“I’ll Take it and Run with It”

How often do you hear those words in the workplace? Not as frequently as you’d like, I imagine. Instead, often, you probably hear either silence or those career-limiting words, “it’s not my job.”

People who are eager to help and take on new responsibilities are primed to advance in your company. They don’t think about whether it’s what they were hired to do; rather, they see these situations as opportunities to learn and grow in their jobs.

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Try a Lighter Ball

A few years ago, one of my clients hosted a bowling outing as a morale/team building activity for her company. We laughed about the experience of bowling especially if you don’t play it often. She recommended that it’s easier to play when you use a lighter ball.

Of course, when I heard this, I thought about how often we do things the “hard way” in the workplace, when using a “lighter ball” would make life so much easier.

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Time Management or Mania Management?

One of the top challenges facing executives relates to time management. They are over-scheduled, perennially interrupted, covering for others’ mistakes, and solving dozens of challenges.

I was working with a someone in his office last week and within a brief ten-minute slice of time, four different people “dropped in” to ask something. When the fourth person walked in, he just looked at me and started to laugh. This man’s workday really begins in the evening, and obviously, this isn’t sustainable over time.

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Can You Articulate What You Stand For?

One of my clients is going through the interesting exercise of articulating “what he stands for” so that he can make more informed career management decisions. This interests me for many reasons, not the least of which is that enhanced self-awareness is a vital asset for any executive.

What’s he really doing is clarifying his values. When you understand your values, everything from making decisions to business development to managing your employees is easier.

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What Lies Beneath

Have you ever made assumptions about what someone is thinking, reacted based on those assumptions, only to find out that you were completely wrong? Of course, you have! We all do this from time to time, but frankly, it’s a bad habit.

You never know what’s going on with someone…unless you ask…and the person actually responds fully.

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Leadership Conundrum

Much of our discussion about leadership is within the context of the functional job that you do as a leader. This framework includes attributes such as sharing and acting on the company’s vision, managing a positive professional environment, and providing the support and resources that your staff needs.

There are times, though, when the organization’s vision or direction changes and you face more personal considerations. Typically, these changes occur gradually and although they may not be too noticeable, one day you wake up and realize that things are quite different.

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Averting Conflict

There comes a time when conflict inevitably percolates in the workplace. How you handle it makes a difference in whether it permeates, lingers, or fades.

Sometimes you have little control over a decision, such as deeply cutting expenses when cash flow is tight. Other times, you might take an unpopular position that upsets some of your staff.

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Breaking Up with an Employee

No one likes to fire an employee. It’s uncomfortable – even distressing – depending on the circumstances. But it’s one of the realities of managing. In fact, the rest of your staff will take note of how you handle it.

The key to dealing with a prospective termination is to be brutally honest about the situation. Objectively assess the person’s performance and determine if the situation can be salvaged. In some cases, the employee may not have been trained properly; in others she may have floundered due to bad (or no) management.

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The Dialogue of Feedback

How do you deliver feedback? Some people embrace opportunities to offer positive accolades for a job well done. Others are quick to criticize what didn’t work well and focus on what needs to be done differently the next time.

Both types of feedback are necessary. You need to acknowledge the good as well as offer suggestions for improvement.

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What Are You Really Hearing?

I have a friend who is a litigator by profession, and true to her calling, she sounds like a litigator in all aspects of her life. She is smart, interesting, and fun to be around….that is, when she’s not badgering people.

Her tone is often contentious and argumentative, even if we’re talking about something as mundane as what to order in a restaurant.

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