How to Keep Your Team Focused and Productive in Challenging Times
With the possibility of a recession looming over us, global warming threatening the future of our planet, and mass shootings horrifying us way too often, who isn’t more than just a little distracted these days? Leaders have always had to lead amid some level of uncertainty, but the stakes for today’s issues are higher and […]
Encourage Your Team to Have a “Good Fight”
In a 1995 interview, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was discussing the importance of teamwork and shared the following anecdote to make his point: “When I was a young kid there was a widowed man that lived up the street. He was in his eighties. He was a little scary looking. And I got to know […]
From Campaigning To Governing: Advice For Newly Elected Officials
“It’s easier to run for office than to run the office.” Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill Congratulations, you ran for public office and won! Campaigning and getting elected is a great achievement and you should be proud of your new status. The people have spoken and they’re confident you are the best person to tackle […]
Lessons from the SNL Writers Room: How to Build an Effective Team
I recently saw a hilarious video clip from the third season of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Producer Lorne Michaels asks the Beatles (all still living at the time) to reunite and perform on the show… …for $3,200, a laughably small sum, even in 1977 dollars. It made me wonder how SNL and Michaels did it. […]
Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Power of Surveys
How Stakeholder Input Can Keep You and Your Team on Track If it hadn’t been for accurate data, I wouldn’t have realized I was barking up the wrong tree. Most people are motivated to run for political office because they want to make a positive difference. I was no exception. So when I was approached […]
Overcoming Cultural Conflict
During my years in the commercial flooring business, my company acquired one of our competitors with a very different culture than ours. My organization was predominately women and we marketed to the architectural and design community; the company we acquired was a typical construction firm…all male. There was such a huge difference in cultures […]
Team Building is a Process, Not an Event
Recently I was invited to meet with an elected Board because, as one member said, they “needed a little team-building.” After some preliminary discussions, I arrived at City Hall ready for the first session, which was scheduled for two hours. I expected this would be a multi-session team-building process. My contact greeted me and said, in an […]
How Municipal Government Can Save Money With Energy Benchmarking
Local Governments & Energy Efficiency How can you save money, invest more resources in your community, fight climate change, and offset rising energy prices? Sounds like a trick question, but it’s not! Energy efficiency is the answer to achieving all those goals. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, government agencies spend more than […]
2018 Leadership Tips
Five Key Issues That Can Make or Break Your Plans “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~Charles Darwin For those of us in the change management business, 2017 provided us many opportunities and challenges. As we look forward into 2018, here […]
Supercharge Your Team!
Why Your Board, Team, or Business Needs a Vision Statement and Action Plan Nothing is going to be handed to you — you have to make things happen.” ~Florence […]