After many years as a performance management enthusiast, I sometimes forget how much confusion there still is around the topic. Since I’m a big believer that standardized language helps reduce confusion, I’ve decided to summarize some of my deeply held beliefs on performance management: An objective describes what you want to accomplish. For example, ‘win…
Archive | September, 2010
The Solitude of Leadership
In an article entire Solitude and Leadership, William Deresiewicz delivered this stinging indictment on the state of leadership in America: Why is it so often that the best people are stuck in the middle and the people who are running things—the leaders—are the mediocrities? Because excellence isn’t usually what gets you up the greasy pole….
Does Language Influence Culture?
We all use language to express our thoughts but does language influence culture? Research suggests inherent structures in languages shape our thoughts without us realizing it. In fact, differences in languages seem to impact how people act and interpret their surroundings. Psychology professor Lera Boroditsky provides some fascinating examples in a Wall Street Journal article…
Do bosses have the illusion of control?
Stanford University management professor Bob Sutton has written extensively about the impact of bad bosses in the workplace. I blogged about his book “The No Asshole Rule” and have been using his litmus test ‘Do people feel more or less energized after they talk to you?’ as guidance since I first heard him describe it….