Doers expect their leaders to form teams and to act in a team-like fashion. If they do not see teamwork modeled from above, there is no inspiration for them to make the necessary compromises to work with their peers cooperatively. Organizations without teamwork at the upper levels develop a reputation for dissent, not cooperation. Doers […]

Before you decide to join forces with a colleague you have to ask yourself the question:  “What’s in it for me?” At first glance there may appear to be very little benefit. You may have to look a little closer before you realize that you cannot do it alone and really do need what the […]

Coping with a boss who fails to look ahead, focusing instead on bottom-line results and quick fixes, is challenging for a Doer. Such myopically focused managers use their power to keep things from happening by putting previously agreed-upon actions on hold, overriding the recommendations of subordinates and making arbitrary decisions with no explanation. Unfortunately, such […]

Research shows that the primary reason a manager is likely to fail is not from a lack of skills and abilities, but rather from not being aware of or not having access to critical information that could negatively impact his or her decisions. Management needs to hear the voice of truth from those who are […]

Doers occupy positions at all levels from the boardroom to the break room. Although they typically do their thing without calling attention to themselves or to their achievements, Doers are easy to recognize once you know to look for these attributes: Reach across departmental boundaries to build coalitions. Motivate those around them by their determination […]

Working alone can be very stressful which is why Doers need support while they are acquiring new skills or taking in new information. A number of things can go wrong if those undergoing training fail to support each other through the process of learning—here are just a few samples of what can happen. Followers will […]

  Full disclosure from the executive level exposes Doers to the truth about the difficulties they’re about to face. Doing so triggers the search for new tools and new ways to improve performance and to improve the bottom line. Most importantly, it generates a whole new set of critical questions like: Are we missing or […]

Typically, there is a lot more information about what went wrong than there is about what needs to be done differently. The past is known and therefore much easier to recount. Spending too much time on the past is distractive unless the results can be used to positively impact what happens in the future. Unfortunately, […]

Which would you find the easiest to do? (a) Change your mind. (b) Change your weight. (c) Change your religion. The most obvious response is (a). But, if you apply a time factor to the situation you can see how your answer might be affected. For instance, let’s say that a while ago you agreed […]

How much risk you are willing to take depends upon how you view failure. When failure looms it’s natural to react by withdrawing or limiting your efforts. It’s normal also to interpret the lack of encouragement from friends and family to mean that you don’t have what it takes to succeed. But, this may not […]