Kwela Leadership News & Views

How to Deal with EGOS

2015-06-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

There are many behaviours that can get in the way of effective communication. Some of them are easy to manage while others are more difficult. The “Big Ego” is one I hear about frequently. We all have an ego, but there are times when we perceive that the size of another’s can get in the way of effective communication and resolving conflict.&

Do We Reach Enlightenment By Trusting Our Employees?

2015-05-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

One of my bosses, one of Kwela’s two owners, Russ, came to my choir concert the other Saturday night. Afterwards I introduced him to a good friend of mine who loves that he is a huge supporter of Sea Shepherd. As they were chatting, she remarked to him how cool she thinks it is that her and I can be in my kitchen making brownies and when my phone rings, I flip into ‘Kwela Corp’ mode and

Reflection Before Response Reaps Rewards

2015-05-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

How many times a day do you find yourself offended? Or triggered in response to what someone else has said or done? If you are anything like me, it happens to you more than you would hope for. I have started to track and reflect on how often major issues have bubbled over from what was simply an emotional response to what could easily be determined as a misunderstanding—not a malicious

Integrity: The Invaluable Value

2015-05-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Many organizational values include ‘integrity’; however, if you asked employees what integrity really means, a wide array of answers may abound due to confusion around its true meaning. This presents a problem as it is the foundation of sustainable business success. What does integrity really mean? It was a buzz word that was amplified during the recent financial crash due to

Why do some leadership development efforts fail?

2015-04-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

McKinsey & Company have a perspective. Their studies show that organizations can avoid the most common mistakes in leadership development and increase the odds of success by: matching specific leadership skills and traits to the context at hand; embedding leadership development in real work; fearlessly investigating the mind-sets that underpin behavior; and, monitoring the impact so as

Tips on How to Make Virtual Teams Work

2015-04-06T15:10:00.001-07:00

Geographically dispersed teams, also known as virtual teams, are fast becoming the norm these days and it is not uncommon for people in 2 or more cities to be collaborating on the same project. This poses special challenges for human beings, who sometimes struggle to collaborate even when they are sitting in the same physical office. Here are a few tips that you can use

What do you take for granted?

2015-03-16T10:54:00.001-07:00

Years ago, I recall the precise moment when I realized, very tangibly, the impermanence of life. I sat on the couch, contemplating, dreaming, longing for my mother. She had died just weeks before of cancer. In that very typical, and yet not normal, passing moment, it hit me -- I too will die. In that moment I was aware of my physical being; feeling my heart pound

Personal Behavioural Transition – the STAR Approach

2015-03-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

We’ve all read self-improvement books, seen motivational speakers and taught behaviours and skills in order to perform at our best. Some of us take action and see results. Others acknowledge what new behaviour is needed but struggle with transitioning. A few think their behaviours are acceptable and don’t need to change. Those who struggle with or don’t see a need to change behaviours may

Want to hire great people? Tips to avoid pitfalls

2015-02-10T17:05:00.003-08:00

John Chambers, the current CEO of Cisco Systems, said: “A world-class engineer with five peers can out-produce 200 regular engineers”. What he meant was that when we select the right people, achieving great outcomes becomes easier. And the converse is also true: select the wrong people and it is exceedingly difficult to achieve much. Recurring mistakes tend to be made in the

Tip of the week: Time Management: File Structures

2015-01-15T15:00:00.003-08:00

This is #11 - and the final post - in an 11 part series on Time Management: Focus on Life and Results, Not Time Like many of us, you probably struggle with piles of paper on your desk or you have a file structure that is easy to put things into, but is fairly unreliable for finding things again? If you need help in this area, then this suggested system for setting up file

Fear Explored

2014-12-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

Imagine, you are asked to provide 360 feedback on a manager with whom you have a difficult relationship. Or imagine you are leading a team and no one is saying what they really think – you perceive that people are holding back their opinions. Or what about a situation where leaders are physically closing doors … an acquisition has been recently announced but you and your colleagues

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 7)

2014-10-29T09:47:00.003-07:00

This is the last of our 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) When accountability conversations don’t work If accountability efforts continue to fail despite best efforts, let the recipient know that the cost of inaction could be disciplinary or if

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 6)

2014-09-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the 6th in a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) Step 4: Make it motivating and easy If you are in a leadership role, it is your job to remove barriers to success by evaluating them and putting steps in place to overcome them.

Time Management: How to Manage Interruptions

2014-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is #10 in a series on Time Management: Focus on Life and Results, Not Time A certain amount of interruptions is unavoidable in any work environment. We are, after all, human beings who are easily distracted by shiny, sexier items than what we might be currently working on at our desks. The other reality is that in today’s typical organization, we are called to

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 5)

2014-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is the 5th in a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) We'll continue exploring the model presented in Part 2 of this series: Step 3: Describe the Gap Once the story is mastered, it is time to engage in the conversation. Feeling safe (time and place)

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 4)

2014-05-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is the 4th of a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) We'll continue exploring the model presented in Part 2 of this series: Step 2: Master the story Clarifying the ‘what’ from your personal reality is important as it creates an awareness of:

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 3)

2014-04-16T15:48:00.002-07:00

This is the 3rd of a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) This time we'll explore more in-depth the model presented last time: Step 1: Clarify the What and If It is important to evaluate the problem and the potential risk of not holding one accountable in

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 2)

2014-03-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is the 2nd of a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) Accountability is a word that erupted as mainstream due to numerous corporate scandals and the economic and competitive challenges that abound. It is no longer just a term used for accounting

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 1)

2014-03-07T14:22:00.001-08:00

This is the first of a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler) “One of the problems is I internalize everything. I can’t express anger; I grow a tumor instead.” &

eLearning – it can really help!

2014-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

I’ve been with Kwela almost since our inception, helping to set up the business operations – everything from internal systems and processes needed, to client-facing ones too. So – I’ve had, and continue to have, a wide range of responsibilities, and I’ve always considered myself pretty organized. As such, I’ve never felt the need when I have had the opportunity to sit in on Kwela’s Get

Tip #9: Time Management: Let Go of Perfection

2013-12-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Guess what – perfection doesn’t exist, in terms of the definition you have in your head. Let me argue it this way – you are already perfect. Perfect the way you were made – with strengths and challenges ... we all have them. Gone is the notion that we can simply put something back in and we will become whole. No. Each of us is born with strengths and things

Tip #15: Influencing without Authority: Structure Your Points in the Right Order

2013-09-13T14:34:00.002-07:00

Have you ever listened to someone’s pitch and then wondered what they actually wanted from you? Alternatively, can you recall someone giving you a pitch and after their first sentence you decided that the idea was a crock? It is important to create a good flow when pitching ideas to others, for example: ·