Like so many people, I loved Game of Thrones. And that’s why ANY big company layoff that’s referred to as a “Marketing Red Wedding” gets my full and undivided attention. The fact that the company is Uber, and the “Red Wedding” description comes from Uber employees about a big layoff that took place there in late July, well, that’s just …
Before You Were Hired, There Was a Labelscar.
Do you ever drive by a mall or old business and see a labelscar? You probably didn’t realize there was an actual term for what you saw. A labelscar is when a sign is taken off from a building, and the dust and fade marks still show in the shape of the old sign. Drive around many cities, and you …
Throwing out the Bad Apples
Everyone’s heard the phrase “a bad apple spoils the bunch,” but in my work experience, this hasn’t been true. In my experience, it isn’t the bad apple that spoils the bunch; it’s the semi-bad apple. That apple that you think is just as good as the rest (or pretty close), until you realize it’s not just as good, and that …
This one time, I had to fire myself.
The time had come. I had been stagnating in my current role. There was no other place for me to go in the organization. I had been filling that professional void with some consulting work on the side. One of my consulting clients decided they wanted me full time, and I had accepted. All that was left to do was …
Good Leaders Give Bad News, Bad Leaders Avoid It at All Costs.
I’m always amazed at how so many leaders can get so far in management without learning one of the basic tenants of management. It’s this: Good leaders have to give bad news. Patty Azzarello learned this back when she became the youngest general manager in Hewlett Packard (HP) at the age of 33, and she reminded me of this basic …
Ease on Down: The Importance of Offboarding Your Employees
Onboarding is an integral part to any new hire’s experience—for both the new hire and the organization. It’s important for the new hire, so as to ease them into the company and their role; and it’s equally important for the team they’re joining, so as to introduce them to the new hire and the new structure of the team with …