The First Step in Turning Around Organizational Culture
The purpose of the Center for Positive Organizations is very inclusive. I do not know anyone who doesn’t want to have a high-performing workplace with thriving people! Sadly, many people experience workplaces that are anything but positive. Indeed, a meta […]
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How to Run a Leadership Team Retreat
Team Building gets a bad rap. I have never been a fan of “fun” team building activities. Cooking a meal together or playing whirlyball are enjoyable activities, but I rarely leave feeling that I know the values or principles or […]
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Three Daily Habits for Positive Leaders
Sometimes culture change can seem overwhelming. It is so big and complex that we can be feel paralyzed, unable to take the first step. But small steps can make a big difference. Here are three ways to contribute toward flourishing […]
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Leadership in Turbulent Times
Picture a fast flowing, deep river winding through a steep bank in a forest. There are many twists and turns. The water is raging and churning, yet it stays within the confines of the river banks. How do you get […]
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Don’t Give Feedback Until You Read This
It’s time for a difficult conversation with a colleague or employee. A project just finished and didn’t go as anyone had hoped. You are dreading raising it directly. You are worried about how he or she will respond. So you […]
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Finding Meaning and Motivation in Work
Consider the following story of a meeting with interns led by a senior partner at a large accounting firm. Does it ring true for you? “The partner concluded the meeting by recounting the parable of three bricklayers who were rebuilding a […]
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The Simplest Explanation of Positive Leadership
“It is hard to be that nice all the time” complained a friend as we discussed the pros and cons of positive leadership. “And besides, people don’t want things sugar-coated. Sometimes they need tough love.” Quite a few people I […]
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Positive Organizing in Tough Times
Having a positive organizational culture is most important when things are not going according to plan. This is somewhat paradoxical. Many people expect that those workplaces with strong, positive cultures somehow have things go perfectly well all the time. Or […]
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Why Positive Organizations Matter
Creating workplaces conducive to human flourishing is one of the most important challenges facing the world today. Rising to this challenge will not be easy. One can paint a gloomy picture of the human experience in organizations today. Just 30% of […]
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Please Reject My Idea
When was the last time you made a proposal at work that was rejected? Was it quickly out of hand? Or was it “death by a thousand cuts”? This experience has happened to almost everyone at work. Depending on how […]
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How to Avoid Being a Fake Positive Leader
There are sessions taught in some companies these days on “Executive Presence.” Such courses help high-potential employees to walk, talk, and look like a leader is meant to look. Whatever that is. Ugh. All too often, programs like these emphasize […]
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What Positive Leadership is Not
It drives me nuts. Few things make me crazier than when people misunderstand what it means to be “positive” in the workplace, and then project that misunderstanding onto others. Many people interpret positive leaders as being “nice” or “happy” all […]
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Healing Spaces: Values and Politics at Work
This is a time of strong emotions and opinions in the United States. Most likely this is true around the world. How do we create workspaces where people can express and have dialogue about how they are feeling, without alienating […]
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Can You Create Change From the Bottom Up?
An interview with the awesome Michelle McQuaid. Originally at www.michellemcquaid.com Do you lack the authority to create the kind of positive changes you’d love to see in your workplace? Have you tried to get leaders on board and had no […]
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In Defense of Doers
Leadership experts make it sound easy: “Follow these simple steps and you will have amazing results!” The typical format is somewhat formulaic. With poise and pithy quotes, we deliver our sticky stories. We boil down thousands of hours of research […]
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