Three Ways To Tell Someone That They Need Soft Skills Training
We’ve all worked with or for these folks because our workplaces are filled with them… The manager who thinks they know everything but hasn’t a clue about how to manage their team. The newly promoted boss who is the go-to subject matter expert but doesn’t know how to delegate or give feedback, so they either micromanage everyone, or do everything themselves, or both. The manager who says, “I...
Empowering Change: Strategies to Combat Gender Bias
Becca is a leader in a global pharmaceutical company. She’s smart, driven, and has a proven record of delivering results. Her boss, another female leader, had identified her as her successor, but Becca was denied the role when the time came. Her outspoken nature was labeled as “lacking in executive presence.” Leaders said she “dominates conversations” and knocked her off the list without...
Election Tension: Strategies for Navigating Workplace Dynamics
A few months ago I received a call from the head of HR of a global company who told me about how politics had invaded her workplace and caused a major uproar. It seems that a couple of members of the C-Suite got into a very public political argument in front of a town hall meeting. Afterwards, apologies were made, but it left a very bad taste in everyone’s mouth – to the point where no...
The Very Possible Dark Side to Amazon’s Return to Work Mandate
This past Monday, Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy sent a rather long-winded letter to employees announcing, among other changes, a mandatory “Full-Time Return to Office (RTO)” policy, which will take effect in January, 2025. Basically, he wants to return Amazon back to the days before the pandemic when everyone came into the office five days a week. Citing a previous announcement from February of...
Do You Have The Courage As a Leader to Be Your Own Hero?
In a world filled with stories of superheroes and larger-than-life figures, we often overlook the quiet, everyday acts of courage that define our lives. While we might never don a cape or possess superhuman abilities, the concept of being our hero is within reach for each of us. This heroic journey starts with a fundamental trait: courage. But how does courage relate to being your own hero? To...
Trust in Turmoil: Navigating the Trust Gap in Today’s Workplace
The research is clear: we’re facing an increasing trust gap between leadership and employees in our workplaces. According to PwC‘s recent annual trust survey, there is an 18-point gap between executives who believe their employees trust them (86%) and the employees who actually do (67%). Additionally, there’s a 26-point gap between leaders who say they trust their employees (also...
Managing Conflict with Respect: Essential Techniques for Leaders
Whether it’s friction between individuals or groups, stereotyping and negative assumptions, miscommunication and a silo mentality, clashes between different personalities and behavioral styles, or a dismissive attitude and resistance to feedback, these challenges are all too common in today’s organizational environments. Let’s explore the current state of workplace conflict...
“DEI Hire?” Seriously?!
Calling someone a “DEI hire” is a racist, bigoted, and misogynistic insult. It implies that the only reason a person in a position of power or authority got their job was because of a handout or a numerical preference based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It also wrongly assumes that any white male in a senior position earned his role purely on merit, which anyone who has worked with or for an...
Handling Political and Social Tensions in the Workplace
Who Should Read This? If you’re part of the C-suite, working in HR, leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion, learning and development, or organizational and cultural development, this blog post is for you. You’ll find this content particularly useful if you’re looking for: Practical, proactive approaches to mitigate workplace tensions. Real-world examples of what can be...