Are you honest and respectful? Do you lead by example? Do you do what you say you will do? When you make a mistake, do you take responsibility for it? If leaders can’t answer with a resounding yes to these types of questions, chances are some of the people we are supposed to be leading are not following. When we … Read More
How To Change Workplace Culture
When we experience things like cynicism, overly aggressive behavior, distrust – when we experience weak culture on a daily basis – this is a sign that we need to do something about culture. Others will only desire to tweak their culture. It’s not so much dysfunctional or bad, as just missing a little something. According to Deloitte Human Capital Trends … Read More
How Do Things Really Work Around Here?
It’s a scene we have all seen many times. A new employee begins work and at some point during their first day or two of orientation they will ask: “So how do things really work around here?” What they are really asking is, “What’s the culture of this place?” They want to know what the do’s and don’ts are, if … Read More
Office Space Shapes Experience
Creating an organization where people like to work is much more easily done when leaders and staff can easily and naturally connect with each other throughout the day. I’ve been thinking a lot about the role our office space plays in how we feel about those we work with. How do our spaces help to foster collegiality and teamwork, and … Read More
Why Culture Really Matters
We spend a large amount of our waking hours at work – wouldn’t it be nice if more people liked where they work? Beyond this just being the right thing to do, there are practical and financial reasons to invest energy into creating organizations that are great places to work. In a survey from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, completed … Read More
The Culture Question
While there is agreement that culture exists, and that it plays a crucial role in an organization’s success, there is less agreement on what organizational culture actually is. The concept of culture can be very vague and confusing to grasp. While it is largely an invisible force – like the wind – it can still be felt. No two cultures … Read More
Do You Like Where You Work?
At ACHIEVE Centre for Leadership & Workplace Performance, where I am the CEO, a key belief that guides the creation and delivery of our services is that people should be able to like where they work. At a fundamental level, we believe that when people like where they work, organizations are not only more fun and enjoyable, but also more … Read More
Balancing Work and Chit-Chat
While most organizations I know value productivity, I believe that there is an important strategy for increasing efficiency and output that is often overlooked. One of the ways productivity can be improved is by focusing on building good relationships in the workplace. People who like those they work with and for are typically happy and engaged, and thus more good … Read More
Who’s Your Favorite ‘Teacher’?
My teenage children can’t help but compare their teachers. At least several times a year I hear, “Who’s your favorite teacher?” They talk about which ones they like or don’t like, which ones are encouraging or indifferent, and which ones are nice or sometimes not nice. Employees of organizations where there are multiple supervisors do the same thing. If someone … Read More
I’m Not Your Therapist!
When I speak and write about the role of leadership I often talk about the importance of caring leadership. I believe that the best leaders care about their employees. And that among other things, they are supportive in times of personal, health and family crisis. However, this does not mean that I am my employees’ therapist! A regular question I … Read More