Our Blog

Every day we interact with others gives us the chance to recognize acts of sincere servitude and a job well done.  But, have you noticed that generally we don’t hear the verbal acknowledgement of thanks often?  Let us illustrate an actual event.  We were at the airport when we heard the public broadcast system inform us that our flight had been cancelled.  In stereo, we hear the other travelers at this gate exclaim, “No way!”  As the frenzied travelers began to rush the gate attendant’s desk, one particular business traveler pushed his way to the front of the crowd demanding immediate attention.  The smallest of the attendants, in physical stature, promptly responded with, “Let me help you sir.”  This gate attendant not only found another carrier for his flight destination; but also, printed a new set of tickets for him to use at the next carrier gate.  He took the new tickets and left without a word of thank you!

Why does this happen?  It is often accepted that ‘thank you’ is not deserved for fulfilling your job description.  Or, it is a common convention that each of us has the same work ethic regardless of culture, educational degrees, or generational profile? 

• Do you crave words of appreciation from others that you cannot express yourself
• How many times in the last year have you chosen not to convey thanks to colleagues for a job well done?  Did you make time to return later and express a sincere thanks?  How did you feel afterwards?

Love to hear your thoughts, comments, and events around this topic.

History has demonstrated that learning judgment is the process of experiencing events, reflection on those experiences for lessons learned; and, predicting what might happen in similar situations in the future.  Because each situation and each time frame is unique, your judgment abilities will become finely tuned over time.  If you are constantly doubting your judgement skills within your organization, ask yourself:

• Are we educated enough to know what it is we don’t know about this product, project, or company initiative?  What other resources do we truly need to make this decision effective in the competitive market space or industry?
• How can we provide for factors that might change because of this decision, lose market share, increased employee turnover, or even a resulting merger?  What risks can we anticipate and reduce our vulnerabilities?

Let’s hear your thoughts or comments about this post or how you developed your judgment skills.

Often when we hear the word ‘betrayal’, our mental association is of martial infidelity.  However, this cruel experience extends into a broader realm, including unfaithful colleagues, trusted superiors; membership communities, even the corporate environment.  Betrayal is a traumatic experience, possibly occuring between individuals, social & political groups, or businesses.  It is a deep violation of the trust elements that we, as human beings, have depended on to build relationships, even entire cultures.  The first response emotion is usually anger followed by lingering grief.  If your belief structures have taken a severe hit by this event, how will you re-evaluate your core values and your judgment techniques of how you place trust with individuals, communities, or companies for the future?  Can you restore trust in the current environment?

Conflict happens when things don’t go our way.  Our sense of who we are or how we see the world has been challenged in some way.  We experience a stress reaction, the rush of adrenaline or nor-epinephrine, which are our energizers & mental focusers.  We can feel angry, scared, or even numb.  Our world becomes very small, focusing on the events that have provoked us.  Trust will an important element to maintain when resolving conflict.  We would be interested to hear how you sustained trust in those events where you needed to help all parties resolve issues.

The leadership of this century is a combination of earnest employee relationships and internal meaningful achievement.  Great leaders have learned how to assimilate and execute many types of leadership, inviting others to trust the mix of types.  A balanced leadership style includes the creation of a positive work culture, constructing opportunities where the team’s expertise is visible internally & externally, maintaining consistent communication between team members and other departments, sustains a certainty in the company’s direction; and, acknowledges the achievements of individual members.

 Which of these styles do you think your direct reports would say you demonstrate?

• Autocratic leadership
• Bureaucratic leadership
• Situational leadership
• Transactional leadership,
• Transformational leadership

 Return later for an update on the definitions of the styles we have listed.