“The value of opinion minorities lies in their ability to guard the group against complacency, to challenge conventional wisdom, and to keep the group sharp and on its toes. In that way, dissenting minorities can change norms or behavioral conventions that have lost their utility” We are under tremendous pressure to “self silence” these days.Continue reading “The Art of Constructive Dissent”
Leadership Unlimited: It’s Good to be Home
I’m starting off the summer with a new credential! I’m proud to report that earlier this month I graduated from Leadership Unlimited, a nine-month community leadership program expertly run by Angie Cirone at Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development . Along with 25 other community leaders, I learned a ton about myself and about RichlandContinue reading “Leadership Unlimited: It’s Good to be Home”
Theme Song Thursdays: Who Says You Can’t Go Home
If you grew up in a small rust belt town during the offshoring frenzy of the the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, you learned early that success (and maybe even survival) was predicated by your ability to get the heck out of dodge. We were told that if we studied hard, went to college, and movedContinue reading “Theme Song Thursdays: Who Says You Can’t Go Home”
Chasing her calling – K’s story
A “calling” is your soul telling you to do something, and I definitely feel called to this work.” – K, Career Changer Here’s another story of a person who decided to throw caution to the wind, leave their corporate job and do something entirely different. Something that fed their soul, filled them with satisfaction, andContinue reading “Chasing her calling – K’s story”
Agile is not dead. But human decency is on life support.
Layoffs despite a thriving economy, poor performance reviews and frozen wages despite amazing contributions, a return to office mandate that has resulted in no increase in profits, and the continuing pressure to deliver MORE, MORE, MORE even though productivity is at record highs. The workplace has been growing more and more toxic for years, butContinue reading “Agile is not dead. But human decency is on life support.”
Loyalty on Labor Day
Some insightful thoughts from Simon Sinek for you on Labor Day — a day when we supposedly recognize the immense value of the employees who do the actual work that results in the executive bonuses and shareholder dividends that we are so focused on. The corporate world is broken. We need leaders who will standContinue reading “Loyalty on Labor Day”
Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 45
What would happen if you were bold in the face of organizational risk? We’re all closely watching the economy these days. With just the threat of a recession, many companies have started to lay off their employees. The mental model here is to batten down the hatches, wait out the storm and hope that youContinue reading “Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 45”
Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 44
What happens when senior leaders ask middle managers to control their staff, but at the same time tell the entire organization “We’re going Agile”? It’s a classic situation. Senior leaders, who don’t really understand what they’re asking for, tell the entire organization we’re diving head first into Agile. They invest millions in time and resourcesContinue reading “Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 44”
Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 43
How do you handle conflict at work? Conflict. Just the word makes our insides tie themselves in knots. We have such a disdain for it, that we avoid it at every turn. But what happens to our relationships when we avoid conflict? And our work outcomes? It turns out that when we don’t share ourContinue reading “Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 43”
Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 41
How can we increase trust in our organizations? Companies are scrambling to find ways to retain talent. First it was “the great resignation”, then it was “quiet quitting”. Whatever you call it, we are at a crossroads in the working world – either we figure out how to keep our employees engaged and on theContinue reading “Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 41”
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