Are you familiar with the term “kaizen”? We’ve mentioned it on this blog a few times over the years and it comes up in my work with clients on an almost daily basis. It’s a Japanese word (in which it is written “改善”), with a literal translation of “good change,” or “change for better,” butContinue reading “Kaizen and the Art of Talk Show Maintenance”
Category Archives: Contribution
When to Sub in Your Rising Stars?
If you didn’t follow the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, you missed out on some great games. But you may have also missed out on some leadership decisions that you might find useful to reflect on in your own workplace. In particular, mid-game decisions about when and how to replace tried and tested players withContinue reading “When to Sub in Your Rising Stars?”
How is Your Team Like a Fireworks Display?
In honor of this week’s Independence Day celebrations in the United States and in Canada, we are revisiting this article, originally posted in 2021: If you live in the United States or Canada, you’ll have had the chance to see fireworks at some point recently – in person or on a broadcast. If you’re anythingContinue reading “How is Your Team Like a Fireworks Display?”
“Make One Point, Not Ten”
Did you know there’s a difference between writing a ‘memoir’ and writing your ‘memoirs’? A memoir is a cohesive whole, with a story arc not unlike that of a novel, and often encompasses a smaller portion of the author’s life; memoirs usually refers to a more sprawling tome, covering several distinct sections of life. AsContinue reading ““Make One Point, Not Ten””
What are Unique Diversity and Diverse Unity?
How many aspects of your identity are visible to those around you? How many are invisible, or at least not intuitive? If you’re like a lot of people, your identity is – as we’ve mentioned before – like an iceberg, with the vast majority (90% in the case of icebergs) being under the surface, andContinue reading “What are Unique Diversity and Diverse Unity?”
Which X-Men Leader do You Need as Your Work Partner: Storm or Cyclops?
“Who Will Lead Them?” read the caption on the front cover of Uncanny X-Men # 201 – one of the first comic books I bought as a then-9-year-old in 1986. The cover showed two characters battling for leadership of the team: Cyclops, the team’s original leader and a master strategist who had back-up plans forContinue reading “Which X-Men Leader do You Need as Your Work Partner: Storm or Cyclops?”
Is a Four-Day Work Week in Your Future?
Have you noticed the change in TV culture over the last two decades? At least here in the US, there has been a seismic shift from 22-episode a year network dramas (created for syndication and reruns) to 6-8 episode ‘prestige’ dramas (created for streaming). Suddenly it’s a lot easier to catch up on a showContinue reading “Is a Four-Day Work Week in Your Future?”
All You Need is Love (Notes!)
Every year or two when I go through boxes in my attic, I stumble across some notes that bring a smile to my face. A quarter of a century ago(!) I worked for a summer camp organization, as a team leader and facilitator for camps on college campuses across the US and in Southeast Asia.Continue reading “All You Need is Love (Notes!)”
Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?
How many meetings have you attended in the last few weeks? How many have you led? If you lead meetings, how did you learn to lead them? By emulating the meetings you’ve attended? Employees who are high performing often get promoted to management without any training in how to manage others – and, as aContinue reading “Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?”
Banquet, Potluck, and Thanksgiving Models of Leadership
While the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US has a controversial history and our cultural retelling of it is inaccurate, the traditional Thanksgiving meal can help us reflect on how we lead others. This week seems an appropriate time to revisit the ideas of Banquet Leadership, Potluck Leadership, and the hybrid model we call Thanksgiving Leadership. If you’veContinue reading “Banquet, Potluck, and Thanksgiving Models of Leadership”
Building Bridges Leadership 