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 >>
Radical Honesty = Meritocracy & Success
I just read a fascinating treatise on corporate culture and radical honesty called Principles, written by Ray Dalio. If the name is not familiar to you, he founded and is the co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates. With $152 billion in assets and 1500 employees, it is the world’s largest hedge fund. Dalio started investing when he… 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 >>
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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… 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 while they… Read More >>
Not My Fault: Nurturing Employee Responsibility
Shun Fugimoto was a perfect example of employee responsibility. “Monteal 1976 – After severely breaking his kneecap during the floor exercise, Japan’s Shun Fugimoto ignored his injury as long as possible, knowing such news could shatter the confidence of his teammates. The injured gymnast continued to the pommel horse routine, miraculously scoring a 9.5 out… 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 >>
Honesty and Integrity Make a Great Holiday Gift
I got a nice surprise this holiday season which reminded me that there are decent people out there who will strive to do the right thing, even when it requires time and energy above and beyond their “job description.” Earlier this week, our marketing manager, Kathie Pillard got a call from Michelle Hopp, an employee… Read More >>
Employees From Hell: Sometimes We Accidentally Create Our Own
Early in my career, I was working for a government institution, and was assigned a new manager. We didn’t know each other except by reputation. We were as different as dirt and water. I had long hair and a beard; he was clean-shaven and sported a crew-cut. My politics were liberal; he was a Nixon… Read More >>