Powering Employee Engagement
The ability to envision your company’s future is important to formulating business strategy. Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end
engagement
Tag: engagement
You'll Never Get Commitment Using Logic
In response to one of my recent emails concerning commitment, several clients asked, “So what are the leadership steps to getting commitment?” Here’s one of
Consensus Is Not Commitment
Getting consensus is good — but commitment is essential. I have seen leaders who spend all their time getting their team to reach consensus, but
The Wisdom of Giving Thanks
This is Thanksgiving week in the United States. It’s a time to give thanks to your coworkers, your employees, your customers, and vendors. And especially
On performance, motivation and engagement
People improve their own performance. It’s an individual accountability. Leaders can provide the ways and the means for people to do that, but leaders cannot
The Final Mile in Strategy Implementation
In the cable industry, the final mile is connecting the cable system to customers’ homes. It is the most costly part of the entire system,
Having Your Head in the Game
With three minutes to go in the game, and his team leading by 30 points, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is studying and discussing game
If You Want More Employee Engagement
If you want more employee engagement, here are key points: It is relatively easy to get acceptable performance through fear or incentives. But you won’t
Why Employee Engagement Fads Don't Work–And What Does Work
Here’s what we know from decades of research: You cannot motivate anyone; they must motivate themselves. Extrinsic motivation (commands and incentives) is weak and fickle;
How to Ensure the Success of Your Strategy
Whether you are politically for or against Obamacare, there can be no dispute about the implementation failure surrounding the $400 million website portal that was
Can't do/Can do
The world is full of people who will tell you that you cannot do something. It’s a trait of bureaucracy. But can also be a
The Coming Flood of Employee Turnover
We are likely to see a lot of job changing when the economy finally recovers. All the signs are there including a high percentage of
What is Strategy Implementation: A Quick Overview
Most strategies fail to achieve their objectives. The problem is rarely the strategy and usually a weak implementation. Successful implementation requires far more than an
Decision Paralysis
During détente back in the days of Gorbachev, a group of Russian diplomats was taken to an American supermarket. Contrary to the expectations of the
Preparing to launch
Boatyards are busy places in the Spring. Every year I see people all having the same goal, to launch their boats, but with different styles:
The Perfect Program to Turn-Off Employees
Most performance appraisal programs are perfectly designed to de-motivate managers and subordinates alike. Managers detest them and employees dread them. If you don’t believe me,
Poison in the Well
During a college summer I worked for a manufacturing company as a machine operator. It was boring work. During the first night, I figured out a
Strategy and communication problems
Many leaders are simply not good at communicating their business strategy to the people who will execute it. That can be fixed with good coaching.
Fuzzy vision problem
Early in my consulting career, I worked extensively with Wilson Sporting Goods. One day I interviewed an elderly gentleman who was the wood head designer.
Why you don't want happy employees
A happy worker is not necessarily a productive worker. Here’s why.
Trust – What executives can learn from A-Rod
A-Rod’s biggest mistake may have been trusting that the study was confidential and anonymous. What is the lesson for employers seeking “confidential” employee input?
Merit Pay Satisfies No One – and Upsets Many
Merit increases does not improve individual or organizational performance.