I was recently asked, “How should you conduct virtual difficult conversations?” This is a good question because many of us work on teams that are spread out around the city, the state and sometimes the world. Difficult conversations are challenging enough when you are in the same room. Doing them virtually only raises the odds… Read More >>

I just read a Harvard Business Review article called “Managers, You’re More Intimidating Than You Think” by Megan Reitz and John Higgins. They talk about the fact that as managers, we can sometimes come across to our subordinates as more intimidating than we think, even if we’re sure we’re the nicest people in the world.… Read More >>

(SNAFU = Situation Normal All Fouled UP) Have you ever asked someone to do something and the results they produce show that somehow, the message got lost in translation? The temptation here is to blame the other person and think, “Weren’t you paying attention?” “What is wrong with you?” Or, if you’re a magnanimous sort,… Read More >>

Working with an underperforming employee can be challenging. I recently came across an article in the Harvard Business Review by Sabina Nawaz titled “How to Talk to an Employee Who Isn’t Meeting Their Goals,”. She suggested an approach I really like which is to ask the employee to evaluate himself first before you make any… Read More >>

I was disappointed and disgusted at the Varsity Blues scandal that broke two weeks ago. Rich folks, like Full House star Lori Loughlin and Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman were able to pay bribes to get their kids into elite colleges like Stanford, USC, Yale and Harvard. It broke my heart. Varsity Blues Says Fairness… Read More >>

Onboarding is the process of welcoming new employees into your organization. I’m currently reading Shaping the Future by Bill Belgard and Steven Rayner. Steve and I are really good friends, but that’s not why I’m plugging this  book. It’s because they have some really good stuff in it, especially about onboarding. In particular, I enjoyed… Read More >>

Most of us don’t like disagreement. We’ve been taught by our parents to keep the peace, go along to get along and to not cause waves. So, the very act of disagreeing often puts us out of our comfort zone. Without disagreeing, however, we don’t really make a lot of progress in terms of creativity… Read More >>

I was having breakfast this morning with some friends and their 11-year-old son. He asked me what I did for a living and I said, “Well, I’m a speaker.” He said, “What? Like stereo speakers or something?” I said, “No. I speak to groups and organizations.” And he said, “Oh, kind of like when we… Read More >>

Leading Change can be tricky. The president of a small college complained to me that he was having trouble getting his management team moving toward action on some much needed changes. Priding himself on being a true believer in participative management, he asked the team to identify the specific changes needed, prioritize their value, and… Read More >>