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Communication

The “Hostile Media Effect” – A Lesson in Group Dynamics

David Pogue, the New York Times columnist, writes in Scientific American this month about the “hostile media effect.” This is a cognitive phenomenon where people who hold strong opinions about something perceive that media coverage of that topic is prejudiced, no matter how neutral the coverage actually is. The same phenomenon happens in groups. People …

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Decision-Making

Managing Decisions in a Light Speed World

In a world where change is accelerating, where new products and services are developed in ever-faster cycles, the quality of decisions is ultimately the most important test of leadership. Ironically, many managers and leaders are still working with Old World decision-making skills, even while their companies are trying to succeed in a Light Speed world. …

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The Biggest Source of Workplace Stress?

An article in this week’s New York Times poses the question: What’s the biggest source of stress on the job? Hint: It’s not your paycheck, or the repetitive nature of what you do. Answer: It’s your immediate supervisor. The article, titled “Time to Review Workplace Reviews?,” focuses on a growing body of evidence that shows …

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Change Management

A Good Consultant Always Tells The Truth

One of the axioms of being a good consultant is this: Always tell the truth to your clients! Now this may seem like a no-brainer, but every one of us has experienced moments where we’ve wanted to refrain from telling the truth out of fear that we’ll offend. For a professional management consultant, telling the …

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Innovation

Helping New Managers Achieve “Flow”

In my new book, The Leadership Equation I describe in detail the 10 practices needed to build high performing companies in a time of accelerating change. The sixth practice is “Stimulate Creative Flow.” I was reminded yesterday why this  is so important as I facilitated a discussion about helping new supervisors and managers be successful. Why …

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The Case of the Restless Board

I’m working with a Board of Directors that is proving most challenging! This particular Board is a chamber of commerce composed of business owners. Every meeting is a marvel of micro-management. Should our web site have a blue banner or green? Which vendor should we use to host our annual meeting? Tactical decisions like these, …

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Strategic Planning on a Tight Budget

The president of the Board of Directors of a non-profit in Washington D.C. called me today and said:  “We have a limited budget for strategic planning. We have two days to develop our plan. What do you think we should be asking for from a consultant – particularly on a tight budget?” I responded: “What …

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Crisis Management Reflections on the Gulf Oil Spill

Watching executives from British Petroleum, Transocean and Halliburton testify before Congress about the Gulf oil spill on Tuesday reminded me of the cardinal rules of leading through a crisis. Unfortunately, it looks like the BP-TO-HB trio never got the memo. There are two rules to follow in a crisis. Rule number one is this: Protect …

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Team Building

New Report Highlights Unhappiness in the Workplace

What an interesting report this week from The Conference Board!  The report says that Americans of all ages are increasingly discontent at work.  Only 45 percent of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61 percent in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted. The report said that …

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Non-Profit Organizations

Streamlined Strategic Planning for a Non-Profit

Here’s the text of an email I sent today to the president of the Board of Directors of a non-profit. I think it speaks to how to do streamlined strategic planning for a non-profit. “Hi, Meg – The best way to make this process go expeditiously is to prepare a draft plan for the Board …

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