The Workplace Therapist » Author Archive
Senior management doesn’t trust
Trust is a powerful word. It just feels good to say it. Go ahead… say it. Don’t be shy. Ignore the guy in the cubicle next to you playing temple run on his phone. Trust is part of a list of words that if blurted out at work, no one will blink an eye (Other “blurtable” workplace words include: strategic, leadership, customer, excellence, service, etc…). Unfortunately, like other really important corporate buzzwords “trust” is overused … Read entire article »
Filed under: Leading People & Organizations, Managing Professional Relationships, Senior Management is Dysfunctional
Senior management breaks promises
I was having lunch with a friend of mine a few weeks ago. After picking at his salad for nearly an hour, he dropped his fork, looked at me and said, “They promised.” Nothing more. After some probing, I came to learn that senior management at his firm had recruited him with the promise of a hefty raise after year one. When it came time to honor their promise, senior management suddenly had amnesia. “I don’t remember … Read entire article »
Filed under: Leading People & Organizations, Managing Professional Relationships, Senior Management is Dysfunctional
Senior management doesn’t listen
Is senior management at your organization guilty of not listening? Playing deaf in the senior management ranks is not an uncommon dysfunction but the price that leadership pays today is higher than ever. Let me give you an example. Not too long ago, in the days of overflowing corporate coffers and first class seats on the fast-growth train, it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to hear the complaint that “senior management doesn’t really listen.” While … Read entire article »
Filed under: Leading People & Organizations, Managing Professional Relationships, Senior Management is Dysfunctional
Senior management isn’t clear
Ah yes, fuzziness and lack of clarity – a subtle yet deadly dysfunction that is all too common with senior management. Whether it’s working for an organization without a clear strategy to working for a senior leader that expects you to be a mind-reader, a lack of clarity from senior management is a killer. It kills morale, productivity, alignment and focus. It breeds anxiety, silos, rumors, frustration and distrust. Before we dive into the most common … Read entire article »
Filed under: Leading People & Organizations, Managing Professional Relationships, Senior Management is Dysfunctional
“Senior management is dysfunctional”
Sometimes dysfunction at work isn’t obvious. Sometimes we just feel the dysfunction. We know in our gut that things are not right but we can’t exactly put our finger on it. It’s not our boss, at least not most of the time. Our coworkers definitely aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t make them dysfunctional. It’s not them. And our job is fine. In fact, if this other “thing” could be removed, we might actually really love what we … Read entire article »
Filed under: Dysfunction of the Month, Leading People & Organizations, Managing Professional Relationships, Senior Management is Dysfunctional
“If you are looking for something more”
This month we’ve been tackling the journey of finding the perfect work soul mate – that job that fits us like a glove, inspires us, and meets our needs along the way. In my last post, I offered my own personal journey on how I found my perfect job. In this final post, I want to offer you a resource to help you along your own personal journey. Something More: The Professional’s Pursuit of a Meaningful … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Love My Job, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
How I found my work soul mate
I want to tell you the story of one person’s struggle to find his work soul mate and the journey that took him there. This is my story on how I fell in love with my job. The story begins in the halls of George Walton High School. Picture a gangly teenage boy who was growing up much faster than he was growing out. His skinny figure is awkwardly crammed behind a public school desk in chemistry … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Love My Job, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
Finding your work soul mate
Is your job your perfect work “soul mate?” Does it feed you in ways that go beyond money? This post is about finding your work soul mate – that job that seems to be made and meant for you. Let me be clear. Falling in love with your job is not a bedtime fairytale. It is quite real. However, unlike most bedtime fairytales, your soul mate job won’t show up at your door atop a … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Love My Job, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
Finding your romantic soul mate
I had every intention of kicking off this series with a post on the “signs that you don’t love your job.” When I announced this plan, perched at my kitchen table a few nights ago, I looked over at my wife and she was eerily quiet (if you know my wife, you’d know how “eerie” that actually was). I could tell by looking at the reaction on her face that either my plan was significantly … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Love My Job, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
“I don’t love my job”
Are you in love with your job? Perhaps you are simply in “like” with your job. Then again, you might just be hanging around until something better comes along secretly hating every soul-killing moment your at the office. This month we are tackling the topic of finding the right job that you can “fall in love with” and stay with for years to come. I know what you are thinking. This sounds overly romantic for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Dysfunction of the Month, I Don't Love My Job, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
Setting “no” goals
If you looked at the title of this post for more than .5 seconds, than you might be thinking to yourself “wait a minute. I thought you said at the beginning of this month that you hated the ‘no goal’ philosophy.” If that thought entered your head, you would be correct. I absolutely despise the ‘no goal’ philosophy. I despise it like I despise waiting in long airport security lines with my shoes in one … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Have Any Goals, Leading People & Organizations, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
Setting the right relationship goals
Every year I pick out one relationship that I want to improve. Sometimes it’s a work relationship. Other times it’s a relationship with a family member. Regardless, I set a specific relationship goal for the year. Some years I look back at the end of the year and say to myself, “Sweet. Things with X have definitely gotten better. Well done ‘B’ (that’s what I call myself. Feel free to call me that… or anything … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Have Any Goals, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth, Managing Professional Relationships
Setting the right work goals
Setting the right work-related goals is critical for keeping you moving forward and avoiding getting “stuck” in the wrong role, company or occupation. The challenge is that one size does not fit all. There are a myriad of combinations that may work for you. To that end, I’m gonna tell you what works (and has worked) for me and for others. Consider this your menu to sample from as you move into the next year. You’ll … Read entire article »
Filed under: I Don't Have Any Goals, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
“I don’t have any goals”
‘Tis the season of resolutions and goal-setting. First, let me come clean and tell you that I am a big fan of setting goals, both personally and professionally. And I’m not just your average fan. I’m one of those face-painting, rabid kinda fans. Goals keep us on track and focused. And to be frank, had I not set some ridiculously crazy goals in my life (some might argue delusional), I wouldn’t have accomplished half of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Dysfunction, Dysfunction of the Month, I Don't Have Any Goals, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth
Be thankful
The last few months we’ve tackled the dysfunction of “negativity.” As we conclude this series and start a new dysfunction (and year for that matter), I can’t think of a more appropriate time for the prescription. There is perhaps no better antidote to negativity than healthy and regular doses of “thankfulness.” Seems too simple, huh? Let me explain. “People’s brains have a ‘negativity bias’” In recent WSJ article on smarter ways to discipline children, a quote from … Read entire article »
Filed under: I'm Negative, Managing Myself – Personal and Professional Growth, Managing Professional Relationships
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Dysfunction of the Month: Senior Management is Dysfunctional
