Every day I read news from around the world to ensure I’m ready to have relevant and insightful conversations with my clients. It doesn’t look good when you have no idea that a new disaster is threatening your employee’s lives or livelihood. One of the sources I consult is The Guardian....
Need Credibility? Clean up your Trash
If you live in a home, you know that there always seems to be that one neighbor who doesn’t take good care of their property. You look down the row and see nice lawns, and then one that needs to be weeded and mowed, and a hedge desperate for a...
Kill Stupid Rules to Ratchet up Change Momentum
I’m working with a client to increase the pace of innovation, not just for a short-time run, but as a permanent part of their culture.We are leveraging a plethora of tactics that work: Setting the stage during onboarding Teaching leaders the basics of rewarding the right behaviors Shifting the metric...
When Change Leaders Must Be Harsh
“Why can’t they just do it already?”It’s a common complaint for leaders. The goal is clear, training has been provided, and supports are in place. Why aren’t people adapting? A good question. There are many reasons and leaders should look at themselves first with these factors in mind: Clarity: Have we...
How Fun Drives Change
Would you drink pickle juice? Incur rope burn in a game of tug of war? I just spent more than two hours of my core productive time at a party. Was it worth it??? I’m currently working on a culture improvement initiative with a client. They mentioned that they were running...
Three Reasons You Need a Project Countdown
I hate going to the dentist. Cleanings are OK, but when that drill comes out, my whole body turns into a Gordian knot. However, when she begins, “Five, four, three…” I relax…a little.I’ve always used countdowns as a way to raise anticipation and excitement but my dental trauma has opened...
How to lead change when your project is crashing and burning – Part 2
In 2023, Silicon Valley Bank failed. Then so did US Regional. One of the main reasons? Bad news travels fast, and in the telling, the severity cranks up until everyone is in a panic, yanking cash out of a sinking ship until there’s nothing to keep it afloat.Our brains abhor...
How to lead change when your project is crashing and burning – Part 1
Read the fine print.Terms are subject to change.Results may vary.We do not guarantee hair growth.There is no such thing as a sure thing. Every purchase comes with a warning label. Caveat upon caveat. That’s the lawyers talking and they’re no fun.But they’re right. Every project carries risk. I’ve witnessed two...
Managers suck at hybrid. Take a Ukrainian approach
When was the last time you saw an entire team together in the office? A rare event. Terminations are conducted by Zoom and no one wants to pick up the phone anymore. Emotions are conveyed by a small set of icons. We are a heavily digitized and distanced workforce. The role...
Branding Strategies for Trending Transformation
Hype is good. Empty hype is not. Twitter...err, X...is under pressure. Meta's competitor Threads recently launched to huge fanfare (see my analysis: Don't be a Twit(ter): How to build strategic resilience). Elon Musk needed to respond, but by doing something different. Add features? Nope Tackle cyber-bullying? Nope Fix the blue verification...
