Masks we wear

You wear one to the grocery store. Another in meetings. A different one with family. Not merely the cloth kind. The behavioral kind. We’ve normalized putting on personas like we choose outfits. Professional you shows up at work—measured, diplomatic, strategic....

Strategic plans become doorstops

Organizations spend months crafting elaborate strategic plans. Consultants get paid handsomely. PowerPoint slides multiply like rabbits. Everyone nods approvingly at the final presentation. Then what happens? The plan sits on a shelf. Markets shift. Competitors move....

Poor hearing

Poor hearing affects us all. Not the physical kind. The selective kind. We’re sharp when we’re ready. Deaf when we’re not. Your message might be perfect. Your timing might not be. The recipient decides when they’re ready to receive what...

Are you setting failure traps

The CEO announced bold revenue targets—triple growth in eighteen months. The team nodded enthusiastically. Six months later, morale was crushed, and key people had quit. Sound familiar? This is not unique to organizations, and is even more prevalent in our individual...

Rumors kill momentum

Rumors spread faster than wildfire in organizations. They start in break rooms, flourish in Slack channels, and multiply during coffee conversations. But here’s what research tells us: 80% of workplace rumors contain significant inaccuracies, according to a...