“No Substitute for In Person Talking“….this is an oldie but goodie. Interestingly, this has only gotten more relevant in our new times of zoom and remote everything. I would argue it’s even more important now….and some more thoughts on the topic.
As I get older, one of the things I’ve noticed is that the biggest problems aren’t typically “big events” but the accumulation of bad habits over time. Just like time can help (compounding!), time can hurt as well. And as you get older, you start seeing the incremental impact of all these habits…good and bad. So what are some of the lessons I’m learning?
I used this term a lot as a COO because getting this balance right is critical. At the “federal” level, certain requirements I defined for the organization were non-negotiable (“we are reporting our financials on this date, this way”) …other decisions were better left to the people on the ground (“what’s the best way to thank Joe’s employees who worked crazy hours last weekend for the system cutover?”)
Companies often grapple with this issue because getting the balance is hard, but not getting this balance right can lead to real problems. Continue reading
So I’ve been working over 30+ years (gee whiz!), retired, and then started working again. Now I’m figuring out what I want to do. I’m fortunate enough to have a couple of options open to me, and I’m trying to figure out the right one.
When you’re deciding on jobs at this stage of your life, what is important to you changes. So here’s what I’ve learned…..or not learned.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with one of the best communications team….and one of the most important lessons I learned was the importance of “timeless” vs “timely” communications for more strategic efforts. It’s a simple, but powerful concept. Continue reading
I’ve noticed people started making references to “talk tracks” a lot. I figured out what it meant: essentially it’s “what is the narrative?” The narrative is important because it’s basically the argument you’re making to convince others that you’re right. So what are the lessons learned on talk tracks? Continue reading
As companies start planning for folks to come back to the office, I imagine everyone will say the same thing: “Only come back if you feel comfortable”
But let’s say you really like not being in the office…and if they’re not making you come in, why not stay remote? Here are some thoughts….
I’ve shared that one of my most important management lessons is “Skill or will”? Basically, it’s a way to figure out the best way to manage people. But what if you’re the person will low will, high skill? How do you know if you’re a LWHS?
This post is written for a friend who has had a medical event….and I think it’s because he puts a lot of pressure on himself, holds himself to impossibly high standards, and is working ALL THE TIME. Here’s some lessons learned on the socially acceptable behavior that hurts you….working too much. Continue reading
I’ve been on lots of projects, and I’ve also gotten brought in to fix projects which have gone haywire. Nothing is worse than being on a project that’s going poorly….”we’re rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” is one of the memorable things said to me. Here’s a list of the things that I most often see….
(If you ask me any rules about any sports, I don’t know them. But I love sports metaphors.)