Imagine that you’ve been offered two different positions and you have to decide which one you want. Or perhaps you’re already in a good job, but something that seems to be a better opportunity comes up in another company. This was the situation with a financial services professional client. She could stay in her present …

The table below summarizes the definition of each component of the Drivers Model. Vision A picture of the “preferred future”; a statement that describes how the future will look if the organization fulfills its mission. To be the place where meeting planners meet Mission A statement of the overall purpose of an organization which describes …

Tom in The Glass Menagerie wants to know how the magician or anyone can “find a way out of a coffin that is nailed shut without removing one nail,” or you could say how to find “a way up the slippery slope.” Work and work relationships can do more harm than good. This is one …

As the strategy leader, you have seven activities to which I recommend you pay close attention to build a strong strategy that has full buy-in and commitment. Gain your team’s commitment and buy-in to the process If your leadership team members are like most with whom I have worked, they are stretched for resources and …

Recently I spoke to a talented young software engineer who had been fast tracked into a management position. In a very short period of time, he went from a self-fulfilled, highly competent individual producer to a stressed out leader. He found that he did not enjoy confronting under performers; didn’t know how to motivate or …

I saw this question as a search question for training and while I don’t know the reason behind the question, it seemed logical to try to answer it. This may not be the answer people want to hear, but it is an alternative. I’ve actually addressed the question of icebreakers before. I don’t like them …

What do you want out of social media? Every successful voyage needs a defined goal that justifies the inherent risks. Similarly, when embarking on using social media to bolster crisis management, your organization must establish specific goals. These goals can be social, economic and political in nature. In the course of our practice we have …

You love the company, the culture and the people. The problem is that you’re bored in your current job. Things are too predictable and you’re no longer challenged. But you’re not ready to chuck it all. You have too much invested. Many of us will change our career a number of times in our working …

In the case study that started this chapter, we indicated that there are a number of different roles for a facilitator: Meeting Adviser – The facilitator helps the leader plan the meeting, but during the session, he primarily sits on the sidelines, stepping in only when asked or if a situation occurs which the participants …

This is installment two of a blog series about lessons I learned this year. Most of the lessons were just reminders of things that I learned awhile ago, but 2011 served as a as a year to be reminded of them. Below is a list of three more lessons all dealing with change.