Engagement is possible, but it's not always easy. We speak as though a leader can engage their team by just being an effective leader, but true engagement requires people to take action. Engagement is a two-way street.  So if leaders can’t necessarily control their...

Sharon was preparing to ask her direct report how she was doing as a leader.  Like most leaders, she had never formally asked someone for feedback about her performance and was a little nervous about how to proceed. Sharon remembered that the last time her boss asked...

John, Anne, and Sean have worked together for over five years in the same building. They have the same job but manage different teams. They often go out to lunch and talk about their children, partners, and major life events. But there is one thing they never talk...

Bruce is the head of manufacturing for a large company. He feels overwhelmed by the number and complexity of his team’s people-challenges. As a leader, he feels responsible for fixing these problems but he also wants to empower his team.  When Bruce went through the...

The following is a case study on a heavy manufacturing company with about 200 employees. They experienced significant sales growth but struggled to meet the growing demand for their products. With such rapid growth they were challenged to find the number of leaders...

John is the plant manager for a midsize manufacturer which has been in operation for over one hundred years. For the last twenty years, leadership has focused on strengthening operations and improving leadership. John feels frustrated that historically, the...

I’ve always found it interesting that the topic of continuous improvements' financial benefits is less of a focus than the steps taken to improve work. I find it tends to be for one of the following reasons: It can be difficult to calculate the financial benefits...

Recently, I became acquainted with a gentleman who had researched the link between continuous improvement and engagement. Since this is a topic that has been near and dear to me for many years, it was delightful to spend time with someone who has a similar passion for...

Recently in my work I was reintroduced to the use of Design Thinking methods as applied to People Strategies. Originally, I came across this work from the book Agile HR which included a focus on designing employee experiences, so I knew it would be near to my heart....

To say that COVID changed the world would be an understatement. The pandemic completely changed the way people think, live, and work. We need to change the paradigms in the workplace as well. Recently I’ve encountered several groups experiencing struggles as a direct...

All too often leaders give people the answers, rather than challenge and empower their team members to effect change. Somehow they just can’t help themselves - despite the knowledge that a coaching-style of leadership is more people-centric and leads to more engaged...

A multimillion dollar manufacturer has focused on leadership development for several years. They have hosted training programs with engaging sessions that many people enjoy and find interesting. Despite efforts to improve leadership skills and processes, there has...

Leading vs. Coaching  I have recently been working with a number of organizations on a training format that originates from the days of providing first line supervisory training. If someone would have told me years ago that at this stage in my work I would be focused...

In my last blog, I discussed the People Value Stream Model and how it can optimize both employee engagement and financial results. Now that you know what the People Value Stream model is, it’s important to understand how this people-centric model is measured and the...