by Michael Holland Historically analyzing transformational change allows us to see the moments in time when leaders have articulated profoundly simple visions, and the resulting behavioral change that occurred over time within an organization or group after the proclamation. JFK’s “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth” speech [...]
By Michael Holland Listening is one of those skills we learned early in life. We’ve “refined” the skill over time, but maybe the refinement has been more of filter management than enhancement of skills. Here are some possible reasons as to why we’re not good listeners. It’s difficult to put aside our own [...]
By Michael Holland The Fiscal Cliff mantra of late 2012 brought tremendous, terrifying images to mind for many people. Who wants to go over a cliff? A good friend of mine adjusted the lens looking at the forthcoming events as a Fiscal Ditch which was quite refreshing. We can traverse a ditch. [...]
by Michael Holland Have regular conversations with your employees, one-on-one, about their work and themselves. It shows your employees you are interested and care about meeting their needs. The information you learn will help you to better manage each person and you will find that your employees will appreciate the conversation. Below are [...]
by Michael Holland Did you know that what you are saying is not always the message you are sending? There are numerous factors that impact our communication and often create unintended messages and miscommunications as we work with employees. In face-to-face communications our non-verbal communication will have a greater impact on how someone interprets our [...]
by Michael Holland Are you really listening to what people are saying to you? Many people – your employees included – “test the waters” when they are talking with you. They may start out with “safe” topics, or share what they think you want to hear, leaving valuable information below the surface, deciding on how [...]
by Michael Holland For most people their weakest communication skill is their ability to listen. Why is that? Most of us can process information faster than another person talks, so we have lots of extra time to think of our response, judge or evaluate the speaker or just let our mind drift off to more [...]
by Michael Holland Having the courage to communicate what needs to be communicated can at times appear to be a rare quality in leaders. Leaders are often faced with situations which require thoughtful and delicate communications to make sure they clearly articulate information without harming others in the process. In sensitive employment situations – pending [...]
by Michael Holland From a recent CEO: "We have a lot to do. The most pressing thing I heard from our town hall meetings is the desire to clearly define our vision and strategy. I promise you we will be transparent and plan to articulate this in the coming weeks." What employees hear: “Blah, blah, [...]
by Michael Holland It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s convenient, but sometimes it can create a disaster. Knowing when to hit send and when to talk with someone directly is critical to your success. Some indicators that you need to have a real, live conversation: You’ve replied more than three times to the same person; [...]
