We Don’t Have to Pick a Fight…

Strangely enough, my emphasis on addressing specific behaviors that are in direct conflict with expected performance standards often seem to be interpreted as insistence on throwing the proverbial baby out with that bathwater… Many supervisors, managers, or even casual readers of some of...

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Do Unto Others…

Remember that quote I shared from the Snoopy meme, “I’m only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand,” as we started looking at how important communication is for anyone in a leadership role? While I have seen or heard more than a few folks in supervisory or...

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It’s Not What You Say…

The one responsibility we can’t duck if we want to lead is communication! But that’s never as simple as just saying the right words!

So picture the movie Rush Hour, where Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker first meet and Tucker asks Chan “Do you understand the words that are coming...

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What If I Don’t Accept That Responsibility?

I can hear it now… Somebody read the last post and is pushing back! “Wes, I don’t agree with you… I can’t control how anyone responds to what I tell them, that’s on them. And I certainly can’t help it if they can’t understand the simple words that...

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The Old Fashioned Way…

Think back to the scenario I shared as we started digging into the biggest challenges we’re facing in the workplace today where my friend told his students they’d better have a really good excuse for not performing well in his class… He wasn’t just being harsh, he showed...

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The Court of Public Opinion

I maintain that I’ve never seen anyone truly value something they didn’t earn… I can’t think of classmates through high school who had some of the fanciest clothing, cars, or whatever but treated those things with very little respect. I remember watching numerous folks...

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There’s No Prize for Just Showing Up!

Having looked at some of the biggest challenges we’re facing in the workplace today, as well as some of the issues that come from handing out trophies to folks who aren’t even participating, let’s change gears and look at some things we do intentionally as leaders to avoid most...

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Cancel This!!!

When we’re willing to be actively engaged in that arena we looked at last time, taking action to make a difference for the team we’re a part of and for the people we care about, we won’t likely have a lot of time left over to worry about pointing fingers or placing blame. To...

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Don't Blame Me!

I’ll circle the wagons once more with that question my friend asked me recently; What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in the workplace today? As much as I’d like to, we can’t blame it all on the attorneys. I don’t even think the participation trophies I...

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At Least Participation Trophies Require Participation…

Since we’ve developed a foundation for some of the biggest challenges we’re facing in the workplace today, let’s move our focus so, just maybe, we can stop treating the symptoms and start addressing what’s actually causing those challenges! And even if we can’t...

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Square Pegs and Round Holes…

A lot of lawyers and only a few plumbers… Again, just a symptom of what I believe is a far bigger issue!

Somewhere between 1992 & 1994, as I had entered the workforce and was beginning to consider what my next steps would be after high school, my dad lined up some time for me to talk...

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Walk Softly, and Don’t Upset Anyone!

With that story about how my friend provided his student a priceless life lesson fresh in your mind, let’s circle back to what I believe is one of the biggest challenges in the workplace today: too many lawyers! If you’re an NCIS fan, think Rule #13… “Never involve...

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