Holding grudges will hurt you as much as the other side. At times, some actions or words can’t (and probably shouldn’t) be forgotten, but in business it is nearly pointless to hold grudges. Disagreements of the past should not determine your partnerships, collaboration and mutual success of the future. Put egos aside and work together towards achieving your organizational vision …
Be mindful of the present, but staff for the future
Build your teams thoughtfully. As opportunities open up to add new staff, carefully consider both your team’s and organizational needs then staff accordingly. Don’t simply replace “like for like”, but rather focus on both current needs as well as your future strategic direction you are planning to take. Each member of your team has a role to play and is …
Look ahead of the curve and focus on possibilities
Leading others is a great honor and responsibility, and as such, it should be approached with great care and attention. As a leader, one of your responsibilities is to get out of the weeds and focus on the vision and possibilities ahead. It is your responsibility to empower your team to believe in the vision and mission; to empower them …
Ideas are cheap, execution is priceless
While ideas are important and valuable, often they are no more valuable than that piece of paper you wrote them on. We all have ideas, some are great, others not as much, but what differentiates success from failure, what determines the overall outcome is what we do with our ideas; how do we execute them.
Hire your boss!
Hire your boss! While that statement without context is contradictory it does deserve your attention as you advance in your career. While vision, responsibilities, advancement opportunities, position, strategic plans, staffing, benefits and salary are all important, the single most important factor impacting and influencing your future success (besides your own work ethic, commitment and quality) is your boss. Having said …
Organizational mission sets all calendars
Business side of your organization sets the calendars of all others. This can happen directly or indirectly, but all functional areas need to be aware of the core mission of their business and act in support of it. In my particular case, in higher education, academic calendar sets our IT calendar and has a significant impact as to how and …
Focus on your personal strengths and hire your weaknesses
Focus on your personal strengths and hire your weaknesses. Each of us have different skills and talents and we should leverage them for our success. These qualities will complement qualities of others as you build or join teams and with everyone working together towards a unified vision, success is guaranteed. Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, …
Take risks and realize your vision
At times we must take risks in order to advance, move forward, learn and grow. Taking risks is not comfortable and natural for most people, but those who do challenge themselves outside their comfort zone are those who most frequently benefit and reach the next level. Historically, the greatest contributions to mankind were done by men and women who didn’t …
Ways to retain top talent
Attracting and retaining top talent is one of the main concerns on minds of many executives across various industries. Finding amazing people who are organizational rock stars in a sense is not easy which is why it is important to establish an environment which promotes retention. Here are some guiding principles of how to retain your top talent: LISTEN to …
Is your team providing strategic value?
Every once in a while do a complete assessment of your and your team’s contributions to the overall mission, vision and purpose of the organization that you work for. During this process, ask yourself, are you providing strategic value? Are you contributing (directly or indirectly) to the main cause and main reason why all of you are there? If the …