Change is uncomfortable. Full stop, end of statement. Whether it’s operational change (implementing new software, for instance) or cultural change (such as a diversity initiative), you’re being challenged to do things differently. Which means you’re being challenged to think differently. And that’s uncomfortable. We generally get it with operational change. We know we’re learning to use a new tool, or working …
Your employees: two tips and a mindset shift
Employees – can’t live with them, can’t live without them, right? Ha. Almost everyone I’ve spoken with recently has said they’re dealing with a higher-than-usual turnover rate (i.e., the Great Resignation), or they’re struggling to hire. Or both. It’s Yet Another Stress Factor in an already really difficult time. And I encourage you to recognize, even in the midst of …
When you just *can’t*
Leaders are supposed to keep on keeping on. They’re supposed to make decisions, offer support, give feedback, notice who’s struggling, catch all the balls, help their teams through burnout, keep projects on track, stagger out of the office and deal with the kids, the dog, the cat, the partner, the family, the friends, the neighbors … Shall I stop now? Because …
Do you have “toxic” managers? Three ways to find out.
Last week, I wrote a post on LinkedIn about a report I’d seen stating that 30% of managers are toxic. That post got a ton of discussion, with wide-ranging opinions from “that’s too high” to “that’s too low” to “what the heck is ‘toxic,’ anyway?” What fun! I don’t know if that 30% is valid or not. The article I read …
Ever work for a “whiz kid”?
Many years ago in my early corporate days, I was on a team reporting to a self-described “whiz kid.” I kid you not. (Pun intended.) He really did call himself a whiz kid. He was a nice enough guy … but a really bad manager. He was so bad that I and my fellow teammates went to not just one, …
Can remote work – work?
There’s a whole host of stories, studies, and opinions on productivity and team collaboration in our pandemic era. Some people are convinced that there’s no way collaboration and innovation can be effective in a remote or hybrid workplace. Other people point to studies showing that many teams and companies are reporting higher productivity and greater trust. What to believe? What to …
5 tips for handling gaslighting employees
Gaslighting: to manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. (Google definition) How does this show up at work? “Oh, sorry, I never got that email. Are you sure you sent it?” “I wasn’t supposed to take care of that – we never discussed it.” “You said you were going to ask {other team member} to do it.” …
Is that meeting an email in disguise?
You don’t need me to tell you that we’re all Zoomed out. So I’ll make this short. Are you defaulting to yet another meeting – yet another Zoom video call – without stopping to think if that’s what you really need? Before sending out that invitation with the log-in link, I challenge you to ask: Could this be an email? Or …
You don’t have to like your team
It’s not a requirement to like your team. But you do have to respect them. They’re on your team for a reason. Whether you hired them, or someone else did and you inherited them, they’ve been considered appropriate for the job. If that’s not the case – if they’re not meeting expectations for the role they need to fill and …
Water leaks and repeating problems
They’re digging up the street outside my house. It’s yet another water leak. I live on a short, three-block street. We have roughly one leak per month. Seriously. The water-company office staff groanlaugh when we call to report Yet.Another.Leak.Here. My husband and I have often wondered – as we circumnavigate a puddle or pile of dirt and gravel – why …