I just finished a glorious two-week vacation. The weather was almost too perfect, if that’s possible. After a week of blue skies, with temps in the low 80s, I was ready to take a day off and putter around the house. But I’m not complaining. It was exactly the vacation I had envisioned. Plus I got a chance to read an interesting book that floated to the top of my stack just before heading to the Vineyard.
What if I were to tell you that getting feedback is a great way to achieve your goals? You’d probably tell me I’m full of it. Feedback is just something I have to get through so people will leave me alone.
Seriously, feedback can be a great gift. It’s a window into what you don’t know about yourself that’s impossible to learn any other way.
I promise only two more posts on the topic of feedback, at least for now.
But I won’t apologize. This is important.
Feedback can give you more of what you want: teamwork, collaboration and high performance. It can also give you less of what you don’t want: slacking, toxic relationships and unmet expectations.
Last week, I wrote about feedback as if it were the interpersonal equivalent of a land mine. If that’s the case, why bother giving feedback at all?
In spite of how challenging it can be, offering constructive feedback plays a valuable role in enhancing teamwork and collaboration, whether it’s at home, at work, or with your friends. Here are some reasons why:
Have you ever offered unsolicited feedback and had it blow up in your face?
Or spent hours preparing what you wanted to say then had it land badly even though you sugarcoated it?
Or tried time and again to get your point across about how someone’s behavior negatively affected you…only to end up in yet another “groundhog day” argument?
For the first time ever, Leader as Coach Mastery Program is being offered to the general public--after 10 years of being delivered to DoD and more recently, Airbus Americas. Please consider coming and share the flyer with your organization.
This program has changed people's lives--professionally and personally. Space is limited, so register now! Contact me directly or download this flyer.
Facilitation team: Richard Karash and Deborah Reidy and Cynthia Way.
Here’s a scenario that you may identify with. You’re sitting across the table from someone whose support you need to move ahead with an important project. Ten minutes into the conversation, you’re blindsided by that person’s objections.
Maybe it’s a budget proposal to your board treasurer. Or an important sales presentation. Or a conversation with your partner about moving to a new community. Whatever the specifics, the stakes are high and you’re under pressure.
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.
The unfolding FIFA scandal raises questions explored in many of my leadership programs:
These are universal questions transcending the FIFA scandal, which I hope becomes a cautionary tale for leaders in many industries.
I’ve recently gotten home from a California vacation. We spent three days at The Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang. We’ve always loved to ride on vacation.
This time we decided to try the whole ranch experience (more like a four star ranch with spa, golf, tennis courts and jackets for dinner, but still a 10,000 acre working cattle ranch.)
An “Intimate” Dinner for Two
I’m sitting next to Jim at our favorite neighborhood restaurant. We’re having a quiet dinner, just the two of us after a rough day. I’m looking forward to sharing my news and hearing what he has on his mind.
Just as I open my mouth to talk, that really annoying “ding” signals that he has an incoming call.
Anybody who follows my blog knows I’m interested in how introverts can hone their leadership style. If connection is the “special sauce” of leadership, then it’s essential to do so in a way that’s authentic to you. Short of a total personality change, what can reserved people do to amp up the connection?
