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 […]
Trouble Ahead – Three Strategies for the 2014 Crunch
Ever since the ancient philosophers, people have complained about tough modern times. It always seems as if the time we live in is the toughest, the future the most uncertain, the past a better place. The truth is that times are almost always quite good, but only for those who keep up with change. The […]
Rewarding Staff when there is No Money
“Reward your Staff”. That’s what all the books say. All very well in theory, but how do you do it when you have no budget for awards or bonuses, and no ability to give valuable gifts? Increasingly, that’s the new reality. And even if you do still have some budget, it’s worth taking a good […]