Here’s an interesting question about workplace communication: What do you say to someone who says, “Want some cheese with that whine?” to you at work? Google is sending folks to this blog with those keywords, so apparently, there are people who are grappling with it. So, let’s take a look at how to handle the…
Corporate Culture
Why Employees Hate Development Plans and How to Fix It
I once had a coaching client confide to me that professional development just “wasn’t his thing.” His point: some people don’t see the value in the extra effort required for formalized self-improvement activities at work. This individual was a highly educated, hard-working and effective professional; I wouldn’t characterize him as a slacker. What is an…
The Perfect Corporate Culture Doesn’t Exist
Have you ever noticed how pervasive “perfection” is in our language? The phrase “perfect storm” is used to describe a “rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically.” Baseball pitchers strive for throwing a “perfect” game We describe something we think is beautiful as “picture perfect” Two people who have never met before are…
3 Things Every Leader Should Ask at Update Meetings
Leaders, do you want a simple, easy-to-remember process for staying up-to-date with your team’s workload? Here’s an idea I heard from my colleague Sally. (She said it was OK to share with my blog readers, so, thanks Sally!) Sally told me about a process that one of her favorite managers created to stay in communication…
Safety in the Workplace – 5 Tips for Creating a “Speak Up” Culture
Phil is the president of a mid-size company that has a huge safety problem. If you were to tell him this, Phil would scoff and proudly show you his company’s OSHA records. It’s true that Phil’s company does a great job protecting the physical safety of his workers. However, it’s an entirely different…