Dear Santa, I’ve been a good boy all year. (Isn’t that how the Dear Santa letter often starts?) I’ve been nice to my sister, I helped Mom and Dad around the house a lot, and I cleaned up my room every Saturday. Okay, almost every Saturday. (A brief overview of deeds considered ‘good’ in Santa’s books.) I didn’t kick the cat at all this year except that one time she peed on my bed,...

Excerpts from The Myth of Best Practice A look at the creative process by Robert Fritz (www.robertfritz.com) The arts are unique in that the creative process is a foundation for everything you do.  Most other professions do not demand the same orientation.  In fact, most of us have learned that to succeed in life, we must follow, what in business these days is called “best practices.” So-called...

It was during a conversation I was having the other week with the Taiwan head of a global fashion group that the idea of teams in attunement came up. It began innocently enough as we talked about sports. You may be thinking, oh boy, this is going to be an article on sports! But that’s the rub—there are valuable lessons to be drawn from high performing sports teams that can be applied to how businesses...

In every team there is an invisible player. A person whose actions are having an effect on the group, but who you are unable to observe, provide feedback to, or objectively evaluate their effort. You may hear about the invisible player from others, you may see the results of the invisible player’s efforts, but you never actually see them at work, nor can you ever be certain of the kind of impact...

Effective managers remove obstacles for employees – and then step aside to let them do their jobs. A CEO’s paramount responsibility (is) to shape the organization’s goals, to communicate them through many levels to the people who are charged with getting the work done, and to demand — and reward — behaviors that demonstrate the company’s ethical values and standards....

What can we do to create an environment which would produce happiness at work? Recharged Energy Freedom and Support High Morale Open Communication Reduced Pressure Recharged Energy includes, 1) A holistic working environment, 2) Frequent focused conversations,  3) Ecological consciousness, 4) Available massage machine, 5) Company rewards, 6) A relaxation facility, and      5) Staff area made...

A brief introduction to Appreciative Intelligence through excerpts from the book. Appreciative Intelligence is the ability to perceive the positive inherent generative potential within the present.  It has three major components.  They are: 1 Reframing, the psychological process whereby a person is able to see one’s view of the world as “a view.” In any act of perception or reframing, a person...

If the driving force of intelligence in twentieth-century business has been IQ, then – in accordance with growing evidence – in the dawning twenty-first century it will be EQ, and related forms of practical and creative intelligence. There are still those in management who would dismiss emotions entirely, or see them as a minefield to be avoided at all costs. Yet in many cases these are...

Take a step back and see if you’re contributing to the problem. It’s an understatement to say that working well with your boss is crucial to your career success. Your manager not only wields significant influence over your professional advancement, but he or she also can affect your job satisfaction — and even your overall happiness. The best working relationships are symbiotic and...

Are you working too hard, and too often? Q: You put in 12 to 14 hours a day at the office and often work on weekends and at home.  Some people have joked that you are a “workaholic” … even that it’s a serious problem.  Is it?  How can you tell? A: Chances are you’re a workaholic if you feel compelled to work for the sake of working, and you feel panic, anxiety or a sense of loss when you...