Problem: Some people know who your are, they might remember your name, but they don’t connect a story or an idea or concept with your name. They don’t know what you are about, your special skill, or unique contribution to the world. Solution: Create your story. It should be so clear that a one sentenceContinue reading “Who Are You?”
Category Archives: Leadership
The Number One Way to Get Unstuck
Problem: You want to create something meaningful. Something that will make a difference. Something that people will find valuable. But you just can’t seem to produce. You can’t seem to find the time, you can’t come up with the right concept, you don’t have the right skills, or a myriad of other reasons. You’re stuckContinue reading “The Number One Way to Get Unstuck”
Be a Design Thinker
Problem: There are too many problems, issues, or things that need fixing in your organization, and not enough people are trying to solve them. Solution: Anything can be improved if you learn how to become a design thinker. Being a design thinker means that you notice the ‘design’ of the bigger picture. If you observe what forces areContinue reading “Be a Design Thinker”
Get a (new) Job.
Problem: You’ve mastered your current position and are pretty much the expert in that particular job function, but you’d like more challenge. You want to get to the next level but there doesn’t seem to be any sign of promotion or juicy project ahead. Solution: Go find another position within the company and start over.Continue reading “Get a (new) Job.”
Show Up
Problem: You don’t know enough people, you’re not connected, you feel like you don’t know what’s going on, and you’re not contributing significantly. Solution: Show up. By that I mean a couple of things. First, it means to actually show up at meetings or events where you can connect with other people and learn what’sContinue reading “Show Up”
Build Influence
Problem: You don’t have much influence at work. You’ve worked at the same company for a long time, have experience with all the in’s and out’s, know how to get around the usual hurdles, and you do good work, but no one is really coming to you for advice. Your boss has no idea howContinue reading “Build Influence”
Schedule an Event
Problem: There’s nothing happening in your organization. No excitement. No momentum. No forward progress. No innovation or remarkable things to talk about. Solution: Schedule an event. Sure, everyone’s busy doing their work. Stuff is getting done and you’re delivering product to customers. But if you don’t have events, it just doesn’t feel like anything isContinue reading “Schedule an Event”
Create a New Organization
Problem: You’d like to collaborate more with other employees, but your corporate organization silos keep you from breaking out of your usual circle of interactions. Solution: Ignore the silos and create a new organization. Organizations consist of two elements: 1) a purpose 2) people committed to accomplishing that purpose. So, in order to create aContinue reading “Create a New Organization”
Inform the Inside
Problem: Sometimes employees within a large company don’t really know what people are saying about them on the outside. Solution: Sure, most people know about the big news headlines on your company, but not everyone knows about all the little conversations and stories that spread. So every once in a while (or on a regularContinue reading “Inform the Inside”
Do the Hard Work of Emotional Labor
Problem: Some manager mandates that everyone under his responsibility must do certain things a certain way. Solution: The reason managers do this is because they can. They have the power and authority to tell anyone reporting to them to do a certain thing. But just because they can, doesn’t mean they should. This is theContinue reading “Do the Hard Work of Emotional Labor”
