Ideas have extraordinary power. They're the basis of the opinions, principles, and convictions that drive us. They underpin the plans we make and actions we take. The more universal the idea, the more promise it evokes, and the more compelling the spokesperson, the more likely we are to adopt it. You don't have to be a big shot to have valuable ideas. You just need a following of colleagues who think your ideas have merit,...

No one wants to look inept, but sometimes we are. It sticks out like a sore thumb when we: ■Lack experience and skills■Don’t know how the game is played■Align with the wrong people■Say the wrong things inadvertently■Suggest ideas that can’t work Sure, we can try to hide or finesse our naiveté, but in time, word gets around. The good guys and the bad If we’re lucky, we work with a boss and colle...

It lifts us up when we do "good" for others: Help our neighbor, donate money to charity, volunteer at an event, or serve on a non-profit board. Non-profit board positions are platforms from which we can lead, engage support, and help more people. Some people "collect" board appointments to look important and influential. Others can't get beyond operational details to focus on the long-term. Many are so uncomfortable with ri...

Less is more. There's a lot to sort out. Job loss is upending. We generally don't see things clearly, may act in haste, and are likely to say the wrong things. We lose our jobs for different reasons:-Poor performance-Breaking the rules-Reorganization-Downsizings and mergers When our number comes up, the boom comes down in different ways: We may be: -Fired for cause-Asked to resign-Displaced with outplacement-Offered retirem...

Job interviews are the beginning. It’s the moment when we begin our relationship with a future boss. We tend to look at the hiring process like a game show. We’re picked as contestants, and if we answer the questions correctly, we win the prize. The game show winner takes his/her winnings and goes home. When you get the job, however, you’re expected to report to work every day, take direction, complete assignments, and work...

Ever feel like your hands are tied? That your best efforts are getting you nowhere?If so, it’s time to look closely at what’s going on around you. Whether you’re a supervisor, a team leader, or a coworker, you need the cooperation of others to get your work done. There’s always information, a decision, a deliverable, or a resource needed to bring an assignment to closure. The employee who controls any one of them has the po...

obs are precious these days. Most careers are made up of jobs we¡¯ve loved and others that felt like a long trek across the desert with an empty canteen. It¡¯s tempting to grouse when we see our jobs as: ¡öBoring and repetitive¡öUncreative and confining¡öUnchallenging and limiting If we¡¯re not complaining that the work isn¡¯t exciting enough, we¡¯re dissing on the boss who isn¡¯t doing something about it. It¡¯s our work. I...

Companies are credentials. Who we work for says a lot about us. Just ask any resume screener or hiring manager. This reality adds to the job search and career building pressures that are already intense enough. No one ever said this career success thing was going to be easy. What’s in a name? Here’s how it happens: Organizations have their own identities. They are defined by the mission, decisions, and performance of the le...

Time is a resource we control. If we don¡¯t, we get stressed like when: ¡öWe¡¯re up against a deadline¡öWork volume is overtaking us¡öWe need help¡öPriorities conflict We¡¯re not much fun to be around when we¡¯re on edge. Time stress affects the way we relate to our peers and employees. It makes decision-making more difficult and less reliable. It takes its toll. Avoiding the time drain trap People are often the culprit, es...

Go to training. Learn how to manage people. Go back to your work group and deliver all those promised results. Sweet!Ugh…then reality turns sweet into sour. Live situations don’t match the training role plays or the workbook exercises. Our success as managers is a function of our ability to select and apply the best practices we need to solve the performance issues staring at us. Here’s a test case for you the puzzle throug...