…we frequently fail to take action in an organizational setting because we fear that the actions we take may result in our separation from others, or, in the language of Mr. Porter, because we are afraid of being tabbed as “disloyal” or being ostracized as “non-team players.” – Jerry Harvey in The Abilene Paradox It’s […]
On being a non-team player Read More »
Have you ever been caught in the net of the Principle of the Dangerous Precedent? I bet you have. After you read the definition below of the Principle of the Dangerous Precedent, you’ll laugh as much as I did the first time I read it. When a quote so clearly describes reality, it’s almost as good
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“There is a role for carrots and sticks, but to rely on carrots and sticks alone is effective only when we employ donkeys and we are sure exactly what we want the donkeys to do. ” – John Kay in Obliquity The people you work with are not donkeys. Quit trying to drive them to
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To get the rainbow you’ve got to put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton Driving change does not provide a full forecast of sunny days. You’ll have more sun than our friends who are still driving people, but there will still be rain. See the beauty in the rain and keep driving. You’ll be
To get the rainbow Read More »
Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted … but to weigh and consider.” – Sir Francis Bacon Perhaps this is a silly quote of the week, for how few of us read these days (beyond blogs of course)? In many organizations, if you express a penchant (noun: a strong
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Stay with me, God. The night is dark, The night is cold: my little spark Of courage dies. The night is long; Be with me, God, and make me strong.” – A Solider — His Prayer, st. 1 According to Barlett’s Familiar Quotations, this “poem, found on a scrap of paper in a slit trench
The true journey of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Proust
Ideas are not the hard part. The most valuable people in any organization are the people who lead change.” – Kevin Gerald How are you valuing the people who are leading change in your organization? You don’t have to be the CEO, the Board President or even a supervisor to show someone they have value
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Too many managers want to learn “how” in terms of detailed practices and behaviors and techniques, rather than “why” in terms of philosophy and general guidance for action.” – Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I Sutton in The Knowing Doing Gap, 2000 Managing by a set of hows is like trying to drive using snap shots
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To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you have to make a decision. To be or to do?” – Colonel John Boyd, U.S. Air Force I choose to do. What will you choose? The extended Boyd quote, excerpted from a Secretary Robert Gate’s speech reads,
I choose to do something Read More »
