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Don’t Be Fooled: Why Most Training Fails

The Danish philosopher, theologian, and psychologist, Søren Kierkegaard once observed, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t so. The other is to refuse to believe what is so.” For centuries, April 1 has been celebrated in many countries with pranks, hoaxes, and practical jokes. Wikipedia has a fascinating collection […]

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Coaching and Developing Looming Large for Recovery and Growth

An e-mail inquiry and a Globe & Mail article last week, converged to illustrate the rapidly growing need for organizations to significantly boost their coaching and development skill-building efforts. The Globe & Mail article proclaimed that “a growing number of employees now want a lifetime commitment with one organization.” The piece cites recent studies by […]

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Affirming Team Members is a Key Leadership Skill

Chris recently sent me this e-mail putting his finger on a vital coaching and developing skill: “In your March newsletter, you reference your leadership wheel and I enjoyed reading the results of your findings as put into that model. I am currently working with a person who is in a leadership role and while he […]

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Thoughts That Make You Go Hmmm…on Living Organizational Values

I often poll my audiences to see how many work in or lead an organization that has published a statement of values. Usually about ¾ of the group raises their hands. I then ask a rhetorical question (not asking for hands to be raised) about whether those values have a “high snicker factor” throughout the […]

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Doing Good is Good for Business and How We Do Anything Means Everything

What does Toyota’s ongoing recall problems and Tiger Woods’ infidelities have in common? They’re both a great source of material for comedians and late night TV. They are also very expensive, make sensational headlines, and have tarnished stellar brands. But an especially interesting leadership link is how these two big news stories vividly demonstrate today’s […]

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The “Soft” Side of Productivity Improvement is Really Hard

During the next few weeks signs of Spring such as March/Spring Breaks are breaking out in school districts across many areas of North America. There are also promising signs of global economic recovery – “green shots” – breaking out and starting to grow. But indicators point toward a long and challenging recovery. A key issue […]

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Use Virtual/Physical Meeting Effectiveness Checklists to Boost Their Effectiveness

Are meetings or conference calls a good way for you and your team to get work done or are they black holes sucking vital energy and scarce time out of your day? Many managers, project, or team leaders practice very poor “meeting hygiene.” People drift in and out, side conversations distract from the main discussion, […]

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Ineffective Virtual or Physical Meetings: Confused by the Three Cs

You probably spend large chunks of your day in meetings or on conference calls. That’s especially true if you’re in any sort of management, project, or team leadership role. Whether in person or using communication technology, meetings, conferences calls, or webinars are more important than ever in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. Research clearly […]

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18 Book Reviews Now Available on My LinkedIn Profile

Now that the writing, publishing, and launch of my latest book Growing @ the Speed of Change is through its busiest phase, I am able to spend more time indulging my passion for reading. I generally have a novel of historical fiction, a book on spiritual/philosophical/meditation, and one or two personal growth/leadership/organization effectiveness books on […]

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Recommended Reading: Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive by Barbara Frederickson

Positive psychology is an exciting new and rapidly expanding movement pioneered by Martin Seligman, Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychology and director of their Positive Psychology Center. His book, Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, is one of the best […]

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Thoughts that Make You Go Hmmmm…..on Pursuing Excellence

We’ve heard a number of inspiring stories and seen many examples of personal and team excellence during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” – Vince Lombardi “At the winter […]

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The Olympic Spirit and Recommended Reading: Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters by Val Kinjerski

Val Kinjerski’s engaging book, Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters is a perfect way to blend personal/career development with the Olympic spirit radiating from the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Most athletes competing at the games are deeply committed to pursuing a dream of excellence. While some have golden visions of fame […]

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Practical Leadership Development for Peak Performance Archived Webcast and Slides Download Now Available

Last Friday we had over 500 sites log on and view my (no charge) 57 minute webcast on Practical Leadership Development for Peak Performance. During this “City Tour” of leadership, change, and organization effectiveness, I covered: •    Change Challenges and Choices •    Keys to Leading Change •    The High-Performance Balance: Managing Things and Leading People […]

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Using Leadership Book Clubs to Form Cost and Time Effective Learning Networks

A big challenge for many organizations today is providing learning and development opportunities when many managers, supervisors, and staff are extremely pressed for time. It gets even more challenging when many people are spread out among a number of locations. Gerry Parker, Lead HR Advisor for Rural Areas at Vancouver Coastal Health, has a major […]

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Put Valentine’s Day Passion in Your Leadership

Hey guys! Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Have you bought your card for your sweetheart yet? The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide. That makes this day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year next to Christmas. The association has found in the U.S. men spend […]

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Characteristics of Admired Leaders

I am a member of a LinkedIn leadership group that recently discussed the characteristics of admired leaders. This is a topic very near and dear to my heart. I’ve studied, worked to apply, written books, developed keynotes and workshops, and provided coaching and consulting on leadership for many decades. There’s a lot of jargon and […]

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Integrating Succession Planning, Culture Change, and Executive Team Development

My Slides Now Available The effectiveness of Learning and Development, HR tools and technologies, competency models, engagement programs, performance management systems, or succession planning hinges on the organization’s culture. Partial and piecemeal programs bolted onto operational practices are dramatically less effective than processes integrated into “the way we do things around here.” That culture ripples […]

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Thoughts That Make You Go Hmmm…on Leading at the Speed of Change

One month gone already! Did you blink and miss it? Like me, you’re probably wondering what challenges and opportunities this year – and new decade – will bring to you and your organization. That’s very tough to predict. What’s predictable is that strong personal, team, and organizational leadership will be even more critical to overcoming […]

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Practical Leadership Development for Peak Performance Webcast (No Charge to Join In)

Given the popularity of my Thriving in Turbulent Times webcast on December 3rd (over 550 sites tuned in), I am partnering with the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD) to bring you another fast-paced hour of ideas, inspiration, and how-to applications on developing leadership skills on February 12th. In this unique and rare webcast, […]

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Inspir-action: Playing to Your Strengths for Maximum Effectiveness

Right around now, many people who resolved to make positive changes this year are floundering. It’s easy to get pulled down by a few slips off our intended path. Pick up a cup of water or coffee and estimate how heavy it is. Now hold it straight out sideways at shoulder height. How much heavier […]

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