Forget what Hallmark and others say that January 1st kicks off the new year. I always feel that the new year for me starts the Tuesday after Labor Day. This view started even before I became an Adjunct Professor but obviously it means even more now. It is a time for a fresh start with … Read more
It seems that there is an uptick in the number of employees complaining that their bosses are micromanaging more, or at least trying to be a bit more controlling than they used to be. I used to think that it was this way because leaders’ roles are multi-faceted so trying to minimize mistakes and reduce … Read more
Recently I asked my students in my Team Building and Conflict Resolution class, who are all seniors, what they want future employers to know. Many of them say they are tired of being called “lazy” and that they have a poor work ethic. They gave examples where they finished their work (in some cases faster … Read more
As I have written in several past blog posts, it is important to seek feedback so that you know if you are improving in certain areas of your life, especially professionally. Having said that, I recently saw a quote that said, “What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything … Read more
I have been thinking lately that more and more people are hard of hearing, maybe due to listening to loud music or noise pollution. However, I realized that the real issue is that many people just are not listening. In fairness, educators especially in elementary, middle, and high school focus on what used to be … Read more
I am currently reading Jack: Straight From The Gut which is the autobiography of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric. When he became CEO, Jack had a philosophy that if any of their 40+ businesses were not #1 or #2 in that industry then they must either be “fixed, sold, or closed”. The … Read more
According to the American Psychological Association, around three-quarters of adults (76%) said they have experienced health impacts due to stress in the prior month, including headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%), and/or feeling depressed or sad (33%). There are many reasons that people feel stressed but what should leaders do about this? … Read more
Resilient leaders are the ones who can bounce back after being faced with a difficult challenge. These challenges could occur from a downturn in the economy, a defective product, bad customer experiences, or possibly unsustainable profitability. The key to being resilient is to recognize that the situation is most likely temporary and to recognize the … Read more
Leaders need to be objective but that is a difficult challenge when dealing with all the other demands and deadlines facing them daily. They may also be experiencing stress or even lack of sleep which affects their ability to think, and more importantly act objectively. The important thing for a leader to recognize is how … Read more
The news has covered many stories about CEOs and other members of the senior management team misbehaving in terms of lavish parties, exorbitant salaries, etc. When the economy tanked, other issues of exploiting executive privileges came to light as well. There were also a few executives who seemed to be unaware that bad practices were … Read more