I bought a new-to-me used car about five years ago. It’s a good car. I like it, it’s got plenty of space for the dog, it drives well, and it gets decent gas mileage. The previous owner clearly loved her perfume. After five years, the car still stinks has a distinctly perfumey scent. Even my husband, who’s (yay for him) much …
What’s your take on values?
Serious question: What’s your take on values? How do you identify them and then commit to them? Is there a process you’ve used, or have you simply gone with what feels right? I’ve wrangled with this for years now, even as I’ve worked with clients to identify their values and help them integrate those values into their work, business, and …
Consulting and “hoof in mouth” disease
“This will be so much simpler than what you’re doing now – there will be so much less to do!” That was me, many years ago in my early days of tech project management, cheerfully extolling the benefits of the new software I was at the client’s to install. Whoops. Open mouth, insert foot. The client project manager’s eyes got …
Why I talk about neuroscience
Have you heard of “neurobabble”? Maybe you’ve heard of “neuroleadership,” “neuro-ethics,” “neuro-law,” and other – yes, I’ll say it – equally ridiculous terms. I talk about neuroscience as it relates to change. And I freely admit that in doing so, I over-simplify complex topics, and could reasonably be accused of jumping on the neurobabble bandwagon. (At least I don’t talk …
Got cats? Let’s herd ’em!
Once upon a time, I had ten cats. Yes, it was a lot. Yes, it was very furry. Yes, I went through a lot of kitty litter! Maybe I’m stretching a metaphor to the breaking point, but in my experience, trying to get all stakeholders in a change initiative heading in the right direction can be a whole lot like …
Resistance is NOT inevitable!
A lot of my work focuses on how to get people, teams, and organizations past the resistance to change that tends to crop up. But resistance is not inevitable, though I’ve been known to say – wrongly – that it is. And yes, I’m calling myself out. Change can be exciting and motivating, even in the midst of uncertainty and the …
The power of identity to influence change
There’s an often-overlooked factor that significantly influences how change works. Identity We all have a sense of identity – that’s not new news. But it’s not just us as individuals; it’s also teams, departments, and entire corporations, even very large and very small corporations. This sense of identity is a powerful factor in how we – individually or as an …
The #1 requirement for leadership
Once upon a time, I conducted an informal survey of senior executives, HR leaders, and executive coaches. I asked each of them what they thought the most important and most-often-lacking leadership skill was for newly-promoted managers. I fully expected the answer to be “communication.” I was 100% wrong, and the answers were 100% consistent: strategic thinking. So now you probably expect …
Why won’t they change?
I know it’s hard to believe, but there are people in this world who refuse to change. (Yes, that was me being Captain Obvious.) They know they’re stuck in ways of thinking and acting that don’t support their career or their life, but they say things like, “I’m too old to change” (which I’ve heard from people in their 40s), …
Your brain is lazy
Yes, your brain is lazy. Not only your brain – everyone’s brain. The brain is a greedy organ. Proportional to its weight, it gobbles up far more energy than any other organ in your body – more than your skin (yes, skin is an organ), digestive tract, lungs, and so on. So the brain prioritizes habit and routine, because that’s efficient. It …