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What’s Your Pandemic Perspective Shift?
Next Level Blog
NOVEMBER 24, 2020
As many of us approach family Thanksgiving gatherings via Zoom, I’ve been thinking about all the perspective shifts I’ve had during this year of the pandemic.
Next Level Blog
How to Keep Your Head Clear in the Weeks to Come
Next Level Blog
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
A few years ago, around the time my book, Overworked and Overwhelmed was launched, I wrote a series of blog posts under the theme of Mindful Mondays. I left that theme when I felt at the time that I had said everything I wanted to say on being mindful.
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How to Get Ten Hours of Your Week Back
Next Level Blog
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
A couple of weeks ago, I was having a coaching conversation with an executive whose story is all too common in this pandemic year of leading and working from home. Since the pandemic started, Susan’s been working around 15 hours a day.
How to Lead with Influence Instead of Authority
Next Level Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
One of the things you read most often about the effects of the pandemic is that it has accelerated trends that were already in play by about 10 years. In certain aspects of work and life, it suddenly seems like 2030 instead of 2020.
Paycor CFO Survey: The State of American Business in 2021
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In Paycor’s latest survey, more than 2,000 Finance and HR leaders told us about their plans for 2021. Download the survey for actionable insights and tips.
Nine Ways to Be an Energizing Online Leader
Next Level Blog
OCTOBER 20, 2020
In case you’ve lost count, you may be one of the many of us who are in month eight of working from home.
How to Decide Which Meetings to Skip
Next Level Blog
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
The number one business-related complaint I’ve been hearing from my coaching clients during the pandemic is that they are overwhelmed with a deluge of demand for participation in online meetings.
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How to Reclaim the Best Part of Your Commute
Next Level Blog
OCTOBER 6, 2020
If you’re working from home, are you missing your commute? That kind of sounds like a stupid question. Who misses sitting in traffic looking at taillights? Not many people, I’d guess, but that’s probably not the part of your commute you’re missing.
Three Ways to Keep the Playing Field Level as Work Continues to Change
Next Level Blog
OCTOBER 13, 2020
One of the things I’ve heard a lot from leaders during the pandemic is that it has leveled the playing field for the people on their teams. When most everyone is working from home, mastery of face time around the office becomes much less of a factor.
How to Create a Permission Structure for Innovation
Next Level Blog
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Most of the organizations I’m talking to and observing during the pandemic recognize the need to up their levels of innovation and agility.
How Sales Leaders Can Reclaim the Advantage in a Virtual World
Next Level Blog
AUGUST 25, 2020
Many of the sales leaders I’m talking with this summer are working on how to help their teams raise their games in the virtual world we’re living in. I’ve been collecting some best practice ideas that can help you and your team reclaim competitive advantage in a virtual world.
Paycor HR Leaders Survey: The State of American Business in 2021
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In Paycor’s latest survey, more than 2,000 HR and Finance leaders told us about their plans for 2021. Download the survey for actionable insights and tips.
How Your Sense of Purpose Is Going to Get You Through This
Next Level Blog
JULY 14, 2020
Like me, you may have noticed that time goes by both quickly and slowly during the pandemic. For instance, as I write this post it’s Monday morning and it feels like it was only a day or two ago that I was writing last week’s post – also on a Monday morning – on the connection between strong relationships and managing your stress.
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The Learning Journey We’re On
Next Level Blog
JUNE 17, 2020
I’ve had a lot of conversations with corporate leaders over the past couple of weeks that have all focused on variations of the same question, “What can I do to help end racism?” This is one of those times when I’m glad that the conventional wisdom on how to coach others is that it’s more about the questions than the answers. I’m good at asking questions, but on the topic of ending racism, don’t have a lot of answers based on long-term personal experience.
The Question You Need to Ask to Focus and Engage Your Team
Next Level Blog
JULY 21, 2020
Gary Burnison , the CEO of recruiting and leadership development firm Korn-Ferry writes a weekly email every week which I subscribe to. Not surprisingly, a lot of his notes the past several months have focused on leading during the pandemic.
Leaders, Welcome to the Beginning of Phase 2
Next Level Blog
MAY 12, 2020
From my vantage point of speaking with around a dozen leaders from different industries every week since the pandemic began, I’ve concluded that we’re at the end of Phase 1 and the beginning of Phase 2 of what it means to live and work in this new world. Phase 1 has been the “reinvention” phase where leaders have been focused on figuring out new ways to keep their businesses running at some basic level.
Three Things to Stop Doing This Week
Next Level Blog
APRIL 28, 2020
For many of us in the United States, week seven or so of the work from home (WFH) period is underway. And even as attention turns to how to get people back to the office, it’s pretty clear that we’re at the beginning of a pretty long haul of a lot more working from home than we ever thought we would. From my vantage point as a long-time work from homer and a coach to a lot of leaders and teams who are new to the scene, what I’m seeing is a slow realization that we’re in a marathon, not a sprint.
Benefits in a Pandemic: What HR Leaders Need to Know
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Building a benefits program for a diverse workforce has always been a top priority, but now it’s become both more important and complex with so much change and uncertainty. Download our latest guide that features emerging benefits employees expect in 2021 and beyond.
Simple Physical Routines for Successful Stress Management
Next Level Blog
JUNE 24, 2020
Over the past month, I’ve been running two or three online sessions a week with groups of leaders to provide them with some reference points and space to think about how to lead in our current environment. Leadership is always challenging. It’s more so during a pandemic when work routines and business plans are completely disrupted.
Leaders, Share Yourselves
Next Level Blog
MAY 5, 2020
One of the bright spots for me of this life-changing era we’re all living through is the stories of human connection that I hear from the executives I speak with every week. Again and again, they share moments or emails that demonstrate how tough times can bring out the best in leaders and their teams. I’m struck by how the moments that matter most are the ones in which leaders share themselves as human beings and encourage their team members to do the same.
Leading in the Time Frames of Mind
Next Level Blog
JULY 27, 2020
What verb tense is your mind spending most of its time in – present, past or future? How about the members of your team – what time frame are their minds working in?
Empathy
Next Level Blog
JUNE 3, 2020
As a white male, I’m reluctant to offer a lot of personal commentary in this post but would argue that a lack of empathy for the lives and life experience of others has been a significant contributor to where we are as a nation this week. Likewise, I believe that we’re not going to emerge from this ongoing tragedy without intentional deep work on empathy and the application of it. That’s not just up to our political leaders; that’s up to all of us.
How Businesses are Managing the New Reality of Work: A Paycor Survey
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We wanted to know how COVID-19 impacted businesses and their workforces. Did they need government funds? How many workers did they layoff or furlough? Are employees working from home now? How’s team morale? And perhaps most importantly, what are their plans for the future? This guide offers a pretty good idea of how business leaders are feeling, what keeps them up at night, and what approaches they’re taking to solve problems. Download the guide to see all the survey results and where your organization might stand comparatively.
The Leadership Difference Between Being Accessible and Available
Next Level Blog
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Ever had a manager who told you they had an “open-door policy?” Who knows, maybe you’ve even declared that yourself. The open-door policy implies that your team members or colleagues can come to you with anything. That desire to be a transparent and open leader is admirable. The problem starts when people knock on the proverbial door (and knock and knock) and no one’s home.
Are You Hearing or Listening?
Next Level Blog
JANUARY 22, 2020
One of the things I’ve said for a long-time as an executive coach is that if you get colleague feedback that you need to be a better listener, take the feedback and start working on it. The positive leadership ripple effects from doing a better job of listening are enormous and wide-spread. Problem-solving, team-engagement, relationships and results all improve when leaders listen better.
Some ?What If?? Questions You Should Be Asking Right Now
Next Level Blog
MAY 26, 2020
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post that made the case that we’re all at the beginning of Phase 2 in our response to the global pandemic. To recap, Phase 1 lasted for about 8 weeks, depending on where in the world you live and, for large organizations at least, was about quickly reinventing how work was going to get done with many people working from home. We’ve figured that out for the most part at this point and are now moving into the reimagination work of Phase 2.
Resetting Your Operating Rhythm for the “New Normal”
Next Level Blog
MARCH 24, 2020
Let’s start by acknowledging the obvious. There is no new normal yet. The COVID-19 crisis brings another “new normal” every day. The situation is too fast-moving, fluid and unprecedented for any of us to settle in for whatever the long haul is and keep on truckin’ with the same operating rhythm we’ve used up until now. That doesn’t mean, though, that we shouldn’t take a step back to assess our operating rhythm as leaders and professionals who still need to get stuff done.
COVID & the Future of Work: Insights from Paycor’s C-Suite
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In Paycor’s newest report, our Chief Executive and Group Leaders consider how your clients will recruit, manage their workforce, optimize benefits, and foster employee experience in the new normal of 2020 and beyond. For actionable insights and tips download and share our guide with your clients!
Give Yourself the Gift of Unconscious Thought
Next Level Blog
DECEMBER 18, 2019
As 2019 winds down, I’ve been talking with a lot of clients and one thing that everyone (including me) has in common is that we’re coming in hot. The end of year cram down to get stuff done before the holiday break begins has felt crazier than ever. And, then, in a couple of weeks, we’ll wipe the slate clean and start pursuing the goals of 2020. Here’s some advice (for myself as much as anyone) before you dive into next year. Over the holidays, quit thinking so much.
Great Leaders Give Direction Not Directions
Next Level Blog
NOVEMBER 20, 2019
A few weeks ago, I opened a post with a story about one of my favorite questions for leaders, “What is it that only you can do?” Since then, I’ve asked that question again in one of my last keynotes of the year and got an answer back that was so clear and succinct that I just had to share it with you. The answer I received back from an executive in the room is actually the title of this post, “Great leaders give direction, not directions.”
My Crisis Leadership Playbook
Next Level Blog
MARCH 19, 2020
Along with testing our public health and economic systems in unprecedented ways, the COVID-19 pandemic will test leaders at all levels in all organizations as never before. When I talk about the ideas in my book, The Next Level , one of the first things I usually say is that the next level is any leadership situation which requires different results.
Put Limits on Your Energy Drainers
Next Level Blog
NOVEMBER 13, 2019
One of my favorite things to talk about with my executive coaching clients is “What are your energy givers and your energy drainers?”. That’s almost always a useful conversation because when leaders are working through their agenda day after day it’s easy to lose sight of the kinds of work and people who either give them energy or drain their energy. Since just about everyone does their best work when they’re energized instead of deenergized, it’s an important dynamic to be aware of and act on.
Why HR Technology Matters Now More Than Ever
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When a crisis hits, HR technology gives business leaders the data, tools, and support to make important business decisions quickly. In this report, Josh Bersin breaks down the 4 key benefits of HR tech and demonstrates through case studies how business leaders can leverage it to solve problems and grow. Download this report to learn more!
How to Push Your Mental Reset Button
Next Level Blog
JULY 1, 2020
As I wrote last week , we’re all dealing with a lot. And, when there’s a lot to process – work, family, health, the world and life in general – the mind can understandably flit and flutter from thought to thought. It’s called mental chatter and it can make it really challenging to get anything in particular done.
Stop Feeding Your Trolls
Next Level Blog
FEBRUARY 26, 2020
We all know that there are trolls on social media. Twitter is full of real people and bots generating a constant stream of mean tweets. What we sometimes forget is that trolls have been with us since long before Twitter was ever a thing and live on in three-dimensional form today. Trolls can show up on peer leadership teams, boards of directors and lots of other places where people need to work together to get things done. Chances are you’re dealing with some trolls in your work world right now.
You’ve Got to Leave the Launchpad If You Want to Get to the Moon
Next Level Blog
JANUARY 15, 2020
What do you want to accomplish this year? When you step back and look at your list are there any goals that scare you or just seem like a huge stretch? I’ve got a few of those myself this year. They’re based on some ideas that have been somewhere on the radar screen of my brain the past few years. They were there kind of nibbling at my attention but staying busy doing what I’ve been doing kept me from paying much attention to them. And, honestly, I was OK with that.
Preparation Is the New Leadership Differentiator
Next Level Blog
OCTOBER 2, 2019
In watching and working with top executives and their teams over the past few years, I’ve come to a fresh conclusion. Preparation is the new leadership differentiator. You might argue that preparation has always been important. I would agree with you on that but would contend that preparation is in shorter supply than it used to be.
Workplace Mask Policy & Return to Work Templates
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Paycor’s comprehensive checklist and customizable letters will help you re-start your business and welcome your team back to a new normal.
Calm the Conflict with FaceTime and a Beer
Next Level Blog
MARCH 31, 2020
In times of crisis, complex decisions often have to be made and implemented quickly. It can be challenging to coordinate and obtain buy-in on those big decisions even when the stakeholders can get in a room together to hash it all out. In the new “Work from Home” (WFH) era sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, being in the same room isn’t an option. That can lead to some predictable conflict-management problems that you can avoid with a little foresight and creativity.
How the Best Leaders Encourage Open and Honest Dialogue
Next Level Blog
DECEMBER 11, 2019
The best leaders I work with as an executive coach encourage open and honest dialogue. They’ve learned and understand why it’s so important for the people on their team and in their organizations to be completely comfortable with speaking up. First, you really want people contributing their best ideas on a regular basis because that’s how you win. Second, if your people aren’t contributing, speaking up and sharing the truth as they see it, you’re going to be flying blind as a leader.
When Leadership, Ingenuity and Humanity Won the Day
Next Level Blog
MAY 19, 2020
A few weeks ago, I received a nice comment on LinkedIn about one of my blog posts from David Hoey who shared that he’s been a regular reader since 2010 when I wrote about the leadership lessons offered by the Chilean mine rescue. I appreciated David’s note for both the kindness he showed and for bringing the memory of the rescue back to mind.
How Successful Leaders Use Both Retail and Wholesale Communications
Next Level Blog
FEBRUARY 12, 2020
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s presidential primary season. There are any number of reasons to pay attention to primaries, one of which is you can learn a lot about leadership communications strategies and tactics by watching how the candidates do what they do. The most successful ones tend to go both broad and deep with their communications. They send messages to very large groups of people while at the same time try to establish personal connections with individuals.
9 Ways to Manage Costs and Prepare for Future Growth
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SMB leaders are working day and night to navigate the COVID-19 crisis. Successfully managing it requires the CFO and HR leader to make complex decisions quickly, without rushing into an uncoordinated response. Foremost among these decisions will be cost containment. The way organizations manage costs now will determine how well they perform during and after COVID-19. Download our guide and start preparing for the future today.
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