Is competition good or bad? The answer, depending on several factors, could be “yes, no, or it depends”. What about organizational competition? My answer would be the same! Let’s look at how to determine if organizational competition is helping or harming your team and organizational results.Organizational Competition is Good When…It spurs innovation and creativity. When

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We usually seek others to mentor us, and rightly so. Mentors offer invaluable perspectives and support. However, it’s vital to realize that one of the key mentors in your life can be yourself.Four Key Strategies to Self-MentoringTreat Yourself Better: Consider how a good mentor would treat you – with encouragement, support, and belief in your

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When you ask someone a question and they respond, “It depends,” how does that make you feel? Does it make think the person is blowing you off or hedging their bets? Do you wonder if they are non-committal or not as knowledgeable as you thought? It could mean any of those things. Or it could

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It has been about four years since COVID-19 moved from virus to pandemic status. And those events changed how we view the world – and work – forever. At this four-year mark, I am looking at the biggest pandemic lessons I learned. After you read mine, I hope you will share your own in the

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There is a well-known game played on car trips. It is most often called “Slug bug” or “Punch buggy”. Regardless of the name, the game rewards those who see a VW Beetle (the “bug”) first. The first person to see the car in question can “slug” or “punch” the other person. (More details are here.)

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You’ve experienced this – as both the leader and meeting participant. The leader asks a question of the group, wanting and needing a response and gets…crickets. Having asked hundreds of leaders what they are thinking at that moment, about half say they wonder why people don’t care enough to say something or share their thoughts.

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To truly understand the importance of hiring for teams and organizations, look at the cost of a bad selection. Beyond the direct costs associated with those poor matches, there are costs of time, effort, productivity, and training. Not to mention the potential hits taken to culture, trust, and morale. Any such “horror stories” should remind

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You’ve likely been writing and sending emails most or all your professional life. Maybe you don’t even remember life without email. We write them, hit Send, and magically they arrive in the other person’s inbox. We’ve sent our message; our work is done. This magic is great, until it isn’t. We can make the magic

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As a high school and college kid working on our farm, I remember my dad sometimes taking short naps after lunch. At the time, I didn’t think my dad was lazy in any way, but I didn’t understand it. As a business owner for 30 years (and now past the age of my dad in

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As you become a clearer and more vibrant thinker, you become a more effective leader (and human being). To become that clear and vibrant thinker, we must go to the source – our inputs. Set aside the thinking process for a minute. Let’s explore how and why inputs for thinking are critically important – and

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