I used to think that if only I got the right job, at the right place, working for the right CEO, that all of a sudden, all of the “crazy organization” stuff — if you’ve worked for a large organization, you darn well know what I mean — would go away. Bzzt! Wrong answer. In […]
Keeping Integrity While Keeping Your Job
Don’t ruin your integrity by telling lies for your organization. You don’t have to. There is a great deal of middle ground between parroting lies on behalf of your large, dysfunctional organization and actively clashing with the leadership. Just don’t participate. A friend and I were musing that our gym (a large, multi-site organization) was […]
“Too Long, Didn’t Read:” Your Career Depends On Exec Summaries
You got good at your job because you’re good at the details. But you won’t get promoted beyond your job because you’re good at details. You’ll get promoted because you know how to summarize. It seems unfair. You’re good at details. Yet, it seems that executives at your organization never want to understand the details. […]
How To Tell Your Boss, “You’re Wrong!”
Any smart boss is looking for pushback. Here’s why, and how you can push back in a way that’s good for everyone. When I coach new or emerging leaders, I often offer this protip: if nobody’s speaking up or objecting to your direction, it’s probably not because you’re perfect. It’s because folks feel like they […]
How To Fix Workplace Cruelty
Workplace cruelty is a central issue of our time. But it’s not for “the company” to fix, it’s for you and me to fix. We get outraged by factory production of puppies, as we should. Puppies are fellow creatures; they do not deserve the fear and pain of being mass-produced. Why, then, do we put […]
Why You Should Keep A “Smile File”
A smile file is not only the time capsule of a future pick-me-up, it keeps track of whom you should work with in the future. My mom called it “the good guy” file. I call it “the smile file.” Whatever you call it, keep one. Even if you are a “piler, not a filer,” this […]
Our Work And Why We Do It: Top Posts
My top posts recently were all about our work, why we do it, and how we can do it better. I really appreciate all of the conversations on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter; they have helped me to write better, more relevant posts. Thank you! 1. Run A Sane Team At A Crazy Company: 8 Steps […]
To Hour Of Code Participants, From CIOs, With Love
Many of you probably know someone who participated in this week’s “Hour of Code,” the more pop-culture name for “Computer Science Education Week.” As is typical, and beautiful, of computer scientists, Hour of Code is a small, encapsulated function that is biased towards action: a “one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and […]
“Soon” Never Comes: Open Source, And Life
“Temporary” doesn’t turn out that way. If you want something to be a certain way, do it from the beginning. “We’re discussing open sourcing the project code,” she said. “When?” I asked. “Oh, we’ll have to discuss that,” she said. “But soon. Soon.” What’s open source and what does it have to do with the […]
How To Say “I Love You” At Work
Employees don’t stick around because of money. They stick around for love. The need for money is a given. It’s also at every job. That’s why it’s a job. But money is not why people stick around. All jobs have money. People stick around at a job because of connection and meaning. The human need […]