Tired of Dealing with a Whiny VP? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I am a sales EVP in fast growing but incredibly competitive software. The pandemic threw demand into overdrive, which is great, but it means quotas have ballooned as well. Our structure is regional and all of the regional VPs report to me. My issue is one very whiny VP who is convinced that…

Do You Know What Your People Value?

Last week I took to social media to ask the question “What do you value most about your company and your leader?” It wasn’t a large sample, but big enough to get some diversity of thought. Take a look at some of the responses I got back. As I read through the results, I realised…

Four Ways to Refire at Work

People who embrace life with gusto enjoy better health and more happiness and fulfillment says Ken Blanchard in his latest column for Chief Learning Officer magazine, Blanchard goes on to explain that the same principle applies at work, yet many people who’ve been in a job for a while see the days ahead as something…

Autonomy or Accountability? 5 Ways to Use Honey Instead of Vinegar to Motivate Employees

Last week I met with a group of sales managers for a national retailer that is doing very well.  Turnover is low.  Same-store sales have been outpacing their peer group for five years.  Quarterly and annual financials have been excellent. The question they were asking was, “How do we keep our people motivated?”  I asked…

3 Activities to Build Virtual Team Spirit

The more that virtual teams become our normal way of working, the more we realize how difficult it is to build the positive relationships so critical for team success.   A face-to-face meeting for team building is best, yet most teams can’t afford that luxury. So how do you build team spirit when you can’t have…

3 Ways People Cope–Instead of Flourish–at Work

“Not looking out for the emotional well-being of our people hurts individuals and organizations in terms of increased illness, stress and disability claims—not to mention the opportunity losses of productivity and creativity,” explains motivation expert Susan Fowler. Surprisingly, when Fowler talks with leaders about what is motivating them on their current tasks and responsibilities, people…

The High Price of Money (a five-question happiness quiz)

Consider these five statements. True or False? Money cannot buy you happiness. Money may not buy happiness, but it will buy things that make you happy. The more money you have, the happier you are. Seeking wealth, status, or image undermines interpersonal relationships and connectedness to others. Pursuing money or other materialistic values results in…

Are you only half the leader you could be? See if you have this limiting self-belief

In their latest post for Fast Company online, management experts Scott and Ken Blanchard share that, “One of the big mistakes we see among otherwise promising managers is the self-limiting belief that they have to choose between results and people, or between their own goals and the goals of others. We often hear these people say,…