In a new column for Fast Company, Scott and Ken Blanchard share some of the best thinking from their recent leadership livecast on Doing Still More With Less where over 40 different thought leaders shared tips and strategies for getting work done during a time of limited resources. Feeling a little overworked and under-resourced yourself? …
When I talk with clients, I often hear that the main reason they look forward to participating in regularly scheduled virtual meetings is because it’s the best time they have to catch up on their emails. That’s a missed opportunity. Reports can be emailed, updates can be left on voice mail, but conference calls are…
Think back to the last challenging conversation you had. Were you prepared? If not, how well did it go? Chances are it didn’t go as well as you hoped it would. Most challenging conversations are more effective when we take the time to prepare for them. I’d like to suggest five things you can do…
Nearly 5,000 people joined dozens of leadership experts yesterday for the Doing <Still> More With Less Leadership Livecast. Over the course of 2 ½ hours there were video presentations and online discussions about strategies to deal with today’s stressed, overworked, and overextended workplace. The Doing More With Less challenge was explored from several angles. Several…
Most virtual leaders struggle with managing the performance of those they can’t see. Would they be more effective managers if they had “super-vision”? Some organizations install software so leaders can randomly check the screens of their employees. Some leaders even whisper that they want remote video cameras at employee’s desks. Here’s the reality. If you…
With all of the changes going on in the airline industry over the last few years, it has definitely been more the exception rather than the rule when getting great service while traveling. However, I had a pleasant surprise a few months ago while traveling back home on United Airlines. Once everyone had boarded the…
You receive an invitation from your HR department to win a mini-iPad if you lose weight. You think: What do I have to lose except some weight? What do I have to gain except health and a mini-iPad? You may need to think again. It seems that using these enticing incentives to motivate yourself results…
Marissa Mayer’s decision to halt employee telecommuting at Yahoo has unleashed a torrent of controversy around telework, remote work, collaboration, and productivity. For those of us who work at home or remotely, or even in an office, it’s a great time to refocus on what we do—consciously or subconsciously—that looks like work but often isn’t.…
I travel a lot, and in my travels, whether for business or pleasure, I try my best to stay in the same hotel chain. Why? Because I know what I’m going to get. Similarly, when I’m traveling overseas, I actually look for a very recognizable quick service restaurant chain. Why? Because I know what I’m…
Research in the fields of social, positive, and industrial/organizational psychology has repeatedly found that employees thrive best in work environments that allow them to think for themselves, and to construct and implement decisions for one course of action or another based on their own thinking and volition. The research is also clear that we suffer…