Recognition and Accountability in the New Workplace

By Daniel Robin "Don’t we have to send out surveys to test the waters before determining an advertising budget?" the new boss asks. "Nah, the Web isn’t like that. And since when are you an expert in marketing?" the marketing manager asked her boss. "That’s why you’re here, alright. To keep me in line. And if my business degree means anything, it’ll come in handy to help you measure the Continue Reading ...

The Art and Practice of Agreement

By Daniel Robin This article takes a deeper look at how having clear and complete agreements often spells out the difference between success and suffering. How in the world can we build a workplace based on well-considered agreements when ... Co-workers, employees, and customers quickly knee-jerk into "Yes" or "No" responses — before they even know what's Continue Reading ...

Building a Workplace Culture Based on Agreement

How to Get There From Here By Daniel Robin "Starting today, I promise to be on time for every meeting, no matter what. Really. This time I mean it." How healthy this sounds, they all thought. Finally ... embracing what they've been wanting for months. Perhaps it's time. Why New Year's Resolutions (Usually) Don't Work A resolution is a decision. A decision on an Continue Reading ...

Leadership Out of Control

Accessing Organizational Leverage Points by Daniel Robin "Well, ambulance I can’t tell you what to do, sovaldi sale Alex, capsule but if you’re going to reach your goals, you’d better do something to get your team’s act together." "Like what, join hands and sing Kumbaya in three-part harmony? Get serious. We’re only as good as our leadership, and you people act like you’re out to get Continue Reading ...

Reigniting Spirit in the Workplace

By Daniel Robin What you pay attention to, viagra cialis grows. If you happen to notice everything at work that isn’t working, cialis you’d (a) have a long list, decease and (b) probably have a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. If, by contrast, you decided to look for and highlight everyone’s best intentions, you might notice your morale rising simply Continue Reading ...

Organizational Pathways: Part 3

Strategies for Leading Change By Daniel Robin This is the third installation in a three-part series on dealing with workplace change. So far we've explored personal strategies (Link to Part 1) and interpersonal strategies (link to Part 2) to help make transitions less stressful and more humane; this article dives into how organizations can use the change process to effectively manage and build Continue Reading ...

Organizational Pathways: Part 2

Resources for Keeping the Peace The Art of Alternative Dispute Resolution by Daniel Robin How can you live in peace and still live in the world? In our litigious society, success can be defined as not having to sue anybody. Conflicts are inevitable, and often act as a mirror of our own lives and attitudes. Using the appropriate tool to address an issue helps us keep differences from escalating Continue Reading ...

Organizational Pathways: Part 1

Waging Peace in the Workplace By Daniel Robin With the increase in work force diversity, emphasis on teams, and the new-world-disorder -- also known as chaos -- sooner or later, we all get into conflicts that just don't resolve, even with a Ph.D. in active listening mode. Calmly sitting down to "talk about it" can be frustrating when there are hidden agendas, turf wars, or fear patterns in the Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 3

Ending the Blame & Shame Game -- part 3 of 3 By Daniel Robin "You did it again! How many times have I told you that it is not okay to socialize with your workers … you’re in charge here, and being seen as ‘Mr. nice guy’ undermines your authority." The boss has spoken. "I don’t ‘socialize’ with them … we just talk, Bob explains. "Plus, you and I go to lunch sometimes … why Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 2

Gripe to Grip --  part 2 of 3 By Daniel Robin Most of the workplaces I’ve known are in a state of perpetual chaos and disrepair … they are immense and never-ending exercises in surfacing dramatic problems and (in some cases) actually solving them. By contrast, highly bureaucratic or rigid organizations simply do not allow problems (denial anyone?). However, allowing personal attacks, emotional Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 1

Containment -- part 1 of 3 By Daniel Robin "You can forget about that project … it will fail like all the rest." "Yeah, our morale has been down so long, even bottom is starting to look like up!" A colleague just got told to "get off it" by his boss. What’s the "it", exactly? He doesn’t really know, oddly enough, because the problem has been undiscussable and undefined from the start. Something Continue Reading ...

Four Pillars of Agreements

In order for people to honor agreements in ways that get the desired result, the following four conditions must be met. If any one of these factors miss the mark, chances are good that something will go wrong. Clarity: clear about the goal and the complete set of "conditions of satisfaction" (values, criteria, expectations) Commitment: Solid "yes" representing Continue Reading ...