What do you think about slogans? Do they resonate with you or do you just shrug them off?
The subject came up when a client asked me whether it was worth the effort of finding an effective slogan for a new program at his company; he said the idea surfaced because of the success of President Obama’s “Yes we can” during the last election.
Our conversation reminded me of an article last year about the futility of slogans in today’s world by Dan and Chip Heath, co-authors of Made to Stick.
Now, Made to Stick has some great stuff in it and they …read more

Today’s post is on a subject that angers me no end; it’s also a lead-in to tomorrow’s post.
I wrote about this lunacy shortly after I started writing Leadership Turn, but several recent phone calls made me go back and find the post to bring it to your attention again.
Of course, since you’re here reading this it’s likely that you’re already in agreement with me and don’t inflict this mindset on your people.
It’s about all those bosses (far more than you might imagine) who evaluate their people based on the language they use to discuss their actions as opposed to the …read more

Do you work for a company or a manger? Phil Gerbyshak over at Slacker manager did a great post on the fact that people quit managers, not companies—great because it is so true.
If you ask most people who they work for they’ll name a company, but if you ask them why they love or hate it, stay or leave they’ll usually mention a manager, the people or the culture, which is a projection of the manager and the people.
People quitting is expensive and bad for team morale, but, as Phil pointed out, they can quit and not leave, which, from …read more

Today is the story of why it is better to ask than assume and how a so-called follower can lead. It all started with Denis’ post December 31 describing what was happening in his company.
“I do not trust the developers I work with to do the right thing,… I used to be able to trust people in the team to correct me and help me get better … Work is a lot less enjoyable when that trust is gone.”
Denis is a reader and we’ve gotten to know each other over the last year, so I asked what happened.
“Let me see …read more

The best cultures satisfiy the intangibles that people crave.
A Hollister poll of 1000 people, employed and unemployed, in Massachusetts last summer asked them what factors contributed the most to their job satisfaction; the majority of responses in order were

Company Culture;
Opportunities for Growth;
Employee Appreciation;
Work/Life Balance; and a
good Benefits Package.

Dead last was competitive salary/pay. As I’ve always said, “The person who joins for money will leave for more money.”
The interesting thing about this is that numbers two through four are all parts of number one, good culture. Even benefits are a function of the culture, since they reflect the company’s attitude towards …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: Henkster
I frequently disagree with Jack and Suzy Welch in their weekly Business Week column, but in The Connected Leader they offer up good insights as to the effect of the internet on leaders, i.e., bosses, in terms of what it can and can’t do as well as what the leader needs to do.
“The Internet…ushers in a whole new level and scope of employee engagement. Leaders should welcome this development, and most do, but it’s a mistake to treat it lightly. Once employees engage you by speaking out, albeit electronically, they expect to hear …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: BaronBrian
The art of the sound bite isn’t a modern concept—it’s as old as human communications. Previously known as one liners, le mot juste or dozens of other terms over the years it involves just a few words that encompass and transmit a specific point or idea.
Will Rogers was a master le mot juste. More than a half a Century ago, he commented on the state of politics and his words are as literally accurate today as when he said them.
“We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its …read more

When you are working in small groups, you may find yourself isolated from the larger workplace, working intensely on a project that has become a vital part of yourself.  Every member of the group will likely have that same experience, and a sense of dependence on one another will occur.
While that personal ownership of a project has many wonderful benefits, one danger is that interpersonal communication may deteriorate.  This is usually caused by dependence becomomg overdependence, and increased irritability will usually result.  There may also be an increased tendency to perceive disagreement within the group as a personal attack.  Psychologists refer …read more