If You Want to Motivate Someone, Shut Up
Raise your hand if you say, “I know you can do it,” to motivate. Recent research suggests that feeling like you can’t motivates more than feeling like you can. Verbal encouragement may not… Continue reading
Tag Archive: Management
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The Reason Empowerment is Smoke and Mirrors
Power to decide is an either/or proposition. Two groups don’t have power to make the same decision, at the same time, in the same way. Empowerment is smoke and mirrors until management loses power.… Continue reading
Why, “Do More with Less,” is Stupid
“Do more with less,” demotivates employees. It’s code for work harder. If they’re already working hard, they think, “The more I give the more they want. I’m giving less.” “Do more with less,”… Continue reading
Overcoming the 7 Deadly Results of Meddling
Passion for excellence, demand to meet numbers, slow progress, and fierce competition drive managers to step in and “help.” Never help without asking, it’s meddling. Ask first; ask often. Don’t reserve, “How can… Continue reading
10 Ways to Navigate Turbulence
Catastrophe is one decision away during turbulence. Reacting makes you look like a fool, eventually. Wise leaders respond to turbulence; fools react. Reactions are passionate but uninformed. How many times have decisions outrun… Continue reading
The Five Powers of Leadership Rituals
Innovative leaders wrongly resist patterns. They fear repetition constricts and bores. “Don’t fence me in.” However, rituals set leaders free. Think of rituals as tiny behaviors that yield disproportionate benefits. One of mine… Continue reading