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 […]
Healthy Accountability… What a “Sick” Idea!
It was not a happy place to work. The mission was clear and meaningful. The people were good-hearted and good at what they did (for the most part). The customers were loyal…except for when they were disappointed, again. Something had to change. So, as the new guy in charge of operations, programs, and services, I […]
Scanning for Danger: Building Psychological Safety on a Team
We’ve all been on teams where we don’t feel comfortable speaking up. We keep quiet even when we know we have something helpful or of value to add. Why is that? Self-censorship often happens in teams that lack what is called psychological safety. Psychological safety is what you feel when you sense the group thinks, […]
What is Agency and How Does it Benefit a Team?
Gary Gunderson, a pioneer in the field of faith in public health, explored many theories, research papers, speeches, and presentations about the causes of death. Medical science is continually focused on the causes of death and preventing them. For instance, if obesity is a leading cause of death, we focus on avoiding obesity. The same […]
What’s “Professional Values” Got to Do With It?
The famous words from Tina Turner’s song “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” may resonate in some minds as we recently observed a day of “love”. What love is to relationships, values are to organizations. Leaders and teams often wrestle through difficult decisions and sometimes the outcomes of those decisions are unpopular. The process […]
Why are Values Important to Name and Rank?
Imagine yourself stranded in a remote wilderness setting. You decide where: desert, forest, island, ocean. You decide the season: spring, summer, fall, winter. You have limited resources: food, clothing, beverages, other supplies. Your communication device(s) have 26% battery life. You’ve learned that rescue personnel will not get to you for another 72 hours. Now, due […]
Are Organizational Values Easy to Identify?
What are organizational values? Importance. Priority. Weightiness. Time. Money. _________ (fill in the blank). These are all indicators of value. We place more of the above on those things we value most. If you want to understand what you or your organization values most, consider how much of each chosen indicator is invested in a […]
Is Our Culture Dysfunctional?
If you can’t name your organization’s core values your culture is dysfunctional.
Watch Your Language
Why Language Matters Language is one of the primary tools of culture. Language is not solely a product of our minds; it also acts upon us, shaping our thinking and our behavior. It is therefore one of the primary tools used by leaders to not only direct their teams and subordinates, but also to shape […]
The Value of Surprises
THE HABITS OF LEADERS: THINKING Last week I wrote about the habits of successful leaders and I suggested leaders spend time thinking. Strategy, assessment, reflecting on the organization’s culture, problem-solving, mentoring, learning new skills, are all invariably worthy of time spent in deep thought. I would like to add a less obvious subject to this […]