With growing economic, political, and policy uncertainty, global competition, cyber insecurity, global warming, and pandemic fears, coupled with stock market pressure and customers who expect near perfection, is it any wonder that leaders and employees are all stressed to the max? Organizations are as lean as can be and struggling to hire. Improvement efforts such as lean manufacturing, supply chain management, new technology, and SMART goals with an emphasis on accountability have reached the point of diminishing returns. What’s next? How can we do more with less? The answer is…
During an interview about my new book, The Power of Clarity: Unleash the True Potential of Workplace Productivity, Confidence, and Empowerment (Bloomsbury, July 2021), for Unleashed the Podcast, Dan Weedin asked whether CEOs are naturally clear. An accompanying question distracted me and I never got a chance to answer this great question. So let me do that now.
I found a great quote in The Overstory by Richard Powers: “You can’t see what you don’t understand. But what you think you already understand, you’ll fail to notice.” This is a really important observation that applies to many things.
I am thrilled to share this recent review of The Power of Clarity from Publishers Weekly, “the bible of the book business”, known for sharing some 9,000 pre-publication book reviews each year. Here’s a snippet of their take on my new book: “This no-nonsense guide to cutting through the fog should be required reading for any employee who’s nodded off during an unnecessary status update meeting, and any leader looking to improve productivity.” Read their full review at https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781472987136. You can pre-order The Power of Clarity here!
A recent medical appointment began with a medical student asking me questions. Once the student finished, the doctor arrived and she was supposed to relay what I had said. The student failed. She hadn’t been listening with an open mind. Instead, she was listening for what she expected to hear. How do I know?
A manager comes out of a meeting with a clear decision. He then attends the next meeting and comes out with a changed mind and a new decision. Is this second decision really a decision?
I remember being given a task as a new intern years ago. The request was so vague and confusing that the first thing I did was to dig into the project and try to figure out what my manager was asking of me. A week later I went back to him with a list of concrete objectives. He agreed. I smiled and said I was finished. This is what you call lucky delegation. I had just completed the task that he expected would keep me busy for the whole summer. That’s not the norm. More common results include: Continue Reading
We make decisions all day long and many are both important and time-consuming. In no particular order, here are the most common mistakes people make when making decisions:
I frequently facilitate off-site retreats, strategic planning sessions, and other meetings where complex situations require smart decisions that are strongly supported by everyone present. I enjoy it and I’m good at it. Nonetheless, I cringe when people ask me to be their facilitator.