Mike’s Blog
This is for everyone who is interested in Leadership, teams, and people.
There are currently 1,294 posts on this site. Narrow the list by searching for topics that are important to you.
Why do we keep pushing against the odds?
On Friday, the internet went down for cable subscribers in southern Ontario. Once I realized it was down, my first thoughts went to “how am I going to get my work done today. What about the calls I have scheduled?” While I do have the hotspot on my phone, it’s too...
Is leadership a thing?
I was coaching an executive near the top of one of Canada's big banks. She called me in one day to talk about running a leadership program for her team. On my way to her office, I had decided I would only do this program if it were for the right reasons. Too many...
Nothing Really Matters
Success, failure, famous, or unknown. What if none of it really matters and life could be easy. You just need to decide that it is. “Nothing really matters.” — Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody
Asking for help is not a weakness
It’s confession time! Historically, I suck at asking for help. For the longest time, it didn’t feel like a problem. I’d tell myself to justify not asking for help, like: It’ll take me longer to teach someone else what to do than to do it myself Someone else won’t do...
Ignoring how people are feeling will only make problems worse
Let's start by listing some of the more pervasive problems people are dealing with right now: The war in Ukraine and the uncertainty it's creating. The ongoing pandemic and the debates around masks, vaccines, and more. The so-called freedom convoys and their impact on...
The impact of webcams on creativity
I've spent the past two years of working at home, perfecting what it means to be in front of a webcam. One of the most impactful skills I've learned is to look right into the webcam when I'm talking, coaching, or teaching. It wasn't easy to learn this skill when I...
How are you using your positional power?
I once quit a job that I really cared about. The reason? My boss used his positional power in ways that created many problems for the team. For example, one day, he phoned me while I was travelling home from a client site. He told me about a change that was happening...
Well I guess it was bound to happen
After more than two years, we had Covid in the house for the first time. It started with one of us testing positive. Then, within a couple of days, the rest of us were testing positive. Thankfully, none of us had any severe symptoms. It also seems that none of us will...
Try being abnormal this week
I'm mediocre. There, I said it. It's hard to admit to mediocrity in a world that values those who stand out. However, there's nothing special about me or what I'm doing in the world. At least, this is the story I told myself for a long time. Take a moment and assess...
What to do when someone is upset
Several years ago, a client asked me to put together a plan to get the team trained and up to speed on a new way of working. While presenting the plan to the management team, one of the VPs became angry as he felt I was trying to upsell him. I was taken aback and...
Are you resilient or recovering in the face of burnout?
There are times you need to be resilient and keep going forward in your life. Other times, it’s prudent to pause and recover.
Stop trying to get it right
In January 2019, I found myself frustrated with the process and experience of writing. I was finding the process of writing and publishing blog posts challenging. I would spend a lot of time working on each post as I tried to get it ‘right.’ To change the writing...
What are your deadlines?
Are your deadlines real or imaginary? Hint: Most are imaginary.
What do you value?
Don’t adopt values from a list that you should subscribe to. Spend time understanding what you truly value.
Feedback without permission is not going to be heard
Feedback is best when you have permission to give it. B.T.W: Being the boss doesn’t mean you always have permission.
What defines your culture?
Given culture is defined by your values, what values define your culture?
The most important plan you create
The most important plan you create defines how you’re going to grow employee engagement.
What’s your team’s purpose?
You’re going to have a problem if your team's purpose is to the company money.
Don’t deny your need for time off
Working during your time off may feel necessary, but at what cost?
Team building isn’t a social event
There’s a difference between team building and team social events. Which do you need?
Feedback is the opportunity to improve
You’re missing an opportunity when you don’t invite feedback from the team.
Don’t stop talking about your vision
When you’re tired of communicating your vision, you’ve finally reached the starting point. Congratulations!
Choose the right skill – Coach or Mentoring
Mentoring is sharing your experiences. Coaching is bringing out what others already know. For the best results use the right skill.
No problem is bigger than you
No problem is bigger than you unless you let the problem be bigger.