Conservatism isn’t the Problem
I define conservatism as clinging to traditional practices with opposition to change and innovation out of principle. You fight conservatism in an organization through initiating bold action independently and dealing with the consequences, not by insisting others change first. It is the way a person acts that makes him or her conservative, and not necessarily […]
Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Employed
A CEO client of mine has been asking his senior executives to be more “entrepreneurial” in their approach to the business, and he is certainly not the first one to do so.
Ownership is Taken, Never Given
A leader can never give anyone ownership of a business initiative or objective. Ownership is always taken, and to take ownership requires the will to do so. A leader can no more give someone ownership than a leader can give someone will.
No One is Shooting at You
Years ago, I was having coffee with an entrepreneur who, at the time, was bootstrapping a software business. He had been a CIA operative during the Vietnam War, and told me about the time he had spent with a multinational special forces unit in Laos.
Increase Your Attrition
Many companies are struggling to find the qualified people they need, so they resort to retaining the people they have whether qualified or not. They fight to eliminate or at least reduce rates of attrition when it is increased attrition that can do the business the most good. Retention of the best is all that […]
The Fallacy of Pain Points and Problems
Imagine enquiring about membership at a local gym, and a staff member asks, “What health problems do you suffer from, morbid obesity or something else?” How would you feel about that gym, assuming, like most people, you are fit but could stand to lose some weight and build muscle?
How to Improve without Change
I once cured my lifelong phobia of spiders by moving to Australia. When I stepped off the plane in Sydney, my phobia was instantly transformed into a rational fear! I improved my condition without having to change anything about myself. As absurd as that sounds, you would be surprised how often people ask me how […]
[:en]3 Pillars of Change Traction[:ja]変革を牽引する３つの柱[:]
[:en]If you want traction for change among individuals in your organization, it is only when there are clear standards of performance or behavior, accountability to meet them, and support to help people succeed that a change can take hold. In my experience, a deficit in any one of these three will alter the way any […]
[:en]Org Dev? Forget All You Know![:ja]あなたの組織開発の取り組み方は間違っていませんか[:]
[:en]Do you want to strengthen your business’s performance, and grow your business fast? Below are my top five pieces of advice that often run most counter to conventional practices I observe in companies in Japan and elsewhere in the world.
[:en]Authority Isn’t Empowerment[:ja]権限とエンパワーメントとは同義語ではない[:]
[:en]Empowerment is like breathing. We all recognize its need but we’re rarely aware of it until something is wrong. Passivity in business is the most common symptom of lack of empowerment.
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