Real Effectiveness vs. Apparent Effectiveness
If you work in the federal government, you struggle with this notion of real effectiveness verses apparent effectiveness.
Posts Tagged: effectiveness
5 Ways to Stay Sharp As a Leader
My brother has his sword, and I have my mind. A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones We have all been there. The day in the office when you realize you have lost your edge. You aren’t as sharp as you used to be. Things seem toRead… Read more »
6 Ways to Get Thinking Right
You might be asking from the start, “what does that graphic have to do with thinking right?” Well, it depicts the problem of adversarial thinking and unfortunately, it’s the most common form we are exposed to and poison for an organization. Such thinking plays out in front of us every day in politics and religionRead… Read more »
The 2 Motives Driving Organizational Saboteurs
We’ve already discussed how the saboteur undermines an organization or cause by starting a cycle of operational drag and harassing and demoralizing their coworkers. But what drives a saboteur? Didn’t he want to work there in the first place? Wasn’t she hired because she was the top of her field? The number one motivation forRead… Read more »
The Simple Sabotage Field Manual, Cubicle Edition
Behold, published in 1944, the Simple Sabotage Field Manual. In its original context, the SSFM was applied to allied sympathizers in occupied territories during WWII. Today, the field guide has stunning applicability to 21st century organizations and employees. This blog reframes the Simple Sabotage Field Guide’s “tips and tricks” as a set of guideline forRead… Read more »
When Government Agencies Receive High Klout Scores, Does it Really Mean They Have More Clout?
IBM Center for the Business of Government recently issued a report that provides some very interesting social media insights for federal agencies: which agencies have the highest Klout rankings. If you are not familiar with Klout, it essentially measures your overall social media influence. For example, when you create content or engage through social networks,Read… Read more »
Initial Enthusiasm and Job Satisfaction
Abstract:The inverse relationship between time on the job and level of satisfaction is driven by the context of organizational decision making. Although Happiness is an inside job to be sure, there are things that can be done to improve organizational bonding and effectiveness. The importance and methods are known. 1) Recognize that the workplace isRead… Read more »
Becoming Indispensable: Lessons from NASA and Oprah – by Robin Sparks
Every successful organization has at least one linchpin; some have dozens or even thousands. The linchpin is the essential element, the person who holds part of the organization together. Without the linchpin, the thing falls apart. – by Seth Godin in Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2010) Two American icons have been getting a bit ofRead… Read more »
Leadership and Generosity of Spirit
“Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious” ~Zhuangzi A generosity of spirit for people of any station is an appropriate attitude for everyone to have and exhibit year round in the workplace, in the community and in the home. It is even more appropriate for a generosity of spirit to be exhibited at theRead… Read more »
“If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” is Broken
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillaradio/494169708/ Yesterday, like every Thursday was #lrnchat, a weekly public Twitter chat I help moderate that focuses on organizational learning. The topic was on “Tools of the Trade” and the group of 100 (more or less) professionals ran through a number of topical questions related to how we find out about, select and replace toolsRead… Read more »