Someone asked me the other day what the “culture” of a company referred to. Immediately I felt like giving them St. Augustine’s definition of time: “As long as you don’t ask me what it is, I know; as soon as you ask me, I don’t.” For me, culture is a Read more
Most of us have at least heard of the Japanese Martial Art named Aikido. One of its main principles is the use of an attacker’s momentum against them. This allows much smaller and physically weaker practitioners to best much larger and stronger opponents who rely on brute strength alone. Well, Read more
I was chatting with a client who asked me this question: “Hey, why are you always talking about emotions and how to deal with them? Shouldn’t an executive coach talk more about things like productivity, and time management and goal setting?” First of all, upon reflection, I am guilty as Read more
Anyone who has read my articles knows my belief in the importance of a healthy culture in any human organization, be it a for-profit company, a non-for-profit, a church, club, association, or even a family. But when it comes to business, how important is it really? The short answer is: Read more
Turnover. The very word strikes fear in the hearts of leaders everywhere. A leader once told me: “The only thing worse than having someone who is a bad fit on my team is the time and effort it takes to replace them.” We all know the time and effort involved Read more
Have you ever had that sinking feeling that you made a terrible mistake in hiring someone? We’ve all been there. Most of us have experienced it: the sneaking suspicion when we first meet that person, the growing excitement as we get to know him or her better and then the Read more
“You’ve got to hear this story,” he said excitedly. I was meeting with the owner of a local chain of luxury auto detail and repair shops. “When I started the business,” he said, “I knew some people I had taken good care of — from back when I worked other Read more
She shifted in her seat and looked at me uncomfortably as she tried to answer my question. As a corporate recruiter from a successful software company, she has expertise and experience, and was kind enough to share both with me as I asked about hiring strategies. “How important is character for Read more
He was doing his best to choke back his emotion. I sat in silence and waited. We were at a local coffee shop. It was early afternoon and the lunch crowd was thinning out, but there were still plenty of stragglers around. We were discussing sales growth strategies for his Read more
My husband had just come home from one of the first national conferences dedicated to organizational health. When I asked about the conference, he answered with a quizzical, almost confused expression on his face. “One of the best parts,” he said, “was an amazingly insightful question by a young woman Read more