Several years ago I struck up a conversation on the C-Train and the individual upon finding out what I did for a living, asked me 'What is the one piece of advice you would give to a new leader?' I replied 'Don’t be a jerk!' And whilst I stick by that piece of advice, I later crylalized my thoughts and created the Vision EXCITE leadership model I have gone on to use this model with clients from a mulitude of different organizations. More recently I discussed the model on Face

All too often the performance review can become a tense affair, with the the reluctant employee and manager dancing round the 'shit' sandwich .... sorry the feedback sandwich, see a previous blog on the exact subject This Is Why The Feedback Sandwich Is A S**t Sandwich. Often in my work I hear from managers who are struggling with how to structure their performance reviews and sometimes are concerned with saying the wrong thing. I cover below 5 phrases you should avoid during

In our workshops I will discuss with participants how, despite planning out what you are going to say beforehand, often when the 'action' starts during a 'difficult' workplace conversation, the other party doesn't react as expected. By using live actors in our worships we give participants the opportunity to think on their feet and develop positive reaction strategies. This is also a theme my co-author Ken Cameron talk about in our recently published book 'I Need To F***ing T

In my corporate workshops I often talk to participants about taking early proactive management action when they first notice an issue arise with a team member. At this early stage there is a choice to make, do I live with the situation or deal with it? This is a theme my co-author Ken Cameron talk about in our recently published book 'I Need To F***ing Talk To You - The Art Of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations' What follows is an extract from our book where we cons

In my corporate workshops I often talk about the limitations of the popular feedback model the 'feedback sandwich'. In this article written by my colleague Ken Cameron, he explains the model's limitations. Over to Ken .... 'We’ve all done it. I know I have, and I can’t be alone in this. So, I’m willing to bet you’ve done it too. You’ve given at least one of your direct reports the feedback sandwich. You’ve started off with something positive to get your employee on board. The

Both in our corporate workshops and our recently published book 'I Need To F***ing Talk To You - The Art Of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations', my co-author Ken Cameron and I discuss the benefit to a leader of separating the person from the behaviour when it comes to managing our employees. What follows is an extract from our book where we consider a useful method to do this .... If we agree that it’s not effective to think of our employees as “fxxxing unmanageable

Both in our corporate workshops and our recently published book 'I Need To F***ing Talk To You - The Art Of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations', my co-author Ken Cameron and I pose the question 'Are people really Unmanageable?' Even the most disagreeable or truculent of our employees or co-workers, are they really 'Unmanageable'? What follows is an extract from our book where we consider this specific point.... Before we proceed any further let’s dispel a myth now;

For many managers the reality of managing a disparate group of people, who are used to working in close proximity but now work remotely, has been a challenge. A fine line to walk between micro managing on the one hand and leaving people to their own (electronic) devices on the other. In this blog we look at three areas that can help managers confidently meeting the challenge ahead in the coming weeks and months. Often managers will think of how they can create a High Performi

The #CMIRace network supports people to create more equal, diverse and inclusive organisations by driving change through professional leadership and management practices. Read their practical guide on workplace inclusion to find out how you can move the dial on race. #BetterManagers The Chartered Management Institute noted 'Delivering Diversity also provides clear, practical steps that leaders can take immediately to make an impact.McKinsey research clearly shows a diversity

Workplace Diversity, Remote Working and COVID 19 are three of the big topics of 2020. Below I have shared three articles focussed on the challenges facing leaders in the Fall of 2020, I hope you find them useful. Workplace Diversity has again been high on the agenda of most organizations this year. Often in response to the call for increased diversity and representation within the organization companies will look to provide Diversity, Equality & Inclusiveness training. This

Hopefully you have had a restful summer and have enjoyed time off with family and friends. Now in mid August we turn our attention to the return to work in a very different socially distanced manner, with co-workers in many places in Alberta wearing masks in offices and workplaces. Below I have shared three articles focussed on the challenges of leading in the return to work, I hope you find them useful. Firstly, you might be reflecting on your own leadership practice like th

Well we've made it into July after 4 months of COVID 19 restrictions and many of us are turning our thoughts to recharging and relaxing with