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It’s time for a difficult conversation with a colleague or employee. A project just finished and didn’t go as anyone had hoped. You are dreading raising it directly. You are worried about how he or she will respond. So you are procrastinating and reading this article. Good timing. I estimate that at least 80% of … Read moreDon’t Give Feedback Until You Read This
Teamwork does not mean doing everything together. Think of your favorite team sport. Mine is soccer. I call it Real Football. Great teamwork is beautiful to watch on a football field. It is the balance between great interplay, and moments of individual brilliance. For the football fanatics, here are two short clips from the same … Read moreWhat Teamwork is Not
Conversation #1 “How are things?” “Good. Busy.” ********************** Conversation #2 “How are things?” “I am not especially busy. I have time to <talk or listen or play or laugh or help or sleep or exercise or learn or think or create>.” ******************** Roughly how often do you have the first conversation versus the second conversation? … Read moreI Am Not Busy
You know positive deviants when you see them. You may even be one. If so: we want to celebrate you. Positive deviants shake up the status quo. Amid the atrophy of a traditional organization, you inject new dynamics and force the system to respond to your initiatives. You are highly engaged, going above and beyond … Read moreAre You a Positive Deviant?
Many things stand in the way of creating a culture conducive to giving and receiving feedback. Sometimes, these challenges seem so insurmountable that we stop trying. We simply opt not to take the psychological and relational risk involved with these difficult conversations. We just say nothing. Or, even worse, we default to destructive, passive-aggressive communication. … Read moreThree Steps for a Feedback Culture
Consider the following story of a meeting with interns led by a senior partner at a large accounting firm. Does it ring true for you? “The partner concluded the meeting by recounting the parable of three bricklayers who were rebuilding a church after it had been damaged by fire: The construction architect observed the three workers … Read moreFinding Meaning and Motivation in Work
“It is hard to be that nice all the time” complained a friend as we discussed the pros and cons of positive leadership. “And besides, people don’t want things sugar-coated. Sometimes they need tough love.” Quite a few people I meet have the same concerns about positive leadership, even if they do not say them … Read moreThe Simplest Explanation of Positive Leadership
Having a positive organizational culture is most important when things are not going according to plan. This is somewhat paradoxical. Many people expect that those workplaces with strong, positive cultures somehow have things go perfectly well all the time. Or if things do go wrong, that the situations get glossed over or diminished in importance. … Read morePositive Organizing in Tough Times
Creating organizational culture change can be hard. We may not initially have the skills we need. We have to sustain our energy and commitment to the change process, while continuing to fulfill our other job responsibilities well. We have to persist even through skepticism and resistance along the way. Oftentimes, we believe such change efforts … Read more4 Efficient Steps To a Positive Culture
Creating workplaces conducive to human flourishing is one of the most important challenges facing the world today. Rising to this challenge will not be easy. One can paint a gloomy picture of the human experience in organizations today. Just 30% of the American workforce is actively engaged in their work. 99% have experienced or witnessed incivility in … Read moreWhy Positive Organizations Matter