Becky, a long-time friend, was frustrated by a heated conversation with a relative about the state of our nation’s economy. She declared that she’s “done” with him. For good. “We’ll never change each other’s minds, so why bother?” Steve, a colleague of mine, vented his anger about a prospective client who ghosted him after he […]
So why should you bother??? Read More »
“If I eat a watermelon seed, will it grow inside my tummy?” “What makes the leaves change colors?” “If I grow tall enough, can I touch the stars?” Let’s hear it for the curious minds of young kids, who invite us into their magical view of the world with their thought-provoking questions. That is, until
Leading with Questions, Not Answers Read More »
Here’s how one leader’s attempt to set boundaries for her team backfired. Carol was prone to sending emails to her team members whenever an idea popped into her head, but she didn’t want her staff to think they had to do the same, so she sent this email to her team. She even added a
When Boundary-Setting Backfires Bigtime Read More »
Grace was so over remote work. Sure, her former commute was a pain, but she missed the laughs, the lunches, the light interruptions that made her feel part of something. Post-pandemic isolation left her craving connection and a real sense of community. So when she landed a role at a hybrid company promising a “vibrant
When “Together” Feels Lonely: Rethinking Community at Work Read More »
Jane, the Executive Director of a national pediatric cancer research nonprofit, had been losing sleep for weeks over looming funding cuts. She clung to hope that the rumors were wrong and that her team could continue its groundbreaking work, saving thousands of lives. Then, in the middle of a national clinical trial, the unthinkable happened.
Bridging the Divide: Building Win-Win Solutions in Tough Times Read More »
We all know leaders who run away when it comes to handling conflicting viewpoints across their teams. When the stakes are high and the conflict is intense, they can’t get away fast enough. When there’s no escaping, they attempt to circumvent needed discussions with platitudes like these: Can’t we just agree to disagree? (Um, no.
Facilitating Safe Conversations When Viewpoints Collide Read More »
If senior leaders decide that a change must be made, how important is it, really, that employees buy into it? If it’s mandatory, why pretend that employees have a say in it? If the change is truly urgent, why slow things down to gain consensus? If it’s a done deal, why bother offering a rationale? Leading successful change
Costly Missteps that Destroy Trust During Times of Change Read More »
True story: Ted, a mid-level HR professional for a fast-growing biopharma in my area, assumed the worst when he was ushered into a conference room, the door closing softly behind him. “I’m being laid off, aren’t I?” he asked as he scanned at the grim faces around the table. “No Ted, you’re not. But dozens of people
Tips for Earning Trust During Times of Change Read More »
The dust had finally settled on the company’s latest Return to Office policy. Although it took a lot of cajoling, after a six-month grace period, most employees were back in the office the mandated three days a week. People seemed mostly happy being back together in the same place, making meaningful connections with those they’d
Tips for Conquering the Whiplash of Change Read More »
This was my first cross-cultural training workshop for this process control firm that had recently been acquired by two new parent companies, one German and one French. The language classes offered by the company were helpful to a point, but cultural differences were causing insurmountable problems, leading to mutual distrust, project delays, and rapid attrition.
6 Good Reasons to Take Games Seriously at Work Read More »
The new employee roaming empty halls eager to find someone – anyone—to talk to The CEO who publicly boasts about inclusion before dismantling the DEI team The employee whose manager cancels their 1:1 meetings The team whose members constantly can’t agree on their primary communications channel The remote worker who’s always left out of important
Creating, Restoring Lost Connections in a Hybrid World Read More »
“Our meetings have gone off the rails. No one seems to know how to rein in the loudmouths or to get the quiet people talking. Pretty much everyone leaves our meetings feeling frustrated, mad and really deflated. We need help!” If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I get emails and posts like this almost
Stop Letting Bad Behavior Derail Your Next Meeting Read More »
Admit it. You’ve done your share of commiserating about some perfectly awful meetings you’ve had to endure. In fact, you’ve been such a vocal critic of poorly-run meetings that your manager anoints you as the perfect person to facilitate a do-or-die budget planning session with your team, group VP, CFO and a few other high-level decision-makers. If
Overcome the Worst Facilitation Fears of Introverts (and Everyone Else) Read More »
If I ask you whether my presentation that I’ve labored over for weeks was any good, your slight nod after a long hesitation tells me that I pretty much bombed, despite your verbal assurance that “it was fine, really.” I really can’t tell if you are trying to spare my feelings or if you have
Bracing for Giving (and Getting) Difficult Feedback When You Can’t See Eye to Eye Read More »
The cafeteria on the 9th floor is mostly empty as James and Ceci plunk down their trays at a table near the window, out of earshot. They began on the same day six months ago, both newly-minted grads starting their careers in the company’s corporate marketing department, working for different managers. As new employees, they’ve been
Why Coaches Make the Best Leaders in a Hybrid World Read More »
“If you don’t work at the Mothership, you’ll never get ahead. That’s how I see it.” The “Mothership” in this case was the gleaming new HQ building outside of Boston where hundreds of corporate staff members for this growing software company came to work each day. The HQ campus had everything an employee could ever
Why advancement, growth and visibility shouldn’t depend on work location Read More »
Senior leaders from a family-run Boston-area insurance company were frustrated that their 90+ corporate employees were refusing to return to the office full time. “We want to get back to being a family, just like we were before COVID,” they said. Employees and department managers saw it differently. “We’ve proven that we can be even
How shared principles finally got a leadership team unstuck Read More »
“Employees tell us that we’re not doing a great job when it comes to creating an inclusive workplace. Is this something you can help us with?” (Chief Human Resources Officer) “What does inclusive mean in this context, and why is it important to people?” (Us) “I suppose they mean they want us to treat everyone
If you really want to be inclusive, here’s how to walk the talk Read More »
“Why did we have to wait until our weekly team meeting to discover that three people couldn’t deliver on time? If we’d known earlier, maybe we could have done something about it. Now we’re looking at a two-week delay, minimum. We have to find a better way to communicate important stuff outside of our team
Practical Steps for Creating a Team Communications Map that Everyone Embraces Read More »
Dear Senior Leaders, To be blunt, I’m weary of hearing you say that your organizational culture will somehow be lost or diluted if you move to a permanent virtual/hybrid model. I’d really like to know what you really mean by “culture” and how you see it reflected across your organization. Maybe you’re envisioning: The updated
Why Culture Must Transcend Work Location for Healthy, High-Performing Teams Read More »
For this edition of Communique, I invited my long-time colleague, the senior talent management professional of an international healthcare company, to reflect on why 2022 has been so messy and to advise leaders about how they can best stabilize, motivate energize and retain their top talent as we all prepare for yet another year of turbulence. Many
Leadership Tips for Retaining Top Talent During a Time of Turbulence Read More »
I came this close (holding thumb and index finger ¼” apart) to returning our pup, Honey, just three days after we adopted her from a shelter a year ago today. (And believe me, I am no novice when it comes to raising dogs from puppyhood. Honey is my fourth.) So why did I feel that adopting this little
Stop Agonizing Over Tough Decisions to Save Your Sanity (and Maybe Even Your Pup!) Read More »
Like many of you, I was gutted when I heard the news about the massacre at Robb Elementary School this week. My mind went completely numb. I had trouble putting one step in front of the other. I could find no words to convey my horror, anger and profound sadness. Despite the number of school
We Really, Really Need to Talk Read More »
In announcing a new hybrid work policy, the senior leaders of this mid-sized financial services company promised that “all people, regardless of work location, will be treated equitably.” All 250+ headquarters employees were offered some degree of flexibility, with the details to be hammered out with supervisors. About one-third of the employees opted to return
Maintaining True Equity in a Virtual/Hybrid World Read More »
When Sue confessed to being anxious about the impending project deadline, her manager dismissed her concerns, assuring her that he just knew that Sue would find a way to pull through – she always did! John was still having a hard time putting one foot in front of another six months after a painful break-up.
11 Tips for Avoiding the Toxicity of Relentless Positivity Read More »
“My team has gotten a lot tighter since the start of the pandemic,” my client Zoe recently told me. “Our weekly meetings are super-productive, and we’re constantly Slack-chatting back and forth throughout the week. In fact, since we went remote, we’ve learned more about each other’s lives than we probably ever could have if we
Restoring Lost Connections in a Virtual World Read More »
Kendra, the leader of a cross-functional team working on a highly visible and critical company project, imagined that things were going pretty well for her virtual team. People seemed to have few complaints or disagreements, and the work was getting done, but just barely. But about six months into the project, Kendra noticed that people
To get people really talking, try these scripts Read More »
Be honest. Would you speak up in any of these situations? Your manager tells you that the 45-year-old employee you recommended for the next leadership development cohort isn’t the right fit because they’re looking for “a different demographic.” The only person of color on your team is frequently praised as being “really articulate,” a phrase rarely, if ever,
Speaking up against microaggressions: Why it’s worth the risk Read More »
“When I mentioned that I had to spend most of the weekend – again – working to meet these impossible project deadlines, my boss simply thanked me for my efforts and moved on. How could he not see how utterly depleted I feel? He’s never once asked if I’m okay.” “My manager asked me to
Active listening: Your influential superpower in a virtual world Read More »
Laura hasn’t gotten much sleep ever since she announced that all employees returning to the office next month must show proof of vaccination. A CEO of a mid-sized environmental engineering services firm, Laura had spent days vetting this decision with her corporate counsel, ensuring that such a mandate was legal. (It is, according to the
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