What can you control? As leaders, we like to think we can control everything. Spoiler alert: you can’t. Sure, it’s obvious when I write it like that. But how much of your leadership time is spent trying to figure out how to control all the things? Especially if you’re creating change, which is inherently uncertain and unpredictable. A colleague is …
The system is working as designed
The system is working exactly as designed. Mental health. Burnout. A lack of resilience. Toxic culture. Employee disengagement. Manager disengagement. And so on – and on – and on. We talk about these problems a lot. And a lot of the time, we talk about them as if they’re individual issues – “they” need more resilience, “they” need mental health care, …
Projects aren’t widgets
“You don’t manage people, you manage things. You lead people.” (Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper) That quote is at the bottom of every page of my website. Somewhere along the line, we got this mixed up. It was probably literally on the line – the assembly line – where the confusion started. On an assembly line, people pretty much are managed …
Is Change the New Black?
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I don’t think that’s true any more. I think things are becoming rather extraordinarily different from what they’ve ever been. More relevant, in my view, is the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Because oof, are these times ever way “interesting”! and it’s dizzying and disorienting. And with all …
The improv approach to change leadership
I’ve always wanted to take an improv class, but I’ve never actually done it. So why am I writing about improv as it relates to change leadership? Well, if you’re even slightly familiar with improv, you know one of the primary principles is to say “and” instead of “but.” Resistance to change often shows up as “Yes, but!” Whether that’s …
Frustration kills brain cells
I had an important meeting to attend. With plenty of time, I hopped in my car, pressed the power button, and… oops. That horrible crackling noise? Dead battery. Engine trying to turn over, to no avail. Nothing to be done, except … growl at myself for not taking action on that little niggle in my head that said something’s not right. …
Moss, trees, and root cause
Have you ever really looked at moss? Many years ago, my mother and I went to a botanical garden where all the “lawns” were moss. (How many years ago? Somewhere around here, I have the VHS video cassette from that garden, promoting the concept of moss lawns!) I could argue that moss wants more shade than most lawns, and that it’s …
Yes, you can’t anticipate the unexpected
Storms rolled through in the wee hours of Sunday morning. My husband had been up earlier, tracking the progress of tornadoes touching down only miles from us, ready to wake me, the dog, and the cat, and get us all down to the basement. He went back to sleep; I woke up a bit later when the power went out …
Do you “best practice”?
This may be somewhat controversial, but so-called “best practices” are often more like “somewhat effective ways of doing things.” And all too often, “best practice” is just another term for a blueprint or template. I am not a fan of blueprints and templates. (If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ve probably noticed that.) I’m not saying that there aren’t better, and …
The power of Fuzzy Goals
Whether personally or professionally, we’re creating change all the time. Sometimes it’s on purpose. Sometimes it’s by default or by accident. Sometimes it’s because it’s been imposed upon us from outside of our control. But it’s happening all the time. There’s a lot (a lot!) we can do to get better at change, whether it’s a choice or it’s external. One …