Category: Addressing Problems and Navigating Conflict

Dealing with performance issues steps

Dealing with Performance Problems

Punishment and avoidance rarely work. Approach performance issues with curiosity and empathy and you may find the discussion and solution are less difficult than you anticipated: When discussing and resolving performance issues: 🟠Prepare – prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally 🟠Present – present the situation as you see it 🟠Discover – understand what is going…
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I will never forget the first time I terminated someone’s employment

What a dreadful situation. So many years of education. And yet I had never learned how to let somebody go. It was stressful for both of us, and I wasn’t sure what to say. I fumbled through the conversation I wasn’t sure how to tactfully explain to someone that they had performed their job so…
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Iceberg Model Events Patterns systemic Structures and Mental Models

How Do You Feel About Systems Thinking?

It’s been deemed one of the key management competencies of the 21st century. It’s an area of great potential for organizations. But I’ve observed that the term “systems thinking” creates stress. It falls outside of people’s comfort zone. It’s perceived as technical and complicated. And while there’s a lot about system thinking that can be…
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Say no to pizza parties to solve workplace problems

Pizza is Not A Solution

Almost every caring, intelligent leader I’ve met has at some point attempted to solve a morale, motivation, or engagement problem with a pizza party. In our linear-thinking world, when faced with a problem, we often respond immediately with “we need more ____.”  We need more people We need more time We need more money We…
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Thoughts Feelings Behaviour and Results are all connected

Thinking it Through

Our thoughts, feelings, behaviour, and results are all connected. Every result we get comes from the “story we tell ourselves,” which means we can often change our outcomes by changing our thinking. Here’s an example: Issue: The Purchasing Manager is not doing their job well.  They’ve missed deadlines and made errors.  They take long lunch…
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