In my 29 years of working with leaders and managers, I have rarely heard any of them say, “I’m so excited about doing the performance reviews for my team.” They see it as another “elephant” in their schedule. 🐘

Performance reviews ARE important. Some of the benefits include:

While on vacation you stop in a local restaurant for breakfast. You’re adventurous so you didn’t check the Yelp ratings before choosing this one. Seated near the kitchen, you have a birds-eye view of all the action. Cooks are working furiously to keep up with all the orders thrown at them, dropping dishes or utensils from time to time, and occasionally getting yelled at by the wait staff or manager for how long it’s taking to fill an order. The menu is extremely limited because the cooks have only basic ingredients and haven’t been trained to do anything except the quick stuff. Those apples and breakfast bars back at your hotel room are looking better all the time, aren’t they?

Have you thought (or said) any of these statements in the past 30 days?

• I thought we had that problem handled.
• When will I have time to focus on what I need to get done?
• I should have seen this coming.
• All people ever bring me are problems.

If you said yes...

If you live in the US, you'll probably hear the words "Thank You" a little more often this week. As Thanksgiving approaches, we tend to recognize the blessings of family and friends a little more and that causes us to think and act differently toward others.

Hopefully. that same sense of gratitude will permeate thoughts about our jobs and those with whom we work.

You’re watching the train wreck unfold right in front of you. It might be your boss who has so much on their plate, and they are rarely communicating with you or the team. It might be a coworker who is drowning in deadlines or feeling overwhelmed with a new assignment. Having been in this situation yourself, you know the dangers of not taking action, but you struggle with how to have a helpful conversation. 

You could

I must say I'm not proud of this picture of one spot in my vegetable garden. One of the new favorite leafy vegetables for my family is swiss chard and those are the plants with the reddish-purple veins you see in the photo. In my part of the world they grow best in spring and early summer so we need to maximize their growth before the heat (and insects) overpower them.

Merriam Webster defines control as "To exercise directing or restraining influence over." And while I'd like to think I am not a "control freak," I must confess there are times I am THAT type of person. I expend an enormous amount of energy trying to bend and shape every situation to align with my desired result. As you know, that is exhausting, frustrating, and rarely leads to the best outcomes!

The Vernal Equinox occurring in the US and Canada on Sunday March 20 marks the official start of spring. As one who loves to see things grow, this time of year holds tremendous promise as I start my garden, nurture existing plants, and tackle the ever-present weeds that have been growing for some time.

I've written in the past how successful leaders need to be gardeners. With that in mind, what might you do differently in your work if you looked at March 20 as marking a period of renewal and growth for you and your team? Some actions might include:

One of the activities I use in leadership training is an exercise where individuals have to build a structure using simple materials to support a rolling ball. While the activity is in process, I love watching individuals exhibit many of those early signs of leadership, and I think they are the same ones you need to stop and celebrate when you recognize them in yourself or others on your team.

Just a couple of years ago, it seemed that most people were more concerned with keeping their job due to the economic downturn and budget cuts. With an improved economy (in most sectors) and employees sensing greater opportunity for advancement, a more intense level of competition is present in today's workplace.

Too many of today’s workplace teams are struggling because they are moving so quickly to get something done that they aren’t investing time in determining the right work to be accomplished.

Building and maintaining a highly engaged, cohesive team is difficult under the best of conditions. Doing it with four generations in the workplace, a constant need for innovation, and a desire by all employees for greater work/life satisfaction can make it seem impossible!

If you’re looking for a quick way to determine how your time as a leader or manager could be better spent to build a more effective team, ask these seven questions from time to time:

When I think of professional athletes, "humility" isn't often the word that comes to mind. I think of self-absorbed individuals who want two things more than anyone else... to win and to make exorbitant amounts of money. I know that's an unfair perspective. It's just been fueled by my casual reading of sports headlines and what I allow news outlets to feed to me. I'll also remember NBA great Charles Barkley saying, "I'm not a role model."

If you have flown on a commercial airline in the past year, you know how the experience falls somewhere between getting a flu shot and having your teeth cleaned at the dentist. Crowded flights, people bringing absurdly large bags on board, and just the push of loading and unloading the airplane have combined to lessen the enjoyment of traveling by air. The faces of those waiting to board the plane seem to say, "Let's just get this over with."