It was billed as a clash of titans – the greatest of all time against the young upstart. Analysts spent the run up exploring match ups and prognosticating. The forecast: Chiefs should win (more about that here and here). There were good reasons to believe that this could happen, most pointedly perhaps the week 12 drubbing […]
Three different coaching calls with three different firms to address the gridlock on their cross-functional teams. Although each of their circumstances are unique, all three teams are wrestling with the same root cause and a hidden pattern that might be affecting your team as well. Teams are exhausted coming into 2021. For leaders who are […]
In my calls with clients, I’m hearing that 2021 is starting in an edgier, more conflictive space. Leaders are sharing with me that they are noticing more push back and challenge from their subordinates, peers and bosses. Some of this is simply a very human response to the anxiety of living with the pandemic. It’s […]
I have several clients in larger, matrixed firms that are in the midst of restructuring. Many firms were already poised for a shift and then the mother of all triggers hit. The clients I’m working with are successful, larger private and publicly-traded companies, all of which found success both before and during the COVID crisis. […]
Many insights only become clear on reflection. Reflection needs space to happen, which can only be provided via time (looking into history), distance (looking at Mount Rushmore from miles away), or altitude (the photo above). As a private pilot, I receive the privilege of scanning the countryside as I move across the country, constantly on […]
I’ve had a series of calls with key leaders in the last few weeks as they prepare for 2021. The consensus is it’s setting up to be a hybrid year: we’ll still be in COVID limbo, with client firms that are full digital in remote work, manufacturers that have live operations and remote R&D, and […]
In many ways, the phone call stunned me. But I suppose I should have seen it coming – after all, it’s 2020. I was talking to a client and she was relaying to me a profound outcome of their annual succession planning review. Like many firms, they had a “pipeline” that identified those with potential, […]
It’s one of the most interesting moments in our working sessions with Ops and Creative leaders. By looking at their history, we tee up the concept that the creation of new value is the result of combining fresh thinking from both inside and outside the firm. We then show the group how to harvest rich […]
It’s going to be a long day. I’m sitting in a room with my HR support lead. We have a list in front of us. It’s been vetted, approved by legal, and kept confidential by HR. By the end of the day, more than two dozen people will be looking for new work. The hardest […]
You’re up early, hit the Peleton, and then grab a coffee and flip open your email. There it is right on top of the stack: another note from sales requesting a pricing variance. This is the third one this month…what started as a one-time ask is rapidly becoming a jailbreak. You’ve got an active, multi-year […]
