Did you ever wonder when you “throw something away” where “away” is? Follow, in your mind, a cardboard box or a soda can from wastebasket to recycle bin to landfill. Does it disintegrate quickly or stay in its original state for long periods of time? Now think about an emotion. What happens if you discard […]

Change is hard. It’s hard in the best of times and hard in the worst of times. Just ask the company that has made Wedgewood china for generations. Not many brides are yearning for fancy plates or little figures to gather dust on tables; today’s newlyweds like their stuff simple, slim, and trim. Wedgewood, Waterford, […]

This is for those of you lucky enough to get a job real soon. Advise for others of you who are wondering and worrying if and when a job will come your way go to my blog “On the Leading Edge of Change”. Okay, for the job havers: starting out your “not in Kansas (or […]

Dealing with difficult people at work is at the top of every complaint list from every office in every country on the planet. Guess that means it is an international problem. Last week in a seminar in San Francisco I was talking about the fact that work is not a rehab facility and two people […]

A recent study by Duke University professors indicated that men with square jaws and a strong physical presence won the “beauty” contest or should I say, the casting call for what “real” leaders are meant to look like. I wonder if this research will start executive males sprinting into plastic surgeons offices for a chin […]

I have been reading the responses to the Wall Street Journal article about workplace behavior. It is so interesting to look at the pendulum swings from “it’s all about making money” to the plaintive cry from every leader “Why can’t we all just get along?” I do believe that work is so much more than […]

Did you ever learn to play chess? Not the most popular game for this century when we move at the speed of light. However, it is a vital game for anyone who runs a business. Whether you formally know where to position a knight or a pawn on a board, you do this with employees […]

Jack was a boss who loved to let his leadership team tussle with issues and come to him when they had solved the problem. Often this worked. However when the team came to a stand still, when they had heels dug in and no solutions in site they would ask for his input. This is […]

While most of us will give lip service to feedback there is a deep tendency to shrink away from being told anything that smacks of negativity. Out loud we usually say “Thanks for telling me, I’ll look into your comments” while internally the thought is: “Who do you think you are, that’s just the way […]

I was at a client’s company last week and heard a brief hallway conversation as I was waiting for my lunch appointment. The gist of what was said sounded like two people in a war torn country. “I bought lots of canned goods that were on sale just in case I lose my job” said […]