Managing Talent
As a senior executive coach, I work with high-performing executives at a variety of companies across many different industries. Admittedly, most are large companies with a few exceptions. One of the most rewarding things about this job is the ability to see patterns and help clients see around “corners” so…
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Are you running a company and wondering what expectations you can have for your team? Do you sometimes scratch your head and wonder if they really “get” it? Or do you ever feel like you’re playing whack-a-mole trying to resolve issues that should never get to the CEO in the…
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Are you struggling to retain employees? There is no question that the market for talent is tough. If you’ve been trying to recruit great people, you know that it’s not showing any sign of letting up. But as we level off from the pandemic chaos, we have reached an inflection…
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Want to make a relevant DEI Statement? Are you tired of struggling with what to say about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues? Do you care about the environment, social justice, and the good of the world, but don’t want to dive headfirst into a political debacle? What do you…
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It is not uncommon for me to hear the question “How can an executive coach really help someone at a senior level?” A good executive coach can help individuals (and organizations) navigate complex situations, demonstrate visible leadership, and advance business outcomes. However, the key to getting the most out of…
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“Organizational Resilience” Takes Top Billing at Davos One of the most exciting things for me as an advisor to the c-suite in large multinationals and mid-size companies is comparing the patterns I see with my clients each year to the themes coming out of the World Economic Forum in Davos,…
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In my 30 years of coaching c-level executives, I am frequently asked how an executive coach can really help someone at a senior level. I get it. Once you have reached this level, you’re expected to know what you’re doing and be pretty good at it. Often, these leaders are…
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I’ve been coaching c-level executives and Presidents of business units and functions at Fortune 500 companies for nearly 30 years, and I still get questions about how an executive coach can really help someone at a senior level. I’d like to provide examples of real-life client situations I’ve worked on…
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Are you taking on a stretch assignment? Responsible for delivering breakthrough results? Are you being asked to deliver a project where the stakes are high and the risk of failure is great? Perhaps it’s a new product, a new business, a turn-around or a merger integration… or maybe it’s just…
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Have you landed the big promotion? Taken on a new role? Changed companies, or just taken over a new area in your company? If you have, chances are, you’ll want to make a great impression on your new team and demonstrate visible leadership to them and to your leadership.…
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You think you’re a pretty good senior leader. Your people seem to like you (at least they say they do). Results and performance reviews are good, and you receive the occasional accolade. Maybe you’ve even had a recent promotion or two and there isn’t a lot of negative feedback. Why…
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Do you have an executive coach? Are you thinking about it? Do you want to be sure you get your money’s worth from the investment? How will you know it will be a valuable use of your time? Coaching has been a part of my practice for nearly 30 years.…
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Do you actively spend time focusing on your network? Do you have relationships in place to get things done at every level? Is the thought of adding networking to your already full plate a bit overwhelming? For many of us, networking is one more pain in the xxx to think…
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Congratulations. You’ve got a seat at the proverbial table! Whether you’ve got a c-level title or not, your seat on the leadership team gives you quite a bit of influence as well as a lot of responsibility to balance. I’ve been coaching and consulting with C-Level leaders for nearly 30…
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It’s a tough competition for roles at the top. In nearly 30 years of coaching and consulting with the c-level and those who want to get there, I’ve seen more than a few interesting tactics for climbing the corporate ladder. Some work. Some make people angry and destroy trust. And…
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Are you integrating into a new executive role? Are you an executive looking to bring in a coach to help you get to the next level? Are you an HR business partner who wants to be absolutely sure their next big hire hits the ground running and is a great…
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Are you planning a leadership team meeting early this year to get everyone aligned? Are you disappointed that it will likely not be in person or that some folks won’t be able to travel to join you? Have you thought about who will be the best virtual facilitator? Or have…
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If you are starting a new executive role or onboarding executives into roles where it is important that they hit the ground running and contribute quickly, there are a few things you should know. Data shows that rigorous executive onboarding programs can reduce time to full productivity by 40% and…
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As the excitement of landing a new executive role sinks in, the pressure begins. How will you come in and demonstrate visible leadership in your first 100 days? How will you make a significant enough contribution early on to validate the company’s choice in hiring you? How will you build…
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Here are 3 ways to build resilience by minimizing power struggles and equipping people to feel safe, heard, and able to give their all.
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Have you had that moment when you have to tell someone they aren’t performing well? When they pride themselves on being good at the very thing you’re about to tell them they aren’t? It’s that moment when you swallow hard, your mouth goes dry, and secretly you pray that they’ll…
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Predictions tell us that 2020 will be the year of disruption. Is your team prepared? If your confidence is a bit shaky, now is the time to get ready.
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Do You Really Need A Competency Model? I’ve had a lot of conversations about competency models and I’ve built a lot of them but frankly, I’m not sure I have seen the value-add. When I asked our clients why they are considering investing the time to build a competency model,…
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Change Starts With Alignment The need to have people on the same page is huge when implementing a major change. This is particularly true when the change involves thinking differently to solve a problem that can’t be solved by doing things better, faster, or cheaper. Enabling leaders to get people…
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When To Rethink Your Organizational Structure “Is it time for a new organizational structure?” This question does not always have an obvious answer. Organizational restructuring, by definition, can be disruptive, even when handled as smoothly as possible, and even with the best of intentions. There is always a risk that…
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Do you have a great team that needs development but lack a budget for training and access to an internal world-class learning team? Perhaps you’ve been limping along sending people to local conferences when you can to try to develop them. But while that may appease your team for a…
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Remember when your organizational structure used to be something we hardly thought about. They were clear. We reported to someone (my boss) and often someone reported to us (my team). But things change. Now we have matrix structures, project teams that pull people into hidden conference rooms (that suck life…
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Traditional Training Doesn’t Produce Adaptive Leadership Skills People are constantly facing business issues they have never seen before, and they are coming at an increasing rate. Too often employees feel like running on a treadmill, going nowhere fast. The harder they run, the more worn out they become and have…
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Imagine you are a manager and you are called to a meeting by your boss to talk about team building. You walk into a room and are introduced to Fred, the ‘team building guy’. Oh, and all your peers, including the marketing guy that you hate and the HR woman…
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Are you struggling to keep your business organized while transitioning to a more digital experience? Is it becoming less obvious who owns what…and why? Are silos in your organization structure getting in the way as the shift to increasing automation accelerates? More and more, organizations are realizing that as they…
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A Human Resources executive walks into a bar with a duck on their head. One of the long-time customers, though a bit intoxicated, recognizes the difference between a hat and a duck and shouts, “… you’ve got a duck on your head. The HR executive calmly replies, “… of course,…
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As 2018 dawns, two questions are being asked by many IBHR leaders and Chief Human Resource Officers: Is this year’s plan for my Human Resources team good enough to deliver strategic value across the organization to truly differentiate our organization from the competition? What is the next key capability that…
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Ever feel like your team is not hearing you? You turn around and either they are squabbling about who gets their share of limited resources, or they are off in their own space ‘working really hard.’ Unfortunately, you just can’t tell how all that work is driving your strategic agenda.…
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New HR Leader or CHRO: 5 Questions to Ask in the 1st 48 hours Earlier this year I took an assignment as the interim Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), affectionately known as the ‘T’. This is the organization that moves people to and through…
Read MoreI’ve had a lot of conversations lately about building competency models. I’ve built a lot of them and frankly, I’m not sure I get the value-add, given some much larger, more concrete priorities, but here’s what I’ve been told when I asked why the company wanted to invest the time…
Read MoreOne of my smaller clients recently asked me if they should consider an automated performance management system. You know the type – for a huge investment, employees can enter their objectives, managers approve them, and then self appraisals and manager performance appraisals are done right in the system. The same…
Read MoreAre your people asking for a career path? Many companies are trying to build career paths because people are crying for them. It’s usually in response to an engagement survey and done with a fair amount of urgency because employees are upset that they don’t have a proverbial career path.…
Read MoreA few years ago, Harvard Professor, Chris Argyris did some interesting research. He met with hundreds of executives preparing for conversations that involved delivering tough messages. He asked what they planned to say and how they would say it. Then he observed and recorded the meetings. In every case, the…
Read MoreAs I talk to clients, there are a couple really prevalent issues that are holding corporations back in today’s economy. These are issues that will require people to think differently to solve them. For years, we’ve tried to do things better, faster and cheaper. And while that is still critical,…
Read MoreWhen I think of what it means to grow and develop talent outside of a formal process, it’s really about improving your ability to drive better performance through others. That starts with understanding each person’s strengths and development needs, how those can be leveraged to meet the goals of the…
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