The Science Museum of Minnesota impacts over a million people from around the world every year through trips to the museum, school visits, traveling exhibitions and Omnitheater films. It exists, in its own words, to “turn on the science: Inspire learning. Inform policy. Improve lives.” Spearheading that charge is its humble leader, Alison Brown, the
Five years ago, I took a surprising phone call from one of my peers at another Dale Carnegie office. “Matt,” he said calmly. “We’ve been invited into an RFP by a large local company. We can’t win it by ourselves. Would you be open to collaborating with us on it and we’ll split the revenue?”
Ask someone why they want a particular job, and they might tell you they: Are looking for a new challenge Are passionate about the product/company Want to leverage their skills, abilities, and experience Have a connection to the organization’s culture/values Have practical considerations (e.g., money, hours, location) These are all good reasons. Yet research shows
How might you describe the organizational cultures you’ve worked in? For me, I’ve worked in independent-detached cultures, toxic-politics cultures, unhealthy-anxiety cultures, and high-trust cultures. The one constant across all of these is that the organization’s culture—the way people think, behave, and interact—has influenced my own thinking, behavior, and interactions. You’ve probably experienced something similar. It’s
Several years ago, I was sitting in a team meeting when I noticed something. It was one of those recurring meetings, the kind that don’t have a lot of focus or urgency, and most people were sitting quietly on the sidelines…that is, until the topic arose of whether we should have cake or cupcakes at
It takes more than talent to win, according to new research. Two recent studies have found that, because winning suppresses stress hormones like cortisol, it increases your confidence and willingness to take risks, all of which help build more momentum toward more success. Essentially, success begets success. It’s what the researchers call the “winner effect.”
Mary manages a team of experienced people. Her philosophy: “I’m here to remove barriers —to jump in and support my team when they need it.” John works on the team reporting to Mary. He likes working for her because she is supportive, caring and knowledgeable. Mary steps in to help John solve problems, prioritize efforts
Despite the strain, I love the predictability of the events that mark this time of year: Thanksgiving Day football and the family meal that follows Faith holidays (For me it’s Advent, our annual tree cutting, the annual holiday card and Christmas.) Year-end financials and planning for next year The annual Dale Carnegie Convention These and
Recently, my friend and colleague Matt Norman wrote about mid-organization leaders and the critical importance to the success of a company. Matt’s insight regarding the need to free these leaders from being task doers so they can focus on leading and developing their people is spot on. After reading that post, I was reminded of lessons learned
More and more organizations are acknowledging that they have underestimated the value of middle managers. Research suggests that mid-level leaders might be the greatest determinant of the success of your organization. While top management sets the overall direction for an organization, according to Wharton management professor Ethan Mollick, middle managers play the most significant role “in
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE