I don’t know who thought that metaphors weren’t appropriate in the business context, but I’ve heard it enough times that I now hear it in my head every time I’m about to use a metaphor at work. Here’s the thing – as a storyteller who has embraced stories in every part of my life and …
Years ago we were sitting in a conference room that held 10 of us. Everyone in the room was a direct report and we were supposed to be talking about the next version of our flagship product. The problem was that no one wanted to debate. It was a room completely filled with faithful and …
I was talking the other day to friends who recently noticed I’d started this blog (even as I’ve started writing again at ChrisLema.com). They asked how this blog was doing. Was I getting a lot of traffic? Did I have a way to monetize it? The underlying assumption, I think, is that it’s worth putting …
Write regularly – even if no one is reading CONTINUE READING
In most conflicts you see two roles quickly appear – the accuser and the victim. As we all know, conflicts aren’t a one-sided thing – so already there’s a problem when we take on either role. But there’s a third role that can often appear – the rescuer. I’m not talking about a mediator. I’m …
What you don’t hear I once had to provide a reference for a person that I was thankful no longer worked for me. I knew exactly what I could and couldn’t do. So the call came and here’s how it went. “Can you tell me about this person?” “Absolutely. They worked here from June of …
Sometimes it’s what you don’t hear that matters CONTINUE READING
First, let’s be clear about what we’re not talking about here. We’re not talking about manipulation. We’re not talking about inception. We’re not talking about reverse psychology, underselling, or any other strategies to get your way. What we’re talking about is the patience and iterative conversations that you’ll need to help unstick people who are …
Want to change someone’s mind? Use iterative conversations. CONTINUE READING
Not everyone is a troll. It’s not like everyone is trying to make you angry. But it happens. You read a response, or hear a comment on a conference call – and it makes you furious. It’s easy to react. Easy to respond quickly in a defensive posture. And even if you’re calm, it’s easy …
Here’s what we know – everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes a failure is our own fault. Sometimes it’s because we were counting on something or someone else. It could be in our control, or not. But one thing is for sure: we all make mistakes. Given that reality, here’s the bigger question: how do you handle …
If you want great communication among your team, they need to see it modeled, and know what it takes. It starts with these four choices. Choices that will develop great communication habits.
There are a ton of great articles about the value and benefit of getting rid of jerks within your organization. One of my favorites is, Why Firing Brilliant Assholes Is Required to Build a Great Engineering Culture. Don’t get me wrong. Jerks aren’t fun. They’re not great. They can ruin teams and cultures. But sometimes …