Checking a candidate’s references has become an unhelpful activity. Employers have been schooled to provide as little information as possible about former employees, and friends give glowing ones. As a result, people make hiring mistakes by either not checking references at all or else checking them in an obligatory fashion. (“Yes, they fog a mirror.”) Asking better questions can elicit... Read more →
When a member of your team is prone to complaining or whining, it's a drag. It undermines cooperation, darkens morale, and creates tension. Some complainers can hang around for years because they are perceived as invaluable or are productive. People around them adapt, saying "Yeah but" about them as they roll their eyes--"Yeah, but she does a great job --... Read more →
When Bill Gates announced his departure from the role of Microsoft CEO to focus on philanthropy, I mentioned here that it sent a great signal to other wealthy leaders: "give it away!" Today it was reported in Fortune and the New York Times that Gates' billionaire buddy Warren E. Buffett is following Gates' lead by donating $37 billion (starting next... Read more →
Each of us gets in our own way at times. That is, we do things (or avoid things) that result in slowing us down in achieving our goals. Given that concept, here are today's "coachable questions:" 1. What are the top three ways you get in your own way? 2. What do you want to change about each one, and... Read more →
What I call "spreadsheet leaders" (okay, an oxymoron) are dominant in many organizations today. Under their watch, professionals are viewed as office supplies to be laid off when times are lean, then rehired (but cheaper), and even laid off again, and so on. Treating people in this way fries the bonds of trust between employer and employee far into the... Read more →
All paths in leadership development converge on the need for the leader to "Know Thyself." To that end, I place here a small wonder of the world. I've received it and given it as a leadership coaching tool. Joe Luft and Harry Ingham developed this little ditty -- a brilliant, illuminating and simple model they call the Johari Window (Joe... Read more →
Eric Lipton of The New York Times reported today, in a story titled "Former Antiterror Officials Find Industry Pays Better," that: "At least 90 officials at the Department of Homeland Security or the White House Office of Homeland Security — including the department's former secretary, Tom Ridge; the former deputy secretary, Adm. James M. Loy; and the former under secretary,... Read more →
Directive managers mistake parenting for good leadership. They believe the best way to get things done is by directing people: telling them what to do, what not to do, or simply issuing commands. Whether they are new to management or believe in a strict, command and control style, they fail to realize the high cost—to themselves and to others—of their... Read more →
Hear ye hear ye: come all ye people-pleasers, passive-aggressives, co-dependents, and conflict avoidants: in a close relationship, timely and healthy disagreement leads to growth and greater productivity. Warning: avoiding whatever you are upset about, finding unacceptable, resentment-causing, or that with which you disagree, may cause a waxy buildup of denial that can, over time, threaten a relationship's viability. Now if... Read more →
