Power to the People - It's Not A Generational Gap “To Give Anything Less Than Your Best is to Sacrifice the Gift.” – Steve Prefontaine Last month we talked about Millennials in the workplace and debunked a few myths. I also promised to continue the theme and focus on the other workplace generations this month. Since then, I realized that it's less about generational gaps and more about making ALL employees a central focus because most people want the same thing from work: to be … [Read more...]
August 13, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Recently I went to Vegas to speak at an HR Strategy a conference. I was so zero chill about this trip because: Well, it’s Vegas of course, YOLO (You Only Live Once) If I hadn’t accepted the gig it would have led to a major FOMO (Fear of MIssing Out) Okay, okay, some of you probably have no idea what I just said and others of you are probably laughing your ass off because I’m totaling destroying your slang. For a short glossary of terms, scroll to the end of this … [Read more...]
March 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Want to be more influential and a better leader? Get clear on your purpose. Ready to stop quitting your job all day long while "technically" still working there? Same answer: find your purpose. Getting clear on your purpose only takes 10 minutes. Ask yourself some questions: What did you especially love doing when you were a child, before everyone told you what you should or shouldn’t like or do? What have been two of your most challenging life experiences. How have they … [Read more...]
June 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
What would you do if you had 200,000 more dollars to spend this year? I know what I would do. I’d buy that little house we saw in Mexico last week - the one with the rooftop Jacuzzi. And, I’m pretty sure that’s not just the tequila talking. $200,000 is one of those funny amounts. It’s not BIG money; most people couldn’t retire on it. And maybe it’s not a lot when you are talking rooftop Jacuzzi. But, it’s A LOT of money in just about any other circumstance! And … [Read more...]
April 12, 2015 By 1 Comment
What's the before and after shot for your team? Lately I've been working with teams going through tough stuff: conflict, confusion, misunderstanding, things not getting done, you name it. I wish I had before and after shots of the teams I work with – you know, like the ones you see in magazines when someone or something gets a makeover? Since I don't have photos (and wouldn't share them even if I did), here’s my take on what's in and what's out when it comes to helping your team with a … [Read more...]
November 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
10 Brief Minutes in the coffee shop. There is a man with giant mushroom caps spread out on the table in front of him. Moments later, a baby with blond, curly hair reaches out to his Dad who pulls a small toy from his work jacket. The baby grins and grabs for it. I speak briefly to the man with the mushrooms because I’m curious and he seems sane enough. I don’t speak to the baby and yet I have a vivid image of him smiling in my mind. These are ordinary moments, and yet they stay with … [Read more...]
October 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
It rained in Portland recently. I’m sure that comes as no big surprise to those of you who live here or have heard that it rains in Portland all the time. The truth is – it doesn’t rain all the time. In fact, it only rains about 154 days a year (I looked it up). The thing is, when summer starts on the 4th of July, it often doesn’t rain much for a while and this summer was a particularly dry one. So for two months this summer, we all pretended like we were living in California. … [Read more...]
May 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Our new Consulting Director, Paul Spencer, will be publishing several articles on employee engagement. These articles will provide a wealth of insight into the value of employee engagement, what you can do to create and sustain engagement in your team, and the multiplier effect of engagement in a variety of industries. Here's the first one in the series. You can find out more about Paul on our "Our Resume" page, and you can contact him at paul.spencer@positivedisruption.com. It's All About … [Read more...]
May 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
You know the feeling. Your project is teetering on the edge of disaster. A run of setbacks has the team struggling to stay on track, and you've just found out that the equipment you need for the next phase will be six weeks late. What happens now? Your career is defined by how well your team performs. You need a highly engaged team that can succeed no matter what challenges they face. We believe in creating a culture where great performance happens every day. A culture where your … [Read more...]
February 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
What comes to mind when you think about leadership and creativity? Both topics have been on my mind a lot lately as I prepare for an upcoming workshop I am conducting. While leadership and creativity are very common attributes, I used to think of them as having very separate identities – like good steak and polka dot sprinkles, they are both good, they just don't go together. Or do they? Can you be a good leader and not very creative? Probably not. What about very creative and a poor … [Read more...]