Kurt Lewin shaped modern thinking about psychology and groups dynamics and stated (pithily): B = f(P,E) Behavior is a function of the person and the environment. Let’s assume that the Behavior in question is related to work performance. A lot of the focus in...
I came across this example of a request on Ned Batchelder’s weblog (along with some advice on asking for help.)Hey, I’m in a hurry, so this isn’t going to tell too much. I was having problems with your cursors pygame code. See if you can see...
More linguistic viruses that spawn much misery. The good news about linguistic viruses is that we can choose to stop them in their tracks.6. Not Declining RequestsPeople who say “Yes” to every request tend to find themselves overwhelmed, resentful, and...
I’ve been reading You Are What You Say by Budd and Rothstein. Budd is a physician and has a program that helps people look at how they use language and the affects health and well-being.I really like his list of the 10 Linguistic Viruses which can wreak havoc at...
“To be more effective with others, we first need to become more effective with ourselves.” Kevin Cashman I came across this piece by Cashman on FastCompany… it’s from 1999, and still worth reading. Leadership is built on trust, and trust is...
On Tuesday, David Greenfield (a very smart and insightful technical manager I met a couple of years ago) posted this comment: “The most challenging part of managing for me is learning how to deliver (or accept ) bad news to (from) those who report to me.”...
I’m in Boston for a book-writing week with Johanna Rothman.We’re focusing the skills managers *must* have — the skills that form the foundation for effective management:Managing one-to-one Building relationshipsSpeaking the language of the business /...
“But too often in our business, money is used as a substitute for managing. So the idea that if I can pay you a lot of money, [then] I don’t have to engage with you, I don’t have to be direct with you, I don’t have to be honest with you, I...
I spent a couple of days with Charlie and Edie Seashore last week. The were in town through the local Organization Development Network.The Seashores are elders in the arena of change, diversity, and working with groups. They are also co-authors, with Jerry Weinberg,...
Linda Hill’s Becoming a Manager: Mastery of a New Identity came out a decade ago. This summer she published a new edition, Becoming a Manager: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership. There’s an excerpt on HBS Working Knowledge.Linda Hill...
