enjoying a three-day weekend, Labor Day is bittersweet because it marks the unofficial end to summer.

So. Have you taken vacation?

Americans still leave millions of dollars of unclaimed vacation benefits on the table. According to Project Time Off’s State of the American Vacation, 52% of Americans had unused vacation at the end of 2017. This translates to 212 million days of forfeited vacation, or $62.2 billion in lost benefits.

Read More