Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
Like the song of the Sirens , for some people the “right” backgrounds or the “right” personality test scores suggest “can’t miss” – the certainty that someone who comes from certain schools, certain environments, certain zip codes, or certain Meyers-Briggs personality profiles will be predictably successful.
You’d be wrong: predicting success in business or life does just doesn’t work that way.… Read the rest
There are at least two parts to effective communication: a “wrapper” or form in which the information is shared, and the data or actual content of the information itself. Miss both and you bomb, and get one right but not the other and thing can get bumpy.
My colleague Dr. Jo Whitehouse of Jumpstart BioDevelopment flagged a great resource courtesy Canaan Partners for entrepreneurs seeking start-up investment or just general investment period [Disclosure: Dr.… Read the rest
Good corporate leadership team group facilitation is like birthing babies: it helps to have lots of experience under your belt to do it well. Not unlike executive coaching, gray hairs and the experience that came with them helps too.
The twists and turns that are sometimes surprises in leadership team work are less so in the hands of a seasoned pro – they’re simply elements of larger script that are well known by someone who has seen them countless times before and knows how to handle them. … Read the rest
In the world of executive teams, punches can get pulled and frank words disappear as people become guarded and disinclined to rock boats. It’s the distillation of an environment – as the May 2007 Harvard Business Review notes – where the operating conclusion is “When in doubt, keep your mouth shut.”
In such settings, senior execs need trusted advisors like fish need water.… Read the rest
Some people plan all their lives to become a senior executive – and it never happens. Others, through talent, timing, hard work, and or luck, become one though it was not something they sought, or even to which they aspired.
What will be in your future?
I think of these latter types of folks as “accidental execs.” I should know – I’ve been one as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources with a US Fortune 15 corporation – and any career planning behind the occurrence is as precise as the path of a butterfly on a warm, windy San Francisco day.… Read the rest
Maddie Grant has passed along a thoughtful piece written from a panel in which she participated on the topic of personal versus corporate (or "company") branding. The link is here .
Posts from this end on the topic are Time to be Greedy: Your Brand , (More) Time to be Greedy: Why You Need A Brand Called “You” , and (Still) Time to Be Greedy – Why Your Firm Needs a Brand Called “You ”.… Read the rest