Copyright Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC Sections on This Topic Include What is Self-Reflection? How to Improve Your Self-Reflection Also, consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Personal Development In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to Personal Development. …
Professional Development
Product management involves overseeing the entire lifecycle of a product, from its initial concept to market launch and beyond. A Product Manager (PM) ensures the product meets customer needs, aligns with the business’s goals, and remains competitive. They act as the glue between engineering, marketing, and design teams, working to deliver a successful product. Effective …
Sending a thank you letter after an interview is a simple yet powerful way to leave a positive impression. It shows professionalism, reinforces your interest in the role, and can even influence a hiring decision. A thoughtful note sets you apart from other candidates who might skip this important step. In this guide, you’ll find …
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When it comes to crisis management, choose your words wisely One of the most common requests from clients of ours are for ways to “say no comment without saying no comment.” Yes, communication and transparency are crucial in today’s business environment, but sometimes it’s just not in your best interest to discuss a particular topic. …
Crossing the River: My Favorite Team-Building Activity Every trainer and facilitator has his/her favorite team-building activity. Some facilitators like the more active interventions such as rope courses; others prefer the more “touchy-feely” ones like trust walks; still others like using blindfolded instruction, or simulations like Gold of the Desert Kings. Of course, the most appropriate …
Two very useful skills in communicating with others, including when coaching and facilitating, are paraphrasing and summarizing the thoughts of others. How to Paraphrase When Communicating and Coaching With Others Paraphrasing is repeating in your words what you interpreted someone else to be saying. Paraphrasing is powerful means to further the understanding of the other …
Small organizations are often like small families, with all of the ensuing dynamics and challenges that we encounter in families of our own. This presents special challenges for consultants when working to help leaders of these organizations to solve problems and learn at the same time. However, this also presents opportunities for the consultants who …
Self-directed learners can use these guidelines for their personal and professional growth with their own training plans. Whether their training goals involve learning certain topics and/or skills, learners can start their learning by starting their planning. NOTE: Do not be intimidated by the length of this framework. If you looked at a list of all …
Much of the contentof this topic came from this book: Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD Focus and Scope of This Topic The purpose of this topic is to acquaint the reader with the field of Organization Development, a field with a rich history of research, publications, and highly qualified practitioners dedicated to improving the performance …
© Copyright Sandra Larson, Minneapolis, MN. Sandra Larson, previous executive director of MAP for Nonprofits, was once asked to write her thoughts on what makes an effective leader. Her thoughts are shared here to gel other leaders to articulate their own thoughts on what makes them a good leader. Also consider Related Library Topics Passion …
Crises can be divided into three categories: 1. Creeping Crises – foreshadowed by a series of events that decision makers don’t view as part of a pattern. 2. Slow-Burn Crises – some advance warning, before the situation has caused any actual damage. 3. Sudden Crises – damage has already occurred and will get worse the …
Small organizations are often like small families, with all of the ensuing dynamics and challenges that we encounter in families of our own. This presents special challenges for consultants when working to help leaders of these organizations to solve problems and learn at the same time. However, this also presents opportunities for the consultants who …
Part 1 of this series is What Do Consultants Do?, which defines a consultant (as Peter Block puts it) as someone who is trying to change another person, process, or organization, but who has no direct control over what they are trying to change. That post also listed numerous roles that a consultant might play. …
Consulting Foundations: What Do Consultants Do? Part 1 Peter Block, in his seminal book, Flawless Consulting, explains that a “consultant” is someone who is trying to change another person, process, or organization, but who has no direct control over what they are trying to change. Usually, that change is intended to improve performance – the …
Welcome to this six-part series on the foundations of consulting. If you have not been following along with us, then we encourage you to read parts 1-4, referenced from the bottom of this article. Part 1 establishes the basis for the series by using Peter Block’s definition of a consultant as someone who is trying …
Welcome to this 3-part article on managing resistance in consulting projects. Part 1 describes resistance and how to recognize it. Part 2 will describe how to deal with resistance from your client. Part 3 will describe how to deal with your own resistance as a consultant. What is Resistance? What Causes it? An important skill …
Peter Block, in his seminal consulting book, Flawless Consulting, writes, “There is a set of skills that is an essential part of consulting over and above technical expertise and interpersonal skills – and these are consulting skills” (Jossey-Bass, 2000, p. 6). Yet, the myth continues that technical and people skills are sufficient for successful consulting. …
History of Organization Development: A Timeline of Who Did What and When Part 3 of 6 (Guest post from John Scherer, Co-Director of Scherer Leadership International, with Billie Alban, President of Alban & Williams, Ltd. This is the third blog post in a six-part series about the history of OD.) Introduction to this Blog Series …
There are strong feelings that consulting, facilitating, coaching, and training are very different consultants’ roles. I believe that a good consultant should be able to use any of the roles for different purposes. Here are some guidelines for what roles to use and when. When You Might Resort to Facilitating Collaborative organizational consulting is about …
Understanding Critical Thinking: Examples, Guidelines, and Significance Copyright Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC Sections on This Topic Include What is Critical Thinking? Benefits and Examples of Critical Thinking How Good Are Your Critical Thinking Skills? Developing Your Critical Thinking Skills General Resources Also, consider Concentration Creative Thinking Mindfulness Mindsets Reframing Systems Thinking Strategic Thinking Related …
What are peer coaching groups? Information on this page assumes that you have read the information at How to Start Your Private Peer Coaching Group. Standard Questions What is a PCG? What Process Does a PCG Use? Who Joins a PCG? What Does “Coaching” Mean in a PCG? What Do People Get Coached On in …
Enhance Your Focus: Guidelines and Examples for Mastering Concentration Copyright Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC Sections on This Topic Include What is Concentration? Causes of Poor Concentration Test – How Well Do You Concentrate? Strategies to Improve Your Concentration Also, consider Creative Thinking Critical Thinking Mindfulness Mindsets Reframing Systems Thinking Strategic Thinking Related Library Topic …
Unleash Creativity: Guidelines & Examples for Creative Thinking Copyright Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC Sections on This Topic Include What is Creative Thinking? Benefits and Examples of Creative Thinking Developing Your Creative Thinking Skills Also, consider Concentration Creative Thinking Critical Thinking Mindfulness Mindsets Reframing Systems Thinking Strategic Thinking Related Library Topics Learn More in the …
Thinking skills are how you use your brain to recognize, interpret, analyze, and come to conclusions about information. It is when you use your brain to make decisions and solve problems. It also is how you use your brain to convey information to others, including to clarify what you want to convey, to whom, and …
Copyright Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC Sections on This Topic Include What is Self-Reflection? How to Improve Your Self-Reflection Also, consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Personal Development In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to Personal Development. …
To Thy Own Self Be True While this phrase may be well know, living authentically- knowing and connecting your Inner and Outer Self- seems less common. I’ve had two job coaching clients in the last week talk about their struggle with their company norm to “Fake it ‘Til you Make It”. We talked through ways …
The focus of the Library is on resources for personal, professional and organizational development. At the core of these is personal development. Without personal development, it’s difficult to sustain professional and organizational development. Sections in This Topic Include Are You Learning Everyday? Learn, Grow, Lead: Stand Out In the Crowd Various Perspectives About Personal Development …
Crossing the River: My Favorite Team-Building Activity Every trainer and facilitator has his/her favorite team-building activity. Some facilitators like the more active interventions such as rope courses; others prefer the more “touchy-feely” ones like trust walks; still others like using blindfolded instruction, or simulations like Gold of the Desert Kings. Of course, the most appropriate …
Two very useful skills in communicating with others, including when coaching and facilitating, are paraphrasing and summarizing the thoughts of others. How to Paraphrase When Communicating and Coaching With Others Paraphrasing is repeating in your words what you interpreted someone else to be saying. Paraphrasing is powerful means to further the understanding of the other …
© Copyright Sandra Larson, Minneapolis, MN. Sandra Larson, previous executive director of MAP for Nonprofits, was once asked to write her thoughts on what makes an effective leader. Her thoughts are shared here to gel other leaders to articulate their own thoughts on what makes them a good leader. Also consider Related Library Topics Passion …
Introduction Purpose of This Information The following information and resources are focused on the most important guidelines and materials for you to develop a basic, practical, and successful PCG. The information is intended for anyone, although it helps if you have at least some basic experience in working with groups. All aspects of this offering …
Delegation is often very difficult for new supervisors and managers. Many managers want to remain comfortable making the same decisions they have always made. They believe they can do a better job themselves. They don’t want to risk losing control of the situation or outcome. Often, they don’t want to risk giving authority to subordinates …
First, What is Coaching? Simply put, the purpose of coaching is to guide and support oneself or another to: Clarify a current, important priority that the person wants to work on; Identify relevant and realistic actions to address that priority; Take the actions in the person’s work or life; and Learn by reflecting on the …
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, Ph.D., Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright; Authenticity Consulting, LLC (Note that there are separate topics about How to Design Your Management Development Program and How to Design Your Supervisor Development Program. Those two topics are very similar to this topic about leadership training programs, but with a different focus.) Sections of …
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 …
When it comes to crisis management, choose your words wisely One of the most common requests from clients of ours are for ways to “say no comment without saying no comment.” Yes, communication and transparency are crucial in today’s business environment, but sometimes it’s just not in your best interest to discuss a particular topic. …
Much of the contentof this topic came from this book: Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD Focus and Scope of This Topic The purpose of this topic is to acquaint the reader with the field of Organization Development, a field with a rich history of research, publications, and highly qualified practitioners dedicated to improving the performance …
Crises can be divided into three categories: 1. Creeping Crises – foreshadowed by a series of events that decision makers don’t view as part of a pattern. 2. Slow-Burn Crises – some advance warning, before the situation has caused any actual damage. 3. Sudden Crises – damage has already occurred and will get worse the …
Peer Coaching Groups: Your FAQs Answered We assume that you have already read the information on the page Start a Virtual Support Group to Help With Stresses of COVID-19. The information on that page would answer all of the typical questions about planning and operating a support group. However, the following questions still tend to …
It helps to stick to the familiar ground when it comes to social media crisis management Our friend and colleague Chris Syme published a blog post last month in which she explained why spreading your social media crisis messaging too thin can be a major problem. This issue seems to pop up most often when …
Program evaluations are “individual systematic studies conducted periodically or on an ad hoc basis to assess how well a program is working1.” What was your reaction to this definition? Has the prospect of undertaking a “research study” ever deterred you from conducting a program evaluation? Good news! Did you know that program evaluation is not …
7 Vital Total Quality Management Principles Guest post from Quin Harris Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach that organizations use to improve their internal processes and increase customer satisfaction. When it is properly implemented, this style of management can lead to decreased costs related to corrective or preventative maintenance, better overall performance, and an …
© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Corporate Business Ethics Rebuilding Trust: The Corporate Governance Opportunity for 2012 Restoring Trust in Corporate Governance Conflicts of Interest: Requiring a Closer Governance Focus Compliance and Ethics in Risk Management Board’s role in ethics and compliance The Conflict of Interest Blog Divided Loyalties: Conflicts of Interest …
Product management is crucial for business success. It ensures products meet customer needs, stay competitive, and generate revenue. In today’s fast-paced market, using the right tools is essential. Product management software helps streamline and enhance product development, collaboration, and decision-making processes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top product management software in 2023 and …
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Let’s face it, we’re all a little worried. While pandemics aren’t new, the rapid spread and global impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus has already changed the way we live and work before it’s even peaked. Adding to the worry in this type of situation are the many, many factors that are out of our control, …
Southwest Airlines: Lessons in COVID-19 Crisis Communications Right now our Bernstein Crisis Management team is working with clients across the country to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 concerns impacting both operations and customer trust. One of the most widespread fears is that of using public transportation, particularly air travel, which is why we …
With coronavirus news disrupting business across the globe, we’ve been asked by quite a few clients, colleagues and friends what exactly they should be doing about a couple common areas of concern. Due to this interest, we felt it would be a good topic to cover here in our next edition of Crisis Manager On …
Strong crisis communications salvage a sticky situation for the brand as the holidays get into full swing It’s no secret that the holiday season is incredibly important to retailers, and that means big brands are trying to tread carefully to avoid becoming the next subject of an outrage outbreak. Hallmark stepped right into one, however, …
What should you do when the need for crisis management appears out of nowhere? A local police officer walks into your coffee shop and an employee decides to label them as *PIG* in the system. What exactly were you supposed to do to prevent that? Unpreventable crises happen all the time, just ask Starbucks, which …
Are you ready to face a crisis head-on? While nobody wakes up in the morning eager to face a crisis, it only takes one look at the headlines today to see that crises can (and do!) come out of nowhere. They impact organizations of all shapes and sizes, from small local charities or “Mom and …
[Editor’s note: There’s no doubt that one of the fastest-growing ways to lose the trust of clients, business partners, or investors is to put their information at risk. Security events create damaging headlines constantly today, and making certain your systems are safe, secure, and protected (as much as possible!) against an attack plays a real …