Willy Loman on his knees sobbing, “Attention must be paid!” during a scene from “Death of a Salesman” is my favorite moment in American theater. His wails were visceral, I wanted to shout out, “I care! You do matter!” Today, not quite 75 years after Arthur Miller wrote them, these words continue to be said by too many people. So
Latest from The River Birch Group Blog
Engage People, Minimize Eye Rolls, and Increase Change Success
When change initiatives catch us off guard, our first response often is to resist. We’ve all dug our heels into the industrial grade office carpet and watched colleagues roll their eyes in unison while the boss outlines their newest change initiative.
Communal eye rolls happened several times a year when I worked for a global conglomerate that regularly promoted and
Different People, Different Teams, Different Motivation
There is a serendipitous quality about leadership. Just when you think you’ve mastered the art of motivating and setting expectations for people within your workplace – BAM!!! You find yourself working with an entirely different group of people. What motivated people yesterday may not motivate the group of people you are working with today. In fact, your previous strategies could
Business Improvisation
Business executives improvise more often than they may want to admit. When the unexpected “gotcha” happens and there is little time for in-depth analysis, people must improvise. Much like Miles Davis and the musicians with whom he collaborated, organizational leaders incorporate a theme and variation rhythm into the solution solving process.
Miles Davis’ jazz album Kind of Blue is revered
'Me' to 'We': A Leadership Transformation Milestone
Have you noticed that many corporate ecosystems develop around the tenet that people are “born” to be a leader and others are “pegged” as team players? Based on my personal experience, leadership is a skill people can develop and grow. People may choose to intentionally prepare a learning path; or, in the case of my friend Jay Coakley — SURPRISE!!!
EI is All About the Data
Measuring Emotional Intelligence and Increasing Workplace Performance
Executive Summary
One of my favorite questions to ask people is “What traits and skills comprise a great leader?” The answer given most often is, “I can’t tell you, but I know one when I see one.” I hear a similar response when I ask people how they define an Emotionally Intelligent Leader:
Are you delegating or dumping? Delegation skills that enable team leaders and managers to succeed.
Delegation is about entrusting someone else with the responsibility or authority to assure designated work completes successfully. Being able to delegate well frees managers and team leaders to focus on priorities, and maybe even take a day off.
Delegation is a win-win for all involved, staff and team members gain confidence as their performance is recognized and publicly valued, and
Five Leadership Pillar Posts
Company leaders can earn the loyalty and trust of their staff by adhering to the following five leadership pillars:
1. People matter
2. Success requires teamwork
3. Apply the same high standard to all routine tasks
4. Do the right thing
5. Train for success
People work hard to achieve company leadership positions and then wonder why they don’t get
Emotional Intelligence, Rising Professionals & Trusted Advisors
Emotional Intelligence is a way for people to apply qualitative reasoning beyond the ‘facts’ of a situation. These skills are essential for professionals who are on a path to become partners within their organization. The technical skills that got rising professionals noticed need to be supplemented with relationship building and other intangible leadership skills.
For accomplished professionals, enhancing your Emotional
"Pie" or "Pi"
A golden-crusted, fruit-filled, homemade pie evokes images of ample harvests and generous sharing. What happens when one more person wants a slice of that pie? The 8” pie plate cannot increase in size. When more people want a slice of the physical pie, each slice becomes smaller and smaller.
Pi, on the other hand, has an infinite number of decimal