Succession Planning and Emotional & Relational Integrity
People have strong feelings about anything that threatens their survival or capacity to thrive. Even if denied, those feelings exist…and emerge later in some behavioral fashion. Leadership transitions affect several factors related to survival and thrival. (Okay, thrival is not a word but it helps make the point.) Let’s take a brief look at some […]
Intentional Narrative During Leadership Transition
A story is a gap-filler. A leadership transition (succession) is nothing more than a dynamic set of gaps. Until a gap can be strategically filled with either a concrete action step or a tangible person, your most effective means of filling it is with an intentional narrative…a purposeful story, well told. Even decisions within the […]
Insights on Workflow Management
“It’s a new year!” Does that statement provide you with hope or anxiety? Your answer may depend on how you think you will manage what you anticipate for the coming year; or how you managed things last year. Whichever it is, it likely has something to do with what can be called Workflow Management. Work. […]
Hidden Obstacles to Achieving a Vision
It’s important for you to see your business thrive. In the beginning, you envisioned a brand of which you could be proud. As time went on, you also encountered reality. It is crucial to identify subtle, hidden obstacles that can put a hard stop to your progress. Often, hidden obstacles erode momentum because they appear […]
Get Your Ship Back on Course
Nothing is more terrifying than being lost at sea. The good news is that you’ve weathered the storm and your ship is still upright. The bad news is that you and your crew have emerged from the cabin down below only to find yourselves blown entirely off course. How do you find your way when […]
“Why can’t I fix this?”
After my initial launch of TurningWest, I sat down, downloaded the IRS Form 1120S tax return, and started to work on it. I got about 85% of the way to completion when I gave up. I was completely defeated. I called a local accountant and took the forms down to him. I told him what […]
Is Our Culture Dysfunctional?
If you can’t name your organization’s core values your culture is dysfunctional.
Board Dysfunction
Policy Governance A couple of years ago, I had the great pleasure of attending John and Miriam Carver’s seminar on ‘Policy Governance’. I figured it would not be too many more years before Dr. Carver retired and I wanted very much to hear him in person so I booked a ticket and registered for the […]
The Dangers of Leading a Turnaround
Acceptance There is an old Samurai tradition that admonishes warriors that, before battle, they must “accept their own death.” Only in this acceptance can they be fully present for the battle. Accepting the reality that one might die makes that warrior fearless and thus more likely to survive. The same is true for the would-be […]
The Skills of a Turnaround Artist, Part 3
Primary Skills of a Leader Strategist, Cultural Anthropologist, and Healer. I would argue that these are the top three skills needed by a leader faced with the task of turning around a dysfunctional team, division, or organization. Earlier posts delved into the skills of Strategist and Cultural Anthropologist, now let me turn to the skill […]