Avoiding “Happiness”
If you find yourself focused on ensuring your employees are happy at work, you have fallen into a “great business” trap and could be spending time, money and effort on what could turn out to be a fruitless venture. Happiness is a transient experience. Our... Read More
Consider two kinds of leaders. One kind doesn’t mind making others uncomfortable, angry, or upset. This leader gets things done, but has a negative impact on the organization. The other won’t step up and have the “hard conversation.” So important stuff doesn’t get done. In... Read More
In a recent post from Harvard Business Review (Why Does Criticism Seem More Effective Than Praise) the authors offer a collection of weak science and poor thinking that will distract business leaders who don’t see through it. Let’s investigate. The authors, Linda Hill and Kent... Read More
Years ago, it was commonly accepted that “allowing people to vent” was an effective management behavior. We believed that it was like releasing the steam from a pressure cooker – the analogy “felt” right to us. So we adopted stories about it that reinforced the... Read More
Human Resources “programs” – compensation structures, performance appraisal processes, focus on teamwork or morale or culture – all invite us to form beliefs about humans in the workplace. But what if those beliefs – and the theories and tools we develop as a result of... Read More
We train our leaders to participate in the hard conversations that hold people accountable and help them do their best, we think. What if the fundamental belief that these conversations are hard is the problem? Do you have as a fundamental element of your leadership... Read More
Being nice can be destructive – to the people involved, to the company, and ultimately to the community. In this post-politically correct era, we hear it all the time – “Be Nice!” What we intend is to avoid being mean, saying things that will hurt... Read More
