As people grow used to a volatile and fast-paced world, executives’ concerns surrounding organizational change management have shifted. Old worries about resistance and intractability have been replaced by the imperative to lead through near-perpetual transformation. “Nobody resists change anymore because we’re always changing,” explains Carmen Liefeld, Leadership Coach at
By: Mackenzie Doheny A lot of executives refer to and consider their assistants “gatekeepers” who control access by means of managing calendars and warding off time-wasters. When assistants act as gatekeepers, executives don’t have to have some unpleasant or tedious conversations. And those who get past the “gate” may feel
The quality of an organization’s meetings is often tied to the quality of the organization’s overall work. Like effective organizations, effective meetings have clearly defined roles and objectives. There are four different types of meetings: decision-making, informational, creative, and motivational. While every meeting type is important, decision-making meetings are perhaps
Good question! And the answer is…everything! Even if you don’t consider yourself in the service business. My new book, Jumpstart Your Service Revolution, has just been launched – and it is chock full of practical examples of how to win an age of disruption. The premise is that almost every
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been dramatized in plenty of science fiction movies. In these films, the robots gain consciousness, realize that humans are their enemy or simply unnecessary, and attempt to destroy them. While it doesn’t seem likely that robots will be attempting to eradicate the human race anytime
High performance executive coaching clients, those that want to go from great to greater, often believe when they begin working with an executive coach that they are going to be fixed or that there will be heavy lifting involved. This myth sometimes keeps them, and may be keeping you, from finding
As an entrepreneur, you can involve yourself in just about any decision when the company is in its early stage. As the company grows, however, it it becomes harder stay on top of every issue. You do your best to prioritize and manage your involvement, but at a certain point
If you want to break a dollar without giving change, you will have to rip it in pieces. If you do that, you will need to find someone willing to accept your new form of currency. And if they accept it, they will have to persuade someone else to accept
As CEO, you should interview as many of the people joining your organization as possible. As the organization grows, you will have to be more selective–interviewing only those who will have the greatest impact on the business. But you shouldn’t stop interviewing. Interviewing is one of the greatest tools you
“A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.” – Gandhi Social context affects the way you behave, think, and interpret the world. It affects whether you feel comfortable or uncomfortable. It can affect whether, in a particular environment, you succeed or fail. Relative Deprivation
Creating Change that Lasts A lot of leaders struggle with knowing when to NOT offer their opinions. When they’re asked a question, they answer reflexively. Answering, though, is what leaders should do less and their coworkers should do more. Ironically, leaders generally want more accountability from their coworkers, but then
Your leadership and management skills can be dramatically improved by taking a page out of the motorcycling playbook. This past weekend I took a training course in how to drive a motorcycle from Rider Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota. To say I stretched myself would be an understatement. I was left fatigued at the end
Assumption Bias restricts the possibility of change for both the leader and followers. It acts like a steel safe, locking in a static belief system and locking out the possible alternatives. The greater the power leaders have, the more vulnerable they are to assumption bias because their coworkers are unlikely
Decision Model A model can be anything that defines a process (iterative, linear, or chaotic) in which you move from a particular starting point to a desired destination. Some models are rather straight forward. Take, for instance, planning a business trip from Rochester, MN (my home town) to Los Angeles,
While generating ideas comes easily for entrepreneurs, discerning which ideas to implement and which to discard does not usually come as easily.
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer made a deliberate power move to change the work environment of employees. It was wrong and alternative ways may have better effect for you when you consider changing your culture.
How do you stifle innovation? What roadblocks has your organization put in place to ensure that innovation is stifled? That is not a rhetorical question. Whether you know it or not, you have put in place, by design or circumstance, roadblocks to innovation. Maybe your argument stems from “regulatory” requirements, cultural bias,
Activate Your Goal It’s one thing to want a new job or career; it’s another thing to actively pursue it. If you don’t develop a plan with specific actions, deadlines, and accountability, what’s to keep you from getting distracted by your everyday concerns and obligations? You need leverage–both positive and
Leaders don’t enjoy firing people. They may feel relief after they’ve done so, but rarely joy. Even Donald Trump seems to feel a measure of regret when he says, “you’re fired!” Leaders want to inspire their team members to improve and become success stories. They want to find a way—perhaps
You can stumble on your next career or be deliberate about choosing one. This post explores how you can elevate your game and learn what career insights you may be withholding from friends and loved ones?
Many leaders want to change self-defeating behaviors and beliefs, but desire isn’t enough. Here are 10 ways to make changes stick: 1) Hire a coach or consult a mentor to help you locate and define the change you wish to make; 2) Brainstorm potential barriers; 3) Plan counter-moves for each
As a leader, you know the importance of hiring good people (as well as the cost of making poor hires), so you lay out role and responsibilities for each position, using very specific and explicit expectations. You modify job descriptions to address past oversights or new circumstances. And yet, six
As a leader, you know the importance of hiring good people (as well as the cost of making poor hires), so you lay out role and responsibilities for each position, using very specific and explicit expectations. You modify job descriptions to address past oversights or new circumstances. And yet, six
If you want to escape from the pull of earth’s gravity, you need to jettison away at 7 miles per second. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the greater the gravitational pull, the greater speed you must go to escape. When you’re looking to
When you build a successful company, department, NGO, or team, you build upon successes. It’s tricky to reproduce success, however, because many decisions were both context- and time-bound. Had you made those same decisions with different people, in different circumstances, or at another time period in the growth of your
The first couple of meetings we have together, clients often want to vent about their organization. Each time it has a slightly different flavor, but the commonality is striking. So many of them struggle with the cultural fit. When I was younger, I went to synagogue because I was asked
Once you learn and successfully employ a specific process, you stop exploring alternatives with a child’s eyes. You turn your attention to other matters. Eventually, the daily management of your processes overwhelms your time and attention, such that you rarely if ever adopt a new process. You stay with the
If you want to change the organization’s culture—from blaming to learning—start by celebrating when a team member declares an error or failure. Make sure to celebrate the awareness and not the failure itself. Errors aren’t desired, but they do present learning opportunities. Celebrate learning from failures. The revelation of an
If a loyal employee is no longer contributing in a meaningful way—not because of lack of effort, but because of an inability to adapt to a new direction or new methods—the leader will try training, coaching, mentoring, or stretching assignments. If those fail to work, the leader has two choices:
After getting a review copy of The New York Times Bestselling book, Change Anything, by Joseph Grenny and his partners (see my earlier post), I decided to put the book to the test. The book lays out six vital behaviors that will support the change you wish to make. The
It is flattering to know that people on your team agree with you. It’s a shot in the arm for your self-esteem. But, like a narcotic hit, it can become addictive. The more approval you get, the more you come to expect it and feed off it. You may start
The Heroic Journey draws from early work from Joseph Campbell and from many cultures around the world. We are all presented by challenges throughout our lives from which we may choose to learn, or not. The Heroic Journey model offers us a valuable perspective on the cycle of life and
Today I had the chance to catch up with Joseph Grenny on his way back from Califonia. Joseph along with his three partners have written three New York Times Best Selling books. I believe this next one, Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success, will meet the same fate.
Where has time gone. I remember when I was at the beginning of my career and calling on AARP as a direct marketer to do their work. You know the work of calling on Senior Citizens. My wife, Chris, thought it would be quite amusing to put the direct mail
Where has time gone. I remember when I was at the beginning of my career and calling on AARP as a direct marketer to do their work. You know the work of calling on Senior Citizens. My wife, Chris, thought it would be quite amusing to put the direct mail
It is interesting to me that we use innuendo when it comes to firing people. Steven Pinker Professor at Harvard discusses the uses of innuendo in society it is often used when the person you use it with has power over you. In the case of letting someone go –
OODA stands for: Observe Orient Decide Act Colonel John Boyd, Military Strategist, created this model once he considered decision making for military strategy happened in recurring loops. The idea is that when moving to action you first observe the battlefield or what ever area you are operating in. Once you
OODA stands for: Observe Orient Decide Act Colonel John Boyd, Military Strategist, created this model once he considered decision making for military strategy happened in recurring loops. The idea is that when moving to action you first observe the battlefield or what ever area you are operating in. Once you
Leading at the top is letting go, having faith and knowing that if you fully show up your voice will be heard. Poem from David Whyte.
McKinsey & Co offers a checklist for incoming CEO’s to consider in taking on a new position. They are offered in the form of 10 questions.
McKinsey’s former managing director Ian Davis offers to new CEOs advice distilled from his experience supporting executives during their transitions into the role.
McKinsey’s former managing director Ian Davis offers to new CEOs advice distilled from his experience supporting executives during their transitions into the role.
Best selling coauthor Joseph Grenny suggests that anyone at the precipice of a change project needs to ask themselves the following questions…
Best selling coauthor Joseph Grenny suggests that anyone at the precipice of a change project needs to ask themselves the following questions…
There are several reasons why we’re stalled at improving the education system in the US. These reasons stem from the fact that educators and administrators are both unwilling and unable to make the changes they desire and see as necessary. Their lack of motivation is commonly due to the fact
Exclusive Interview with three time best selling coauthor Joseph Grenny – Joseph says, “The most important capacity anyone can possess is the ability to influence behavior—that of yourself or others. And yet, most of us are lousy at it. Why?” In this interview you will find answers…
Exclusive Interview with three time best selling coauthor Joseph Grenny – Joseph says, “The most important capacity anyone can possess is the ability to influence behavior—that of yourself or others. And yet, most of us are lousy at it. Why?” In this interview you will find answers…
The book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything use these and other cases to show you how you can use these same skills, what he authors call “vital behaviors” to have influence on yourself, family, community, work. They have studied some of the world greatest influencers and have broken down
When given the resources to support change and the person does not make any moves to change what should your company do?
Ron Wirtz, editor of the fedgazette, contacted me and others in the community for insights regarding the recession’s effect (actual and psychological) on employment. Through this CO2 Partners blog, he is now interested in getting your insights and experience. Below you’ll find Ron Wirtz’s request in full. Do your stories
Previous Interview Part 1 From interview with Cali & Jody Gary Cohen:What are your top 10 questions you ask your clients to move them forward toward ROWE? The questions organizations need to ask themselves in order to move toward ROWE are based on the 13 Guideposts: Cali & Jody 1)
Click to go to Part I of the interview with Cali & Jody Gary Cohen:What successes and failures have you had with ROWE since you started your new organization? What was the context that allowed for the success and failures? Jody: There have been countless successes with ROWE since our
Cali Ressler & Jody Thompson Interview Cali and Jody created the Results-Only Work Environment from within the bowels of Corporate America – while juggling families, careers, and all the other demands of life. Work sucked and the traditional solution–more flexible schedules–wouldn’t address the problem. So they set out to fix
Cali & Jody Interview for blog (Previous Interview Post) Gary Cohen: How do you get around the issue of leaders and the myth of control that is so prevalent in our culture? What breaks down the power and control in organizations so they can move to a ROWE? Cali &
Cali & Jody Interview for blog (Previous Interview Post) Gary Cohen: How do you get around the issue of leaders and the myth of control that is so prevalent in our culture? What breaks down the power and control in organizations so they can move to a ROWE? Cali &
For those who are not familiar with Kevin Maney he is an author and journalist who has interviewed many of the biggest names in business in a career spanning 25 years. His most recent book is Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On and Others Don’t, published in the fall of
For those who are not familiar with Kevin Maney he is an author and journalist who has interviewed many of the biggest names in business in a career spanning 25 years. His most recent book is Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On and Others Don’t, published in the fall of
Usually when employees fail to fulfill the expectations their job descriptions raise, their superiors work with them to improve their performance. If that fails, they are sent packing. Such firings–and all the hurt feelings, wasted time and tried patience that accompany them–aren’t always avoidable, but leaders shouldn’t overlook the part
It interests me how a company that works with Union leadership develops those leaders to go into management. It is an interesting and complex issue. The question I have is, ‘are union leaders operating with different values and mission than the company?’ If that is true, then how do you
5 Step Process for Individual Leadership Behavior Change As an Executive Coach and Strategist one of your main jobs is to help people find alignment: alignment within themselves, with others and with their organization. The way to become outstanding at leadership starts with understanding yourself. When working with individuals who
It has been an interesting time economically for those of us who have been running or working in business, as well as those who have had the pleasure of seeing their 401Ks become 201Ks! It’s only natural to want to climb back into our shells and wait until the storm
In any company or organization, a new member can create tremendous waves. These waves, or changes, may be obvious in small organizations or in large companies, particularly when a new member of management comes aboard. Despite the size of the company or position filled, however, a new team member’s presence
