The CEO of a consulting firm asked me how our company has landed among the “Best Places to Work” for the past five consecutive years. After considering a number of factors that drive employee engagement, I told him, “One-on-ones.” “Oh yes,” he said. “We do those, too.” So then I described what one-on-ones are like
Last week you had a difficult interaction with people you care about. Remember it? They were your clients or your colleagues or maybe they were your kids. There was tension in the room, and your behavior affected the situation. How did the story play out? According to a study by Northwestern University, you might actually
I have a confession: I’m fascinated with talk radio. (And apparently, I’m not the only one.) I’m particularly devoted to two shows: “The World Next Week,” by the Council on Foreign Relations, and “The John Williams Show” on our local CBS radio affiliate. They’re “appointment radio/podcasts” for me because they consistently inspire, energize and educate.
I’m a bit paranoid about work. My internal and external customers have short memories, changing demands and long expectations. That’s why our senior leadership team’s unpublished philosophy is: “We are always six months away from mediocrity.” I’m not trying to be a sky-is-falling pessimist, but if you think that “what got you here will get
I’m a control freak. See, I have this picture in my mind about my business, my kids, my wife, my health and my comfort. You want to see me anxious or angry? Mess with those pictures. Here’s an example. Last week my wife and I were up late creating a game plan to address some
This week, I wasn’t feeling particularly creative as I wrote this post. My instinct was to just fall back on the routine, to fill in the tried-and-true template. It’s efficient. It’s productive. The box is checked. When you have trouble pushing the boundaries, it’s easy to succumb to the pull of efficiency. Just look at
I caught myself telling a lie this week. Not only that, I realized something: I lie constantly. Oh, not to other people. With them, I usually tell the truth. But in my head, to myself, I’m often a liar. And I’ll bet you are, too. Here are some lies I was telling myself this week:
You have someone on your team who is checked out. He might be smiling, putting in his required hours and keeping busy, but his heart isn’t into it. He’s going through the motions. When this happens, studies show it’s likely due to one or more fundamental issues: The person has lost pride in the organization,
As the elevator opened to the fourth floor of the Graves 601 Hotel, my mind spun a web of excitement, nostalgia and anxiety. Earlier that day, my wife had asked me if I was nervous about attending my 20 year high school reunion. I had told her of course not. After all, I’m comfortable with
Last week, I introduced a four-step process for growth that I’ve seen work effectively in a variety of situations. But I realize taking the steps is often easier said than done, particularly when big obstacles stand in your way. That was the situation Beau Garrett faced four years ago. He’d just taken on the role
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE