Change management is a hot topic in many leadership circles. Many of my clients have built it into their leadership competency models. There is a general concern that leaders aren’t equipped to handle change. There is also overwhelming evidence that this concern is valid. Many studies have shown that major change initiatives often fail. According …
The Ten Rules of Rethinking Data, while simple in concept, are often hard to implement. Most of the rules suggest that you work with data in ways that are opposite of how you’ve traditionally been taught. As a result, it is sometimes hard to stay focused on them. Each week we’ll challenge you to focus …
Read more “Introducing the Rethinking Data 10 Week Challenge”
Last month, I ran a Rethinking Data workshop in Warsaw Poland. Based on prior experiences in Eastern Europe, I was concerned that I might have trouble pronouncing people’s names. Getting people’s names right is really important to me. So, as the workshop approached, that concern grew to anxiety. When I arrived at the workshop, a …
The other day I had an unsettling experience. I saw a tourism ad for the Greek Island of Santorini. It immediately reminded of the wonderful visit that I had to the Island. My memory was so vivid it seemed as if the trip just happened. I remembered being in a cab traveling up the Greek …
It seems that no job is safe these days. Jobs that we used to think were outsourcing-proof are being done all over the world. Some of them are even being done by computers. So how do you stay relevant in a shrinking world? The answer is actually quite simple. Find your unique value. Take out …
Let’s try an experiment. I’d like you to think about two things: a book that that you read in the past month and your most recent trip to the grocery store. Got it? OK, now, answer these questions: For which one can you remember the most specific details? Which one was more engaging and interesting? …
From Daniel Kahneman to Dan Ariely, and many researchers in between, there is a considerable body of evidence proving that people are fundamentally poor decision makers. We’re irrational. Very irrational it turns out. Our decisions are often based on factors well beyond our conscious control. Yet, many leaders vigorously hold on to the belief that …
Read more “Embracing your irrationality will improve your decision-making.”
I was once talking with an executive about her frustration over her team’s data-driven decision making skills. Despite organizational improvements in collecting, analyzing, and reporting data, her leaders’ decisions didn’t seem to improve. She wasn’t sure what to do next. In her mind, she was already handing her leaders the answers, “I’m not sure what …
Read more “Your data-driven decision making problem might be a business acumen problem in disguise”
The other day someone asked me if I “did” Big Data. Although I wasn’t quite sure what “doing” Big Data meant, I was certain that I did not. I don’t work with Big Data. I don’t have access to Big Data and, even if I did, I wouldn’t have a clue as to what to …
Read more “It’s not the size of your data; it’s how you use it”
Recently, a client asked me to review an article[1] that they wanted to use in their course on managing virtual teams. The article provided ten tips: Be available Organize regular meetings with both individuals and the whole team Encourage informal conversations Rotate (team members to different locations) Be creative with team bonding Treat time zones …
Read more “Perhaps the next big thing is to master the old little things”