Even worse is when those sound-bites are used in an attempt to make statements which embolden a corporate position that doesn’t really even exist to begin with. In today’s post I’ll examine one of the most frequent offenders; “ Talent is our biggest asset.&# They often talk the talk, but rarely do they walk the walk.

The best leaders are proactive, strategic listeners. They recognize that knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening. Take a moment and reflect back on any great leader that comes to mind…you’ll find that they are very adept at reading between the lines. They Want to become a better leader? Talk less and listen more.

I’m focusing on health and fitness, and to that end I’m inviting you to join me. We’re having a giveaway for a $75 gift certificate to any product (out of the millions of items available) from CSN Stores. One chance per person. Winner will be picked using random.org Must be 18 or older to participate. Good luck! Cheryl W.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Training Middle Managers On People Management Basics Here is a simple idea: Whenever you have a new manager (project manager/departmental leader) joining in your organization, put him/her through a simple  training program on how to manage people. Train existing managers as well. Thanks for adding that.

The articles are entitled, respectively, “ Connect With Them &# and “ The Case for Connection at Work.&# No Comment No comments yet Posting your comment. Trackback URI | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed Leave a reply Subscribe to RSS feed Michael Lee Stallard is President of E Pluribus Partners. why is everyone smiling?

In our endeavors to develop Connection Cultures we encourage people who work together to get to know one another’s stories and to reach out and learn customers’ stories, if at all possible. Learning the stories of the people in your life is just one aspect of Human Value, the second element of a Connection Culture. Thank you.

One group of employees went to help a food pantry, others went to serve the Boys and Girls Club, etc. Some teams painted walls or performed other much maintenance-type projects while others just spent time with children or adults who longed to connect. By doing this, ITA Group employees were serving a cause greater than self.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Connecting, Building Relationships and Team Success Quality of relationships between the team members is one of the determinants of success as a team - be it project, process improvement initiative or an organization building one. Processes are crucial but not sufficient. Have a GREAT week ahead!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer The Pursuit of Getting It “First Time Right” (FTR) Building quality involves cost. You spend efforts and energy on preventing the errors (prevention cost) and then checking your work (appraisal cost). It can have a direct impact on your business bottom lines. It demands emotional labor.

By the time I wrote that post, in February of 2008, Mr. Frank had ended “the show with ze frank,” where those words had come from. photo credit: Jason Hargrove The sixth post ever published on ManagingCommunities.com was about “brain crack” and the importance of doing, care of some magical words from Ze Frank.

By Sylvia Lafair Picture yourself in Davos Switzerland at the annual gathering of the world’s rich and powerful. No, you have not morphed into Angelina Jolie , you are you with a lot to offer and much to say. First some facts: Did you know that fewer than 3 percent of the Fortune Global 500 chief executives are women ? That is just the issue!

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Oct 08 Personal Leadership Book: Behavioral Styles By admin This is the first of numerous posts about topics that will likely be in our next book on “personal leadership,&# although that is not likely the title.

Home ELS Home Leadership Development Executive Leadership Training Change Management Learning Products Employee Selection Contact us Sep 08 Important leadership & team content you can apply immediately. Great idea! First, Ed Oakley will share one more important aspect of effective leadership skill development. minute video. Thanks for sharing.

Home Who We Are What We Do Services Contact My Favorite Blogs All Things Workplace Bob Sutton – Work Matters Brain Leaders and Learners Bret L. In the spirit of the season, I’ve listed a few suggestions for gifts that you can give to your stakeholders – those who care about and support you. Have a Wonderful Holiday! Thank YOU.

This half-day event included three speakers:  Mitch Joel , author of  Six Pixels of Separation and  Julien Smith and  Chris Brogan , co-authors of  Trust Agents. The presentations were excellent. had the privilege of spending a few minutes talking with Chris; he was an absolute gentleman. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer

few common methods include: The number of people reporting up through the organization The quantity or amount of product or services produced The “bottom line&# or income produced by the company The number of links, references or accolades to the leader or the organization Other methods that focus on things and not people. Bednar.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 5 Key Lessons From Learning Organizations Problems, challenges and inefficiencies (in one way or the other) are a part of any organization. How organizations deal with them makes all the difference. In my career so far, I have (broadly) seen two kinds of organizations. So, they try to correct it instead.

There were so many thoughtful presentations that I hesitate to merely highlight a few.  After taking a couple days to mull it over I’ve decided to select a few presentations that will be most relevant to the themes I typically write and speak about i.e. leadership, connection, employee engagement, productivity and innovation.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Innovation, Quality & Entrepreneurship at Akshaya Patra Akshaya Patra Foundation in India is a shining example of how social entrepreneurship combined  with power of innovation can make a HUGE difference. First, some background information. million children across India on all school days.

I like this definition. It is consistent with our research where we heard respondents consistently use the terms “connect&# or “feel connected&#  to describe the emotions they experience in relation to their organization’s identity, the people they work with and their day-to-day work. Military Gamification in Everything?

In fact, in most cases I actually prefer to have my thinking challenged – this doesn’t threaten me as a leader, it improves my leadership ability. Along the same lines, I don’t really care if someone does or doesn’t want to be led by me. It cannot. It is however essential that you have the respect of those you lead.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Great Leadership: Beware of These Nine I’s I wrote earlier about Nine I’s and Great Leadership. The post received a very good response (on twitter, in blogosphere and in comments) and that led me to further think about Nine I’s that leaders should be careful and conscious about. To details.

Well actually, no it’s not. cannot even begin to count the number of times I’ve had a CEO tell me that certain immutable business principles just don’t apply to his/her business because, “this business is different.&# If you don’t have direct competition you’ll surely have indirect competition. Think Not.

Show me a CEO with a bad attitude and I’ll show you a poor leader. While this sounds simple enough at face value, I have consistently found that one of the most often overlooked leadership attributes is that of a positive attitude. As As a CEO, how can you expect to inspire, motivate, engender confidence, and to lead with a lousy attitude? The

Understanding how to leverage the influence factor can make a defining difference in your ability to drive change, build cohesive teams, and to successfully implement strategic vision. As a leader your “Influence Quotient” is the IQ you need to pay attention to. People will rarely make a leap of faith for someone who hasn’t earned their trust.

What’s more, with so many different personality styles on your team, finding leadership tactics that work across the board can be a challenge. Fortunately there are a huge amount of resources out there that can help you become a more successful leader. That way your team will be inspired to follow suit. Set clear goals. Grow your skills.

Top Baby Names 2008 (and more). Related posts: Poor Little Baby Jesus. Your Baby Shower Needs a Man’s Touch. Devotional Jesus

If your organization confuses loyalty and tenure there is trouble on the horizon…If your business rates tenure higher than performance as a measure for employee evaluation, it is time for you to consider updating your talent management practices and procedures. So, So, what’s wrong with tenure you ask? Thanks Jason. Think Not.

Here is an approach we recommend. Make a list of those individuals whom you count on you in order to do your work well and the individuals who count on you in order to do their work well. Think of these people as your “Critical Connections.” An Emotional Connection is how you feel about an individual and how they feel about you. It looks like this.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 15 Key Lessons On Managing Change Change, they say, is the only constant. With rapid globalization and advent of technology, the rate of change in society and in organizations has just multiplied. Change challenges us to do things differently. Remember what Charles Darwin said ? Let change be gradual.

Home Who We Are What We Do Services Contact My Favorite Blogs All Things Workplace Bob Sutton – Work Matters Brain Leaders and Learners Bret L. You are known for your accomplishments; you move mountains quickly and efficiently. At some point, you will hit some bumps (or maybe even boulders) in the road. Patience and perseverance. Thanks!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer In Pursuit Of “Customer Delight”: Getting The Basics Right A lot of companies have the phrase “delighting our customers” in their well-crafted mission statements and quality policies. Customers don’t get delighted by cherries alone, or by cherries on wrong cakes. Here is the thing. Isn’t it?

Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin are seeing huge surges in registration, as businesses realise this is where they need to be to compete in today’s market. So what are the main differences between standard marketing / advertising, and online Social Media? Our old ways of advertising were all very one way. So where do we come in as women?

Posted on August 20th, 2010 by admin in Leadership , Miscellaneous , Rants , Talent Management By Mike Myatt , Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth My question is this: Is your intellect an asset or liability? All one has to do is watch a very bright person defend their position to understand what I’m driving at with today’s post. Observing

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Don’t Give Up On Problems: A Lesson on Persistence Did you ever think that an “audit” exercise can be a learning experience? Well, if you really ‘want to’ learn, you can find lessons almost everywhere. You just have to keep doors of your mind open! We don’t give up. But she doesn’t give up.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Hidden Costs 25 As a business leader, if you think “costs” are only the ones where you spend real money, think again. Have you ever realized the costs of: having an inefficient leadership team? setting wrong examples? not treating people well? not aligning middle managers with vision at the top? Megha.

I’ve had a copy of “Thank You and You’re Welcome”, a small, spiral bound book, on my shelf since it was released back in 2008. It was authored by Kanye West with J. Sakiya Sandifer. Recently, I had reason to pull it back out and I couldn’t help but notice that a lot of the [.]. Resources Thinking

To learn more, watch the following video series of Jason Pankau teaching a workshop on Connection Cultures for Churches. Trackback URI | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed Leave a reply Subscribe to RSS feed Michael Lee Stallard is President of E Pluribus Partners. About Michael Find out about Michaels latest book, Fired Up or Burned Out.

The results were compiled in an e-book entitled The Top Tens of Employee Engagement. It’s a great resource to get actionable ideas that will boost employee engagement. Check it out. Comment so far Frode H on July 27th, 2010 David Zinger’s network is amazing. recommend all those who love employee engagement to join his community.

recently interviewed Jason Pankau and yours truly about employee engagement and strategic alignment based on an article Jason and I wrote for the award-winning  Leader to Leader Journal entitled “ To Boost Performance, Connect with the Core.&#  You can listen to the unedited radio interview at this link. Military Gamification in Everything?

Check out their website  at this link. You can listen to the program in the Phoenix area on KFNX 1100 AM, listen to it  streaming live , and even participate by calling in at (866)536-1100 or tweeting @your3bl. No Comment No comments yet Posting your comment. About Michael Find out about Michaels latest book, Fired Up or Burned Out.

Home Who We Are What We Do Services Contact My Favorite Blogs All Things Workplace Bob Sutton – Work Matters Brain Leaders and Learners Bret L. fear for these senior leaders and their organizations. The fact of the matter is that we all need to continue to learn. It means that there is always something to get better at. And, it is good advice.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 7 Steps For Customer Centric Process Improvement You can improve almost everything in your organization. With so much to improve, how do you identify what are your top priority improvements? Our customers are the most important beneficiaries of any improvement or change. If not, quickly realign.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Thoughts on Project Leadership and Choices I love project management as a subject not only because it gets so much work done, but also because project management manifests how people operate. have written before that Projects are a great opportunity to practice leadership. At each step, we have a choice.

Posted on March 24th, 2010 by admin in Miscellaneous , Operations & Strategy By Mike Myatt , Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth Is the customer really always right? How far should a company go to satisfy their clientele or customer base? What is the lost opportunity cost associated with customer churn? Think Not. Our Freedom. All Rights Reserved

you can learn more about Heidi at the end of this post) Successful women know only too well that in any male-dominated profession, we often find ourselves at a distinct disadvantage. We are routinely underestimated, underutilized, and even underpaid. Understanding why we do it is the first step to righting a terrible wrong. Why does this happen?

By Bonnie Marcus This past week I had the opportunity to not only attend the MA Conference for Women, but also to participate in a leadership panel about women and corporate board positions. My role on the panel was to speak about how women can promote themselves and increase their credibility and visibility so they can get a board appointment.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Thoughts on Effective Management Consulting Consulting is a trust game. The more trust you are able to build with your customers, the more you earn (money, respect and credibility). Consultants are hired because they have an expertise and deeper understanding of a particular area. Please be careful."

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Quality of Planning = Quality of Execution: 7 Lessons When a project is executed, a plan is established. Work is broken down into smaller pieces and a neat schedule is created. Then the execution begins with a great zeal. Everyone then tries find out why the schedule slipped. This helps you remain agile.

My experience with most executives & entrepreneurs is that they are totally committed to and focused on success. As a result, many of them tend to have a major blind-spot (translation: weakness ) when it comes to the anticipation of set-backs.  Any well crafted strategy anticipates obstacles and factors in multiple “ what if &# scenarios.  Leaders

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Adding Value: A Gentle Reminder Sure, as a project manager / business leader, you: Completed the project in given time frame. Within the budget. With minimum schedule deviation. Utilized your resources optimally. Filled up all the required templates. Did retrospective. Celebrated completion. Isn’t it?

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer A Few Parallels Between Sports, Life and Leadership Last few months, I have been playing Table Tennis regularly. From a complete novice to a reasonably comfortable player has been a wonderful road so far. The ball comes at a great speed and how can you possibly respond to that? The lesson? The lesson?

In their 2008 study Workplace Conflict and How Business Can Harness it to Thrive, the leadership development firm CPP found that on average employees spend upwards of ten percent of their workweek dealing with some form of conflict. By Jim Grinnell, Ph.D. Further, a quarter of all respondents said they “called in sick” to avoid [.].

Eat more of this, less of that. You can just do protein and veggies, or maybe the newest, most amazing carb to hit the town from the African bush. Well, I have another idea. How about changing your verbal diet? Think about it, would you only eat hamburgers for a month without anything else?  Of course not”, you sigh. Yet look at your verbal diet.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer The Quest of Better Outcomes: Hierarchy And Process In quest of better outcomes (efficiency, results, productivity, improvements etc.), a lot of companies focus on restructuring their organization structure (hierarchy). Because, work flows horizontally. Between teams. Between members of the teams.

Posted in Leadership Coaching Leadership Development “Despite the economic recession, more employees are looking for opportunities outside of their organization than in 2008, suggesting that 2011 will be a challenging year for retention (and a hot market for firms to attract top talent).” 

for the 2008 killing of her secret lover, Travis Alexander. Arias, 32, has been on trial in Maricopa County Superior Court since Jan. Alexander, 30, was found dead in the shower of his Mesa home with a bullet in his head, nearly 30 stab wounds and a slit throat. Read the rest at The Arizona Republic

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer A Worthy Goal for 2011 and Beyond New year brings with it new predictions, agendas, resolutions and trends. New business models, new ways of working, cooler tools and technologies. In my view, quality is a route to excellence and continual improvement is the tool. The surefire way is to be human.

Instead of diving into writing next chapters on my new book about women and work based on our Women Executive Leadership Learning program, I watched and watched the small screen in front of me. There was Julia Roberts in Italy, India and Bali searching for true love. It was fun watching her “ Eat, Pray, Love ” in exotic places around the globe.

My question is this: have you taken the time to do the necessary planning? Regardless Regardless of where you are in your life and your career, I can promise you one thing; you will consistently be faced with challenges and obstacles along the way. You will face physical, mental, financial, relational, and resource challenges among others. Thanks.

There seems to be way too much focus on “ me” and not enough focus on “ we” in today’s world. One of the things I tend to value most is loyalty. In In fact, there are few things I loathe more than gravy trainers, fare weather friends, gossips and others that display a lack of loyalty. But Leadership and loyalty go hand-in-hand. Great post.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Experience and Expertise – A Few Thoughts When a kid learns how to play music, he develops “ability” to play music. He knows the basics. He is able to play the music according to notes. He can play the songs exactly as the notes tell him to play. few more years and he is now an expert. To raise the bar.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Change Management Essentials - 5 Things To Avoid Most organizational/team improvement initiatives we undertake involve change - from current state of affairs to desired state. Change is hard and painful and necessary for growth/survival. Focus on big, but start small. But why do we change, you may ask!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Teaching, Improvement and Change: A Few Parallels 12 years back, I started my career as a tutor who taught Oracle and PL/SQL to students belonging to different age groups. So what does these lessons have to do with process improvement? It involves creating an impact on how other’s see their work.

Integrity is a “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.&# It means you are true to your word in all you do and people can trust you because you do what you say. The word integrity has deep meaning and is often intermingled with words like honesty and truthfulness. Live with integrity; lead with integrity.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 5 Ideas To Ensure That Lessons are ‘Really’ Learned Have you ever experienced the following? You complete a project and then do a small ‘post-mortem / retrospective analysis’ of what went well and what did not. Assign Responsibility : If you have a quality group, great! So, so true. Thanks.

Michael Lee Stallard Insights on Leadership and Employee Engagement Home About Hire to Speak Press Kit Free Connection and Employee Engagement Webinar Oct. 21 and for individuals in Pacific time zones on Oct. You can sign up for the free webinar at the links below: Oct. 22 at 6:30 AM Friday (Mumbai), 12:00 PM Friday (Sydney), or Oct.

Context, fluidity, and other nuanced behaviors are positive traits to embrace so long as they don’t serve as an excuse for a lack of discipline. I’m I’m not suggesting that leaders should be robotic or static in approach – quite to the contrary. Implementing a framework of discipline allows leaders more flexibility not less.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 5 Ways To Build Trust (Lessons from a Conversation) One of my friends recently joined a new organization at a senior position. When we met over a cup of coffee a few days before his joining, he mentioned to me that his primary challenge would be to build trust. Focus on early-wins. Thanks for this post.

He ” by Robert Johnson is about the myth of Perceval and the Holy Grail. Now, it is, in essence, a mystery story and a precursor of the Indiana Jones films. It is, also a pointer to the masculine in each of us. Perceval is on a journey of exploration, of individuation, to find himself, to grow up. First, “What ails thee uncle?” Whom does it serve?”

Related posts: Here’s What I’m Most Thankful For in 2008. Are you truly thankful? find at times I am, and at other times, I’m like the rest of God’s children. can be a grumbler. What would it take to learn the secret of contentment…to be thankful all the time? That gives you a proper perspective. Need help? Do you?

I was a member of staff on the SitePoint Forums for many years (from July 15, 2001 through September 30, 2008, to be exact) and I now co-host the SitePoint Podcast. SitePoint is one of the largest web development communities in the world and I am proud of my affiliation with it. SitePoint is an example [.].

Recently I had the opportunity to watch a leader who does this well. d like to share three critical actions that I believe are necessary to impart your values and I think you will be inspired by and learn from his example. Communicate Your Values, Upfront and Often Leaders need to lead courageously by telling people what they believe. I don’t agree. 

So much so, that if you don’t think timing is everything - think again. Anyone I’ve often heard people quip that they would rather be lucky than smart. However it has been my observation that you will rarely come across someone who possesses a great sense of timing that is anything other than successful. Thanks for sharing Peter.

Some would say that any discussion along this topic line is nothing more than a semantical debate. However, it is my opinion that those who hold this view truly don’t understand the difference between the two, and are simply attempting to blur lines in order to feel better about themselves. Harsh? Harsh? Perhaps, but I’ll let you be the judge.

Home Who We Are What We Do Services Contact My Favorite Blogs All Things Workplace Bob Sutton – Work Matters Brain Leaders and Learners Bret L. It looks pretty much the same as you left it. The first thing you do is to fire up your computer, check voicemail, check email and grab a cup of coffee in the company cafeteria. We all make mistakes.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Book Review: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect A few weeks back, my friend Becky Robinson at Mountain State University gifted me with a copy of John C. Maxwell’s latest book “ Everyone Communicates, Few Connect ”. to be successful, you must work with others. trainer has to connect with participants.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Enjoy The Process We live in a hyper-competitive world. Students are anxious about their annual results. Professionals are anxious about their next appraisal. Business owners are anxious about their bottom lines and so on. You get the point. This anxiousness does not allow us to enjoy the process.

They do not take time trudging through stores or surfing the internet. They take some quiet time to think about the individuals who have helped make you who you are. So, get a cup of tea and sit with these thoughts: who has helped shape your life? While our power base is growing it is vital to have our wisdom keep up with our positions of authority.

While these articles tended to stir the pot a bit, they were in my opinion mostly missing the mark. The articles should have been written on the topic of poor leadership. Toxic work environments can only exist where a lack of trust and respect are present, and this can only occur in the absence of sound leadership. link] Donna Svei Great post Mike.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer In Praise of Golden Shower Tree I am always amazed when I see the “Golden Shower Tree” ( Cassia Fistula , Garmalo or Amaltas). This tree blossoms with beautiful and bright yellow flowers at the peak of summer. It extends a feeling of gold being showered from the tree top, and hence the name.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Establishing Forums to Build a Quality Oriented Culture Total Quality Management (TQM) says that quality is everybody’s job. Each individual’s approach to work, understanding of quality and personal standards of excellence are crucial for delivering quality. How will it benefit me? Don’t Kill It!

Michael Lee Stallard Insights on Leadership and Employee Engagement Home About Hire to Speak Press Kit Don’t Miss “All Hands on Deck: Building a Culture of Ownership&# Published by Michael Lee Stallard on July 15, 2010 03:27 pm under book reviews , employee engagement I’m a big fan of Joe Tye. Military Gamification in Everything?

I’m going to tell you the cold hard truth about social media…what you need to know that most people won’t tell you. While anyone can have a social media presence, not everyone possesses social media influence. It’s clear to those in the know that social media is a universe of the haves and have nots. It’s Thank you!

Fact : bright, talented executives with a bias to action will often take on more than they should. Fiction : multitasking accomplishes more than focused effort. This is the definition of presence, and it is only when we operate in the present that real creativity, growth and innovation occur. Bottom line…success equals focus. Think Not.

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Author Interview: ‘Awesomely Simple’ by John Spence John Spence has done a brilliant job of writing a very useful handbook titled “ Awesomely Simple – Essential Business Strategies For Turning Ideas Into Action ”. It is a privilege to interview John on his book. Glad you liked it Jay! Don’t Kill It!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Engagement, Leadership and Power of Storytelling Last week, I had a short conversation with one of my colleagues in HR about the all important topic of employee engagement. In an impromptu conversation, we touched upon a very important point: People love (and remember) stories, not facts. Thanks !

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Michael Ray Hopkin Titles are an interesting concept. They give outsiders a feel for who we are and what we do. They imply authority (or lack thereof) within an organization. Most of all, titles provide context for the world around us. “Manager&# is an interesting title. Leadership is a choice.

don’t do so in an attempt to torture you with redundant thought, but rather because I believe it is a message that is often taken far too lightly by chief executives. Put simply, I believe that leadership absent vision is a train-wreck waiting to happen. However worse than the CEO with no vision, is a CEO with the wrong vision. These

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer “Value” and “Waste” – Watch Them Constantly “ Delivering Value ” is the buzzword these days. It is all a value game, I agree, and focusing on value delivery is at the core of any business. Eliminating Waste” is the key to a lean and productive organization. Don’t Kill It!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer 5 Pointers For Effectively Dealing With Negative Feedback In my career so far, I have seen number of confrontations arising out of a negative feedback that is shared honestly. Some people disagree (or take it personally) when a negative feedback is shared in performance appraisal. Be polite and firm.

For the third consecutive year (read my 2008 and 2009 recaps), I’ll be speaking at the event, but I will have more going on at the conference than ever before. BlogWorld & New Media Expo is less than a month away. I’ll be speaking on three panels, two of which I developed and will moderate (note: [.].

Recently, I learned that MichaelLeeStallard.com was recognized as one of the top ten blogs on leadership by an organization that ranks blogs. Earlier this year, our blog received a similar honor from Jurgen Noop. 1 Comment so far Samantha on July 20th, 2010 Congratulations Michael – and very well-deserved on all counts too!

Home Go to QAspire.com Guest Posts Disclaimer Leading, Farming And The Need To ‘Cultivate’ Many years ago, I had a chance to visit a friend’s farm on a weekend. My friend owned a huge farm on the outskirts of the city where they had employed farmers. farmer’s outcome was quality of the crop. Aren’t leaders farmers too? Thanks.

With this in mind, I put together the following noncommittal responses for use during these family conversations. Or, as my father used to say, “Opportunities to get to know each other better.”) “I can tell you’ve given this a lot of thought&# This is one I bust out after I’ve been subjected to an extended monologue from a loved one.

By Maribeth Kuzmeski Oftentimes, there is more risk in customer service when the answer to our concerns is “yes.” Can you help me? Will you make an exception and do this for me just this once? Could you look into this issue I’m having? Being helpful comes with a price, and the price is more work. It’s too much hard work. The result?

By Maribeth Kuzmeski Are you looking to add new individuals to your team in 2011? Studies show that hiring guilt-prone employees is smart business! Keep in mind, there is a big difference between guilt-prone and guilty) Guilt-ridden people make better employees, tend to work hard, perform better and are less likely to call in sick. Believe it?

They expect marketers to stop pitching things and start helping them understand how they can get what they need. They expect product managers to show them how their products can solve problems and help them succeed. The sales process now is about providing value to customers on their journey to figuring out what it is they are going to buy.

Kevin Eikenberry ( @kevineikenberry ) opened-up voting for The Best Leadership Blogs of 2010 yesterday , and the N2growth blog was one of 11 blogs nominated for the award. The winner will be the blog receiving the most votes (One vote per email address), and you can vote by clicking on the link above. Great stuff! Thanks for stopping by Brian.

Stimmler , contributing Women on Business writer A few days ago I received an out-of-the-blue email from a former intern at my firm thanking me and my business partner “for being such fantastic mentors.&# It was great to hear from her and learn about what she’s now doing a decade later. Oh, and by the way. Maybe now’s the time.