The End of HR
Not so long ago, the HR department was all-powerful. They were the deciders on hiring and firing, the people who had the ear of the CEO, and the final arbiters on what development activities you could and couldn’t do for your staff. That picture is changing quickly today, as the business line takes back control […]
Why the VA Will Never Get It
“If a lion could talk, we could not understand him”. – Ludwig Wittgenstein We all know that the VA is in trouble for gaming the system to hide long wait times for medical care while – in some cases – veterans may have died. Meanwhile, some people who gamed the system received performance bonuses. Outgoing […]
A Losing Battle at the VA
Embattled VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned this Friday, May 30, in the wake of a growing scandal over some VA managers publishing misleading statistics about veterans’ wait times for medical care. “I can’t explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities,” said Shinseki in a CNN interview. Coming […]
Teleconfusion
Teleconferencing, virtual meetings, and online learning – what’s not to love? As it turns out, plenty. There are many good reasons to want to believe that online meetings and online training are just as valuable as face-to-face sessions. For one thing, online options are usually much cheaper and faster – no travel time, no meals, […]
Holding Hands and Singing Kumbaya
We’ve all been there. The team trainer says “Together Everyone Achieves More”, or “There’s no ‘I’ in Team”. Eyes roll, people sigh, everyone settles in and looks at their cellphones. Why do we feel this way? Is it just the mundane, hackneyed, clichéd aphorisms that turn us off? Is the trainer right that this is, […]
Teamwork and the New Science
What’s the worst “team building” event you’ve ever been on? If you’re thinking about the time you had to play a lame roleplaying game a la “The Office”, or the time a facilitator made you write your “values” on an egg, count yourself lucky. A large fast-food chain sent its leadership team on a “firewalking” […]
Organizational Narcissism – Never Mind You, Let’s Talk About Me
In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hunter who saw his own reflection in a pool of water and became so obsessed with his looks that he sat and stared at himself until he died. We all know people like that – people who have a grandiose sense of self-importance, fantasize about their own unlimited brilliance, […]
Trust, Face and Tribe – The Telework Dilemma
Telework would seem to have everything going for it. It takes advantage of technology, saves time and the environment, and cuts down on office space. So why isn’t it more popular? On the opposing side, bosses often still struggle with trusting people to work when they can’t be seen. There’s also the matter of “face” […]
Blowup at Nuclear Command
This week’s news contains a report that dozens of Air Force officers entrusted with maintaining U.S. nuclear missiles are accused of cheating, or turning a blind eye to cheating, on a competency test. Because it’s nuclear-related, this story is likely to stay in the news cycle for several days. Whatever the truth turns out to […]
Why Do I Do This?
A New Year’s Reflection January 1, 2014 Sometimes we feel a sense of unease at the motivations of others. Often, that sense is justified. Our instincts kick in, and we know something is a little bit “off”, even if we can’t identify what. Why am I the CEO of Team Results USA, why do I […]