Change - An Opportunity to Reflect and Rebuild

A few weeks ago I was on a plane, departing from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. As we became airborne, I could see the Pentagon below, as I had many times before. It's the world's largest office building, with over 6.5 million square feet, dedicated in 1943. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Phoenix Project was charged with rebuilding the structure. Today, the structure has been fully repaired, including a small indoor memorial and chapel located at the point of impact.

Leadership and Mining...

The world watched this week as 33 Chilean miners, trapped for over 2 months, were rescued. can you imagine what it would be like, trapped over 700 metres below ground in absolute darkness? Over the next month or so, we'll see many interviews and perspectives on the tragedy and triumph that took place. How did they cope? How was their mental and physical health? How did they organize themselves? Who offered leadership?

This was an example of just how the human spirit can prevail under extreme circumstances. But as we know, it does not always turn out this well. Likewise in this economy, while many organizations are struggling, others are rallying staff and surviving - if not thriving - just fine. What makes the difference between the sad stories of failure, and the triumphs of celebrated success?

5 Habits Managers must break to be Effective Coaches...

Without question, these are interesting times for organizations. Managers are challenged with the mantra of "doing more with less", and one significant tool for achieving that goal has to be coaching staff for greater productivity. While most of us prioritize to-do items, we rarely "posteriorize" - that is, take the time to reflect on those things we should not be doing. Below is a listing of 5 habits that actually undermine the goal of coaching for superior productivity. Here are 5 habits you need to break if you want to coach your team to success.

Talent is not Enough...

The last couple of years have been like a tsunami for the global economy. Who would have thought ten years ago that GM would be facing bankruptcy, or that IBM would stop making PCs? Without question, today's global economy and rapid pace of change are creating many challenges that organizations must rise to.

There is one thing that hasn't changed much, however:
organizations don't achieve results, people do!

Naturally, it follows from this that the primary challenge of any organization is to identify, hire, engage, develop, and retain talent in a manner that is superior to the competition. If you are not rising to this challenge effectively, then the projected outcome is simple; your organization will not be able to compete effectively for employees - or clients - in the long run.

In the pursuit of talent excellence, one practice that many organizations engage in, which is a real cause for concern, is the tendency to use training or coaching as a cure-all. For some this may be effective, but for others it isn't. The reality is that when a person is the wrong fit for the job, all the training and coaching in the world won't bring them to the same level of performance as a "Right Fit" person.

To put it another way, if a sales position requires Donald Trump for high performance, but you have hired Mother Theresa, there is no amount of training and coaching that can bring about the results you need. Mother Theresa has talent, integrity, and enough valuable attributes to qualify her for sainthood, but she is not the right person for your job. Read on...