You may remember: Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired came out last year. Written by Quint Studer and Dan Collard, it made the case for rethinking…
I read an article on performance improvement plans (PIPs). It got me thinking about how companies can better approach employee performance. When a person…
Are you a nice leader or a kind leader? Is there a difference? Yes, an important one. Nice and kind are not synonyms. Niceness is about seeming pleasant and…
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests the number of jobs a person will have during their lifetime is 12. That’s a lot of resignations. How one…
Clarity is key in building and sustaining a high-performing culture. For leaders, this means making sure messages are clear and understood—not ambiguous or confusing—and that…
If you’re a leader, you know how important it is to thank and recognize employees. It strengthens relationships, keeps people engaged, and fosters a powerful sense of belonging. Because what gets recognized gets repeated, it helps build consistency and move results. And the act of recognizing someone replenishes both parties—you and the other person. This week I want to provide readers with some activities to connect to the workforce via appreciation and recognition. If you…
In a recent column I wrote about my initial reaction when, after working hard and putting in lots of time, my boss’s feedback was that he was not evaluating me on effort, but on results. I shared how taken aback I was by what he said. Did he not appreciate my effort? Could he have said it in a kinder, softer way? At least he could have said, “Quint, thank you so much for your effort.” In Peter Drucker’s viewpoint on…
“Leadership Is Responsibility.” That is the title of the April 8 chapter in the book The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done. Published in 2004, the book is a collection of writings by Peter Drucker (1909-2005), who was considered the top management thinker of his time. The wonderful thing about writing is that while the person is not with us physically, their gifts remain to be opened…
I have a book titled Daily Reflections that I read every morning. A recent reflection was titled “A Full and Thankful Heart.” The author stated, “I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot contain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one’s heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.” That author went on to share that most of us are very fortunate. We…
An organization has excellent facilities, technology, best-practice knowledge, and a passionate workforce—yet is not achieving organizational goals. And yes, senior leadership is solid. So what is the issue? In cases like this, I find that a good place to look is experience. What percentage of new people can a department or organization have until it impacts performance? There’s no single answer; it’s relevant to the department, the role, and the new person who fills it. It’s…
“Grace, not perfection.” This statement (which also happens to be the title of one of my favorite books by Emily Ley) was sent to me by Allyson W. Anderson, the executive director of Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition. She had read my column that mentioned forgiveness as a value. Allyson sent me a photo from a recent retreat they did, and forgiveness is listed on a visual they created. The team developed it. I also received an email from…
In my book The Busy Leader’s Handbook, Chapter 1 is on self-awareness and coachability. Self-awareness is one’s ability to perceive and understand the characteristics that make them who they are as an individual: personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. The greater self-awareness a person has, the more coachable they are. In the book, I provide tips on how to gain self-awareness and become more coachable. My experience is that a key characteristic the best performers…
It is never wrong to say, “I am sorry.” After the last three years, which have been very tough, forgiveness may be needed. I got an early view of research that will be released in a few months. Things have changed quite a bit with employee engagement. With the many changes made, at times hour to hour, the issue of trust is a common theme. People wonder: Can I trust the CEO’s information? Is the…
When I hear from leaders, staffing is almost always at or near the top of the biggest issues they are facing. It seems we are constantly asking ourselves, Do we have enough staff? This question usually centers on the number of staff. If we are fortunate enough to have the needed numbers, then the discussion moves to items like, What is the experience level of our staff? Usually it is both. One, there’s not enough staff, and two,…
I spend a lot of time inside organizations. A common thread I see is that there are many people who are either new to the organization or, if they’ve been there for a while, are in a new position. Both situations can be daunting. Then add the fact that organizations don’t always adapt certain measures to the newness of the team, and the result is individual and organizational tension. Peter Senge, author of The Fifth…