I bet you can list the things you like best – and least – about each of your bosses. Bosses are powerful influences for better or worse, after all. I spent some time during a recent flight contemplating how many direct supervisors I had during my nineteen years in the insurance industry. Then I thought…
Wow, it is 2017! The new year always feels so fresh to me. Even though nothing (except the date of course) truly changes between 11:59 p.m. on December 31 and 12:00 a.m. on January 1, it still feels significant – like 365 brand new days holding the promise of new opportunity. Opportunities to show-up, be…
The last couple of weeks of the year are such a crazy-busy time. At work we scramble to get everything done with “skeleton” crews, and there is so much to do outside of work. Preparing for our holiday celebrations, braving the shopping crowds and, ugh, the traffic! As we all move through the last two…
Sometimes we mess-up. It happens. Today I want to emphasize the importance of a terrific save when mistakes occur. I’m calling it a “customer service save” because, at Pelot & Associates, our practice focuses on the workplace. However, these tips transfer beautifully to your personal life as well. One example: Last week I took my…
Ever feel like you are stuck in a frustrating and unproductive communication spiral? One where you, and the other involved, keep saying the same things but nothing is getting resolved? At times like this, you probably feel like you’ve tried everything humanly possible to get the other person to understand you, but it simply isn’t…
Ever feel like you just squandered your time? Why? You chose to spend that time exactly as you did, so why do you feel like you wasted it? I just spent the last twenty minutes staring at the scene pictured above. A few unpleasant thoughts crossed my mind during that twenty minutes… You know, those…
Believe it or not, organization and productivity really do go hand-in-hand. I already know what some of you are thinking: There’s a methodology to my mess!” If I move it off the top of my desk, I’ll forget about it.” Or how about this one – It takes too long to calendar and set reminders….
This is a true story about a bright, ambitious, twenty-three-year-old who started showing up to work every day with a bad attitude. She’d sigh big, heavy sighs of exasperation, and wouldn’t speak to her coworkers – except the ones who would listen to her complain during lunch hour. If she didn’t absolutely have to, this…
Have you ever had a boss you considered to be a great leader? I have, twice. Over the years I’ve spent time considering what made them great, as compared to others who ranged from ‘absolutely horrible, have no business having authority over other people” to solidly “good”. Of course, there are several characteristics that differentiate great…
An executive, whom I greatly admired, once told me “if you aren’t meeting them by June, you will not meet your goals for the entire year.” I took those words to heart and for the next 2 years, with great stress and feelings of inadequacy, I mentally gave up on any goals my organization was…
Your leader’s primary role is to be the strong base for your success support system, right? I mean, the very definition of a leader is to engage and inspire, while achieving organizational goals through the efforts of the team. So,what happens to you and your teammates when you have a disengaged boss? In my experience,…
Did you know the use of proactive mediation in the workplace can effectively decrease the costly effects of lingering conflict, and in turn increase morale, productivity and overall organizational success? Historically, organizations have waited until workplace conflict turns into the worst-case scenario – EEO complaints and litigation – before seeking resolution through professional mediation services….