It’s Easy to Get Comfortable #83 When you settle into the routine, it’s easy to get comfortable. This can be with the route you take to work, the groceries you buy or restaurants you dine at, the clothing you wear, the people you spend time with, the entertainment you seek, the morning or evening rituals you have, the exercise you…
Your Butt’s Not Big Enough #82 If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you started your business with a great idea and did everything yourself. As your business grew, did you fully remove yourself from most of these functions, replacing yourself with a more energetic, competent version of yourself? Did you begin with those things you weren’t good at and didn’t enjoy,…
Ferns Can’t Grow in the Desert #81 You wouldn’t think companies are similar to plants, but like a fern in the desert, not all people will thrive in your culture. When you have an employee in your organization who is negatively impacting your company, it can be hard to face the reality they may need to leave. Even if they’re…
The Middle of Anything Feels Like Failure #80 Beginning is exciting. When everything is fresh and new, you see and hear things in technicolor. It’s exciting and can be scary, but when it’s new, you tend to interpret the events as excitement, not fear – though physiologically it’s the same. See blog #9, Choosing Your Ride. When you reach a…
Because… #79 This was shared with me from a former client. It’s inspirational for leaders and plays out every day to be true. Because I call it challenge rather than crisis; Because I look at hardship as opportunity instead of obstacle; Because, at this end of the matter, I ask “what will I learn from this to make me better?”;…
The Answer to How is Yes #78 While meeting with a colleague recently, we were discussing how she would build her business. She’s got many plans and tactics, and is unsure which method is best as many seem plausible. I asked her “what” she wanted to accomplish and “why?” She paused. She didn’t have a clear answer and said she’d need to…
Yes, and Not Either/Or #77 Many people have heard of the both/and theory. In improv they call it “yes, and.” It’s the same principle. When ideating, working with a team and getting the creativity going, the best way to encourage participation, vulnerability and engagement is “yes, and.” Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a team of leaders. We…
No Issues, That’s an Issue. #76 If you’ve ever walked into your meetings or Quarterly offsites and heard someone say “I don’t think we have any issues,” you’re on a slippery slope to mediocrity. If your meetings have become routine or your team looks to you as the source of substance for the agenda for the weekly time you’ve allotted…
Where You Go, They Go #75 Culture. It’s something many people talk about, but often don’t effort at creating. And when they don’t do so, it becomes assumed – which isn’t what you want. The problem is, if you want a “great” culture by your own definition, the only way to have it is to create it. You and your…
3 Ways to Be a Great Mentee As a young person in business, there is a lot to learn. I frequently say that I feel like I went to college twice with all the learning I’ve had during my years in the workforce. For us young professionals, most of the information we need to succeed gets taught on the job.…