For Those Who Are Left Behind

Thinning the Ranks

In early May 2015, the Massachusetts state system initiated an early retirement program for as many as 5,000 state employees, with possible additional workforce reductions to follow. It’s unclear how many people will be leaving. Estimates suggest that state agencies will lose from 5% to 20% of their workforce by June 30. That’s three weeks away.

The people who retire will take valuable knowledge and experience with them. Their leaving will also create big gaps in the social networks essential to accomplishing the work of the Commonwealth.

Integrity is Not Only "Nice to Have"

The unfolding FIFA scandal raises questions explored in many of my leadership programs:

  • What is the role of integrity in leadership?
  • Is integrity simply “nice to have” but not essential to sustained and effective leadership?
  • Maybe integrity actually interferes with business success?
  • What is integrity, anyway?

These are universal questions transcending the FIFA scandal, which I hope becomes a cautionary tale for leaders in many industries.

The Tortoise and the Hare

“What would you like coaching on today?” I asked Jonathan.

“Well, my team is working on an important project. Everyone wants this to succeed and we’re even aligned around how to make it happen. But a couple of team members are chomping at the bit to implement this in the next three months. The rest of the team believes we need to take it a bit slower. Everybody’s frustrated and it’s causing all sorts of tension.”

I Don't Have Time for This

It was February of 1990. I’d just walked into my office after a long drive from a meeting in Connecticut. Picked up the phone to check voice mail. There were three messages from Jim’s office manager, Karen: “Please call me as soon as possible.” “Please call as soon as possible.” “Call me immediately!” This was years ago, before everyone carried cell phones and was instantly reachable.

Creating a Compelling Case for Change

Imagine this:  Your team has designed an organizational change that will have significant operational impact.  It’s a complex process and you’ve worked for months to get all the moving parts aligned.  The deadline for rollout is fast approaching, you’ve run out of time, and you’ve pinned down the last details just under the wire.  You all leave the final meeting exhausted but proud of your accomplishment. 

Addiction: A Systemic Perspective

Sometimes, a piece of writing presents a view that is both so obvious yet so refreshing that it changes the way you think about an entire phenomena.  Johann Hari’s recent article, The Likely Cause of Addiction, and It is Not What You Think, had that effect on me. Connection is a theme that has longstanding meaning in my life, yet I never considered addiction to be a disease of disconnection.

Self-Control: Limited but Renewable

Susan looked up at me with panic in her eyes when I walked into her office. “Oh, no!” she said dramatically. I thought she’d just heard about a major disaster. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s 10:00, time for our appointment. I got in at 7:00 and I haven’t gotten anything done! I’m so overwhelmed, I can’t think straight. I was supposed to prepare for our session and I don’t even know what I want to talk about.”

“Why don’t we talk about this?” I said.