If you’re a manager, did you know that part of your job description includes the ability to translate vague corporate-speak mission and vision statements into actionable tasks for your team? What? You just checked your job description and it says absolutely nothing about that? Well, you’re out of luck, because if you want a team…
Corporate Culture
When Leaders Should Take a Tough Line
What should a leader do when a team member just doesn’t quite “fit” with the company culture? That’s the question I address in this month’s Smartblog on Leadership article. It really boils down to leadership “tough love” – you can’t make excuses for direct reports who almost adhere to the organization’s values. Smartbrief’s leadership newsletter…
Driving Culture Change: An Interview with @scedmonds
Helping leaders drive positive culture change is a life-long passion for workplace consultant S. Chris Edmonds. Chris’ latest book, The Culture Engine, lays out a road map that will help any leader–from top executive to frontline supervisor–completely overhaul or simply refine their existing workplace culture. Recently, Chris and I chatted about his new book. Here…
Book Review: The Culture Engine
In the foreword of the book The Culture Engine management consultant Ken Blanchard highlights two elements of servant leadership. The first is “strategic leadership” which are practices that outline the “why” of the organization and form the basis of the company’s culture. The second element of servant leadership is “operational leadership” which is the day-to-day actions…
How to Foster Creativity, Communication and Connection with Your Team
Would an executive at your company set up shop in the middle of the IT help desk, hang a gutted fish over his desk and declare, “The doctor is in?” In effect, that’s what Paul Bennett, chief creative officer at IDEO, has done, and he claims it’s helped him foster creativity in a way he…