We all love a juicy piece of gossip now and then. Even if we do not want to believe it, we still want to hear it. Unfortunately, those few who take delight in spreading rumors do not seem to realize that doing so may harm innocent people. Here is a real life story of what […]

Leaders should be continuously providing evaluations and honest feedback, while addressing poor performance and inappropriate behavior in a timely way. Evaluations contribute to the overall morale of the workforce; the immediate feedback clears up confusion, reinforces excellence, and helps reassure people that their growth within the company is on track. When hard work is recognized, […]

Leaders are running into a growing problem with followers, who will not accept ownership when a job is done poorly, but instead pile on the excuses and pass the whole mess back up the chain of command. This phenomenon is called “upward delegation.” One example is when a follower pesters you with questions about how […]

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 […]

If you ask someone at Alcoholics Anonymous how they are doing, they say, “I’m in recovery;” meaning they know they are not perfect, but they are working on it. That desire to improve is what moves Doers through life: the potential of being better. The four stages of the Mastery Learning Sequence outlined below provide […]

Mistrust is the result of leaders and followers who do not bother to confirm their assumptions about a given situation before either or both take action. Here is an example. A production line supervisor needed some routine information from Larry who was working nearby at his station. The supervisor walked over to Larry and said, […]

Doers prefer to tell the truth and expect others to be honest with them in return. More importantly, Doers expect coworkers to communicate bad news graciously and to offer criticism objectively. Timeliness is also a key factor. Waiting for the right moment, or putting it off until the recipient is in a good mood, just […]

Personality clashes, unmet expectations and resistive coworkers are among the primary causes of behavioral-based conflict in the workplace. Without an effective resolution process, no work unit can continue to function effectively. When evaluating the need for a conflict management program, be aware that unresolved conflict is directly related to job satisfaction – as job satisfaction […]

The speed of innovation is accelerating and embracing the future is the way to stay competitive, but there is more to it than simply jumping from one short-term fix to another. Doers expect a future-focused strategy to have a marked beginning and a measurable ending and when these factors are not present; they eventually lose […]

The value of a metaphor is that it provides a purposeful way for Doers to discuss the undiscussable. Individuals do not have to accept the whole metaphor as truth. Each person can accept those parts that have meaning for her or him. For most Doers, getting the story straight does not matter. What does matter […]