Expectations

The Promise of Leadership

December 28, 2015

People expect things of you when you become a leader.  “When we step into leadership, we may not be aware that it comes with implicit promises in the form of expectations,” says Bob Anderson, co-author of the recently published Mastering Leadership. When I interviewed Anderson in advance of the book’s publication, he shared his perspective […]

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Don’t Let Those “Best of” Lists Create Employer Envy

April 2, 2015

Have you ever worked for a company that was listed as “best of?” You know, “Best of XYZ Industry” or “Top 100 Companies to Work for” and so on. No? Well then you might have wondered: just how cool is it to work at one of those companies? Yet another “best of” list came out […]

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When Leaders Should Demand Extreme Excellence

February 24, 2014

Daniel Goleman, pioneering researcher of emotional intelligence, recently poked holes in the common leadership refrain of “excellence at all costs.” In the early 2000’s Goleman identified six leadership styles, one of which was the “Pacesetting” style, characterized as a leader who: Sets high standards for performance and models those standards him or herself Has a […]

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Six Ways to be a Better Negotiator

September 23, 2013

Are you a good negotiator? The “art of the deal” is something nearly everyone aspires to improve, as evidenced by the 21,233 titles listed by Amazon on the topic of “negotiation”. I discovered an unlikely source for learning more about negotiating: reality TV. I’m hooked on The History Channel’s Pawn Stars, which takes place in […]

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A Valid Reason for Hating HR

September 19, 2013

The following story is true; a few details have been altered to change the identities of those involved. This one left me shaking my head in disbelief.   I have a friend (“Krista”) who transferred from one division of her large multinational organization to another. This promotion required relocation to another country. As the transfer […]

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Why Employees Hate Development Plans and How to Fix It

September 11, 2013

Even seemingly positive actions like helping employees grow professionally have their challenges. This is certainly true for organizations using the individual development (IDP) process. Via my various community platforms, I’m taking a deep dive into this topic. Here are some ways you can help ensure that IDPs you write are getting maximum bang for the […]

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Managerial Expectations – Don’t Keep ‘Em Guessing

June 20, 2013

From time to time, Mr. People Equation and I talk shop about managerial things. As a director-level leader who has supervised technical professionals for more than a decade, he’s been around the block and I value his insights. The other day, he mentioned an Expectations List that he gives to employees new to his department.  […]

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Who is Waiting for Your Praise?

March 22, 2013

Mr. People Equation and I had a yummy Chinese dinner the other night and this was in  my fortune cookie. Think about it – there are any number of people out there who would benefit from a brief and sincere show of thanks. They probably aren’t actually waiting for it, but I bet it would make their […]

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Mapping the Passage to an Upside Down Organization

February 28, 2013

Guest post by Marilyn D. Jacobson, Ph.D To be competitive in this global environment, leaders must go against the tide to ignite and maintain momentum. I believe that organizations benefit from an engaged workforce, and the only way to achieve that is to flatten the organization structure.  The hierarchy gets in the way of change […]

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Even 5 Year Olds Can Throw Leaders for a Loop

November 29, 2012

It was the first day of school. Mr. “J”, a first-year elementary physical education teacher, was ready. He had his “Rules for Our Gym” spiel down pat, including the always-important “If you have to throw up, don’t do it on the gym floor.” Sure, he was nervous but he had a plan. Each hour, a […]

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