Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
Curiosity, the saying goes, killed the cat – as have a couple of other things. It’s also gotten a boss or two fired as well.
The question is just what do you do when it’s the boss who is doing something they shouldn’t be? Their quasi-misdeed gets highlighted; if they were playing sports the action would merit a whistle or a penalty flag.… Read the rest
Recusal – one of my favorite 50¢ words – is the act of a judge (or anyone else) removing themselves from a process as a participant because of a conflict of interest.
While there’s no bright line, there is still a line; step over it and you’re conflicted, stay on the “right” side and you’re ethical. And when you’re conflicted, recusal is the smart and right thing to do if you’re able.… Read the rest
Distraction is the enemy of focus and accomplishment. The important task you set out to nail gets buried under the five to ten minor issues that snaked up during the day and grabbed your time and attention.
As Rodan of Alexandria noted, “It’s not the mountain ahead of you that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.… Read the rest
It’s an interesting world we live in. “Show No Fear” and “Take No Prisoners” form the budget bargaining approach we get from the present Speaker of the House – John Boehner – who also cries at the drop of his hat.
Is the ability to evidence toughness and vulnerability in style? Are emotions the new black?
Boehner and emotions were top of mind on the way to re-listening to Brene Brown’s terrific TED talk The Power of Vulnerability until I sidetracked onto David Brooks TED piece titled The Social Animal.… Read the rest
The San Francisco Business Times announced its Best Places to Work in the Bay Area for 2011. This year’s ranking brought nominations from 301 companies representing employees in 12 counties around the greater Bay Area. The eighth annual Best Places to Work awards recognized the top employers in five categories based on company size.
Are the “Best Place to Work” the best places to work?… Read the rest
My colleague John Rehm – fresh from a tour of duty in Asia with IDEO leading innovation projects – flagged a post at HBR.com by Campbell Soup Company CEO and President Doug Conant titled Five Steps to Building Your Network.
If you’ve read Conant’s book with Nette Norgaard, Touchpoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments, you know that his candor and personal openness is unusual (unfortunately) for most senior executives.… Read the rest