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Wishing you Peace at Work EVERY day,
April 25, 2013
Isn't
it more fun to celebrate a job well done than to regret a job that is just DONE? As a leader you have a huge impact on your team and their experience. You do not just sit back and see what happens. YOU set the tone for their success. In recent weeks I have conducted a very informal survey about what it means to be set up for success. At first the discussion centered on leaders who stood in the way of success, next we turned to what it means to set your team up for success. Here for your consideration and in no particular order is how to set your team up for success.
Click
here to read more...
April 11, 2013
There is
an expression, "lead, follow or get out of the way". Unfortunately some leaders have a different version: "lead, confuse your followers and get in the way". Instead of helping their team members along the road to success, these leaders become the biggest roadblocks to success. These are people who never quite comprehended the concept of setting people up for success.
Click
here to read more...
March 28, 2013
It was
a small class of approximately 12 people, most of whom had strong opinions and no qualms about sharing those opinions. Don't get me wrong, all discussions were conducted in the most respectful way. After all, this was a coaching class. Attendees were currently involved in coaching careers or were looking to enhance their leadership abilities by strengthening their coaching techniques. I really enjoyed listening to the opinions and insights of my classmates. To be really honest, I also enjoyed kicking back, watching,
listening and NOT talking.
Click
here to read more...
March 14, 2013
 There is
something that most toddlers do that is a good business practice. They ask "Why?". At a certain stage they ask why to just about everything.
"Johnny put a coat on." says Mom.
"Why?" ask Johnny.
"Because it is cold outside." Mom replies.
"Why is it cold outside?" queries little Johnny.
And so it goes for the parents of a toddler.
Click
here to read more...
February 28, 2013
 Joanna
was shocked as she looked up and saw her colleague Charles standing in her office doorway yelling. Not just yelling about anyone or anything; yelling at HER!
To Joanna this was a random attack that she did not see coming.
Click
here to read more...
February 14, 2013
Has anyone ever asked you this question?
"Hey, do I need to dial it down a bit and be less outgoing to be a good leader?" I have never been asked this question. But I have heard this next question or something similar and I bet you have too. In fact you might even have asked it yourself.
"Do I have to be an extravert to be a good leader?
Click
here to read more...
January 24, 2013
I have run across this quote multiple times and if you search for it, you will find it is attributed to more than one person. For now, I leave it as anonymous:
"The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
For fifty-four and a half years my father loved my mother and she loved him.
Click
here to read more...
January 10, 2013
The client was late providing their training materials to the team. Jonathan, the project manager was only mildly alarmed by this delay. The reason he was not more upset about the delay was the fact that he and the team had seen the training materials before and because the requirements called for only minor updates to be made to the materials. Pushing the client to meet the deadline was a delicate balancing act. Jonathan did not want to alienate them, but he also would not stand back and say nothing.
Click
here to read more...
December 27, 2012
What does that mean, to try to cover the surface of the earth with leather? And who would do that anyway? Well rest assured that this is not my attempt to sell you a new pair of shoes.
Click
here to read more...
December 13, 2012
Hey you - yes you! Where are you going so frantic and out of breath? You look like you are getting ready to compete for the fastest person on earth competition. Except that you are in your work clothes and this is not a gym or a track. So what are you doing?
Click
here to read more...
November 22, 2012
Have
you ever worked for a horrible boss? Have you ever been stuck on a team with
a co-worker who is chronically difficult? What about a family member who sets all of your nerves on edge? It would be amazing if you had not encountered at least one of these scenarios, or at least something very similar. In fact you may have encountered all of them.
Click
here to read more...
November 8, 2012
Jane
was really nervous. Despite their best efforts her team was not going to make the implementation. They worked frantically right up until the official go or no-go decision point and unfortunately she had to recommend a no-go decision.
Click
here to read more...
October 25, 2012
Is
it possible that meeting others who are different than you can be both liberating and imprisoning? This was the question posed to a group of us by one of our classmates. Some of the group said no; it was one or other but not both. Some of the group said yes, it can be both liberating and imprisoning at the same time.
How can the experience of meeting people who are not like you be both liberating and imprisoning?
Click
here to read more...
October 11, 2012
Ramesh
waited impatiently in his office for the project implementation document that Jayesh had promised to send to him. His mobile rang and he saw Jayesh's name displayed, so he quickly took the call. "Ramesh, I just lost my laptops while on my way back home in Central Hounslaw" Jayesh said. Jayesh was waiting at a bus stop, when a few hooligans grabbed both his laptops and ran away.
Click
here to read more...
September 27, 2012
- "I did not make the deadline because I could not concentrate on work. All of this talk about us being acquired by Gigantor Corporation is really distracting."
- "I did not make the deadline because I had to take some long lunches in order to help plan my best friend's wedding."
- "I did not make the deadline because I was directed to work on another higher priority project."
Which of the above is a REASON and which of the above is an EXCUSE?
Click
here to read more...
September 13, 2012
 A good excuse is a thing of beauty. It helps you out of difficult situations, it helps people get to know you and it helps take all of that annoying responsibility off of your shoulders. OK, I am kidding. Perhaps the ability to create a believable and reasonable excuse is a skill. Is it a skill you should aspire to?
Click
here to read more...
August 23, 2012
 Working in a field and within a work setting that matches your own instinctive problem-solving abilities and workplace needs can make a world of difference in how you perceive your job and your goals. Having an action plan can make the transition smooth so that you can swim with the big fish when you make your splash into the next big pond.
Click
here to read more...
August 9, 2012
 Tom stopped by Sally's office about fifteen minutes before the celebratory luncheon. He felt it was really important for the team to see Sally at this special milestone celebration. The team had reached an important half-way point in a critical company-wide project.
"Sally, would you like to walk to the luncheon with me?" Tom asked as he poked his head in Sally's office door. "What luncheon?" Sally asked as she looked up from the stack of reports that covered her desk. Truthfully Tom was not surprised that Sally had forgotten the celebration.
Click
here to read more...
July 26, 2012
 'Please
Introduce Yourself' is a fairly common discussion thread used by groups on LinkedIn. As you can quickly deduce from the title of this discussion the point is to share a little bit about yourself with your colleagues. It is the online equivalent to introducing yourselves with a two or three minute 'elevator' speech at an in-person networking event.
Imagine my surprise when I saw an entry in the 'Please Introduce Yourself' area of a group which said something along these lines:
"I don't understand the point of introducing myself here can't you all just read my profile?"
Click
here to read more...
July 12, 2012
 I
was beyond surprised when one of my colleagues made this comment about our team lead:
"Just you wait until our conversion date, when times get tough she will flake out. I can tell you right now that she will not be there when things get down and dirty."
"Really?" I said. "But she is the lead over an important part of the conversion. How can she do that?"
My colleague responded, "Well she has been doing it for years, I do not see why she will stop now."
Click
here to read more...
June 28, 2012
 I'm sure you've been warned about what can happen to your food if you are rude to wait staff. Your entrée may just take a trip to the kitchen floor - or worse - if you behave badly. If you are a polite customer, you do not have to worry about what happens to your entrée before it reaches your table. As a customer you have a responsibility to be a good customer. At work you have a responsibility to be a good employee and a good co-worker.
Which one are you?
June 14, 2012
 It seems like recently I have had many reminders of people who forget that they work with others. These reminders have come to me from friends, students and clients. Is it something in the air? I know YOU remember the people around you. Maybe you can take
this article and leave it as an anonymous gift to your co-workers.
May 24, 2012
 You have heard it discussed as a key component of Principled Negotiations. You have heard it discussed as an important part of problem solving and conflict resolution. Separate the people from the problem. It makes sense, right? It is so easy to say. If it were easy to do, we would all do it all of the time. Let's take a look at 3 very doable tips to help move this from concept to practice.
May 10, 2012
 "Now I know why Springsteen is the boss, who comes out and plays before the concert?", I tweeted as we waited for the Bruce Springsteen concert to officially begin.
"What are you doing?", asked my husband. I told him I was tweeting about the concert.
"Well", he told me, "Bruce Springsteen does NOT like to be called the Boss."
April 26, 2012
When you use a soft negotiation approach you place more value on being nice and maintaining a friendship. There is nothing wrong with being nice, except that if you place being nice over choosing the best approach, you will be taken advantage of and you will resent it. When you use a hard negotiation approach you forget about the relationships and care more about winning the battle. The use of the word battle is intentional here, when you use the hard approach you assume you are working against adversaries.
Enter Principled Negotiations.
April 12, 2012
Hi everyone, when I have a question about Professional Development Units, I usually ask my colleague Cornelius Fichtner, PMP. He does such a great job explaining the guidelines.
March 22, 2012
According to Chip Conley author of Emotional Equations:
Authenticity = Self-Awareness multiplied by Courage.
Does it sound odd to you to take emotions and express them in
mathematical terms? This is truly something that never would have
occurred to me. Math is about numbers and logic and emotions are
definitely not logical. Yet somehow it works. Especially if you
start with this simple equation also from Emotional Equations:
click
here to continue reading.
March 08, 2012
Every day you have the opportunity to be the director of your own 'Life of a Team Member' movie. Is this a drama, a comedy or a tragedy or an action adventure film? You write the script with your behaviors - you tell me!
Which script would you write: Scene 1, Take 1 or Scene 1, Take 2?
February 23, 2012
 In December I had the opportunity to virtually meet Karl Wiegers. I found Karl via LinkedIn. I appreciate his blog on consulting tips
http://karlconsulting.blogspot.com/ and I was especially impressed that he is sharing some of his life lessons in his book, Pearls from Sand: How Small Encounters Lead to Powerful Lessons,
www.PearlsfromSand.com.
February 9, 2012
 In the last edition of 'Turning Point' we discussed how to mitigate yourself
when your behavior does not serve you well. This time we continue that theme
by taking a look at Joe as he observes his own behavior and takes note when
conflicting priorities don't exactly bring out his best. You know what; if Joe
can do it so can you!
January 26, 2012
 Sometimes your behaviors support you and sometimes they do not. The key is to
identify the supporting behaviors or opportunities so that you can use
them more and to identify the behaviors that are damaging or the threats
so that you can learn to prevent them. When you pay close attention to
your behaviors you can learn what causes certain behaviors and what is
caused by those behaviors.
January 11, 2012
day you bring strengths and weaknesses to work. You walk into the room
(virtual or otherwise) with what makes you unique. Or as the saying goes,
wherever you go, there you are. That is a good thing. It is all of the
elements that make you, well you; that differentiate you from others.
You cannot escape yourself, but you can GROW yourself.
December 22, 2011
I know you, you are a giver. How do I know this? It is a common theme shared by my community members. You might not even KNOW the ways in which you give. Certainly with the year coming to an end you are receiving requests and reminders for charitable donations. And if you are able to make financial donations, that is terrific! But giving is not just about money.
December 8, 2011
It's that time again, peace on earth and good will to all. Or at least it would be if you were not worried about those darned office parties. What are they anyway? Are they work or are they parties? Here are some tips to help you navigate the maze of professional pitfalls that lurk behind that innocent invitation to celebrate with your co-workers.
Keep these tips in mind and emerge with your reputation clearer and stronger than ever before.
November 24, 2011
This edition of 'Turning Point' is coming to you during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. If you are in Canada you have already celebrated your Thanksgiving holiday. There are many traditions that surround this holiday and I am not just talking about overeating and hitting the mall for EARLY (midnight, really?) shopping the next day. Thanksgiving designates the beginning of the holiday season for many residents of the United States. And the workplace during this time of year can be very interesting indeed.
November 10, 2011
You might recognize this as a reminder of the importance of risk management. You know that things do not always go smoothly. Why be surprised when issues arise, when instead you can be prepared when issues arise?
October 27, 2011
 Back in February, I shared the quote with you.
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
Mark Twain
At that time I was not aware of
The Responsibility Project hosted by Liberty Mutual. Liberty Mutual is an insurance company and I am not sharing 'The Responsibility Project' to promote or endorse them. (Granted it is a way for them to promote themselves and their corporate values.)
October 13, 2011
 Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "I have no clue what this person is talking about." Maybe you even have specifically thought, "Where is this person coming from?" You were not questioning their place of origin. What you were questioning was their perspective.
September 22, 2011
 Does the person you work for EVER get on your nerves? I bet they do. And perhaps sometimes the requests they make of you just do not make sense. Other times, their requests may make sense, but their timing is all wrong. Sometimes they get upset over seemingly small details. Of course none of your team ever says this about you, right?
Remember, 'bosses are people too'.
September 8, 2011
I need to tell you something. I hope you don't
mind. You see, what I have to tell you might not be something you
want to know. But here goes, "You are not always right." This is my
polite way of telling you that sometimes you are wrong.
August 25, 2011
Today's message comes from Raj Menon, founder of 13Apples.com, IT Program Manager and self-described extrovert. I am the one behind the wheel. My role is to get us to the destination. All they have to do is to decide on a place to dine. I can understand if the confusion is due to the countless cuisines to choose from or maybe due to our various taste palates. No, that's not why a simple decision to choose a restaurant turns into a long and overdrawn process for my friends, while I aimlessly drive around. We are too considerate. We want to be non-imposing. So instead of being forthright about our preference we respond with...
August 11, 2011
"Tom I really think that when there is a technical decision to be made, it makes perfects sense for you to delegate the decision to Simon. After all he is our technical lead." Marilyn chimed in, "I agree with Jacob. I think the trick is that you need to make it clear that you trust Simon to make the call."
.
July 28, 2011
Tom was not surprised when Jacob and Marilyn asked for a private meeting with him. He had a hunch that some of the team was displeased with him. He thought of Jacob and Marilyn as 'unofficial' team leaders. They seemed to be the two people who his team members looked to for professional guidance. Tom had mixed feeling about his upcoming meeting with the two of them. On the one hand it would be a relief to find out what was wrong and on the other hand, well he was going to find out what was wrong.
.
July 14, 2011
Life is full of decisions. Some are simple and some are more difficult. Of course a simple decision for you might be difficult for someone else. Perhaps you love to make decisions, maybe you are the one others turn to when a decision needs to be made. No matter your feelings on the subject, decisions are a fact of life.
As you can tell I have decision making on the brain. This has led me to spend some time with you in 'Turning Point' discussing decision making. Right now I am envisioning a few issues dedicated to this topic. How many? I have not decided yet, but I will. And that brings us to today's article, 'Please, Make a Decision.'
.
June 23, 2011
Please allow me to introduce you to a very special lady. Her name is Pam Stanton and she is 'The Project Whisperer'. I have admired Pam's work via Twitter and other places and I am very happy to have made her acquaintance. You and Pam and I are of a like mind, projects are about people! In today's 'Turning Point' Pam reminds us of the importance of our role as orator. When we speak to an audience we are setting an example as a leader. Our ability to present effectively can make or break us, it can separate us from the pack in terms of the types of projects we are asked to lead.
June 9, 2011
So there you are in line at the grocery store or the hardware store or the bank. It could be anyplace really. You could be on hold waiting for a customer service representative or waiting for a meeting to begin. You have time on your hands, what do you do with that time?
May 26, 2011
A recent conversation with a colleague prompted me to recall one of my embarrassing 'meeting moments'. What do I mean by 'meeting moment'? I mean something that occurs in a conference room or some other professional venue; something that was not on the agenda. It could be frightening (like when someone loses their temper) or it could be funny. I do not know about you, but I have more than one of these stories to share, feel free to write me about your stories too.
May 12, 2011
It seems that in the past couple of weeks the questions that have surfaced the most - from both clients and students are all about communications. These questions have ranged from: "Do I have to answer text messages in the middle of the night?" to "Why should I care if my co-worker hates voicemail?" to "What can I do, my boss holds meetings with no plan or agenda?"Seems like there could be some communications chaos going on and while you cannot control others, you can ensure that you are not the chaotic communicator.
April 28, 2011
Have
you ever had one of those days where you just feel a bit off? You are not necessarily sick or
distraught, but the phrase "off my game" might spring to mind. You might find yourself thinking,
"I sure am off my game today". We know it happens to professional athletes, that is why we use a
sporting analogy to describe this condition, but it can happen to us too. We can all bounce back
from an off day, it is all in the rebound.
April 14, 2011
Feeling
the Shift is that peaceful feeling you get when you reach a difficult decision, you
become comfortable with a situation which has been troubling you or you let go of something
from the past and finally leave it in the past.
March 24, 2011
As with Emotional Intelligence or EQ you can increase your ability to be likeable to
others. Your likeability can open the door to successful professional relationships
which do also need to include respect.
March 10, 2011
 When you understand how you handle conflict, you can begin to understand
when your approach is effective and when it is not.
There are five conflict handling modes and one of these is your preferred mode.
Listen now to learn about these five modes and identify your mode.
February 24, 2011
Most of us are taught that interrupting people is rude, but sometimes interrupting
ourselves is the most intelligent and thoughtful thing to do.
January 27, 2011
 Changing your mind is part of being a leader. Your team needs to see you make decisions
and your team needs to see you change those decisions when it is appropriate to do so.
A leader who stands up in front of the team and says, “You know, this is the decision
I made, but I now see that decision needs to be reconsidered.” That is a leader to be
admired.
January 13, 2011
 I have to confess that there have been some years when I was happier than usual to close
the door on the old year and get started with the new one. Somehow in my mind I created
a belief that once I made it through to the end of the year whatever it was that I was
allowing to tire me out would be over. Anytime I fall into this type of thinking I am
really falling prey to a false deadline.
To Your Peace,
Margaret |
