Psychology. Leaders & Teams. Technology
A few years ago we were having a debate at the office about how to approach problems. That’s a wide statement, of course. But the conversation was not about how to solve any issue in particular. The discussion focused more on a certain template to our processes, and how that presupposed other things. How we…
Need a supply of talent? If it’s time to hire, it’s already too late. The movie Glengarry, Glen Ross famously features a scene where Alec Baldwin lectures a room of salesmen on how to convince prospective investors to buy the real estate they’re pushing. “A-B-C!” he screams at them. “Always be closing!” His point, of…
I’ve been asked more and more frequently how managers can be sure they are being sensitive and inclusive. In almost all cases, I get the question from well-meaning, but fairly stressed executives, often men, usually in their late 40s to early 50s. They have teams that include women, LGBT members, and international employees. ‘ While…
I was recently asked to give advice to a professional that was really struggling with the best way to succeed in a divided workplace. She asked: “At my job, you can tell that employees are divided in many ways. I’m not the type of person to fall into groups because it’s what everyone expects or…
If you were born between roughly 1965 and 1980, then you have a lot of great skill sets, but some have become rarely needed (reading a map) to rarely used (reading cursive) to downright quaint (writing cursive). What’s not debatable is that certain skills Gen X employees need are paramount to remaining competitive. As of…
You know that Millennials have set themselves apart as having an alluring (maybe) but perplexing (certainly) distinction on almost every dynamic possible. You’d have to be under a rock in a cave on an island not to be aware of the deafening chatter on why – digitalisation, global economies, weather patterns (don’t put it past…
The world of business is competitive, there is no doubt about it. The goal of the game is making money: Driving growth and reaping profit. As the competition becomes more intense the stakes get higher and our emotions can often let us down. In this competitive ‘dog-eat-dog’ environment an inherent human tendency will sometimes emerge….
At one point in the Disney animated film Peter Pan the Lost Boys sing: Following the leader, the leader, the leader. We’re following the leader wherever he may go. Tee dum, tee dee, A teedle ee do tee day, Tee dum, tee dee. It’s part of the game we play. Did you ever wonder if…
About 18 months ago I was feeling pretty good. My team at work was doing well and creating massive impact. We enjoyed the respect of both the business leaders and our peers in HR. Business schools and professional groups were seeking our input for lectures, case studies and guidance. I had more opportunities to co-author…
I am only one of two corporate psychologists I know of who has worked at the bottom of a coal mine, let alone one in a remote part of Africa. There I learned three important lessons about decision-making, teams, leadership and social impact. I place a high value on rolling up my sleeves and getting…