Intellectualism, elitism, arrogance, anger, domination, detachment…these can be personal strategies or “suits of armor” found in places of business. Because they tend to be worn unconsciously, people are generally not aware that they are wearing this particular “suit” nor that it has been designed specifically for the workplace. As the name implies, suits of armor are created for safety. Their purpose–to keep the person protected. Business environments are usually physically safe for people, but oftentimes considered unsafe for the ego. Our egos are highly industrious and take their mission of keeping us out of harm’s way very seriously. They are also extremely vigilant and on 24 hour watch. Perceived threats of any kind are to be, to use a military term, actively neutralized. So what are some of the threats common to the ego in the workplace? Some of the most powerful have to do with our sense of self. Am I smart and capable enough? Am I smarter and more capable than my colleagues? Or less so? Am I perceived by others as smart and capable? Other perceived ego threats are affected by financial concerns. Is my job and hence, my livelihood, safe? Is the company stable? Do I have a future here? Do I want a future here? Others have to do with people and relationships. Do I trust the people that work for me? Can I trust the people I work with? Is there someone that wants my job? While all of this can sound like the mad ravings of paranoia, the truth is ALL of us experience some amount of ego-based fear. If you are not aware of any type of ego-based fear, your suit of armor may be one of arrogance or detachment. The ego is part of being human and it has a job to do. Our job is to notice it, become familiar with the strategies it employs and get clear on whether or not these strategies are in service to our current experience of life and work. Additionally, companies can become places that render suits of armor unnecessary. Some effective ways to quiet security-seeking egos include: Building trust Actively conveying the company values, purpose, mission and vision Opening lines of communication Welcoming personal nuance and authenticity Inviting collaboration and collegial support Reframing mistakes into the learning opportunity they actually are Fostering a caring culture The survival ego is a useful instrument for keeping us alive, but not the best business tool. Creativity, innovation, constructive communication, teamwork and excellence are the products of a relaxed and secure ego…not one that’s constantly looking over its shoulder. The truth is, suits of armor are heavy and a pain to haul around the office....

  Okay, this is unthinkable, brazenly un-American and oh, so very not twenty-first century of me, but I am dedicating this blog to less. Yes, you read correctly—LESS. While the notion of “less” goes against everything we grew up learning and wanting, I think it’s a concept worth considering. Over the last half of a century, life and work have become really busy. You notice that? So busy, in fact, that people are losing their ability to “not be busy.” The idea of even the briefest moment of quietude, inaction, genuine relaxation or anything else that smacks of stillness is becoming a lost art. For some, even more than that—it is something to be avoided at all cost. An equally distressing realization is that a fair amount of this “busy-ness” is not in true service to much of anything. It’s time filler. It’s the antidote to quiet—to letting the body and mind rest for a moment. In business, the percentage of time dedicated to busy-ness can be startling. Most of us have become so addicted to constant movement and activity, that we avoid taking a moment to consider the value of that which we do or the way in which we do it. Is it serving us? Is it serving the work and intended outcome? Or, is it just filler? To a large degree, various technology and electronic forms of communication have devolved into a time-consuming craving. Email, text, social media and the internet are remarkable tools, but they can stealthily turn into our master—the classic tail wagging the dog. This transition is, for many of us, an imperceptible one. To begin to notice the state of the dog, requires awareness. With awareness, comes the possibility of choice. So, I leave it here. For those interested in exploring how “busy-ness” shows up and choosing to let go of that which does not serve, be aware of a probable side effect…the ease and well-being of a more relaxed body and mind. How about giving yourself the gift of a little peace and quiet? Download 6 Ways to Create A Calming Moment…at...

  One of my greatest frustrations while working for various organizations, was the existence of the Management Mill. You know the Management Mill. It’s based on the concept that if you do your current job really well, you get to move into people management. For example, the remarkable salesperson who is great at working independently and imbuing a “take no prisoners” attitude. Or the extraordinary analyst who can find elegant patterns hidden in numbers and data. Because of their ability to do their current job so well, the theory goes, they will be fine managers of people. Okay, I’m going to state this emphatically—that theory is seriously flawed. It’s the kind of business practice that could benefit from an honest re-examination and refresh. The role of people management in many companies is simply a way station on the road to C Suite. Whether a person is right for the job matters less than the next opportunity down the pike. This is, in my humble opinion, a mistake of echoing and expanding proportion. Don’t get me wrong, aspiring to move into the C Suite is valiant and a fine ambition. My concern is in using the profoundly important role of people management primarily as a stepping-stone or instrument for personal ladder climbing. In many ways, that (not so) covert objective is almost anathema to the role of a good manager. When used primarily for personal gain it diminishes one’s ability to focus in and attend to “other.” It is simply too self-oriented. That type of mindset mostly compromises a person’s effectiveness as a manager of other people. Being a good manager of people requires skill in working co-creatively with others and building relationships. It also requires an “other” orientation—a desire to see other’s succeed and move into excellence. The management role can serve as both a profoundly important asset to the company and its people as well as a forward heading career move. Both are possible simultaneously. The mistake is in allowing the “career step” function to be its primary raison d’être. The success of the people being managed is its primary function. Period. Managing people is part art, part science—part gift, part skill. Not everyone is naturally good at it and only a few are naturally great at it. But, like any skill, it can be learned and honed. Training people to develop the important EQ skills necessary for the work is imperative. In addition, placing people in the role for a minimum of four to five years allows for greater dedication to the work and role effectiveness. People’s performance is hinged in large part to the performance of their managers. Elevate one manager and you elevate everyone they...

  Take a look at this list of words…. satisfying enjoyable interesting gratifying fulfilling enriching fun What if those were the words that best described your experience of being at work? Sound crazy? For some, this may already be happening. They like what they do. They like the people with whom they work. They feel good about being there. For others, the idea of those words being used to describe their job feels almost unfathomable. Like work? Are you kidding? No. I’m definitely not kidding. And yes, it’s possible to work for a company where good stuff happens. Where people receive more than a paycheck and benefits. Where they enjoy supportive relationships, an environment that invites and strengthens integrity. Work that expands their skills: a place where people actually get to grow as human beings. What a concept. If you are leading a company, working for a company or interviewing at a company, I want you to really take this in…over the course of your life, you are going to spend around 110,000 hours at work. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND hours. I’m guessing that this is not an amount of time you want to suffer or sleepwalk through. This is living time you will dedicate to some sort of enterprise or endeavor. If the only thing you are getting out of it is money and benefits, I suggest you may be selling your life short. For those of you who exclaim, “That’s Pollyanna nonsense!,” I get it. We are so conditioned to accept work as a struggle that many of us tend to defend it as such. But, that’s simply a conditioned mindset calling the shots—it’s not our natural affinity. We can shape and create business to be anything we choose it to be. But, choice is the differentiating factor here. Default, legacy and inurement are generally not choices made consciously, but rather the result of unquestioned programming. To bring it into consciousness, simply take a moment and think about it…how do you really want to spend that 110,000 hours of your life? If you could change 3 things in your business right now, what would they be? Join me for a Needs Discovery Conversation to find out how to move forward with these changes in your...

  If you are reading this right now, there is a 100% chance that you are a human being. Incidentally, for you sticklers out there, I do not consider a scanner or any other technological device to actually be “reading” the way we humans do. So, back to a 100%. The reason I bring this up is that for each of you reading this composition, there is a unique and distinct article being read. It’s not the one I wrote. Nor is it the same for any other person reading this very blog. For every reader, every person, this article will be sui generis…unique and singular. I see that as one of the great mysteries of being human. We are a parade of uniqueness. We tend to believe that this world is being perceived in a similar fashion, in a similar way. By similar, I mean, like we see it. But, not so. For every person there is nuance and novelty in both perception and reality. It’s an exclusive lens, this lens of ours, through which we each perceive life and the world. And, much of our complexity as a species is tied to this uniqueness. Now, here’s the paradox. In the midst of all this complexity, there is also simplicity and constancy. While we humans may be complex in our perceptions and expression, our “human” needs are fairly consistent and simple in their nature. We all share basic physiological and safety needs, as well as needs for belonging and esteem—feeling competent, heard, valued; and, beyond that, a need for meaning. Regardless of culture, ethnicity, gender or age, these needs are part of our human DNA, as detectable in New Guinea, as they are in North Hollywood. This is important for business leaders to get. Companies are a product of their people…including their leaders. People are the stuff of business. It matters that a leader recognizes both the complexity and the simplicity inherent in both themselves and their people. The “simple” needs, or the one’s we all share, can be addressed foundationally—those of environment, security, behavior and culture. The complex or more singular aspects can be supported through helping people become more aware of their unique operating style and potential. In essence, standing in support of the personal responsibility required to move into potential. Complexity and simplicity. That’s the truth of us. By creating workplaces that pay attention to both, you are unlocking the door to some uniquely remarkable potential—the human kind. How strong is the foundation your business operates on? Is it strong enough to support people moving into their potential? Learn how to name it and claim it with...