Author Archives: worxjones
Why Chance Being Wrong
Working alone can be very stressful which is why most people need support while they’re acquiring new skills or taking in new information. Several things can go wrong if people don’t learn to support each through the process of learning—here are just a few samples of what can happen. Learning objectives The chaos that ensues […]
Resolve To Thrive In The New Year
Thriving in today’s choatic workplace is best done incrementally; one person at a time. Eventually those within your sphere of influence will understand that taking responsibility for their actions is not as difficult as they thought. On those occasions when you don’t have time to explore the consequences of rejection, go ahead and assume responsibility […]
Focusing On The Past Can Be Distracting
Generally, a productive work team should devote most of its time thinking about what lies ahead. Spending too much time on the past is distracting unless the results can be used to positively impact what happens in the future. Unfortunately, the past is well known and therefore much easier to recount and discuss. The future […]
Followers Seek Reliable Information
Followers form a mental image of what their leader expects of them based on what they see, hear, or feel. For these reasons it is important to correct misinformation by putting your vision out there so that those who look to your for direction can ‘see’ what you mean and where you’re going. Whoever said, […]
Why Change Makes People Nervous
Employees not only winch at the mention of change, they also cling to the past with fierce determination. Who can blame them? Given the way a record number of corporate chieftains have mismanaged so many companies into oblivion, they’ve got reason to be nervous about change. Change resistance is trigged when the boss returns from […]
Don’t Forget: Dead Wood Floats
Functional employees can figure out who the leaders are and determine for themselves how best to work with them. Dysfunctional employees don’t fully understand their own actions, so don’t expect them to give much constructive thought to those of the leader. As you try to influence the behavior of the poorest performers, remember that you […]
What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why
The greatest political lesson learned from building coalitions and working collaboratively is that solving problems on a community basis has a greater chance of succeeding for these reasons: First, local problems have already spread well beyond the jurisdiction of local leaders and government officials thereby limiting their restorative powers. Second, health and human services can […]
The Great American Dilemma
The purpose of forming a corporation is to create a place where individuals can achieve collectively what they cannot accomplish alone. Sadly, and alarmingly, this is not happening in America today; at least, not to the extent that it needs to happen for our country to remain globally competitive. And that’s not all. There’s an […]
Working With People You Don’t Know
Seeing things differently is just one of many barriers that drive people apart when they should be pulling together. Breaking down these barriers in order to let a productive relationship form is highly desirable, but not likely to happen naturally. What’s needed then are guidelines to help build a “task-oriented” relationship, meaning that when people […]
Gender Collaboration Reduces Rejection
In her bestseller Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, encouraged women to take a seat at the conference table as participants rather than sit around the outside as observers. Great advice, except for one historical impediment: Women find sitting at the table with men, to be a risky undertaking because they risk being ignored, talked down […]
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