My anger was rising. Every time he spoke, I grew more frustrated and irritated. I could feel my blood pressure rising, my face flushing, my lips tightening, and my shoulders hunching forward. I knew that I was furrowing my brow and that my voice was growing flatter and more menacing with each verbal exchange. While I did not physically fear for my safety, I did feel … [Read more...]
You Can’t Control Everything, So Focus More on This
There is a difference between what we can control and what we can merely influence. Sometimes we get the two mixed up, and it leads to major headaches. For example, in several states (California, Montana, Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota) there is a big primary election today. If you live in one of those states and vote (and you … [Read more...]
25 Strategies for Conflict Resolution
This is a guest post by Dan Rockwell, leadership and management expert and author of the popular Leadership Freak blog. Sometimes it is the simplest actions that can help you resolve a conflict quickly, or avoid one all together. When you sense things are heating up, use one or more of these strategies: 1. Don’t focus on winning or losing; focus on achieving … [Read more...]
2 Words You’re Probably Not Saying Enough
Memorial Day is Monday, and we'll honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. We'll attend parades, picnics or other celebrations, as a way to remember and show our gratitude to all the soldiers who died for this great nation and to thank the vets and soldiers still with us for their service. It has me thinking a great deal about saying "Thank you." … [Read more...]
5 Steps to More Beneficial Conversations
Engaging conversation with your employees does more than just provide you with something interesting to talk about. Each time you dive into an insightful conversation, you are building rapport, understanding and trust with employees. Your relationship improves, and with it, so does employee collaboration, cooperation, performance, motivation, engagement, morale and … [Read more...]
Actions are Louder than Words: Simply Responding to Controversy Won’t Make You a Strong Leader
This is a guest post by Vishal Agarwal, author of Give to Get: A Senior Leader's Guide to Navigating Corporate Life. Much of the news run over the past few weeks has focused on what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not do once the Cambridge Analytics information came to light. Much of the anger has tied him to the billions of dollars of wiped out stock value. Yet, little … [Read more...]
Do You Give Your Employees a Voice? If Not, It’s Time to Start
Increasingly employees want to be heard in the workplace, and it goes deeper than simply having someone listen, note their ideas and opinions, and move on. Employees want their leaders to act on what they're hearing from employees. It seems many companies are starting to pay attention. Last year, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology listed “capturing the … [Read more...]
Take the Sting Out of Bad News
I'm a huge fan of home improvement shows. One of my guilty pleasures is waking up early on a Saturday (when I don't have soccer mom duties), and catching up on the shows I missed that week while sipping a cup of hot coffee. My favorite show of the moment is HGTV's Home Town. If you like this type of show and haven't already, check it out. The married hosts, Ben and Erin … [Read more...]
Stop Sending These Emails
Spring is here, and as the weather heats up and skimpier clothing options abound, I’m reminded of one of my least favorite kinds of email: the “This is just a reminder” email. Many organizations like to send messages like this: This is just a reminder that we have a dress code. Please review it in your handbook. Men, you should be wearing a shirt and tie or a polo in a school … [Read more...]
What Questions Do You Ask Yourself?
Normally I answer YOUR questions in this video series, but today, I'm flipping it around and I'm asking YOU a question that will help you be a better leader. https://youtu.be/Do4VPgZtcKQ?rel=0&showinfo=0 Tweet it out: Be aware of the questions you ask yourself, for they determine the answers you get and the decisions you reach. @KevinEikenberry Send us YOUR … [Read more...]