Guide to recommendations rather than decisions In a strategy workshop or other big room planning event, we are often trying to help a group of leaders make some hard choices–strategy should clarify what NOT to do as much as where to focus effort. We push hard for the group to Read more…
Lately I’ve been really appreciating the growth mindset of Eric, my friend, business partner and–this spring–skiing partner. In this, just his second season of skiing, he’s progressing quickly, and now he’s leading us down some of the hardest mogul runs at Mary Jane (where I’ve been skiing the blacks for Read more…
Sometimes when I’m working with a client to design and facilitate a Big Room Planning event [see Christine’s post on the various types of and agendas for BRPs], a client tries to segment the participant list. They want to invite certain people only to particular parts. The intent is kind: Read more…
The stand-up meeting, which we get from Scrum, can be one of the more magical, simple agile practices, helping the humans connect and collaborate and work as a team. But most of the stand-ups I observe fail to achieve the magic. As any Scrum trainer will tell you, the stand-up Read more…
Lessons in leadership keep me humble, and remind me what we need to keep learning. Join the conversation on LinkedIn to share how you provide clarity in your org. Clarity is Job #1 for leaders. The greatest gift you can give the people you work with–and your greatest responsibility–is clarity. Read more…
I’ve been learning more about strengthening leadership teams by working with not-for-profit boards of directors (including the one I’m on). What have you experienced with regard to volunteer teams? Join the conversation on LinkedIn. When a non-profit board of directors struggles to be effective, the problem can seem particularly intractable Read more…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the very practical ways that leaders at all levels can build an amazing organizational culture through practice. Last week I had the great fun of discussing some of those ideas in a virtual fireside chat with Bob Galen. The video recording of that Read more…
If you want to move your company toward one that is more effective, innovative and nimble, then you want to move your company culture toward one that truly values learning and growth. As a leader, one way you can do that is to encourage people around you to treat more Read more…
When you dream of working at a company more suited to you—to your beliefs, your style, your…self—what do you imagine? And what are the current company norms you encounter that send you into that daydream? I help Change Agents of all sorts—CEOs, CTOs, visionary directors and both internal and external Read more…
In a previous post I described how we prepared for 2020 by reflecting on 2019 to set our intentions around how to evolve our behaviors, and by writing down our values, as a key precursor to understanding desired directions for growth. Both those activities greatly influence WHO we are as Read more…