Succession planning is a future-focused endeavor designed to ensure knowledge upgrades become an instinctive part of everyone’s positional responsibility. Another proviso is providing support for those high achievers who are candidates for increased job responsibilities. As an organization considers succession planning, it is essential to form a cross-departmental succession planning team (SPT) consisting of executive […]

Only an idiot would enjoy working in a tension-filled environment. So, consider what it would mean should the conflicts you’re currently embroiled in remain unresolved. Pointing out the issue is risky, so you keep quiet and hope it goes away. Like you, few people are comfortable disclosing his or her frustrations in an open forum. […]

Highly placed executives often suffer from the “enough is never enough” syndrome. No matter how far up the ladder they climb or how much compensation they receive, they’re rarely satisfied and are still striving for more. We treat them like superstars expecting them to perform perfectly and be all knowing. Today’s headlines are ample proof […]

Our attitudes, beliefs and understanding of authority are largely shaped by our family long before any of us transition from learning to earning. How the elders solve problems and make decisions are natural elements of our “training.” Some families raise trustworthy children who fit in easily. Taught obedience, compliance, and loyalty they become the backbone […]

No matter how positive a spin you try to put on it, change is scary because it spawns ambiguity, inconsistency, and uncertainty, all of which raise the level of dysfunction. During periods of transition, management frequently gets blamed for failing to provide adequate, timely, helpful, and accurate information. However, when challenged, employees admit that even […]

So, what’s all the fuss over vision statements? Is it a big deal and should you care? To gain a personal perspective, think about your workplace and complete this statement: This organization is being managed as if its main purpose is to ——–.  If your response came quickly, can be explained easily and fills you […]

Your mother was right about first impressions being important, but they’re not always the ones you want to rely upon when it comes to building a working relationship. This is particularly true if you think the other person is an idiot based upon what you’ve heard from others. You really don’t get a clear sense […]

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 […]

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 […]