When work product is not as expected, how do you distinguish between a difference in substance (which you would confront as unacceptable) and a difference in style (which you would permit out of professional respect)?
Tag: leadership
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A Bias Toward Action: What Opportunity Arose Today?
You know how strongly I feel about having a “bias toward action” in effective decision-making.
I found a great series of questions for evaluating unexpected opportunities over on Liz Strauss’ site. She calls it, “The Opportunity Action Test.”
Not an exam at all, these reflective questions help you discern. Before undertaking any time-consuming or budget-busting analysis, spend half an hour running through the list and see whether enough insight emerges for you to make a decision.
At least to go ahead and make your next decision today!
On your side,
– Karl
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Question of the Week
How might others’ effectiveness increase if you chose to pause and chat with team members as you walk through the office?
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New Line Cinema: How Greedy Can You Get? Writers Take Heed!
So the big news today is the lawsuit being filed by the estate of JRR Tolkien against New Line Cinema and its parent company, Time Warner. Of an agreed 7.5% of the gross earnings of the Lord of the Rings triology they are due, the estate has been paid… you guessed it… nothing!
How greedy can you be? Not only have the movies and ancillary products earned over $6 billion, the lost interest/earnings related to the delay alone are worth a mounting fortune.
How greedy can you be? The entertainment industry seems to glory in its shame. I’m sure they’re all patting themselves on the back for being able to postpone payment for as long as they have.
Ironically enough, the writers are on strike for a share of the earnings related to what their works are earning on the internet. The studios may as well go ahead and promise whatever percent they like. The writers will never see it. They’ll never be able to audit or gain access to audits of the studio’s earnings. Who are the fools here? Seriously.
I‘m sure New Line Cinema is preparing an articulate set of words (read excuses) to sooth, reinterpret reality, and extend the entire process.
Whatever the legality, it’s an abuse of power. That’s my take. What’s yours?
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The No Asshole Rule
Robert I. Sutton. Business Plus. New York, NY. 2007.
Why do some people get away with treating others with disdain? Why are they so often in positions of power and authority? What can we do about it?I’m having so much fun with this book, that I haven’t even finished it before telling you about it. This is one I wish I had written myself. It is surprisingly refreshing to have the assholes among us identified openly.
My favorite part is that Sutton calculates the “Total Cost of Assholes.” The difficulty of quantifying the costs of lousy management has long been a loophole for these horrific leaders. When they slash bonuses, the bottom line seems to improve instantly to their “credit.” The loss of morale and the departure of key team members doesn’t show up as directly or as quickly in the accounting reports.
Not merely an attack on the creeps in our ranks, this book is a practical response to those who would have the workplace be different. Make sure you’re not being as asshole yourself, and get new ideas for surviving those who are.
Check it out. Helpful and fun at the same time.
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Question of the Week
How often do you set aside time to evaluate how effectively your office culture is serving your business goals?
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People or Positions?
When you look at someone on your team, do you see a person or their position?Are the unique characteristics of each employee the secret treasures that enhance or the troubling booby-traps that derail the effective performance of any given job description?
Whether you get excited or annoyed when someone doesn’t fill their role as you defined it is an important clue to whether you believe the value comes from who is on the team, or from how you organize the team.
It is not a simple either/or. Both are obviously significant. But in this age of professional empowerment, I’d err on the side of over-valuing my team members and letting their individual make-ups inform my organizational structure rather than the other way around.
What do you think?
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Navigating Leadership Fog
Shivering in the night fog, I find myself at the crossroads of decision and…I can’t bring myself to say the other word. Too many internal messages suggesting only the weak use it… or admit to it.
Is the word, “fear?” Is it, “failure?” Or possibly, “doubt?”
As many leaders do, I could choose to disconnect with myself. Plow ahead. Ignore this noise. Pretend what I want into existence.
Or I could risk challenging the negative slant associated with this leadership unmentionable. I might choose to view it as a source of information. A potential clue to my way forward.
Maybe curiosity is a more effective way through the fog than bluster. Could it be I’m looking for a better question more than a better answer?
How do you navigate the fog?
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Question of the Week
What are two examples of when being flexible has served you well? Let you down? What leadership lessons can be garnered from each?
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Question of the Week
What constructive and acceptable means do your employees have to give you feedback about your leadership effectiveness?