“We need your help. Can you develop a workshop on customer service? “ The director was distraught. One of his departments continually received poor patient satisfaction results. I looked through the results. They were pretty bad. While there were some opportunities to improve on service, that wasn’t the real problem. The problem was extremely long wait times. …
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. Doomsday articles predict that huge number of jobs will be lost to AI and robots. So how do you stay relevant in a shrinking world? The answer …
Giving feedback is a lot like playing darts. The best way to win is to have a sharp point, pitch it at the right angle, and have it stick. Keeping your point sharp Darts become dull when used over and over again. So does feedback. Saying the same thing repeatedly doesn’t reinforce your point, it …
Read more “Want to give better feedback? Take some lessons from playing darts!”
“You are one of the worst leaders that I’ve ever worked for.” Imagine my surprise at hearing those words upon walking into the break room. Yet, once I listened to this person’s concerns, I sort of had to agree. However, it wasn’t for the reason that she believed. She felt that she was way overdue …
Read more “How to support high, average, and low performers”
Many leaders use goals to provide focus for their team and to create line of sight between an individual’s work and the broader success of the business. A problem that I see in many organizations is that while goals are passed from one leader to his or her direct reports, they tend to be “avalanched” …
Read more “Creating empowerment and accountability with cascading goals”
Communication is among the most important skills in today’s business world. A 2016 Fast Company article listed “Strong Communication Skills” as the seventh[1] most important skill for career success (one spot ahead of “Understanding of Analytics”). Your strategies, data, analyses, ideas, and initiatives are worthless if others can’t understand them. And, even if others do understand you, you …
Read more “How to communicate more clearly – The 1:1:1 rule”
Are you an effective data-driven decision maker? Are you always clear on exactly what data you need? Do you get in and out of your data quickly without getting stuck in “analysis paralysis”? Are you able to get your recommendations “on the table” before your audience starts to interrupt? Do your reports answer your questions in under …
Are you a smartASK? Do you have one in your organization? A “smartASK” is a person who pushes the organization by asking tough and insightful questions. The smartASK helps you find holes in your thinking and challenges your deeply held assumptions. SmartASKs are a valuable asset for an organization. Yet, they are often shunned or avoided. …
Read more “It’s ok to be a smartASK, just don’t be an ASKhole!”
The other day I received a morning news update in my email. The message contained a series of stories. For each there is a headline and a few sentences. There is also a link that allows you to get more information. One article caught my eye: New data: Inequality runs even deeper than previously thought …
Read more ” Do you want to be better understood? Be simple.”
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the need for leaders to be better coaches. Employees are increasingly looking for on-going, on-the-job development. Most of the leaders that I work with want to do a better job. The problem is that many are intimidated by the idea of coaching. They aren’t sure where to start. …
Read more “Eight simple techniques that will make you a better coach”