Mitigating the Morass of Meeting Mayhem
A common refrain I hear from the leaders I work with is that they have no time to think or get work done because they are in back-to-back meetings all day, every day. When they share their calendar with me, it looks like a LEGO toy with colorful blocks from the beginning of each day […]
Finding The Right Balance
What does balance look like for you? This is a question many of us are struggling to answer. These past three years have turned our world upside down. Early 2020 saw us wrestling to wrap our arms around what the pandemic meant for us, for our family, for our work, and for our community. We […]
What is Unconscious Competence, and Why is it Important?
There is a term, ‘unconscious competence’ which is explained as becoming so skilled at something that you are able to do it without thinking about it. A simple example of this might be the use of your email system. You quickly know how to open the program, open an email, reply (or reply all), draft […]
It’s Not Your Story to Write
What happens when your vision of what someone else’s life should look like doesn’t match theirs? I’ve seen this result in wonderful, deep, rich dialogues, and I’ve seen it result in alienation. It helps to remember that it is not your story to write. Knowing this doesn’t make it easier when you care about the […]
Are You Solving The Right Problem?
The other day, I had a discussion with a client who was fixated on the fact that their request to fill a position had been denied as the company is in a hiring freeze. He was passionate about how this corporate imperative was going to impede his ability to achieve his goals and that every […]
How to Effectively Engage Your Stakeholders
Recently I received an invitation from a fellow islander to a meeting to discuss the proposed expansion of the local oyster farm. This individual was very concerned about the impact this business would have on the island and had, in fact, asked me to sign a petition against it. I politely declined sharing that I […]
Beginning the Endings
I have wrapped up my time as the Director of the Center for Collaborative Leadership at UMass Boston. I’ve run this center for the past dozen years, the longest single role I’ve held in my career and one of the most fulfilling. While I am very proud of the work I have done and of […]
Analysis Paralysis or Due Diligence?
Where is the line between paralysis by analysis and proper due diligence? How much research and reflection is enough? This is the issue I am struggling with at the moment. So, how did I get here? A few weeks ago, during a meeting with an accountability partner, I began talking about my transition from the […]
What Does it Mean to Rehumanize Work?
I’ve recently begun rereading Brene Brown’s book, “Daring Greatly.” In the introduction, she says, “If we want to reignite innovation and passion, we have to re-humanize work. When shame becomes a management style, engagement dies. When failure is not an option we can forget about learning, creativity, and innovation.” This got me thinking about what […]
5 Signs You Are Stifling Your Employees
As a leader, particularly in times of stress, it can be easy to lean into a more directive or authoritative style of leadership. And, in those circumstances, it may be perfectly appropriate to leverage those styles. There is, though, an impact if this becomes the default. What are some of the signs that you might […]