Wouldn’t it be nice if work was a simple meritocracy? The rules and metrics would be clear. As a result, knowing who is performing well would also be very clear. Promotions would go to the most capable, the process would have no ambiguity, perceived fairness would be high, and so on. It’s simple, right? Not […]
IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO
I know that sometimes I sound like I’m coming down hard on leaders, pushing them to do better. Other times it seems like I’m coming down on employees, begging them to get a clue. Guess what? Both are true! I am an equal opportunity offender. Most leaders should be better, and most employees should try […]
POLITICS ISN’T A DIRTY WORD
Engaging in random hallway chats, or proactively starting conversations about issues in the office is not bad behaviors per se. Politics at work is simply about staying in the loop, helping shape the narrative on certain issues, and understanding your peers’ agendas. In a nutshell, if you wish to be an effective decision maker, you […]
STOP KEEPING SCORE
This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book The Ten Delusions (a practical relationship book). As I think about the concepts I’m addressing, I’m struck by the fact that many of them apply to professional relationships as well. I’ll let you be the judge. Stop Keeping Score To move forward you need a level playing […]
SECOND CHANCES
At work and in life, I believe in second chances. As an observer of many professionals, I know that at work not everyone agrees with me. I think I understand where they are coming from. I mean, if you hold yourself to high standards, shouldn’t others do the same? You also believe strongly in accountability, which is the […]
THE TEN DELUSIONS
And Other Brutal Relationship Realities: The Book of Relationship Answers Only a Divorcé Could Write Below is a draft TOC for my next book. It is intended to be a simple, blunt, snarky, and honest take on relationships. Since I believe that professional relationships are often very similar to personal relationships, it’s worth sharing this […]
INNOVATING IS LEARNING
An excerpt from the new book SHOW YOUR INK: STORIES ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND LIFE I experienced a situation in a consulting engagement once that taught an interesting lesson. At first, I thought it was about life at work, but soon I realized it was really just about life. The lesson was that personal improvement and […]
IT’S JUST STUFF
I’ve been riding motorcycles since the age of nineteen. My most recent was a 2006 Harley Davidson Street Bob. It was among the first models produced by Harley with blacked-out parts. Very cool. Six gears. Mini apes. I added loud Vance and Hines pipes in the aftermarket. It was a beast. I loved that bike. […]
SOMETIMES GOOD FEEDBACK HURTS
I was recently fortunate enough to receive some honest and useful feedback. The first piece of feedback concerned a slang phrase I sometimes use. The second focused on everyone’s favorite mascot, Danny the Devil Duck (for the uninitiated, this is a cute little red bathtub duck with tiny black devil horns). In both cases I […]
