Archive for December, 2009
Using the words "around here" can help create a vibe.
My first boss was fond of saying this: “Most days, we have fun around here.” The first time I heard him say this, it was in my job interview. He followed it up with “…and you can’t say that about most jobs.”
It was my first job, so I took his word for it. He was right, but I think part of the reason he was right was the consistency and relentlessness of his message, and the subtle lifting up of our situation. By using the words “around here”, he was painting a picture of the organization’s atmosphere/culture/vibe all the time, and it was also a way of controlling the organization’s atmosphere/culture/vibe. Smart. And like all smart ideas, worthy of using in other situations.
Leadership behaviors in "non-leaders" leads to organizational success.
Recently, I ate breakfast at the Starbucks on 86th in Johnston (Iowa) on my way to a leadership workshop with the Waukee High School Warrior Wrestling program. As I drank my coffee and prepared the workshop, I would occasionally look off into space. You know, to think. But there was a display of funky-cool travel cups right in front of me, and I took a break to walk over and look at them more closely. (Side note — I’ve been searching the world over for a travel mug that both retains heat very long and is dishwasher safe — if you find one, let me know. Thanks.)
I picked one up to look at it more closely, and an employee appeared in front of me immediately.
A leadership paradox: delegation versus modeling
In a Group Dynamic workshop, we devote a lot of time to the value of modeling — behaving the way we want members of the team to behave. We also talk about the value of delegation. There are two big benefits to delegation of tasks: Read the rest of this entry »
