When I reviewed the results of my leadership 360-degree assessment, I was confused. My lowest score was “Demonstrates insight into how his emotions and behaviors affect others.” This didn’t make sense to me because I think I’m sensitive to how others act around me, and no one has ever told me I’m negligent in this
We were walking through our neighborhood on Father’s Day this year when we spotted a man doing yard work. “Happy Father’s Day!” I called out. “What I want to do today is be productive!” he replied. I understand that—it feels good to get things done. The most recent book I highlighted on my Recommended Resources
A recent youth soccer match gave me a surprising insight into organizational psychology. The players fell into two categories: the shooters and the passers. When shooters got the ball, they drove toward the goal, regardless of the screams from the coach or wide-open players on the field. Passers’ first instinct, on the other hand, was
Rowing is perhaps the toughest of sports. Once the race starts, there are no time-outs, no substitutions. It calls upon the limits of human endurance. The coach must therefore impart the secrets of the special kind of endurance that comes from mind, heart, and body. -George Yeoman Pocock Our family was on spring “break” this
My friend has been trying hard to fit in at his company. Like all of us, he carries insecurity and tries hard to say and do the right things. So he was excited to join the recent team diversity and inclusion training day. Here’s a chance to connect authentically with other team members, he thought.
Chances are, your email owns you. It’s open on your computer as you read this, or it’s an app away on your device. Your inbox is an endless fountain of opportunity—and challenge. Because it doesn’t matter whether you fight to control it or resign to the flood; either way it owns you. Its constant flow
Recently we made the difficult choice to terminate a team member because she wasn’t producing sufficient results. The measures were clear, but the decision wasn’t. She is a person of integrity, professionalism, courage, compassion…and I could go on. We wanted to keep her on for her intrinsic value, but the numbers weren’t working out. For
I have a confession that hurts to write: I don’t have much appreciation for people who aren’t useful to me. When someone works hard and improves their results over time, I’m invested in the relationship. When they aren’t demonstrating the activity I expect, I distance myself from them and consider ways to “fix” the situation.
The CEO of a consulting firm asked me how our company has landed among the “Best Places to Work” for the past five consecutive years. After considering a number of factors that drive employee engagement, I told him, “One-on-ones.” “Oh yes,” he said. “We do those, too.” So then I described what one-on-ones are like
You have someone on your team who is checked out. He might be smiling, putting in his required hours and keeping busy, but his heart isn’t into it. He’s going through the motions. When this happens, studies show it’s likely due to one or more fundamental issues: The person has lost pride in the organization,
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