Dear Madeleine, I am 25, super organized, and I have no problem being direct. On the CliftonStrengths® assessment I come out as having high self-assurance. People just assume I am in charge even when I am not—officially. As a result, I have been given opportunities to lead all the way back to my first job.…
Dear Madeleine, I was recently hired into a manufacturing company in the engineering department. I am leading two different teams. One of the teams is running smoothly, and the other one is a disaster. Disaster team is in constant turmoil— to the degree that some members of team are not even speaking to each other.…
In its simplest definition, culture is the way things get done in an organization. It’s about the behaviors and attitudes of employees and management and how that translates into different approaches to performance—both good and bad. If you are a leader looking to improve your organization’s current culture and work environment, here are five steps…
A leader’s ability to coach effectively can really foster the development of the people they lead. But like any leadership style, using a coaching style incorrectly has its drawbacks—especially if you are new to it. Here are a few of the common mistakes. The leader does the heavy lifting. To be effective, a coaching conversation…
Getting to a great outcome for coaching can be tricky. Clients—the recipients of coaching—can always tell you if they enjoyed the process. They can even tell you if they found coaching to be helpful. But it’s often more difficult to determine the actual value in business terms or in life outcomes. What happens on the…
Dear Madeleine My question is: how does an organization scale their management team and keep skills sharp as they grow? We are a software development services shop and we are growing fast—we currently have 30 people in management positions. It’s getting more difficult each day to make sure everyone is managing from the same playbook. …
I am often asked what books I would recommend for someone who is just starting on their coaching journey. Because I am always refining my list, I asked a select group of coaches their picks for the best books for coaches—books not only about coaching but also about leadership and coaching in organizations. Below is…
Dear Madeleine, I recently joined a small but global organization as COO. I am tasked with looking at all of our systems and processes and finding ways to streamline, upgrade, and reduce our manual processes and the resulting human error. My problem is that the team I inherited is committed to keeping things exactly the…
Dear Madeleine, I manage the logistics department of a global aeronautics engineering company. My job is intense—my whole team works like crazy when we are on deadline and relaxes a little bit when things aren’t so hot, which still means 50-hour workweeks. I think it is important for people to get a bit of a…
As I am about to embark on one of the biggest changes in my life (having a baby!) it got me thinking: Why are some changes in life scarier than others? Contrary to what you may think, I am more scared about coming back to my work role after maternity leave than I am about…