Blog - Page 16 of 39 - Evergreen Leadership

Leadership

Why What Millennials Want is Exactly What We Need

A lot of energy is being spent on the topic of how to manage Millennials. There is angst as they come in and expect a different workplace – one that works for them as well as their employers. There is eye-rolling as their older workplace peers snicker a bit and wonder how they can be so naive, self-centered, and immature. There is a whole lot of “things don’t work that way here” going on.

As with all generalizations, they hold some truth in the macro sense, while exceptions abound when looking at a population case-by-case. Nonetheless, trends across this age demographic are evident. A recent INC article, called the Quick Guide to Motivating Millennials, points to six things that this younger, tech-savvy generation are looking for in their work. And I am struck by the degree of alignment between this list and what research is showing us about emerging highly performing organizations. …

Leadership

Three Emails Leaders Should Never Send

As a leader, you set the tone for communication in your area. What you do and say is modeled. An email from you carries more weight than those from peers. As such, your email etiquette and behavior can either help your team be more productive or totally trip them up.

Here are three types of emails that a leader should never send. And I do mean never!

Dynamics

How to Tell a Good Consultant from a Great One

I started consulting 14 years ago. It’s not always been easy. Most times I’ve been good, a few times I’ve been mediocre, and on occasion I’ve done great work with my clients. I’ve worked with other consultants, some of whom have been consistently good, some great, and some… not so much. I’ve taught consulting to others – I’ve seen their struggles and their successes, and just how challenging it is to do great work for their clients.

As I aspire to be consistently great, it is helpful to differentiate good from great. Here is how I define the difference…

Change

Divergent Thinking Does Not Come Easily

In organizations today, divergent thinking is becoming an imperative to sustainability – rather than an impediment to organizational stability. Disruption has become a competitive advantage, much in the same way market dominance was in the past. Organizations that regularly challenge the status quo in order to create new products and services stand a much better chance of surviving.

Yet those organizations know just how difficult it is to disrupt the existing order. We chastise ourselves for failing to raise our voice in meetings in which yet another ill-conceived project is launched. We shrug in resignation and halfheartedly carry out flawed plans that waste time, money and energy. And we are not alone.

Leadership is About Who You Are and What You Do

At times people are startled when I refer to them as a leader. “But I’m only an employee, a student, or a volunteer,” they say in protest. For they believe that leadership is defined by role, position, age or appointment. I don’t.

I believe leadership is about who you are and what you do. It is seeing a way to create a better future, stepping up to make that happen and engaging others in the pursuit of that goal.

To illustrate my point, let me tell you a story about Lilly…

Challenges

Let’s Put Humans Back in Charge

– and Relegate Technology to its Rightful Place

Ever feel like you are working harder and longer, yet getting less done? You are not alone. A recent article in HBR by Michael C. Mankins sheds some light on why. In his article “Is Technology Really Helping Us Get More Done?” Mankins, a partner at Bain, combed through email and meeting schedules using data mining and people analytics to confirm what you already know in your gut:

The easier it is to leave or send a message, the more messages you have to deal with
The easier it is to schedule a meeting, the more that get scheduled
The more meetings it takes to get work done, the slower the work gets done
The broader your network, the greater the number of interactions and requests for your time and attention

The net result is that a decreasing amount of time is spent on real work. We are meeting more, communicating more, and getting less done. And it takes longer to get things done. As a result, most everyone feels overwhelmed, stressed and overworked. A few simple actions can help…

Leadership

How to Cast Vision with Your Team

Hate to tell you, but if you are patiently waiting for upper management to proclaim their vision for your work and your team, it most likely is NOT going to happen. Or at least in the degree of granularity you might be hoping for.

We all want to have work with meaning – and as a leader, it is your job to help create that meaning. The good news is that each of us has the ability (and perhaps the obligation) to cast vision – for yourself and your team.

The notion of vision scares us at times. It sounds big. Pretentious. Unknown and unknowable. You might struggle with deciding what is “too big” and what is “too little”. I encourage you to acknowledge the doubts and plow ahead. I’d much rather put my effort toward a “too big” vision than none at all. And if you err by starting small, you will have at least started. Small steps are better than no steps. …

Leadership

Mary Parker Follett: Influential Visionary

I stumbled across Mary Parker Follett’s name about six months ago in the book, The Power of Collective Wisdom. My curiosity got the better of me – and I dug deeper. And what I found was the work of a brilliant women with great influence. Some call her the “mother of modern management.” How is it that I know her work and not her name?

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I honor this female visionary. Although I never knew her name till recently, my study of her work reveals just how much of my practice in leadership and organizational dynamics is influenced by her…

Change

Would You Rather be Change Managed or Change Engaged?

Make no doubt about it, as change management emerged in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, it was a big step forward. The fact that someone, somewhere in the organization was helping employees through a structured methodology that included awareness, communication, and training began to address the compelling realization that people were most often the “make or break” factor in the success or failure of any change effort.

Yet change management, to me, conveys the ideas of doing something “to” people rather than “with” people. What if the mind-shift changed a bit? From change management to change engagement?

Change

Make it Easy to Do the Right Thing – Planning a Successful Change Initiative

We all fall prey to the path of least resistance – doing what is easy and expedient over what is in our long term best interest. We are hungry and pop into a convenience store, where we are overwhelmed by poor choices. Do we seek out the isolated piece of fruit hidden among the chips, candy and donuts? I don’t know about you, but peanut M&M’s win out every time for me.

Understanding the human proclivity to take the path of least resistance can help us design ways that “pull” people into the desired behaviors more easily. That’s why this simple mantra can make a big difference in any change initiative…

Evergreen Leadership Blog

Why What Millennials Want is Exactly What We Need

Three Emails Leaders Should Never Send

How to Tell a Good Consultant from a Great One

Divergent Thinking Does Not Come Easily

Leadership is About Who You Are and What You Do

Let’s Put Humans Back in Charge

How to Cast Vision with Your Team

Mary Parker Follett: Influential Visionary

Would You Rather be Change Managed or Change Engaged?

Make it Easy to Do the Right Thing – Planning a Successful Change Initiative

Stay up-to-date on the latest Evergreen news.

Categories