Emotional Intelligence at Work

Co-opting Post-Sexist Gender Bias to Retain Top Talent

Have you ever taken Karate? I took two classes, not enough to retain any physical benefit, but I learned one thing I still keep with me 30 years later: when we take advantage of natural forces to create change, change happens more smoothly and comfortably. Research out of Harvard may just hold the...

read more

The Perils of “Easy” Consensus: Leaders, Do Your Job

Throughout my career I’ve had experiences with government, nonprofit and corporate cultures, and I’ve noticed a leadership pattern in all three that leaders can learn from. Consensus means different things to different people. Be brave. Do Your Job. Don’t take the ”easy” path. The word consensus...

read more

Why Would You Want To Be A Pro-Employee Company?

What does pro-employee even mean? You may interpret the phrase “pro-employee” any number of ways. It could be about being on the list of top companies to work for. Maybe it’s about working effectively with unions or being union-free. It could be about benefits, vacation time, flexible work hours,...

read more

5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Company – Leadership Right Now

In recognition of the fact that a company with women in roughly 30% of its leadership tend to produce healthier and stronger performing companies, there are lots of good programs out there trying to help women. But should we really wait for HR to come up with a great program?

Seriously – it’s not about the special programs. It’s about you and me and what we do every day to create the culture we live in – and to create a culture that welcomes the gifts women bring into the leadership ranks. Culture is created by the behaviors we tolerate and those we don’t. This doesn’t just apply to women.

Men and women both bear responsibility for helping lead their companies and create a strong culture – no matter what their title is.

Personally what can we do?

read more

Feedback Coaching: How to Get Results with “Tough Love”

While many feedback coaching tips expound on the benefits of empathy in providing difficult-to-hear messages, there is a limit to empathy’s effectiveness in feedback situations. Don’t misunderstand me, I do believe empathy is a critical element of all feedback sessions. However, one thing I notice...

read more

Creating Connection: Avoiding Zoom Burnout

Meetings are the one thing today’s workforce loves to hate. And now, with many office workers still working remotely in the pandemic, there’s an added layer to the meeting pain: “Zoom burnout.” Initially a fun way to stay connected to colleagues during the early weeks of the pandemic, workers are...

read more

Conflict Management Trick: RIGHT vs. RIGHT

Every time I do a leadership training seminar at least one person in the room always has the same light bulb go off when I introduce the Conflict Management idea of RIGHT vs. RIGHT, described in Chris McGoff’s The PRIMES. You can see it in their eyes when they are able to perceive an alternative...

read more

Solving Employee Engagement on the Front Lines

As the job market tightens, and growth plans become constrained by the inability to hire people, many executives are talking about the importance of employee turnover and engagement. On the one hand I’m happy to see this. Employee well-being is key to a healthy business. However, I’m dismayed to...

read more

Categories