I worked once with a team where projects were regularly late, and people always seemed overwhelmed. When we dug into it, the real issue wasn’t effort — it was delays in decision-making. Team members...
I once worked with a service team where we assumed the workload was spread evenly. But when we actually measured it, one person was carrying almost double the number of assignments. She wasn’t...
One of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve had as a leader was when we shifted from only measuring sales revenue (a lagging indicator) to also tracking early activity (leading indicators). We...
One of the best team practices I’ve ever seen was something an engineering group called Messed Up Monday. On the first Monday of every month, all 35 engineers gathered for lunch with pizza...
I once worked with a team that had been “missing expectations” for weeks. Deadlines were being pushed, work was being re-done, and frustration was running high. When I asked what the team thought...
A few weeks ago, I visited a high-performing service team at a growing digital commerce company. They were hitting deadlines, improving quality, and exceeding expectations. But when I asked what...
I was coaching a COO last month who was frustrated with her team’s performance. “I feel like I have to stay on top of everything,” she said. “If I don’t keep pushing, it all falls apart.” She wasn’t...
It was probably later in my career than it should have been when I truly came to understand the importance of listening. As a young leader, I think I was more focused on being heard—on proving my...
I’ve come to believe that one of the most overlooked levers in leadership is the use of standards—not as rules, but as shared agreements for how we operate. This came into sharp focus recently while...
There are times when writing these blogs requires digging deep into the archives—lessons learned, stories from long ago. And then there are times when the lesson is right in front of you. Today is...
Years ago, I was helping manage a multi-site rollout of a new quality control system. One plant manager was frustrated: his team wasn’t adjusting, deadlines were slipping, and people were getting...
Before my business career, I spent time as a track coach at the University of West Virginia, coaching decathletes and heptathletes. One thing you learn quickly about those events: they are grueling....