Prague is a beautiful city. I charged out of the hotel moments after dropping my bags and headed…away. I’m pretty good with directions, but after wandering from building to interesting building, eyes pointed upward, I had no real idea which way the hotel was.In Europe, old cities tend to have...
How to Ensure Your Strategy is Strategic
“How do you know if a strategy is getting off track?”This was one of several questions I confronted last week for a journalist writing for a finance magazine. It’s a great question because I see the signs regularly, and boards are often unaware that their strategy is about to prove...
Are You Change Intolerant?
I don’t know why that family is smiling. In about one minute that kid is going to cry when he discovers his water gun is set to shoot into left field. By the time he gets it on target, the game will be over. Been there?My daughter is learning to...
How to Say More than Thank You
True story: At the end of a project I had spent more than year working on, a celebration event was held which I could not attend. Afterwards, I was given a gift: A USB key containing photos of the team having fun at the event…without me. Huh. Now contrast that with...
Have you checked in lately?
I am so sick. My voice has dropped a couple of octaves and congestion has made it hard to sleep. As a consultant it's hard to cancel meetings: It feels like a disservice to my clients. But of course, sometimes it is necessary. Most people send you wishes for a speedy...
Your Change is Off the Rails and You Don’t Know It
The meeting kicks off with a banner shouting the word congratulations in all caps. "We did it! We are live! Can I get a round of applause?" ...scattered clapping... "Wow! Not what I was expecting. It's been a long haul but we made it! We did it together!" ...crickets... Don't let...
Return to work: Destroy or build commitment
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go!At home with snacks and comfy slacks Hi ho, Hi ho!Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work we go!Except not today, we’d rather stay, Hi ho, Hi ho! Many organizations are hungry to get people back to the office with...
Take The Idiosyncratic Road
Last week I recorded my first rap to acknowledge the completion of a major milestone in a transformation project. Set to “Fresh Prince of Belair”, musically it was questionable, yet generated a huge response (mainly laughter) from our team. Exactly what we wanted. We’ve been on a long road to get...
When Resistance is Based on Brain Freeze
Who doesn’t like a cold treat? Shaved ice in Hawaii. Frigid smoothies from the juice shop. But great taste turn to great pain as the dreaded “brain freeze” sets in. Chilly sinuses get overloaded. We pinch the bridge of our nose to chase away the pain, but all we can...
When “work smarter” is a dumb idea
Have you been here? … The boss: “Hey everyone, we’re excited to announce Project Phoenix! It will revolutionize the way we serve our customers. We are aiming to launch in six months, and yes it will be a tough push, but I know we can do it!” The team: “Sounds great! Who...
