Random Acts of Kindness
It was recently Random Acts of Kindness week, February 11-17, where people celebrate the simple power of kindness. This isn’t about “grand gestures,” rather it’s about the small things we do in a spirit of compassion.
Tag: Communication
The Ripple Effect of Change
A couple of my clients have shared concerns about dealing with key vendors due to major changes occurring in the vendors’ companies. One vendor is going through a substantial reorganization, and another has experienced the firing of its most senior officers without any apparent succession plan in place. Both vendors are swimming in chaos.
My clients are continuing to do business as they always have, but their situations have been fraught with challenges. Even though they have no control over either situation, they are receiving the residual runoff of their vendors’ discontent and fears.
The Dangers of Settling
Do you settle for less? It doesn’t matter what you settle for or when you do it, it can begin a pattern where your expectations and standards slip, and you’re not even aware that it’s happening.
This is an observable pattern. If your employees see you settling, the behavior can be contagious. I know managers who say, “just this time” and before they know it, they’re doing it all the time.
Keep in Touch – It Matters
I had coffee with a former colleague a few weeks ago. We worked together years ago and have stayed in touch occasionally.
I was startled when I saw him, because he had aged beyond his years and appeared gaunt and frail. I don’t know what’s wrong, but he’s not well. I was glad that we got together, and we have tentatively set another time to connect several months from now.
Change Your Greeting
Happy New Year! What’s exciting you as this new year begins?
Many people greet other by asking perfunctory questions, such as, “How’s it going?” or “What’s happening?” These questions aren’t very interesting and people tend to respond automatically, such as, “not much” or “same as usual.”
“I Heard You Twice the First Time”
Don’t you just love that expression? I learned it from Joanne, who participated in a management offsite that I facilitated. We had been discussing the need to “over communicate,” especially given enormous information overload. Her comment made a great impression on everyone around the table.
People become frustrated when their colleagues or co-workers don’t recall what they said. The fact is, people cram in so much information that some things just don’t get processed.
Listen and Ask
I’m a student of the art of asking questions. My experience is that the quality of the questions you ask can make an amazing difference in your professional (and personal) discussions.
Leaders who ask great questions have more interactive dialogue with their team members and hopefully create an environment where questioning and curiosity becomes the norm, not the exception.
What Has Happened to Civility?
Have you noticed that more people are behaving badly these days? I’m not going to speculate about the triggers, but how to deal with bad behavior has crept into many of my conversations with clients.
It seems that the offenders don’t hesitate to be contentious, whereas previously they would have been more patient or conciliatory to reach consensus. Here are a but a few of the examples that have surfaced recently.
Good Old-Fashioned Dialogue
How do you engage your people to be more involved in their work? The old cliché about the carrot and the stick comes to mind. Some managers feel that they need to be tough, demanding, or unrelenting in their approach.
Well, barking at your employees or dictating to them or condescending to them is usually more detrimental than effective. And if you randomly schmooze with them, people may feel good, but this doesn’t portend more engagement.
Are You Prepared for Succession?
This topic has come up with clients several times in the past few weeks. For example, one executive who is preparing for retirement wants to hire someone to manage operational issues in the company. He hadn’t thought of this as succession, but that’s exactly what it is.
When you hire for succession, you’re not just thinking about hiring a competent person to fill a position. You’re considering a longer-term leader for key positions in your company or department.