Who are you? It’s one of those existential things that many – myself included – grapple with. My husband has been known to frown in introspective perplexity and say, “I don’t even know who I am!” I’m sure that’s something most of us can identify with – again, myself included. Especially post-pandemic, when we all questioned a lot of things …
What’s all around you?
That’s not a trick question. But it is an important question. What’s all around you? What do you see every day? What’s become so familiar to your eyes and brain that you don’t even see it any more? If you want to influence change, whether for yourself personally or for your team or organization, this is something to think about. Our …
Is help hiding in plain sight?
A potential change ally might be right in front of you. Perfect example: I was talking with someone who was supporting much-needed change within her organization. The change was mandated (for good reason) from senior leadership; she’s not directly responsible, but she does have influence. We spent a little time talking about the people actively resisting the change, and why …
“Professional” may be over-rated
I had a blast at the OHIMA24 conference last week. My Change Leadership talk on Tuesday morning was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever done (and I’ve been giving that talk for years). I’m not basing that opinion only on my own experience (I’m not that egotistical!). I’m basing it on audience response, during and after the presentation. And, …
A New Model for Change
I’ve often said that I’m not a fan of models and blueprints. And yet, despite that fact, I’m here to write about a model of change. Why? Because this isn’t a model of how to do change. It’s a model of the factors that impact change, regardless of what type of change it is, and regardless of whether or not it succeeds. …
Do you communicate?
Once upon a time, I met a business consultant who told me she never advises her clients to communicate about change. “Just do the change,” she said. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I excused myself and went to talk with someone else. Not letting people know about what’s coming and why – it is, as I’m sure you’re …
Leadership tools are good – right?
We all love a good tool, whether a physical tool (my favorite pruning saw! the comfort of my old wood-handled hammer!) or, yes, interpersonal leadership tools (such as the ones I teach). Tools are great. But knowing how to use them is not automatically granted just because we have the tool. First time I tried using that pruning saw, I nearly …
What do you celebrate?
I don’t mean holidays. I don’t mean your birthday (or someone else’s). I don’t even mean milestones. I mean the small steps on a project. The shifts in perspective about a change. The ways in which your team supports each other. It’s way too easy to plow onward with the ever-growing to-do list, the endless projects, and, of course, the …
There’s nothing “soft” about this
Many of the skills I teach could be lumped into so-called “soft” skills. But there’s nothing “soft” about the impact of change on people – the people we lead, the people we work with, the people we live with. Change is hard. And when it’s change coming from outside the organization, without even the minimal control we might have professionally, it’s …
The fuzzy gray ball of leadership
Students in my workshops often ask hypothetical questions about leadership situations – questions to which the only possible answer is, “Well, it depends!” Leadership is a fuzzy gray ball of uncertainty. Or, to put it in somewhat more positive terms, it’s highly nuanced. Which is why, as I wrote last week, I consider formally-defined leadership styles to be functionally useless, …