Unable to find any work as a teacher or academic, Albert Einstein took a job as a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office. He found the lack of intellectual challenge perfect for his side hustle. To Albert Einstein, the patent office was “that worldly cloister where I hatched my most beautiful ideas.” A clear understanding of your hustle (the job that pays your bills and feeds your stomach) and side hustle (the work that feeds your soul) can make all the difference….
I’ve found, and this will be controversial, that there are very few idiot leaders. Instead, I’ve seen employees who believe they deserve recognition, and the only logical reason they don’t receive that credit is that their leader has to be an idiot. I’ve seen this mentality many times, and I’ve even experienced this firsthand. But unfortunately, I think many people fail to recognize that the only thing they can truly change is themselves. They may have an imperfect leader, a…
Managers account for 70% of variance in employee engagement scores. Gallup, 2014 Why Great Managers Are So Rare It’s daunting for a leader to think that most of their employees leave because of them. As a middle manager, it is too easy to attribute this rationale to reasons above or around you. However, in a survey by Career Addict, 4 in 10 employees stated that they would return to their jobs if their boss were replaced. Still, 40% is an…
“The grass is always greener” is a common phrase leveraged to combat employees fleeing a company. Often, that phrase is used to help employees understand that they may have an inflated perception of their new job offer. Like, beer goggles, but for jobs. It turns out it’s an actional Syndrome. If your employee is showing a “grass is always greener” rationale for leaving their job, there is actually another approach worth considering. What’s your Water? Many core aspects of one’s…
If you’ve ever implemented software, you’ve likely come up with a few rules to follow. I mean, of course, you have. You can’t possibly aim to learn the same lesson repeatedly. However, one rule that I try to follow in every implementation is easy to remember. Rule #6: Don’t be an asshole. In the book “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Ben Zander, they paint a picture of how to get out of your own damn way…
I originally wrote this post in the midst of Covid lay-offs throughout North America. It still very much applies. The New Yorker recently published this cartoon and I find it to be perfectly appropriate with our BCP (Business Continuity Planning) and COVID-19 Business Response situation. It’s not the time to sit on the sidelines and let your team do the heavy lifting (You may not have a team that values ‘idea firemen’ after this). It’s not the time to delineate…
The average CEO reads seven million Business books a year. (Or something like that.) At least that’s how paid book services get you interested. These services are out there. They will often curate book lists, have the author give unique insights, and provide summaries on fundamental concepts in the book. Some will create online book clubs (sometimes with the author – which is super cool). If you need someone to lead you and add that layer of pressure to get…
I grew up in a house that didn’t have conflict. I suspect I’m not much different from many people. There, simply, was no conflict. No arguments, no fights, and certainly no negotiation. As I’ve moved into the Corporate sector (and became a father), I realized that I very much lacked in this department. And so for the last year, I’ve dedicated my time to learn more about myself and conflict through some experts in the field. Here’s a list of what…