Connection

Communication is a Two-Way Street. Which Way Are You Going?

November 29, 2011
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“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them. -John Maxwell
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I’ve heard one too many stories here lately of ineffective or oblivious communication on the part of people who can’t afford to be bad communicators, i.e. leaders.  It shows up by them delivering a message and thinking that [...]

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The Trap of “Not Enough”

November 23, 2011
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I read a great article yesterday about how we define “enough,” and how it colors so many aspects of our life.
Though the article was not Thanksgiving-related it helped remind me that being caught up in what I lack distracts me from being grateful for what I have. And there is so much to be grateful [...]

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Managers: Now that Halloween is Over, Loosen up That Mask

November 1, 2011
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Halloween is always an interesting season for me.  Young and old get into the spirit of having fun, dressing up maybe, pretending to be someone else.
I wonder if when adults dress in costume, whatever the occasion, we aren’t actually revealing more about ourselves than we realize.  And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.   I [...]

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Leaders: Have You Found Your Tribe?

September 28, 2011
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This week my colleague, Mike Henry Sr., Chief Instigator of the Lead Change Group, interviewed me.
The Lead Change Group is a global, virtual community dedicated to instigating and mobilizing a revolution of character-based leaders.  Mike wants to allow readers to get to know contributing members like me by sharing their thoughts on the Lead Change [...]

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How Are You Creating Your Own Environment of Support?

September 6, 2011
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You might remember from last week how I found “grace in my coffee shop” when I was concerned about a writing project submission.  Today I found support at a “fork in the road” with a few poets sprinkled in for good measure (a sentence I never expected to write in this lifetime).
I’ve been working on [...]

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Treating People at Work Humanly – part 57 (She Just Won’t Get Off the Subject…)

August 23, 2011
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Yes, I said “humanly,” not humanely.  Humane treatment to me means the minimum standard, such as providing breaks, water and bathrooms.
No, I’m challenging you to take it a step further and go beyond biological needs, to higher-level human needs, such as the need to be seen, to know somebody has your back, to know there [...]

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Today’s Financial Woman features “Seven Ways to Be a New Leader to Your Employees” Post

June 28, 2011
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Today’s Financial Woman online newsletter picked up this fave post.  Yay!

Make decisions as if people matter. Business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. How do you think all this stuff happens…?

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As a Leader, Can We Count on You?

June 1, 2011
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Featuring poem, “For a Leader” by John O’Donohue
I wasn’t much of a leader yesterday. It totally got by me that I missed my weekly post and email distribution.
It might not be a big deal to you, but continuity, reliability and people knowing how they can count on me is a big deal — and in [...]

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What Role Are YOU Playing in Your Employees’ Resistance to Change? Part 1 of 5

April 19, 2011
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Part 1 of 5 in a Series on Change Management & Employee Resistance
What barriers in your own thinking prevent you from addressing their resistance effectively?
When I coach my manager clients I am often reminded how prone we are to getting in our own way when it comes to influencing our “problem” employees.
For example, when your [...]

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Let’s Take a Moment to Reflect

April 6, 2011
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Yesterday I was involved in a minor traffic accident. No one was hurt.  Though I’ve been warned I’ll be sore tomorrow.

In any case, I can’t get over how shaken up I am, still, hours [...]

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Does Being Liked at Work Matter?

March 15, 2011
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[Pssssssst, did she just use the L-word?]
One of my close friends is in the last phase of a selection process for a new assignment.  Her first meeting and her final meeting is with the exec she would be reporting to.
We’re pretty sure she’s a shoe-in because we already know he likes her.  Her reflection was, [...]

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Leadership: There is No Substitute for Human Connection

March 1, 2011
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Or, “Don’t expect email to build trust”

One of my clients had recently started experimenting with how he responded to customer requests. His customers were co-workers —people internal to the company. He had been finding himself increasingly annoyed and impatient at their requests, and he wanted to change that.
To his credit, he knew most of the [...]

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