I’m excited to present “Leading Change” at the Ignite Business Development Bootcamp™ for Small Businesses on October 3, 2020. As a result of COVID-19 business owners have been forced to change how they do business. During this interactive session, you will gain a deeper understanding of change leadership, and work through a change you’re currently leading or planning to lead.
I’ve noticed that many people are delivering (and receiving) unpleasant news more than usual — messages that were not expected, contrary to the norm or unwanted, and negatively impacting. Obviously, the current pandemic may be fueling this. The news about job loss, health conditions, layoffs, furloughs, elimination of bonuses and pay increases, possible pay cuts, different expectations, in-person school programs moving to virtual formats, students not able to go to campus for the fall term, and forecasts
I am a bibliophile. But it wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I actually fell in love with reading. I’m not quite sure what happened to prompt the shift. Perhaps it was the first time I remember a friend and me reading and talking about the same book. Or, perhaps it was my 11th grade English teacher inspiring
Articles will be featured in Organization Development Review Special Issue (March–April 2021) I’m honored to be one of the guest editors for this special issue of Organization Development Review. Click here for original printing in ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT REVIEW Vol. 52, No. 2, 2020 We have been experiencing what living in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world (VUCA) looks and
In recent weeks, states and communities have started lifting restrictions on movement and business operations amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. I suspect this will be a slow process. And, as many experts forecast, we may see a return to restrictions in the coming months. As I think about my experience since mid-March and imagine what is on the horizon, I am
As human beings, we often strive to be helpful. We may do this in one or more of our roles as a friend, colleague, manager, peer, coach, consultant, parent, sibling, etc. In his book, Helping, Edgar Schein (2007) wrote about the imbalance that occurs when a helping relationship emerges. This imbalance involves the person being helped as a “down” or “subordinated” position (NOTE: this is not “subordinate”). Most of us
The following appears in Organization Development Review, Winter/Spring 2020, Volume 52 Number 1. It is co-authored by myself and Heather Berthoud. A PDF of the formatted article as it appears in the review is available here. ______________ Every day we use our “self”. How did we learn to do this consciously? And, how can we teach others to be more aware
Building on the experiences of 15 successful congregational leaders in the United Methodist Church, John Bennett, Ph.D., and Julie Gawle along with five graduate students (Emily Carpenter, Brendan Coffey, Danielle Frottier, Laurie Meek, and Tori Scarborough) from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, identify and explore leadership behaviors that support congregational vitality. In this study, 15 pastors
On a recent business trip to Germany and Austria, I was reminded of how difficult it can be to communicate when you don’t speak the same language. Even the otherwise simple tasks of ordering a meal, asking for directions, and shopping can be complicated. This experience prompted me to think about how difficult it can be to communicate in business
It’s no surprise that I’ve found myself in more virtual meetings during the COVID-19 crisis than in the past several months combined. While virtual meetings are not new, this volume is definitely different. It has prompted me to consider what I know about group and team dynamics in a physical environment, and how that applies to the virtual world. Here