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“Endings have a great way of bringing up unfinished business.” – Lennox Joseph When I moved to Washington, DC from Baltimore, MD in 2010, I started to panic about missing all the places I had to yet to visit. “I’ve never been to the Peabody Library or the American Visionary…
Federal employees returning to work after the shutdown might be feeling less than enthusiastic about picking up where they left off. Few people anticipated that the shutdown would go on for so long, and many employees have been working without pay. To support returning employees, and to return to normalcy…
Change is constant. By now, we all know that. Organizations today must remain flexible to adapt to global markets, respond to 24-hour news cycles, and appease an always-watching audience. Inside organizations, programs grow, workplace cultures emerge and evolve, departments get restructured, processes and policies change, leaders come and go, work…
It was surprising when I first caught myself removing my glasses to read an email on my phone. At 38, I feel too young to need bifocal lenses, but with increasing frequency, I find my glasses perched atop my head as I strain to read. The lenses in my glasses,…
A colleague recently asked me to recommend my favorite books on the subject of leadership. I’ve ready quite a few, and there are many that offer generic lessons and stories, leaving the reader with little more than a loose definition of leadership. There are two leadership books I strongly recommend….
Words are powerful, and in organizational life, everything is shaped by words. Buzzwords, jargon, and slogans all have specific meanings and histories that they convey. Mission statements, marketing materials, and position descriptions are meticulously crafted with the perfect words that communicate the organization’s values. Yet, one word, “toxic,” has found…
Workplace bullying causes real and sometimes permanent harm yet management’s champions in HR are often powerless to help. Bullying managers and employees create a toxic environment that results in lowered productivity, lowered team performance, and dysfunction among employees. When bullied employees turn to HR, they may not find much help…
One of the most wrenching problems I encounter is working with people or teams who are demoralized because of the behaviors of the person they work for. It’s even worse when those behaviors are a reflection of their organization’s leadership and culture. So why are bosses toxic? Why are they…
An expression I detest is “I can speak for everyone when I say…” Why is it assumed that you can speak for everyone in a group, or that everyone shares your preferences and opinions? This is an example of self-appointed decision making. A self-appointed decision maker, be it an individual…
The US Treasury, in selecting a woman to feature on the planned redesign of the $20 bill, was inundated with candidates whose contributions to our nation were pivotal if not monumental. As our team considered the women whose stories inspire us, it was much the same. We decided to share…