My approach to performance reviews is all about making them a genuine conversation that leaves people feeling seen, understood, and ready to tackle their next steps. Forget the sterile, checklist-driven…
It’s never easy when someone leaves a team, especially not when it’s a difficult departure. We’ve all been there, or at least heard stories. Maybe it was a firing, maybe…
It’s a common situation: you’re leading a team, and one of your direct reports really knows their stuff, perhaps even more than you do in a specific area. This can…
When you’re trying to make good decisions, whether it’s about your product, your customers, or your team, you’ve got two big piles of information staring back at you: numbers and…
Here’s an article about using data to convince an executive, keeping your principles in mind: You know those moments at work? The ones where you’ve got a solid idea, a…
Recruiting top-tier talent right now feels a bit like trying to catch a greased pig at a county fair – everyone’s after the same thing, and it’s fast and slippery.…
Making sure a new person on your team feels ready and confident is a big deal. It’s not just about showing them the ropes; it’s about setting them up for…
Forecasting what you’ll need down the road – whether it’s people, money, or supplies – might sound complicated. But at its core, it’s about looking at what’s happened before and…
We all know that feeling. Your colleague, Sarah, let’s call her, has been hinting for weeks. She’s been taking on extra tasks, staying late, and subtly, not so subtly, making…
Creating a space where everyone feels safe to share their thoughts and give honest feedback is crucial for any team’s success. When people are afraid of being judged, criticized, or…
You’ve got a problem. Two different sets of data, both supposed to describe the same thing, are saying completely opposite things. One tells you sales are booming, the other says…
When something big breaks, it’s easy to just fix it and move on. But that doesn’t really help us avoid it happening again. My approach to figuring out what went…
Let’s talk about a challenging but ultimately rewarding situation I encountered early in my management career: putting an employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). It wasn’t a decision I…
It’s a tough spot to be in. You’ve got two talented people on your team, both doing important work, but they just don’t get along. Their interactions are tense, and…
You know those moments when everyone’s looking at the same thing, but you see something a little different? That’s often where the magic happens, especially when it comes to data.…
Sometimes, you see something going on that’s really hurting your team. And the person causing it? They’re pretty high up – an executive. This is a tough spot to be…
When another department points a finger, saying your team messed up something big operationally, it can feel like a punch to the gut. Your first instinct might be to get…
There are times when the people doing the actual work look at a decision coming down from above and just… don’t see it. They don’t see the logic, the benefit,…
Teaching your team to think more analytically and use data isn’t just a good idea; it’s essential for success these days. When your direct reports can dig into information, spot…
There are times when you just know something is going to work. You get that feeling in your stomach, that little voice telling you, “This is it. This is the…
