Category: Strategy
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The F Word
When I was in high school I remember sitting frozen by the phone thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Would I be rejected? Would she laugh at me? Would she make me feel foolish? Would everyone hear about it and think I was crazy? Was I overstepping my boundaries?…
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Chicken Leader
I used to work for a boss who believed that the best way to find an employee’s capacity was to continue to pile on the work until they said “uncle”. I thought that it was pretty cruel and also not very smart as the overloaded employee was likely to make some mistakes that would need…
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How to Create a Drama-Free Workplace
Most of us love a good drama at the movies, but not so much at work. Office drama can be draining. It’s hard enough to keep the plates spinning without the added pressure of drama. It seems like finding the right mix of folks is like a science experiment. Unfortunately, in a drama filled environment,…
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The Dangers of Meddling
“I can do whatever I want- I’m the boss!” Have you heard this before? This is a true statement for the most part. If you are the boss you can do whatever you want. But is it healthy? Is it the right thing to do? Will it do more harm than good? Meddle: 1. to…
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Steering Through The Storm
Every year I tell myself that the construction business can’t get any harder. But every year it does…. It’s a crazy business. Added code requirements, crazy hoops to jump through to get approvals, complicated designs, unrealistic expectations, volatile material and labor costs and availability are just a few of the issues. Getting a…
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Reaching Down
My grandfather was an avid golfer. He simply loved the game. I remember thinking when I was a young kid just how great it would be if my grandpa invited me to play golf with him. I actually visualized it often, but I knew that it would be a pain for him. I would be…
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Can Your Weakness Be Your Strength?
This past year we engaged a behavioral consultant (Dr. Charles Coker- link to his website HERE) at our office to develop personality profiles to help us understand each other better. This process has been a real eye opener and has resulted in significant self-realization for our team and has helped us to really know each…
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Maybe A Smoke Screen?
John is a real charmer. He is good at getting what he wants. First it was a cookie from Mom. Then an extension on an assignment at school. Then a date with the homecoming queen. A promotion at work. You get the picture. He was attractive and engaging. He found it easy to win people…
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5 Keys to Crisis Management- Send In The Wolf!
When people ask me what I actually do for a living, I sometimes ask them if they remember “The Cleaner” from the movie Pulp Fiction. In the movie, there is a bloody murder that occurs in a car and they call a guy called “The Wolf” (Harvey Keitel) who shows up in a tuxedo and…
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5 Ways That Processes Protect You from Losing!
Years ago, I coached boys and girls middle school basketball. We would run structured offenses and defenses and set plays that we practiced for hours over and over again. Girls, for the most part, ran the offenses with surgical precision. Boys, on the other hand, typically were sloppier. It took time for me to get…
Leading by Serving 