Years ago, I waited tables to earn a living. I thought it was fun, fast-paced, and never boring. Plus, because so much of our income at that time came from making tips, I knew I could walk out with money in my pocket each night.

In the 1989 movie classic When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan’s Sally gives Billy Crystal’s Harry a bit of advice: “You’re going to have to find a way not to express every feeling that you have every moment that you have them.”

Leaders in a post-pandemic VUCA workplace, characterized by heightened Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, have concerns about not only attracting top talent, but retaining them.

In all the years I’ve worked with organizations, leaders and teams, one thing is consistent: when asked for feedback about what needs to be improved, everyone always says: communication. I always share with my clients to just expect that.

Each time we navigate change in our work, we are likely to experience three stages of response to that change: emotional, reflection, commitment. Leaders need to effectively help their teams navigate change.

“We humans are natural storytellers, and our stories shape our lives, families, communities, and work. We use stories to pass along lessons, wisdom, entertainment, and warnings.

(Notes from a Word Nerd)

A person with opinions on subjects beyond their knowledge.

We humans are natural story tellers, and our stories shape our lives, families, communities, and work. We use stories to pass along lessons, wisdom, entertainment, and warnings.

Many organizations are still trying to sort out the impact of the pandemic years, specifically how we work together when we are not together. Companies that had multiple offices or locations for years may have had more time and experience leading complex groups, but in truth, it wasn’t always great.

Sometimes, in courageous conversations about things that matter, the situation can get worse before it gets better. The messy, unpredictable nature of moving toward, instead of away from, the topics and situations we need to uncover and discover in our lives is risky.

Not too long ago, I got excited to write a new book with the working title of “Why Performance Management is Sexier Than Sales.” No one (maybe one other person) was excited about this topic except for me. Why?

You’ve written, edited, and shared your company’s vision and mission with the team. Everyone’s clear on what it is, then, right?

If you don’t have it on repeat — maybe not. Here’s why…

Truth: Cultures can be changed, shifted, lifted, mended, or accelerated. It’s possible.

If you’re in a leadership role, part of your job is getting things done through others. Your team, your employees, and your colleagues are there to help you accomplish the goals you’ve set or that your organization has set for you.

Typically, we hear the term “irreconcilable differences” in a legal document regarding the dissolution of a marriage. In other words: we cannot work this out. We cannot fix this.

Sometimes, in our working lives, we see people who are supposed to work together, collaborate, create, and develop interdependence, and they just clash. Instead of fostering an inclusive, sum-is-greater-than-the-parts factor, these relationships create stress, tension, and inefficiency.

For the next few months, the Culture Coach articles will examine some truths I’ve learned about organizations, teams, cultures, and leaders in the hopes that you might be able to not only consider these ideas and stories but also share them with your team to find your truths together.

Having an engaged, high-performing work culture means people talk to each other! And it doesn’t mean that people always get along, that there’s no conflict or strife, or that no issues ever arise.

Last month we talked about the importance of clearly written performance expectations. Let’s begin with a Culture Coach Classic regarding language. Language matters. Here are some ideas that can help.

In 1907, Scientist Paul Ehrlich coined the term “magic bullet,” a bullet that would hit its mark without fail and create no collateral damage to surrounding areas. He was talking about immune systems and later won the Nobel Prize. We’ve been searching for elusive magic bullets in organizational life ever since.