Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. That language is a bit stilted for our time, but the sentiment sounds like one of those rah-rah posters at the local gym, doesn’t it? It’s from William Shakespeare—known more for plays and poetry than for psychology.…
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At a time that some are calling the Great Resignation, organizations of every stripe seem to be struggling from the loss of their people. Airlines report shortages of pilots. Hospitals report shortages of nurses, technicians, and other personnel. Retailers say they can’t find enough workers to operate their stores. Technology companies are having trouble keeping…
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Classical philosopher Aristotle made important contributions to logic, criticism, rhetoric, physics, biology, mathematics, ethics and politics. But the Greek sage also offered some wise counsel on our state of mind when he said, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” In our time, when blame and victimhood seem so prevalent, the notion of being responsible for your own…
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None of my three university degrees focused on economics. But there’s one economic principle that I learned early and use every single day. That principle is opportunity cost. In all my various life roles—husband, father, friend, community volunteer, leader, consultant, executive coach, etc.—I’ve made who knows how many thousands (millions?) of decisions on how to…
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Despite a formal education that ended with high school, my father became a highly successful business executive and president of a national company. He was a popular keynote speaker at conferences and seminars. His advice was sought by smart people who aspired to higher performance. Yes, Dad was exceptionally bright. But his success was based…
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The workplace of 2022 is markedly different from the workplace of 2000. In many ways, in fact, today’s workplace is different from what people experienced only a couple of years ago. Consider what we’re now seeing: Millions of workers are experiencing pandemic burnout. Many sectors of our economy are struggling with labor shortages. Supply chains…
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that today’s workplace bears little resemblance to the workplace of only a few years ago. At the intersection of culture, politics, and changing generations, there’s been a dramatic shift in the way people get work done. Sure, technology plays a big role in the change. But…
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It’s been said that not everything that’s faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. One of the things that every leader must face is the behavior of other people. After all, organizational performance is the result of the cumulative behaviors of everyone on the team. The formula is fairly…
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There’s no doubt that teamwork and collaboration—when done right—can make a huge difference in people’s individual and collective effectiveness. But there’s a flip side. Teamwork and collaboration, despite all the warm and fuzzy wall posters in the company cafeteria, can produce unintended consequences. Conventional wisdom on teamwork and collaboration has created a kind of “always-on”…
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