In this day of fake news, alternative facts and down right lying, it’s refreshing to read the Transparent Leader that celebrates honesty, integrity, and openness. I just finished reading The Transparent Leader: How to Build a Great Company Through Straight Talk, Openness, and Accountability by Herb Baum, the former CEO of the Dial Corporation.” Since… Read More >>
W.L. Gore & Associates: A Great Place to Work
Fortune Magazine recently released its annual 100 Best Companies To Work For edition. The usual suspects were again at the top of the list: Google, ACUITY Insurance Company, Boston Consulting Group, Quicken Loans. I couldn’t help noticing that those organizations are primarily office work. I was curious if there were any traditional manufacturing organizations. You… Read More >>
Open Door Policy = A Lame Excuse for Cultivating Honesty
In an insightful article in the January-February 2016 issue of the Harvard Business Review titled, “Can Your Employees Really Speak Freely?”(1) authors James R. Detert and Ethan R. Burrus discuss the importance of leaders maintaining a culture of honesty so they can get the feedback they need to know what’s going on in their organizations. They… Read More >>
Amazon Corporate Culture: Sweatshop or Paradise?
The recent article in the New York Times[1] criticizing Amazon’s corporate culture as a “brutal” and cutthroat culture has the business pundits all atwitter. It seems this company that has enjoyed astronomical success in on-line retailing may not be everyone’s idea of a great place to work. Employees are reportedly expected to work up to 16 hours a… Read More >>
Culture Of Engagement Requires “Generosity Gene”
I’m presently reading The Real-Life MBA: Your No-BS Guide to Winning the Game, Building a Team, and Growing Your Career by Jack and Suzy Welch.1 So far, it’s chock full of practical suggestions on how to be a great leader in business, including how to push employee engagement up. And given their track records (Jack… Read More >>
Nurturing a Productive Corporate Culture
Corporate culture depends on social capital. That’s what was discovered in a study conducted at MIT by Anita Woolley , Thomas W. Malone and Christopher Chabris, the researchers divided 697 volunteer participants into teams of two to five members and gave them various complex tasks to perform and problems to solve. The groups were observed… Read More >>
Conflict Management – Check The Facts Before Blaming Others
This past Saturday I learned a thing or two about conflict management. My wife, CJ and I pulled into the parking lot of a local camera store where I was picking up some prints. CJ is wheelchair bound, so we drive a wheelchair ramp van with handicap plates. Unfortunately, the only handicap spot was occupied… Read More >>