Leadership
Do You Undermanage Your Underperformers?
Are You An MbA? What kind of problems keep you awake at night? We’ve asked this question of thousands of leaders who have participated in our workshops. After giving them a minute to make their list, we ask them to put a “P” by the problem if it’s a people problem and a “T” by the problem if it’s a
How Listening Overcomes “Bad Apple” Behavior
A few years ago I tuned into This American Life, the radio show and hugely popular podcast hosted by Ira Glass. Just as I turned it on, I heard Glass conclude a story this way: “If listening is all it takes to overcome bad behavior… If listening is more powerful than meanness, sloth, or depression… It’s like a trick from a
Listening For Truth From Power
A few years ago I read an article about a courageous flight attendant in the UK who noticed ice on the plane’s wings as it began take-off and alerted the pilots at the last moment, potentially saving the lives of everyone aboard. As the article makes clear, what made this act courageous was that the flight attendant spoke “truth to
Developing Strengths BETWEEN People
If there’s one quote that sums up what my life’s work has been about thus far, it’s this one from incomparable Peter Drucker: “Management is about human beings. Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant.”There’s so much in those few words. As leaders, how do we help people
The Risk of Everyday Communication
Ten or so years ago I got a call from a global consulting firm that specializes in risk management. They help clients around the world manage financial risk, cyber security, corporate misconduct, and fraud potential. So why were they calling Ridge? To help manage a risk they observed in their own organization: everyday communication. I had never thought about communication as
The Commitment Ladder (A Short Course in Increasing Employee Engagement)
A mentor of mine, the late Gordy Myers, was a master of helping people navigate the process of change in organizations. A lot of leaders pitch change by looking to some desired outcome in the future. But when people who have a stake in what’s happening are processing change, it’s far more personal and “here and now.” While some are
The Personal, Evidence-Based Case for Appreciating Others
Most of us aren’t great at appreciating others. Were better at seeing what’s wrong than what someone is doing well. That’s not a surprise; throughout our lives our teachers, coaches, bosses – even our loved ones! – are far more likely to point out our mistakes than our successes. Its natural for us to do the same. In informal polls
The Problem With Solutions
Problems get a bad rap at work. They’re so negative! So much so that in some organizations there are no problems, only euphemistic “opportunities.” Another common refrain employees sometimes hear from their leaders is, “don’t bring me a problem without also bringing me a solution.” The intention behind these sentiments is understandable. Problems are easy to call out without taking
12 Ways We Interrupt Others Without Knowing It
Ever feel this way when you’ve been interrupted? If only all interruptions were so obvious. Most of the ways we interrupt others aren’t, especially when it’s us doing the interrupting. I define an interruption as inserting my frame of reference into a conversation before the speaker has finished saying all they want to say. If it’s a low-stakes conversation, casual
What Is Bailing and Bruising Costing Your Organization?
If there’s been a theme to the conversations I’ve had with clients this year, it’s the growing cost they’re experiencing related to this bail-bruise dynamic. For one client, it undermines their inclusion and engagement efforts, effecting their ability to retain and compete for talent. With another, it undermines their innovation efforts. For a third privately-held company, it is complicating an