Feedback: Driving Individual and Organizational Success [with Download]
Leaders, Giving impactful feedback is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish, isn’t it? Then again, it is one of the most effective drivers for individual and organizational success. Let’s take a look at the current situation of workplace feedback and its consequences, the importance of feedback, and what you can do to deliver it with impact and integrity. There is a link to a download at the bottom of the article. The term ‘feedback’ was coined in the 1860’s during the industrial revolution to describe the way in which outputs of energy, momentum or signals are returned to their point of origin in a mechanical system. In the context of communication that means: Feedback is helpful information or criticism about prior action or behavior from an individual or a group who can use that information to adjust and improve current and future actions and behaviors. In essence: Feedback is [...]
Are You Doing Water Ballet in the Shark Tank?
Leaders, Did you know that the earliest known sharks date back to more than 420 million years ago? Since then, sharks have diversified into over 500 species that range in size from only 6.7 in to approximately 40 ft in length. Species like the great white shark, tiger shark, or hammerhead shark are at the top of their underwater food chain. Source: Fotolia | user: stonefy The sharks in the corporate shark tank can be bullies, sycophants, brownnosers, control-freak bosses, snakes, office princesses, boss‘ pets, backstabbers, apple polishers, yes-men, credit stealers, disgruntled peers, and … . You have probably heard of them, might know them, and even have some on your team. How successfully are you playing with them? Are you doing water ballet in the shark tank, i.e. trying to stay out of the political fray? The leadership capacity of an organization involves emotion: People are [...]
How Women Manage Office Politics – Yes, We Can Play the Game!
Leaders, Office Politics are a fact of corporate life; positive or negative – politics happens. The reality is that politics is how power is managed on a practical basis everyday. The drama that unfolds as co-workers and top leaders play the game, form alliances, take credit, manipulate, trade favors to move upowards, show favoritism or schmooze can be interesting, entertaining, exciting or frightening – depending on your perspective. Raise your hand if you hate politics! Shouldn’t talent, performance, and hard work be what advances our careers, ladies? Source: Fotolia / User: studiostoks Think about it. Did you know that ... more than half of the employees in organizations are female as relates to the lower hierarchical levels? With each higher level, the number of women continuously decreases. And at the CEO level, worldwide, there are only 3% to 4% who are women. according to a 2015 Women in [...]
Is the Key to Effective Leadership Female?
Leaders, A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed to contribute to an article for CFA Institute Magazine. The article’s subject was around (gender) differences to effective leadership. Wanda Wallace, Suzanne Bates, Katie Christy and other powerful women leaders were interviewed, too. I feel very honored to have been chosen to be part of this terrific expert group. In essence, the article states that the differences in terms of leadership approaches and styles between men and women are blurring. Men and women have many similar leadership characteristics. Yet, social and emotional qualities that are necessary for a company’s success but not valued highly are more attributed with women leaders. Also, women look more at the long-term and provide more feedback when they are in managerial or leadership roles. Women respond to stress differently than men in that they go into “worry-mode” and tell themselves that they cannot do it for [...]
9 Habits of Politically Savvy People
Leaders, The term ‘Politics’ is based on the words ‘Poly’ and ‘Ticks’, ‘Poly’ meaning many, and ‘Ticks’ meaning blood-sucking parasites. Whenever people’s priorities, values, and interests diverge, some type of politicking usually takes place. Office politics are inevitable, and involve intentional acts of influence to enhance or protect the self-interest of individuals or groups. Foto Credits: Markus Püttmann Office politics can be defined as the strategies that people play to gain advantage, personally or for a cause they support. The term often has a negative connotation, in that it refers to strategies people use to seek advantage at the expense of others or the greater good. In this context, it often adversely affects the working environment and relationships within it. “Good” office politics, though, help you fairly promote yourself and your cause, and is more often called networking and stakeholder management. The major intention of office politics [...]
Make Change Happen: Remember the Essence
Leaders, Might be you have already heard a lot of the necessity of communications during times of organizational change or - might be not. There is tons of literature on change communication out in the market, and in this article you will find an executive summary for when there is a situation that requires you as the CEO or member of the senior leadership team to communicate changes in your company. Source: Pixabay/ CC0 Publice Licence: User Alexas_Fotos When we talk about change communications in an organization, we focus on unexpected and involuntary changes for the company and/or for individuals, which very often result in unpleasant and painful consequences. Organizational change is very often linked to restructuring of the firm, a merger, a downsizing or move of a business unit. On rare occasions, communicating change is about sharing hooray messages, but very often relaying though messages in [...]