Mission Impossible: Putting Boundaries Around Your Workday

Jan 29, 2020 26 min read In: Workplace Tags: #boundaries, #scheduling, #worklifebalance By: robertkovach 0 Comment

Anyone who saw an episode of Mad Men had to notice the Sterling Cooper Agency workday hours. Sure, there were occasional late nights where Peggy and other junior copywriters spun their wheels all night trying to find a witty way to sell cola or toilet paper. But really, most days Don Draper was headed home before sunset. Fast-forward to the era when the show was filmed, not set, and putting boundaries around your workday feels as doable as the three-martini lunch.

Putting boundaries around your workday is vital. No, really.

Millennials have changed the workforce in countless ways. That’s not all bad, of course, and Gen X leaders should embrace Millennial corporate values (some of them, anyway). Millennials have changed the face of companies, literally, with more diverse employees. They’ve changed employee expectations, with more emphasis on things they care about, like CSR efforts and a voice in their career. And they generally have questioned – even rejected — many of the professional norms (read: restraints) around dress codes, organization charts and communication style.

Here are three ways that Gen X leaders should embrace Millennial

Men at Work: We need men to mentor women in the workplace

Jul 31, 2019 31 min read In: Diversity & Inclusion Workplace Tags: diversity, gender diversity, leadership, workplace, workplace innovations By: robertkovach 0 Comment

One of the challenges of initiatives regarding promotion of women in the workplace is that it can feel like a chicken and egg problem. Studies show that women in positions of power are more likely than men to hire and promote other women. And there are obvious reasons for women to mentor women. And in the era MeToo, it seems a particularly dicey time to encourage men to mentor women in the workplace. But as I wrote in a prior post about the challenges of female leadershi p, just 7% of the CEOs in the FTSE 100 are

Cultural fit matters. But maybe it’s time to call it cultural add.

Apr 18, 2019 43 min read In: Workplace Tags: company culture, corporate culture, workplace By: robertkovach 0 Comment

The other day, a friend of mine told me about a new employee at her office. The woman on first glance was just another twenty-something new hire with what my friend called “appropriate business look”. Apparently the woman had an unremarkable hairstyle in a natural-looking colour (“no streaks of purple or green”), simple jewelry (“only her ears were pierced”), and a tailored, silk blouse. At the meeting, she was articulate and well-informed on the subject matter, with insightful questions and useful ideas. Then, when she raised her hand to make a point . . .she revealed a sleeve

Finding Middle Ground in a Divided Workplace

Mar 13, 2019 21 min read In: Teams Workplace Tags: careers, leadership, team dynamics, workplace By: robertkovach 0 Comment

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 it’s how you get things done. So, how can I get ahead, as an individual, without compromising my character?”

A divided workplace is tricky business – here’s how to use your head and keep your soul:

It’s totally understandable why you’d like to be a grown-up and

Dr Robert Kovach