When a situation is about to escalate, be ready to do two things. First, be ready to have a difficult conversation face to face. You can't send an email, you can't text, you can't use the chat. In certain circumstances, you may still be able to use the phone, but be prepared when possible to … Continue reading About to escalate
Category: culture
The reason is you
At any single point in time, there are hundreds of reasons not to do, not to show up, not to participate, not to express your opinion, not to come up with a new way of doing things, not to listen. Hundreds of reason not to. It might be the toxic environment, the unpleasant colleague, the … Continue reading The reason is you
The first question
If you have an idea to spread, a change you care to see happening, a product to market, the first question should not be "where is my audience?". The first question should be "who is my audience?". It is a shift in perspective. From desperately moving from one channel to the next (and mastering none), … Continue reading The first question
Persuadable
Being persuadable is about actively open-minded thinking. That is to say, it is not enough to be open to evidence that goes against our own beliefs. One has to seek that out. Some good ways to practice that. Ask yourself why you think a certain way, how you could be wrong, what alternative explanations might … Continue reading Persuadable
Change is additive
Change does not wipe away what was. It builds on it. And when we change, it is often so that what we build looks way too similar to what was. After all, it is easier to fall back on what is known than it is to imagine the unknown. It is ok, as change is … Continue reading Change is additive
The primary driver
It is extremely important to dedicate time to intentionally define success. And while doing that, you have to consider the difference between success that is dependent on your own actions and success that is dependent on others' actions or environmental circumstances. An example. Say you want to write a blog post a week for the … Continue reading The primary driver
Use what you want to run from
Your boss who seems so confident is afraid too. The colleague who has always something relevant to share is anxious too. That speaker you love for the way they thrill the audience is nervous too. The successful entrepreneur you are reading about is worried too. The point is not making fear, anxiety, and the like … Continue reading Use what you want to run from
Bad bosses
Do employees quit bad bosses? As a matter of fact, they do. And they do quit organizations that provide inadequate training and promotional opportunities, bonuses, and non-cash benefits, that foster (willingly or unwillingly) a negative climate, that assign insignificant tasks, or repetitive tasks, that do not leave enough autonomy, that do not give enough support. … Continue reading Bad bosses
I agree, but
We have heard that agreeing with people is a way to defuse conflict. And we have taken it so far that the words I agree are two of the most used in companies. Of course, they are mostly misused. They are often an easy way to gain some short-term sympathy, to prime the others to … Continue reading I agree, but
Engagement
If you are in a position of power, it is important for you to acknowledge that any one of your actions that suggests external causality (i.e. if you do this, I will make this happen) is going to reduce both intrinsic motivation (i.e. the tendency to seek challenges, to use curiosity, to learn) and the … Continue reading Engagement
