Politics and team-building events have one thing in common: they have the power to unite or divide people. Team-building events that are badly planned or poorly executed can do more harm than good. They can cause division and conflict if participants are forced to do things they are uncomfortable doing, or that they simply can't do. On the other […]
Recruitment is a tough business – for both the job applicant and the recruiter. The wannabe recruit is desperate to land his or her dream job, and the hirer needs to find the best possible candidate for his organization. The pressure is on both sides, and that can lead to mistakes that could prove costly […]
There's a well-known quote by E.M. Kelly that says, "Remember the difference between a boss and a leader. A boss says 'Go!' A leader says 'Let's go!'" In reality, this is a differentiation between two distinct leadership styles. The first is a commanding leader; the second is probably a servant leader or a transformational leader. […]
Creativity, Decision Making, Leadership, Learning Skills, Stress, Team Management, Uncategorized
"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." – Bill Gates, American business magnate. Feedback... There is something inherently awkward about the process of giving and receiving feedback. If done – and taken – in a negative vein, it can feel a lot like judging or being judged, and that never leaves us feeling […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Leadership, Problem Solving, Project Management, Team Management, Uncategorized
Imagine being forever immune to heart attacks and strokes because you take a daily dose of medication. Great! But there's a little hitch. The medication can be very sour and it takes 10 minutes to prepare. Would you take the medication or just hope that your heart is strong enough without it? This question is […]
Your dream comes to an abrupt end with the alarm clock's screech, and your heart sinks. You have a long commute to face, but that's not all. At least eight hours stretch ahead with a manager who cares nothing for you or your co-workers. All she's interested in is results, results, results. As she said yesterday, "We're […]
Ever watch a professional football game on television? The head coach paces back and forth along the sidelines, delivering plays, processing information he receives through his headset from other coaches, and patting players on the back in recognition of their hard work. Through it all, the coach is at the center of a vigorous tornado […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Leadership, Team Management
It's a manager's dream to work with a happy, engaged and motivated team. But happiness is so subjective, and people's motivations are so varied, that building a happy team is more down to luck than design, right? And even if you do your best to create a positive environment, you can't control outside issues that […]
What keeps you in your job? It might be the regular paycheck, interesting work, the camaraderie, or maybe a sense that you're contributing to something larger than yourself. Or perhaps you feel unfulfilled and are just going through the motions. In fact, you may be looking around for something else, because you feel you've reached […]
"Use your initiative." How many times did your teacher say that to you at school? Or perhaps it was a university professor's favorite line? And I'm sure we've all read "Must be able to demonstrate initiative" in pretty much every job advertisement since then. Of course, we all know that thinking for ourselves and being […]
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