I’ve often said that my career path wasn’t exactly a path, but more like, well, a meandering wander. It turned out well; it turned out that what I meandered into over the years was something I had a talent for: systems analysis and software development, to the point where I was able to observe, analyze, design, and develop a business …
Everyday acts of everyday leadership
What’s one leadership quality you have? Think for a moment. What is it? Some of you reading this may immediately come up with a whole list. Good for you. Congratulations. But some of you reading this may be drawing a blank. Or maybe you can think of something, but you’re not sure if it’s actually a leadership quality, since you’re not …
Hammers, coffeemakers, and offices
The office isn’t a place to go to work. It’s a tool to be used for work. You wouldn’t use a hammer to make your coffee, any more than you’d use your French press coffeemaker to drive a nail. When we stop thinking about the office as “a place where we work,” but instead look at it as “a tool …
“You’re fired” and other tales of psychological safety
The first thing I did when I was promoted to project manager was to ask my team to tell me if there were problems or delays, instead of waiting until things reached a crisis point. Looking back, I was at least attempting to create psychological safety in a company where that wasn’t exactly the norm. Long before anyone was fired …
Got productivity paranoia?
There’s an old, old saying: it’s not paranoia if someone really is after you. And hybrid or fully remote work is definitely causing some companies to “come after” their employees with monitoring tools that track what those employees are doing. As one website proclaims, “Employee monitoring software is an essential tool for business owners who want to verify that employees …
The closest thing to a magic wand
Leadership and management development touch every aspect of your company. Including “hot topic” items such as burnout and mental health. Think about it. What keeps people happy at their jobs? Their manager. What creates and maintains a good company culture? Leadership from top to bottom. And the first-line manager is where the rubber of the culture meets the road of the …
Ten cats, one mouse
Once upon a time, I had ten cats. It wasn’t intentional – they just kept showing up until I said, out loud and firmly, “Enough!” And yeah, it was very furry. But the ten cats aren’t the story here. The one mouse – that’s the story. At the time, I lived in a rural town in south central New Jersey, …
Pizza, pineapple, and cilantro?
These are three things people feel strongly about: pizza, pineapple, and cilantro. There are those who are adament that pineapple should never be anywhere near a pizza, and then there are those who are fans of Hawaiian pizza (ham and pineapple). And there are those who love cilantro, and those who think it tastes like soap and hate it. I’m …
Want a toaster with that?
Okay, so I just dated myself with that headline – but – do you remember the days when banks would offer a toaster (no, really: a toaster) if you opened a new account? And more seriously, have you ever been a loyal customer of a brand or business – and then felt betrayed and overlooked when that brand or business …
Doing your job = quitting?!
Let’s start here: I’m a card-carrying “people pleaser in recovery.” It’s attributable to plenty of factors, from childhood experiences through various work situations and onward in personal relationships. I won’t bore you with the details, but I suspect at least some of you can relate. And professionally, it led to a lot of extra time at work. Moving on: I …