I surveyed ten of my colleagues from different high-tech companies about the state of employee rewards programs at their company. One colleague told me about the outstanding reward programs where he works. The other nine colleagues told me something much different. Their feedback is easily summarized as follows: "Our reward programs are … [Read more...]
The Wise Use of Extreme Introverts
The social awkwardness of an extreme introvert -- a loner-- confounds most extroverts. Extroverts prefer using social interaction as a big part of the problem solving process while a loner prefers solving problems without social interaction. Can a loner be a contributing member on a collaborative team? Yes. But I need to qualify my … [Read more...]
Dealing with Method Zealots
Has a member of your team become completely concerned about how something is done rather than whether it is done? Is it a problem when someone is completely focused is on how something is done? What do you do about it? A good starting point for exploring these questions is a quote from John Gardner's book Self-Renewal: ...goals are achieved … [Read more...]
What Type of Team Are You Managing?
Is your team more like a basketball or a track team? What's the difference between these types of teams? Why is the difference important? I have been a member of many basketball and track teams. Being a successful member of a track team is different than being a member of a successful basketball team. Basketball is a team sport. At its … [Read more...]
Selling Your Ideas to Management
Workshop Do you wish you could break through and communicate better with management? You aren't alone. Employees do their best to share their ideas with busy managers. But they rarely receive feedback about the interaction. In this workshop, we will simulate interactions with management and provide feedback about the interaction. Behind … [Read more...]