Many of the organizations I work with believe in the power of ‘the team.’ Yet, with the speed of change these days, leaders struggle to find enough time to build stable, effective teams. The latest organizational strategy for addressing complex, wicked, or new problems has been dubbed ‘teaming.’* Create a virtual pickup team of internal [...]
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Objective Meritocracy: Yeah, Right
Most organizations I work with believe they are harbingers of objective meritocracy – with one major exception: the individuals inside those organizations that know they’ve been screwed over. And at some point or another, that will mean just about all of us. We know we don’t consciously hold or act on our biases. We’d like [...]
Employee Engagement: Start From Where You Are
I was so inspired last week by a group of managers attending a workshop Jake Brewer and I did on the topic of employee engagement. Jake brought the content expertise; I brought the linkages between employee engagement and great corporate cultures. What was most satisfying was seeing this group realize its own power. They came [...]
Witnessing Synergy
Have you ever witnessed synergy taking place in real time? I was mediating a session between two clients yesterday. We started by setting the stage for them to share their individual perspectives regarding a touchy work situation. Lots of emotions at stake for both of them. They were expecting, and prepared for, a difficult conversation. [...]
Building on Strengths
Last week I found out what happens when you invite a talented group of marketing and sales managers to focus on what they do best. I had no idea how much creative energy was waiting to happen – the quality of ideas and sense of camaraderie during their team management session blossomed in front of [...]
When Cultural Diversity Makes the Competitive Difference
…I sat across from three delightful, amazingly intelligent Moroccan women: an oral surgeon, a physician and a medical researcher. They defy every stereotype of Muslim women: professional, educated, funny, irreverent, independent, and stylish. We shared iPhone pictures of kids, talked about our work/life balance, low-carb diets, difficult colleagues, and the latest eye-wear fashion.