Last week I asked you to ponder, “If crossing organizational lines is so destructive, why are they so common?” Besides the lack of awareness of the negative impact, which we thoroughly explored in the first two parts, there is an epidemic deficient skill: the ability to manage your employees and managers. Managing your employees is…
Last week, I scolded you for crossing organizational lines, without even knowing if you did such a thing! How’s that for fairness, eh? Well, you may not have deserved it, but many people do it without realizing, so I took some “accountability license” if you will. It happens innocently enough. You’re in the break room…
Sometimes doing nothing is doing something. I get it. You care. You know better than anyone else in the business. And so when you see something going awry, or even if you’re just curious, you offer your wisdom. You help. People seem to get a lot out of what you bring. Except when you talk…
In last week’s article, I introduced the idea that common sense is a super power that comes from diligent work in the realm of awareness. It comes from turning toward the pain of illusory beliefs, values, and ideas you have about yourself. Because, if you’re not willing to look at aspects of your internal reality,…
“Common sense is not so common.” –Voltaire Can you define common sense? I know, it’s hard. What if the root of all your problems comes down to not understanding what common sense is? Merriam-Webster defines it as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Sounds simple, doesn’t? But…
“We must all efficiently Operationalize our strategies Invest in world-class technology And leverage our core competencies In order to holistically administrate Exceptional synergy” –Weird Al Yankovic “Mission Statement” This is what I call stock language. It means something, and it doesn’t mean anything. It could literally be the cause of all of your problems. It…
I know, you thought the series was over, but I got requests for more–and I’m a sucker for requests. (Especially when it comes to solving business problems.) If there was just one thing that was holding you back–just one thing–would you want to know what it is? No matter how uncomfortable the truth made you?…
So, what’s your business trouble? Not enough sales Cash flow is tight My people won’t listen I don’t have enough time This is what people say, but none of them are actually problems, and that’s why they don’t change. Huh? They’re not problems? These are symptoms, and to put it bluntly: You’ve been so brainwashed…
I joked last week that I’d call the finale of this series “Apocalypse” and a wise and dear friend of mine reminded me the word comes from the Greek meaning “uncover, reveal.” Funny how the revealing of truth came to mean the end of the world. This is how afraid we are as a species…
Let’s talk about “employee problems.” Because they’re bullshit. There’s no such thing as an employee problem. I’ll explain. Last week in part two, I offered a simple question as a tool to create engagement for employees: “What don’t you like about yourself, and how can I help you use your job to change it?” A…