Category Archives: Teamwork
Raise or Praise?
I was reflecting back on some pre-training interviews with different organizations in the past two weeks. One theme was common – lack of positive feedback. Of all the leadership tools at the manager’s disposal, positive feedback is one of …
Equal Opposite Reaction
One confusing aspect of leadership is that even with the best of intentions, you might end up creating the exact opposite reaction. I have experienced this many times as a husband-in-training. We’ll examine the most common leadership missteps you …
People or Objects?
I had some exciting news last week. The book I co-authored with my father Irwin reached number 8 on the Globe and Mail Business Books Bestseller List. The book is Employees Not Doing What You Expect and has now been …
Destination or Journey?
It was school break week in our area last week. We took a day trip to nearby Niagara Falls. My wife Robin made an interesting observation as we drove. She pointed out that my son Ryan is “destination focused” while …
Engage to Change: Leading change requires focus in three areas
Why is it that many change initiatives are more stressful, time consuming and ineffective than they should be? Successful change requires the leader to engage the Head, the Heart and the Feet of employees in order to achieve lasting, …
Limitations of the Golden Rule
Why aren’t other people be as dedicated and motivated as you are to work hard and get great results? And, if you practice the Golden Rule (Treat others as you would like to be treated), why does that only …
Dealing with abrasive personalities
Lately I’ve had the pleasure of coaching a number of managers who are aggressive or abrasive. That’s right I said pleasure! How can it be that these challenging individuals can be great to work with? In this week’s LeaderFeeder …
What Employees Wish Santa Would Bring Them For Christmas
Dear Santa, I have been a good employee all year and wish that you could help my manager bring me the following gifts this season. They would help me become happier and more productive next year. Give me the gift …
Don’t Blame the Customer
I had the pleasure of attending a social event connected to a convention I was attending in Calgary. The organizers had planned an entertainment-packed evening at a “cowboy ranch” with gun slinging cowboys, a comedian, a live auction, and for …
Multi-location operations – why performance and profitability varies from store to store
I probably shouldn’t have been thinking about business when I was supposed to be enjoying a meal out with my wife and daughter. We headed down to the closest location of a national italian restaurant chain. Based on previous experiences, …
