Too many leaders unknowingly undermine it. Earlier this week, my dog sitter asked if she could put me down as a reference for a job she’d applied for. Of course, I said yes. The next evening, I received a text from the hiring manager asking if I’d be available for a quick phone call sometime the following day or later that week. I responded almost immediately: tomorrow mid-to-late morning would work—what time should I expect the call? At 11:28 a.m. the next day, she texted th

A friend recently told me a story about his son, a partner in a small law firm, who recently had to fire his administrative assistant. Why? Because she didn’t show up for work for a couple of days. No call, no text—nothing. When asked why she didn’t call in, her response was: “I didn’t want to bother you while you were at work.” Let that sink in for a second. In any workplace, the most basic expectation is that if you’re not coming to work, you call in. That’s true for every

(and what that teaches us about Age, Experience, and Empathy) Time is such a slippery thing. The clock ticks evenly, but our experience  of time stretches, collapses, or disappears entirely depending on where we are in life and how we’re living it. There’s a famous scene in Risky Business  where a teenage Tom Cruise is sitting in class, desperate for the final bell to ring. The second hand ticks backward. His face says everything: “Come on!” For him, time is crawling. For me,

Not long ago, I was talking with a retired partner from a large regional law firm. As we were catching up, he mentioned that his daughter...

If you manage people, your job is  people. It’s not just about processes or deliverables—it’s about how humans work together in the...

What's so bad about meetings? Meetings are everywhere—so common, they fade into the background. 11 million meetings take place in the...

One recent September morning, we participated as hosts in the Columbus Foundation's Big Table , "a community-wide day of conversation."...

Often in conversations with executives, we talk about the importance of psychologi cal safety. After all, as lea ders in an...

Managing people isn’t just an added responsibility; it’s the core of your job. If you’ve ever found yourself in a position of leadership,...

Curiosity is all the rage. Everywhere I look, leaders, consultants, and gurus talk about the importance of curiosity. I agree. Curiosity...

I love my job. I love that I get to help people learn how to work together more effectively through our workshops, executive coaching,...

I was reminded of this iconic* line, "What we've got here is failure to communicate," from the excellent movie, Cool Hand Luke, starring...

Two recent articles have come across my desk -- both on the topic of the increasing prevalence of part-time jobs. "These jobs soared...

Well-being is important. But how is well-being tied to work ethic? As employers, we've long known that the physical health of our...

One of our clients has engaged us to help them improve their effectiveness as a leadership team of six people. We are teaching them a...

Every couple of months, we host what we call a Workforce and Talent Salon. No, not the beauty parlor kind, but the pretentious 17th...

Can you imagine going to pick up your car rental, and they don’t have one for you? Even though you reserved it two weeks ago. When Jerry...

Years ago, I worked for a guy who, when discussing strategy and performance, talked about "having to hold their feet to the fire." It...

Did you see the recent episode of Columbus on the Record discussing the current and future labor shortage? The Workforce Development...

More than 25,000 human resource professionals gathered in Las Vegas for SHRM 23. We enjoyed learning the history of HR with an...

Have you ever stopped to consider why the jobs that are typically occupied by women--jobs like taking care of children, taking care of...

Recent legislation may impact you as an employer. Are you familiar with PWFA? How about PUMP? The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is...

On a recent Saturday morning, my colleague, Lora, called me. It was early. I knew it was important. She told me she was stressed. So much...

The opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference. When I first heard that, it boggled my mind. How can that be, I...