Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Growing up in the 1960's sometimes my parents would say to me, "now, don't tell stories," heading off what they anticipated might be an untruthful account of events.  That negative stigma of storytelling stayed with me for quite some time. Today, as an adult, I now know the immense power of storytelling.  Truthful stories, of course.  Storytelling is indeed one of the most powerful ways we communicate.   Stories demand attention of listeners.  Stories inspire.  Stories are contagious . " Stories put the listener in a mental learning mode ," explains Paul Smith , author of the bestseller , Lead With A Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire . Paul is an authority on storytelling and has helped business people around the world to more effectively use storytelling. Paul Smith Now, Paul has a new book, Parenting with a Story:  Real-Life Lessons in Character for Parents and Children t...

Keep these  five tips  in mind when you craft your next company policy: Keep the policy short and simple. Get rid of two old policies for every new policy you implement. Make sure that your organization's policy and procedures are written to serve your employees and customers--not just your organization. Don't write a policy in reaction to a single incident.  The problem may never arise again. Don't write a policy longer than one-page, no matter how large your organization may be. Thanks to author Bob Nelson for these great tips from his book,  1001 Ways To Energize Employees .

“Purpose is the why behind everything within an organization,” says author John Baldoni, of the book,  Lead With  Purpose . Baldoni also believes that  it is up to leaders to make certain that organizational purpose is understood  and acted upon. And, to harness the talents of their employees, leaders must recognize their responsibility to instill purpose in the workplace. Other recommendations include: Make purpose a central focus Instill purpose in others Make employees comfortable with ambiguity Turn good intentions into great results Make it safe to fail (as well as prevail) Develop the next generation According to Baldoni, purpose forms the backbone of what an organization exists to do; upon which you can build vision and mission. To define an organization’s purpose, you must ask three questions: 1.  What is our vision  — that is, what do we want to become? 2.  What is our mission  — that is, what do we do now? 3...

The book,  Step Up , shows readers how to step up to the plate during  six critical leadership moments .  Readers learn how to: Use anger intelligently in the workplace. Recognize and deal with terminal politeness. Make decisions when no one else is making them. Take ownership when others are externalizing a problem. Identify and leverage pessimism. Inspire others to take action. And, before you start to read the book, you can take (via a QR code in the book) a  fifteen-minute online Step Up Leadership Assessment , which will give you instant feedback on your  leadership readiness  and point you to the most relevant chapters in the book. The book's two authors recently shared these insights with me: A Conversation with Henry Evans and Colm Foster, authors of  Step Up What is a “leadership moment”? These are moments when leadership is required in order to see a problem solved, opportunity seized, momentum changed, rela...

Soft skills, all too often deemed the less important skills for a leader, are needed now more than ever. Soft skills are interpersonal skills that demonstrate a person's ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with others in one-on-one interactions as well as in groups and teams. According to  Maxine Kamin , author of the book,  Soft Skills Revolution , "The practice of soft skills aids in communication and promotes problem solving, negotiation, conflict resolutions, and team building." Each of the book's nine chapters, listed below, provide dialogue, questions, tips and recommended activities: What Are Soft Skills? The Hidden Side of Communication The Power of Positive Intentions Tack and Diplomacy The Challenge of Problem Solving Soft Skills and Teams The Personality Factor Taking the Sting Out of Feedback Conflict and Cooperation One of my favorite parts of the book is where Kamin explains the common expectations of staff me...

Some words of wisdom from  author Thomas Teal : Integrity in management means : being responsible communicating clearly keeping promises being an honest broker avoiding hidden agendas knowing oneself Also, explains Teal : Great managers serve two masters; one organizational, one moral. Managing is not a series of mechanical tasks but a set of human interactions. One reason for the scarcity of managerial greatness is that in educating and training managers, we focus too much on technical proficiency and too little on character. You can find more advice and expertise from Teal in his book,  First Person: Tales of Management Courage and Tenacity  (Harvard Business School Press, 1996)

There are so many good things to learn in the book,  Helping People Win At Work , by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge. Among those is the section about how to  define meaningful work . Their definition consists of these  seven attributes.  Work is meaningful when it : It is conducted in a manner that is "good and proper" in all respects. It positively affects our company and our communities, giving our work an impact that extends beyond ourselves. It provides learning and growth, offers challenges, requires creativity, pushes us to surpass limits, and creates exciting results. It provides recognition and rewards for our achievements. It allows us to succeed as a team while excelling as individuals. It allows us to enjoy the ride, bringing humor and fun into our work. It fuels passion!