Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
There were a few reactions to a piece last week called New Traditions that merit sharing:
Willamette University classmate and SAE fraternity brother Ron Yan noted that beyond my nickname of “Right On Smitty” due to my unrelenting pursuit of relevance, that “As I recall, we had many more, but certainly less publishable nick names for you.”… Read the rest
Colin Neenan noted that “Life just seems so full of connections.”
It’s those connections, and the behaviors that impact that, that inform my work. In my consulting practice coaching executives and teams, as well as career coaching, I’m focused on those actions and behaviors rather than the feelings and emotions behind them. That “behaviors first” approach in business enables individual and team coaching clients to achieve quicker, more durable and quantifiable results..… Read the rest
In the old days – circa 1980 or so – companies depended on managing their operations by policies and procedures. Senior managers would issue an updated process and procedure, and people would follow the new marching orders. It seemed to work well – except when times changed and it didn’t.
Swiss banking giant UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland), in a back-to-the future-moment, has just issued an extensive set of dress guidelines for its client-facing employees (“wear flesh colored underwear“) that makes it feel like the 1980’s all over. … Read the rest
Wendy Mogel, author of New York Times bestseller The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children was in the City this week. I caught her presentation at the Hamlin School along with a bevy of parents from various independent schools.
Mogel has great on-stage presence and funny charm, fitting for someone whose father published the National Lampoon.… Read the rest
There are few things that are more important than first impressions (that tagline: “You only have one chance to make a great first impression“), the time in-between, and leaving that lasting impression by how you say goodbye.
People can forget at times a lot of bumpiness in that in-between period if the bookend hello and goodbyes are done well.
“Facts,” as former President Ronald Reagan once noted, “are stupid things.” And as John Adams more accurately noted, “Facts are stubborn things” as well.
So when your normal mode of operation squares off with the facts of evidence-based research, it’s time to stop being stupid or stubborn, and think about changes to your way of behaving.… Read the rest