Mike’s Blog

Giving and receiving feedback is essential. Without feedback, people will be flying blind when it comes to an understanding of how they might improve. The problem, though, feedback is often focused on the past. To enhance your feedback, look to provide some...

Most companies have an HR system used for people management. It's possible, though, the HR system is handcuffing the growth of your people. As an example, most of these systems have a feature for providing quick feedback. A place where anyone can say, "Way to go!" Or...

If you've watched the movie Finding Nemo, you will remember Dory. Dory is the little blue fish who kept repeating, "just keep swimming." What I've realized is how much of a leader Dory is. Dory has a vision for where they are going (when she remembered it). As things...

There was a period during my career I thought I was good at controlling change. The problem with trying to control change is, the more you try to control change, the more change will happen to you. Take, for example, the taxi business. The taxi world shifted...

"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." -- Bill Gates What does it feel like when you give someone constructive (i.e. negative) feedback? For me, I feel anxious, and would rather avoid the conversation. One way to alleviate this feeling...

I am frequently talking about the importance of leaders sharing the purpose for which their organization exists. This idea about leadership seems to be common knowledge. However, when can a leader assume the people know the purpose and stop talking about it? My rule...

A leader is someone others choose to follow. However, what happens when you're trying to lead, and no-one is following? You could force them to follow you, but that's not leadership. There can be any number of reasons others aren't following your lead. To solve the...

I once worked for a leader who talked - a lot. He seemed to be able to speak extensively on almost any topic. I remember one meeting where he went on for nearly an hour. A leader's job is to help others succeed. How do you expect to hear where you can help if you're...

What do you want more of for the team you lead? Trust? Responsibility? Collaboration? Leaders will often turn to some great resources to help with these things. Despite this, you might be struggling to get what you want. The people you lead will only rise to the level...

Leaders - Do you have enough hours in the day to get your job done? Is your world a constant stream of interruptions needing your attention? Are you working evenings, trying to get through your day job? If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions, you might...

Years ago, while working as an employee, I would occasionally take mental health days. These were the days where I was mentally exhausted or stressed and needed a break. The problem is, I usually hid the truth about these days. I now know I was feeling shame about...

How does your team respond when asked to take on ‘one more little thing?’ Do they accept the request, believing they have no choice? Do they give up their personal time to get through it all? The unintended impact of ‘one more little thing’ can be significant. How...