An Unconventional Gift

December 2011

I think it’s fair to say that most managers like to do good things for the people who work for them, to make them feel more appreciated, productive and fulfilled. Unfortunately, many of them don’t seem to know what their employees really want or need, and so they end up relying on the same traditional things: training classes, monetary bonuses, small office perks. Now, employees aren’t going to turn down a bonus or a perk, and in many cases, they’ll be glad to attend a training class, but those things don’t have the transformational effect on people that managers would like.

Humbled by Sins of Omission

October 2011

Think about it. Ask any group of leaders if humility is important, and almost every one of them will nod their heads and tell you that the world needs more humble leaders in every field, from business to politics to, well, everywhere. Ask that same group if they would like an opportunity to be humbled, and virtually every one of them will decline. But I suppose it’s hard to blame them. After all, being humbled is, by definition, always uncomfortable and often painful.

Kindergarten at 20,000 Feet

June 2011

I learned a simple, amazing lesson during a recent flight on one of the big, legacy air carriers. I won’t mention the name out of courtesy. Besides, I’m finding it harder and harder to distinguish between the big airlines these days. Anyway, I was sitting with a colleague in business class (something that I don’t take for granted), waiting for everyone to board so we could take off. The flight attendants weren’t in a particularly good mood, something I’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

Successful People Can Be So Annoying

April 2011

A friend of mine (I’ll call him Al because that’s his name) recently embarked on a new career as a consultant, and he has been wildly successful, even during these difficult economic times. Anyone who knows him will tell you why he has done so well: he is one of the most diligent, enthusiastic and painstakingly thorough people you’ll ever meet. In fact, if you were a competitor of his, you’d say he is over the top. Even annoying. Al handles every client call as though he were talking to the Queen of England.

Discounting Teamwork

February 2011

These days, virtually no one will tell you that teamwork isn’t important when it comes to an organization achieving its goals.Even cynics understand that groups of people who are willing to put their individual interests aside for the good of the team will outperform groups of people who do not.Having said that, there is something that often happens after a team succeeds that suggests many of us might be discounting the real power of teamwork. A great example of this happens in the world of professional sports.With the football season just behind us, perhaps a hypothetical example from the NFL would be a good case study.

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