When an organization launches a new initiative, employees are usually eager to go forward together in an attempt to accomplish those aims. Of course, there are always a few cynical doubters, reluctant traditionalists or destructive naysayers in any employee population. But leaders are generally given the benefit of the doubt. If senior leaders say this is the way the organization needs to go, most people are willing to help get it there.
The credibility of leaders is like an inherited trust. Under normal circumstances, that account has a high balance.
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Huge topic. Let’s start with a situation: An employee who doesn’t report to you asks that you keep the following in confidence. Their performance review is overdue by 4 months. The employee anticipates a pay raise which is needed due to their spouse’s working hours reduced due to forced furloughs. They also want to know if they are doing Ok or not. If not, what to improve. They think they are performing well, but without feedback, doubt is being to creep in. A pending lawsuit has resurfaced with newspaper visibility puling leader, their manager, into many meetings with different constituents; the organization’s board chair recently resigned; lack of funds may close organization within 6 months. The employee asked for the review 2 months ago and now does not how to approach manager. The employee does not want to show up as greedy, self-serving or add stress to manager; they love their job and how they are managed.
Your move. Will you advise them to have a transactional or the transformational conversation? The transactional track is easy, here’s what you say to the employee: Email boss with dates, facts and say you will forward this email to HR if review doesn’t happen within 5 days. Steve Roesler gives us these distinctions: Transactional conversations keep things as they are. Transformational conversations Continue reading » »
“Deep within every life, no matter how dull or ineffectual it may seem from the outside there is something eternal happening.” John O’Donohue
I’ve come to know that we are part of a much greater picture than we might believe when we sit stuck in a traffic jam or feel frustrated about a challenging communication in our day. These days I have been learning to take an aerial view and fly high above the simple challenges that take place in my day-to-day life. I have come to believe that each of our lives may sometimes feel ineffectual, but in reality something very major is happening. The real art is to learn how to tune in to what is most important in our life? How do we identify what our true passion is so that we can begin to move from ineffectual to fully alive and passionate.
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What feels good and right in life is where we need to place our attention. I’ve been speaking to a number of people recently who said that they are just not clear on what feels right in life for them at this time. I am convinced that we are at a point in time where so many systems are being restructured that we ourselves don’t even know what feels right. I must admit however that that answer is not strong enough for the days that we are now living in. Now knowing is not good enough any longer. Our personal responsibility to pay attention to what feels right and good in our life will lead us to answers that we thought we may never find.
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In tough times, the last thing that should be slashed from corporate budgets are the development and training programs needed to turn today’s high potentials into tomorrow’s visionary leaders. Too often, however, they’re the first to go – a clear message that future leaders will not be grown from within, though they may be replicated to replace the leaders you’ve already got.
And what’s wrong with replication? After all, it sure makes the senior team feel good when they look in the mirror!
But enough about them, let’s take a look at the characteristics of replacement planning and succession planning and see which one is better for you.
Here’s how to spot replacement planning.
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