In re-rereading Dan Coyle’s review of great team cultures, The Culture Code, it struck me that many great cultures boil down to four areas: Connect The winningest coach in the NBA, Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, connected with his team every chance he got through food, personal caring questions and comments, and … Continue reading Connect, Reflect, Protect, Respect

I am spending the majority of 2021 re-reading my top recommended books from the past three years. One of them is 80-20 Manager where the main theme and its implication drives much of my thinking, writing, speaking, and coaching.Here is an excerpt I recommend you share with your leadership teams:The assumption that all sales are good leads … Continue reading Which of your customers and products are super profitable?

This is the current version of general meeting principles I recommend in priority order:1. Proper Meeting Protocols and Ground Rules established - See Meeting with Purpose document (see below)2. Ideal meeting outcome established first3. Compile attendee list, information gathering and dissemination lists prior to the meeting - i.e., invitees, those consulted beforehand and informed after.4. Agenda shared … Continue reading Apply these seven principles to optimize nearly every team meeting

Most businesses, especially those that want to scale, are complex, interdependent systems. One of the best minds I have come across on complexity science is David Snowden - author of the Cynefin Framework - now a book. Here is what I have learned from him on complex adaptive systems and how to optimize them:A complex, adaptive … Continue reading How to apply complexity science to better answer “How are we/you doing?”

If you are struggling to hit your goals, it may be that they lack clarity and specificity. Regardless of the method (OKR, MBO, SMART, FAST, etc.) you use, here is a framework that increases the chances of goal attainment.Economy- Focus on active voice when writing Priorities, OKRs, MBOs, etc.  - Use as little punctuation and as … Continue reading MBOs, OKRs, and SMART goals, oh my!

1. What type of decision am I making (Simple, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic)? I like the Cynefin framework.2. Is the decision reversible or irreversible? If reversible, make it quickly. If not, make it deliberately.3. Leverage a decision making framework like WRAP or others including your own if you prefer.4. Keep a decision journal to track effectiveness. Modify chosen framework appropriately.For more on how to create a … Continue reading Four Part Decision Making Process

This is one of, if not, the best talks I have seen on why stories are powerful for leaders, and how to tell a compelling and effective one.Here is what I came away with as the key elements but I encourage you to take the 7-14 minutes (depending on your listening speed) to listen to see if you glean … Continue reading Key elements of a good story

Jim Collins provides us with reminders of how easily we can slip into a Valley of Death Some of these I have experienced or committed myself.The 5 stages of decline are:1. Hubris Born of Success - One of the key drivers of failure is success without humility. This phenomenon tricks a leader into thinking he can do no … Continue reading 5 Stages of Decline that can destroy an organization

In 2020, I asked Jim Collins what research he had on how to determine the right seats for the right people in which to do the right things made famous from his seminal book Good to Great. In the updated version of his first book Beyond Entrepreneurship - BE 2.0 - he provides an answer in this excerpt:What makes for a … Continue reading “How do you know you have the right seats?” – Answered by Jim Collins

This brief article outlining much of and confirming the work I do is heartening. Here is the list (my favorites are in bold):1. Remote workers can have higher engagement than in-office workers -- when they receive frequent feedback from their manager.2. Employee engagement is an even stronger predictor of performance during tough economic times.3. Management has … Continue reading 7 Gallup Workplace Insights: What We Learned in 2020