Attention all leaders: New criteria for raising issues in the workplace, no solution necessary!

Cy Wakeman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:40:22 -0500

Each and every day I work with leaders to try to help them understand that much of what they have come to accept as “best practices” or “solid beliefs” in leadership philosophy are not only untrue, but keeping them from creating far greater results in their organizations.

Leaders, There Really Are Some Stupid Questions!

Cy Wakeman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:12:51 -0400

Over this past year of presenting the concepts of Reality Based Leadership at conferences nationwide, I have often heard leaders unconsciously, routinely spouting off cliches that not only remain untested but that are absolutely false. Worse yet, they are encouraging a huge waste of scarce team resources.

A favorite cliché of mine to bust right in front of their eyes is, “There are no stupid questions.”

Leadership Cliché Challenged and Busted – There is no “I” in TEAM replaced with There is definitely an “I” in WIN.

Cy Wakeman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:36:46 -0400

Have you ever noticed that many of the leadership clichés we live by are not living up to their reputation? Leaders flippantly throw around sound bites of so-called “wisdom,” picked up at conferences or from leadership books and use them without truly questioning whether or not they are true or even useful. Bit by bit, these clichés have reached the status of “conventional wisdom” – widespread beliefs that are not only untested but untrue – also causing havoc in the workplace.

Leaders, beware: the hottest new excuse for lack of results – “trust issues”

Cy Wakeman — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:21:22 -0400

Recent research has cited that employees who trust their senior management bring back 108% value to their shareholders. On the other hand, employees who do not trust their senior executives only bring 66% back to their shareholders.

My advice to leaders: Play favorites and get results!

Cy Wakeman — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:31:50 -0400

In our quest as leaders to be respectful of legitimate differences our employees have, it appears that we have become a very careful, hesitant, and nearly comatose group. A great number of “leaders” have begun to pretend that all employees are created equal and are delivering equal results and value to the organization – when the reality is actually quite different.

Does taking a sabbatical equal job sabotage?

Cy Wakeman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:51:49 -0400

You probably heard of them in college – many of your favorite professors took a semester off to travel the world, do research or write a book. Now that you're in the real world, you could use a sabbatical, too – but is taking one a good move for your career? From an HR perspective, sabbaticals are a creative and kinder strategy to survey the workforce for those who are able and willing to volunteer for time off in order to avoid being forced to furlough unwilling workers.

Is a sabbatical right for you?

How Does GPA Stack Up in the Real World?

Cy Wakeman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:54:07 -0400

You might ask yourself, how important is my grade point average when searching for a job?

In some aspects – it is not to be overlooked. If the applicant has recently graduated, is seeking entrance into a top corporation, is in a highly competitive job market or in a highly technical field, then GPA (grade point average) remains extremely important even though it is not always the best predictor of future performance. For other opportunities, GPAs are being valued less, with the candidate’s potential for valuable future contributions weighted far greater.

Fighting Back Against the Office Bully

Cy Wakeman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:05:28 -0400

You remember in grade school when the bully left you in the dust on the playground without a lunch? You’d like to think that now that you’re an adult, all of that drama was left on the playground. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Those bullies on the playground are now working with you in the corporate world.

A guide to dealing with resistant employees

Cy Wakeman — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:25:42 -0400

Where, oh where has my willing employee gone? And where did all of these irrelevant and resistant employees come from?

The No. 1 question I hear from managers and leaders is, “How do I deal with resistant employees?”

Stopping pandemic panic: how to address swine flu concerns in your organization

Cy Wakeman — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:49:20 -0400

The threat of a pandemic is on the minds of many business leaders as of late. The focus has come off of the business once again to be placed on the many “what ifs” posed by recent health threats. The truth is, leaders need to be mitigating risks every single day, not just when the media escalates or over exaggerates a potential threat. The issue at hand is not the actual threat posed, but poor leadership habits being exposed by the possibility of yet another form of risk to the business.