The other day, I was having a discussion with a training manager named Sally. Her staff designs training for her company’s field sales force. Sally works for a large organization that has a reputation for promoting from within. Here’s what we were discussing: Leaders higher up in her organization have noticed that when the sales people…
Leadership
The Sweet Spot for Mentoring
Note: this blog post is a collaborative effort between Jennifer V. Miller and Lisa Rosendahl. We’ve each taken a different perspective on the topic of mentoring. Lisa’s post explores what attributes Human Resource/Talent Managers look for in potential mentors. This blog post explores mentor readiness from a personal perspective, asking: “How do you know you’re ready…
Book Review: The Sharp Employee
In preparation for reviewing the Marcus Buckingham’s soon-to-be released book Find Your Strongest Life, I decided to pull some of Buckingham’s earlier books off the shelf and give them a second look. This review is the first of a three-part series. Now, Discover Your Strengths Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton The highlights: In the…
Book Review: Rule-Breaking Works
In preparation for reviewing Marcus Buckingham’s soon-to-be released book Find Your Strongest Life, I decided to pull some of Buckingham’s earlier books off the shelf and give them a second look. This review is the first of a three-part series. First, Break All the Rules Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman The Highlights A decade ago, First,…
No-Cost Ideas for Energizing Your Team
In my post Not Everyone Loves Putt Putt, I advised leaders to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of hosting an offsite gathering that’s “fun day” or social in nature. In a well-intended effort to promote team cohesiveness, these outings sometimes fall short. So what’s a leader to do if the team isn’t interested in an…