Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro, shares ideas on encouraging a great team culture. (C) 2015 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Letting Go: The Benefits of Sharing Responsibility
Posted on 03/16/2015 by ·
We've all encountered people who wield their power like a club, whether they work in corporate or government jobs. Until relatively recently, most organizations were hierarchical, and most lower-level workers had little power or autonomy. As new technology has loosened managerial control, this has eased somewhat. While workers exhibit a greater willingness and ability to execute strategy, managers nonetheless often remain reluctant to share responsibility and authority. It may be that in our secret hearts, we all believe the right thing to do is to hold onto all the power we can, especially as we rise into the executive ranks. When you were a kid, your parents probably made you share your toys. You may have done the same with your own kids. However, most people don’t want to share … [Read more...]
Keeping It to Yourself: Five Things a Wise Manager Never Delegates
Posted on 10/02/2014 by ·
"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out.” -- Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States. As a leader, you know you must delegate many of the tasks for which you’re ultimately responsible, if you’re to be successful in meeting your goals. You know you can’t do it all yourself. Typically, under-delegation is more common than over-delegation, and most leaders should give more away. That said, there are some things leaders should never delegate. Some tasks obviously shouldn’t be delegated, such as the combination for the safe containing the bank's gold bullion, or the passwords to critical organizational computer files; however, sometimes it’s less clear-cut, and … [Read more...]
Are You Part of the Problem, or Part of the Solution? Putting “Lead” Back into Leadership
Posted on 09/09/2014 by ·
Many people split the world into dualities: You're either this or that. Positive or negative. On or off. Black or white. But in reality, human behavior occurs mostly in the shades of gray between any two extremes. So when it comes to leadership, I hate to say, “You're either part of the problem or part of the solution.” But it’s easy to see how it could be true. “Lead” means “go first.” So followers look to a leader for examples of how to behave and what to do. According to research by anthropologist Lionel Tiger, most baboons look at their leader every 20 seconds to see what they're doing. My Australian Shepard Lily follows me around the house and even while seemingly dozing, keeps an eye on me for cues of what to do. When we go for a walk, she continually looks at me for signals. … [Read more...]
Six Quick Mediation Tips To Help Others Work Through a Conflict
Posted on 09/04/2014 by ·
"An ounce of mediation is worth a pound of arbitration and a ton of litigation." -- Joseph Grynbaum, American mediator. In any group greater than two people, you'll inevitably have conflict. (Even two people may prove one too many on some issues.) So it should come as no surprise that your team members will occasionally rub each other the wrong way, resulting in conflicts that come to you for resolution. In most cases, you can all sit down and reach a reasonable agreement after a little give-and-take discussion—assuming everyone wants to work it out. Or, if the disagreement seems petty, you can just make a quick decision and tell everyone to get back to work. But some conflicts are too deep-rooted or antagonistic to dismiss so easily. In those situations, you'll need a set of … [Read more...]
Technology Unchained: Embracing The New Without Risking the Downside
Posted on 08/28/2014 by ·
"Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road." -- Stewart Brand, American writer and editor of the Whole Earth catalogue. According to legend, in 1779 a British weaver named Ned Ludd destroyed two stocking looms in a fit of rage. Ever since, his name has been synonymous with those suspicious about or fearful of new technology. But Luddites have always been with us. No doubt, scribes in ancient Sumeria sneered when young upstarts started writing on that newfangled paper stuff instead of traditional clay bricks. After all, why change what works? Ironically, the Internet overflows with stories about how new electronic technologies might doom society as we know it. The commentators fear our electronic helpers will atrophy the … [Read more...]
That Little Extra Something: Harnessing Your Personal Creativity at Work
Posted on 08/14/2014 by ·
"We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down." -- Kurt Vonnegut, American author. If it hadn't been for drive-thru banking, fast food would be a lot less convenient. Years ago, a McDonald's vice president was visiting the drive-thru window at his local bank when he thought, "Why couldn't this work for our restaurants?" The rest is history. McDonald's integrated the drive-thru idea into its new stores, and now lots of restaurants use drive-thru windows, including Starbucks. If a store doesn't have a drive-thru window and you're in a hurry to get a burger or a mocha latte, you probably won't even stop there. This represents just one example of the value of unleashing your personal creativity on a work problem. It costs you nothing extra, … [Read more...]
The ABCs of Motivating Your Team
Posted on 08/12/2014 by ·
"New Employee Incentive Plan: Work or get fired." -- Hand-lettered sign seen behind the counter of a rustic country store. According to a recent story in Inc. magazine, Brian Halligan, CEO of software marketing firm Hubspot, has a singular way of handling go-getter employees who present him with great ideas with the potential to improve the company's bottom line. He fires them. The punchline? He fires them from their “day jobs.” He then appoints them as the CEOs of their own change initiatives, something like little start-up companies within the company. Halligan refers to this as his Mini-CEO Program, and he does it to both decentralize the company and empower team players. You can bet it motivates the heck out of his employees to do their very best for him, so they'll have a shot … [Read more...]
What’s Your Back-Up Plan? How to Prepare for Anything
Posted on 08/08/2014 by ·
"It seems to me that everything that happens to us is a disconcerting mix of choice and contingency." -- Dame Penelope Lively, British author. On the morning of February 15, 2013, a fireball ripped through the sky above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, exploding 18 miles up after leaving a streak of fire tens of miles long. The minor asteroid, which was about the size of an apartment building, was actually the second to have visited the Siberian region in a little over a century: 1908's Tunguska meteor, which was about the same size, fortunately fell to Earth in an uninhabited wilderness, blowing down and charring 800 square miles of timber. The people of Chelyabinsk were lucky, because the meteor entered the atmosphere at a shallow angle. According to modeling done by Dr. Mark … [Read more...]
Fighting Your Corner: Protecting Your Team in a Competitive Workplace
Posted on 07/24/2014 by ·
"The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting in above average effort." -- Colin Powell, former four-star U.S. Army general and Secretary of State. As Tarzan liked to remind Jane after a hard day's work, it's a jungle out there. The business world has become more competitive than ever, given the global market and the exploding Chinese and Indian economies. While that also provides more opportunity, because the pie has grown bigger, we still have to scramble for our slices. We all require agility, efficiency, and speed if we're to get what we need. But it's a jungle in here, too. A large organization by necessity consists of numerous teams, often competing for their chunk of the company slice. With limited internal resources, if you don't fight for your team, you … [Read more...]
