You’ve heard the meme before, “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers…” right? Sure you have, we all have—it’s repeated more times than you can count. Two things about that: Bullsh-t What about good managers? For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “good manager,” let me explain. These are people who trust your abilities. They inspire you. You …
Lead-footed Leadership
Waaaaaaay back in the 1990s, before Tom Cruise lost his mind, he was in a little flick called Top Gun. Ever heard of it? One of the iconic memes to come out of the movie was when “Mav” and “Goose” would exclaim “I feel the need, the need for speed!” Good times… (Okay Tom, back to Xenu, we’ll carry on without you…) “THE NEED …
The Dream Chaser
I was just as shocked as all of you. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I finally got mad enough to walk out of that comfy-corner-office-HR-Director job… with no notice. Who does that? Mad HR people. That’s who. Eight years doing HR at a car dealership can wear a girl out, to the point of breaking. I totally broke. …
Promises, Promises…
“Medals are rarely awarded during times of peace.” – Price Pritchett You’ve been drafted, HR. Your company is being acquired, and you are needed (even if not asked) to make the transition a success. Time to trice up, mill about smartly, and fulfill your promises. “What promises?” you ask? In times of merger chaos, every leader in the company has a responsibility …
The Essential “Me”
Survival is a powerful instinct. In the back of our minds, we’re always counting the seats available on the lifeboat. It’s a primal reaction you’ll witness whenever an acquisition is announced. The scrambling begins, and it’s downright embarrassing at times… but it’s also distinctly human. Politicking, rumor-mongering, turf wars, alliances—we can mask our emotions pretty well, but it’s our actions …
Beware of You—”Wait and Do” (Part 2 of 4)
The first installment was fairly remarkable if I do say so m’self. This post? Wow, are you in for a treat—I’ve got taglines. One of my favorite concepts from Dr. Pritchett’s Hacking Uncertainty is the directive to “Open Yourself to Uncertainty;” that’s a fairly broad statement to assist you in your goal of becoming more tolerant of ambiguity… but what does it mean? …
Beware of YOU…(#1 of 4)
During times of organizational change, it’s estimated that at least 30% of those impacted can be categorized as “Resistors,” actively opposed to the change initiative; another 50% will be “Undecided.” While I usually spare you the math, my ciphering tells me that leaves 20% of the pie acting as a proponent of change. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of people …
The Middle Ball
My Dad had a bitchin’ office. Realize this is coming from the perspective of a 9-year old who still considered Batman figurines “cool,” but I’m going to say my opinion holds up. He had a computer (this was 1970’s technology, so it was the size of a small car), a speaker phone that looked exactly like the one from Charlie’s Angels, …