This morning while drinking my Starbucks coffee (supplied at work) in my cool Starbucks mug (supplied by me), I read a great article at Fast Company magazine about the leadership practices at Starbucks. Late last year Starbucks held a conference in Houston for nearly 10,000 store managers and 5,000 live coffee plants (more on the... Continue Reading →
Knights of the Round Table
I attend two standing meetings each Thursday. The first is my weekly staff meeting with my three direct report managers. The second is a cross-departmental meeting focused on operational issues. Both meetings are remarkable and I look forward to attending. Yes, poor meetings abound in the business world. Yet these two meetings work and for very... Continue Reading →
Ask The Fool, Be The Fool
These days I find myself digging through my Organizational Development Toolbox. So many great tools that I have used successfully in the past and will again. One group of tools involve creativity. It is very human to be creative. All leaders need a level of creativity. It is one of the items that separates a leader from... Continue Reading →
Silence
We begin in silence. Then we speak. Each of us has much to say. While others speak, we prepare to speak again. Are we hearing each other? Are we reaching a point of understanding or decision? Often our talk is overwhelming and more talking is not the answer. At times we need silence to communicate. Silence as a tool... Continue Reading →
Effective Communication: Step into the Circle
I attended a meeting recently and saw something different as I entered the room. Instead of the typical long rectangular conference table there were just chairs arranged in rough circles, one within the other (see illustration below). Immediately I knew this meeting was starting well. As leaders we can not dismiss the importance of room layout... Continue Reading →
Squirrel Moments and Leadership Communication
Today I will defend the squirrel. Thanks to the movie "UP" we have a new term to describe those moments when we get distracted and off topic. In the movie, thanks to a device around the neck, dogs can talk. One of the main characters, Dug the Dog, talks in simple terms as we would expect... Continue Reading →
WeMoveTogether 