Guest Post: Ian Cook

Sep 9, 2011 | Guest Post

We have a special guest on the blog today. Ian Cook, Fulcrum Associates, has written a terrific article that we'd like to share with you. What’s Your Ask/Tell Ratio? By Ian Cook Do you ask your employees as often as you tell them what to do and what you think? In my experience, most managers don’t, not even close. Elsewhere in this blog I have offered four reasons why this is so. But if you have no answer to the above question, I invite you to spend a week or so watching...

Training Successors Without Hurt Feelings

Sep 5, 2011 | Leadership Development

A manager recently approached me with this troubling issue, "My back-up person is incredible. But when she retires, which she's eligible to do at any moment, we'll be in big trouble. My problem is: How do I train someone else to do her job, without taking responsibilities away from her? I don't want to hurt her feelings and make her feel as if I'm trying to push her out the door by training someone else to do her job." That's an excellent question for an all-too-common problem. Here’s how to...

Your Real Competitive Advantage

Mar 9, 2011 | Strategic Planning

“The one thing competitors can't quickly access is the brains of your work force.” Bingo! That's exactly what I've been telling my clients for years. And since the day I read that quote by Susan Meisinger SPHR (former President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management), I've shared it again and again. She nailed it beautifully. I don't care if we're discussing your need to increase sales, reduce waste, improve quality, reduce cycle time or develop a new product line; it all starts...

It’s Time to Sync Your Team

Jan 17, 2011 | Leadership Development

When was the last time you sat your entire team down and simply compared To Do lists? That may sound like a waste of time, but I'd encourage you to make it a priority if you can't remember the last time you did this or you've never done it. Why? if you're not all focusing on the right priorities, you're probably working harder than you need to be. If you're not all in sync with the same information, you may also be working against one another. Years ago I was working with a bank's leadership...

Develop Your Next Generation of Leaders: Share Lessons Learned

Jul 24, 2009 | Leadership Development

We've been working with several clients lately on developing their next generation of leaders. Without fail, every client grouping of senior managers talks of the weak or under-developed personnel management, delegation, strategic thinking, and personal accountability skills in their direct-report managers. The really interesting thing is: Almost all of these senior managers are individuals who themselves had these same weak skills just a few short years ago. Huh. I wonder how they gained...