The Compass
Topics to keep you and your organization on course.
Get Comfortable with Discomfort
A couple of weeks ago, I competed in the Tuscobia Winter Ultramarathon. I rode in the 80 mile bike race in northern Wisconsin. The temperature hovered around zero Fahrenheit during the day, but as the sun went down, it dropped quickly to about -20. I didn't have a...
read moreExploring the “Why”
In his incredibly popular TedX talk, "Start with Why" Simon Sinek says "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." That's as true in leading people as it is in selling products or services. People want to know our motivations, our "why's". I see it...
read morePraise, With a Dash of Criticism
Kids are smart. This was illustrated for me once again on a recent long drive with my family. Somehow we got on the topic of people who offer too much praise, and others who don't offer enough. According to my 10 and 14 year-old kids there's a "just right" mix of...
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Time to Focus on Your Team
There's an old saying, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." The same concept applies to focusing on your team's performance. Work teams are always changing, people come, people go, responsibilities or staff structure...
read moreBeyond Trust Falls: Building Trust on Your Team
People want to know what’s going on…and why. If we as leaders don’t clearly communicate decisions or give context for decisions or policies employees will create their own.
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Trust Falls Won’t Help
“Trust is not the ability of team members to predict one another’s behaviors because they’ve known each other for a long time.” Patrick Lencioni
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Can Leadership Skills Be Taught?
When we are open to the idea that leadership skills can be taught we also open ourselves to more possible leaders.
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Is it Time for a Check-Up?
It’s important that we check in regularly on how our teams, and the individuals who make them up, are doing. It’s also sometimes important to do things that may be unpopular, but are good for the long-term health of your team.
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Cohesive Teams: Holding One Another Accountable
Great managers know that they live and die by the things that aren’t specifically written in their job duties.
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Breaking it Down
When you tackle something major, how do you break it into manageable chunks? How do you measure progress while making sure you aren't getting pulled in the wrong direction? In last month's post, Keep Moving Forward, I wrote about pushing through obstacles to find...
read moreKeep Moving Forward
Sometimes it takes everything we have to just do the basic, mundane things to keep making progress.
read moreAchieving Buy-In
Patrick Lencioni, author of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, has said that people need to “weigh-in to be able to buy in.”
read moreSilence = Agreement
“I don’t have the time to fix this. They just need to speak up.” You can absolutely take that approach, but think of all the time being wasted in meetings where you aren’t getting the best from the people in the room.
read moreMake it Easy to Manage Up
When employees have to guess the values of their leader or their team, they are going to get it wrong. Not all the time, but often enough.
read moreLeading During This Election
I would be using this opportunity to show each and every employee that they are valued as an individual and that discrimination of any kind, along with demeaning or disrespectful language is not acceptable in any form.
read moreSo, You are on a Non-Profit Board, Part 2
One key way to do that is to have well-written and up-to-date job descriptions for board members, staff and volunteers.
read moreSo, You Are On a Non-Profit Board…Part 1
Strategic planning or revising a mission statement should never be a stand-alone exercise that creates a document that is never accessed again, until it’s time for a “retreat”.
read moreEquity v. Equality in Building Trust
Equity, not equality, is essential in building strong relationships, increasing trust, supporting people’s growth and ultimately increasing organizational performance.
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