By Guy Harris In a recent Bud to Boss workshop, a member of the class asked this question: “Are there some situations where you need to be strong rather than kind? I mean, if you’re kind, won’t people think that you’re a pushover?” Great question. It basically asks the question in the title of this post: can you be both strong and kind? I think the two concepts are not … [Read more...]
How to Get Your Boss to Listen to You
By Guy Harris About half-way through the second day of a two-day workshop, a frustrated new leader blurted out: “All this talk about how to work with my team is great, but that’s not my problem. My problem is that my boss won’t listen to me. How do I get my boss to listen to me?” After sitting quietly for most of our prior discussions, she could not take anymore … [Read more...]
What to Do About a Team Member Who is Doing Nothing Right
By Guy Harris You have tried everything that you know to do. You have encouraged, corrected, taught, coached, sent to classes, partnered them with a co-worker, and they still do nothing right. What next? The short answer: fire them. The long answer: start (if you have not already started) the process of “managing them out of the organization” or whatever euphemism you … [Read more...]
The Power of Transition Conversations
By Guy Harris Navigating changes in your professional relationships is a big part of successfully transitioning from bud to boss. The change in your role and your responsibilities demands that your relationships change as well. You will experience changes in the type, scope, and sensitivity of relationship issues you face. The relative power dynamic or imbalance between you, … [Read more...]
Managing Expectations to Encourage Satisfaction
By Guy Harris Have you ever noticed that people are sometimes dissatisfied with situations that are not that bad and sometimes satisfied with situations that are not that good? I will use myself as an example. I can think of times when I was sitting comfortably in a restaurant with food in front of me, and I was dissatisfied (even a bit angry) because of minor issue … [Read more...]
The Principles Don’t Change: Get on Their Side of the Table
By Guy Harris Have you ever struggled to persuade another person to change their mind or their behaviors? Based both on my personal experience and in what I have heard in Bud to Boss workshops, my guess is that you have. In fact, I think most of us have recently struggled with this issue, are struggling with it, or will struggle with it in the near future. Trying to … [Read more...]
Four Steps for Selling a Change You Don’t Like
By Guy Harris Have you ever had to sell a change to your team that “came from above” and that you did not like? If you have not yet, that day is coming. It happens for everyone in a front-line leader role. Here is how the process often looks from the front-line leader position: Someone in the organization, a customer, or a vendor has a problem or … [Read more...]
What CAN You Do?
As I work with frontline leaders in our Bud to Boss workshops, I frequently hear this concern after we discuss a coaching approach, change management strategy, or communication technique: “Guy, I hear what you’re saying, and it all sounds great. I just can’t do that with my team.” It is not always verbalized the same way. It is the same basic … [Read more...]
Communication: The Secret to Inspired Leadership
A guest piece by Colonel Carla D. Bass, author of Write to Influence! Think about it – you instinctively know the attributes of a good leader: courage to make bold decisions, taking care of your people, empathy, gratitude, communication, etc. Well, I disagree with the aforementioned list. Why? It places communication on par with the other traits – … [Read more...]
Is Your Organization Resilient Enough to Survive The Next Disruption?
Eventually, a major crisis will impact your company. It’s not a matter of “if” but of “when.” And while COVID-19 is the most obvious disruptor, it’s certainly not the last. We all face a new era of uncertainty, volatility, and disruption. Organizations are rocked by technological shake-ups, shifting consumer habits, and political and social unrest, not to mention internal … [Read more...]