Something is in the water. Yoga is the new HR teambuilding activity. I say this because I’ve been to several human resources meetings, this year, and leaders are forcing their colleagues and direct reports to wake up early and do yoga. And I use the word “forcing” because attendance is mandatory. You wake up early,…
About a year ago, a former HR colleague called me in a panic. She was asked to help design a new office layout. Nobody would have offices or cubicle walls, not even the CEO. “We’re going to lose people,” she told me. I just checked in with her, and she did lose people. Quite a…
Leadership literature is rubbish. I know this because I’m friendly with many of those authors, and they approach the concept of leadership as an elusive, dichotomous quality: either you got it, or you don’t. Paternal Persona The first problem with the discussion around leadership is that it’s rooted in a masculine, fatherly framework. The best…
It’s the final day of our weeklong journey into “culture.” We have talked about creativity, collaboration and curation. Our final destination is continuity. Do you work for a company that drinks its own champagne? I’ve advised those companies, yo. My industry is thick with founder’s syndrome. Everything is great when you have a founder and…
A few years ago, I read an interesting book by Dr. Grant McCracken. It’s called Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation. Have you read it? It’s good. The author believes that companies need specialized workers, supervisors and leaders who understand cultural anthropology. Those new workers could create a culture that has…
Collaboration is the second component of a great company culture. It’s about having a vision but also compromising for the greater good. My imaginary boyfriend, Jon Stewart, once described collaboration by saying, “…you go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go.” And we are all better for it. But…
Yesterday, I told you that I’m going to cover the four components of a great company culture. Those components are creativity, collaboration, curation and continuity. First up? Creativity. I’m not talking about the kind of creativity energy that emanates from a bunch of knowledge workers — under the age of 30 — sitting in a…
I’m all over the internet talking about culture because you want to lie to me, and I’m sick of it. * The Culture Myth * Company Culture is a Myth * What Defines Culture? * Cult or Culture? It Takes More than a Makeover to Make Your Company Great (There’s more. So much more. You can…
People keep asking me if I’m going to LinkedIn Talent Connect. It’s complicated. A few months ago, I wrote an article about a LinkedIn hackathon that very few people actually read. I was like, “Is today the day that I woke up looking stupid?” Here’s the summary: LinkedIn held a recruiting event, disguised as a…
I’ve been feeling a little tired and worn out, as you know, so I’m trying to choose a better attitude. A friend suggested that I approach my toughest challenges as a student. Go slowly, be curious, and get ready to fail. Part of me was like — screw that. It sucks to be a beginner.…