Engagement
From Artist to Executive Coach
From Artist to Executive Coach Ten reasons an arts education makes good business sense As an executive coach with a degree in fine art, I’m often asked “How did you go from artist to executive coach”? It’s a fair question. To clarify, in between I did spend a huge chunk of my career running a…
Read MoreRethinking The Way We See
Last Friday, my associate, Mare Rosenbaum and I had the opportunity to participate in Amy Herman’s terrific session on Visual Intelligence with a group of FBI Intelligence Analysts in Washington, DC. Among other things, the program, titled Rethinking How We See, uses the visual arts to train agents how to sharpen our perception and look…
Read MoreHow do you keep your team aligned and focused around what matters most?
Projects of critical importance and impact are almost always done in a team setting. In fact, the ability to function at a high level within a team setting is what defines great companies. But not all of us understand the skillset required to be a great teammate. The impulse to achieve individual results and be…
Read MoreCommunicating Bad News
At present, the single greatest risk from the Ebola virus is managing communications around its threat, informing citizens in ways that inspire smart behaviors and avoid widespread panic. Misinformation invites irrational behavior, which in turn invites more misinformation. As cable news network health pundits and other informed sources are pressed to provide facts on things…
Read MoreBehavioral Insights: Finding What Works
Behavioral science has proven that subtle choices in framing a message can have a significant impact on outcomes and can dramatically improve transactions. The UK and other nations have begun to aggressively use behavioral insights to make subtle but meaningful changes in the delivery of government services. Their rapid iteration testing and experiments have the…
Read MoreResolving conflict and getting back on track.
There is a tendency among leaders to mask conflict, even when there are underlying issues that could threaten the future of the organization. We recently worked with a successful and creative organization that was beginning to feel itself go off the rails. The company is the gold standard in the industry. It has received numerous…
Read MoreShould you fire the narcissist?
Narcissism is a spectrum disorder. While some people may exhibit a few narcissistic traits, others exhibit full-blown personality disorder. Leaders often find themselves working alongside narcissists. In fact, some narcissists make great leaders. They have “rock star” qualities. They’re charismatic, visionary and excellent at their trade. But they can also be self-devoted to the point…
Read MoreThree Lessons to Beat Leadership Derailment
To give you an idea of just how difficult leadership really is, Rick Conlow and Doug Watsabaugh offer some engagement statistics and insights in a recent piece written for Chief Learning Officer. Bottom line for leaders: (1) Be a student of the game; (2) know the value of employee inclusion and engagement; and (3) lead…
Read MoreYou can’t afford NOT to read this: Great advice from Gallup on engagement
The folks at Gallup (who study just about everything people do on Earth) have recently come out with a report on exactly how engaged U.S. workers are these days. Gallup has been studying engagement for over a decade and has dished out solid advice for lo those many years. And yet, as this year’s study…
Read MoreIt’s all about the people
The much-lauded CEO of Yahoo Marissa Mayer has made “people” her number one priority in righting the company ship. Her first year did not yield great results. But if history is any guide, leaders who prioritize hiring and retaining the right people at the company produce impressive turnarounds. Exhibit A: Back in 2001, Doug Conant…
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