Mindmapping Eats Balanced Scorecard for Lunch

Have you seen one of these Balanced Scorecard bubble charts?  If its like the one I’ve been seeing lately it looks like an example from “top ten things never to do with PowerPoint.”  The late Steve Jobs would hate it…but I digress.  The real problem with them is that they just become another mind-numbing chart.  Some companies even put them up on the wall like Successories’ motivational posters.  While displaying such things certainly communicates what your “big rocks” are, it does little to align the “IBE”s

Optimal Creativity and Leadership Implications

I had to good fortune to facilitate an annual strategic ideation meeting recently with a Hawaii-based training and development organization.   Like before at another workshop, I asked the 20 participants when they did their best, creative thinking.  Amazingly (tongue in cheek), none of them mentioned “while at work.”  Like audiences before, the responses included “while running,” “just before bed,” “in the shower, ” etc.  Could this be because their state of mind at the time of greatest creativity is when they are emotionally relaxed?  It takes only a few minutes on an internet search to find credible data linking stress to all forms of ills.  Is it any wonder therefore that a work environment full of stress is devoid of innovation and creativity?

Do you question or dictate?

I was speaking with a senior Army colonel yesterday comparing the effectiveness and popularity of two general officer leaders.  The junior of the two generals speaks twice as much as he listens, while the more senior officer listens twice as much as he speaks.  The later is both more popular AND is the most effective.  Most will understand that by the word “popular” I mean that subordinate officers like working with him and find him approachable.  It is because he listens, considers the expertise of the speaker, and makes a reasoned judgement or decision.  He is also the officer more likely to hear of potentially bad news early so it can be acted upon more proactively.  The staff members serving the more junior general, by contrast avoid him at all costs since he has the propensity to direct and not listen to subordinate recommendations.    Which one are you?

Often times new leaders (out of immaturity) and those who have assumed a new senior position of leadership (out of a false sense of superior intellect) believe they must or should “tell” more about how something should be accomplished.  Although a leader MAY may know more, asking questions is STILL the more effective form of leadership.  By doing so you earnestly, you can both improve your subordinates “game,” develop or maintain healthy relationships, AND guide them in some direction (assuming your way is best).  However, by listening more than you speak, you may uncover new information or new ways of doing business that will make you and whatever it is you’re doing more successful.

Ask good questions and listen twice as much as you speak.

Office Rules: “Getting it Done” meets sensitivity

A short note today about managing in the office for efficiency.

Making email work for you:  If your email box gets overloaded quickly, set up some rules in your office whereby email messages must be prefaced with a few key letters.  I use the following:

Walk out with something done

If you’ve followed my articles at all you’ve noticed my inspiration for them comes from real contacts.  I caught up with an old friend who is now a regional executive with one of the top 3 pharma companies in the world.  I relayed to him why I decided to add deBono Thinking Systems to my consulting portfolio:  Over 20 years of seeing verbal ping-pong played out in countless meetings resulting in little to no output – an atmosphere dominated by titles, egos, and type A personalities.  My friend is experiencing the same thing.

We don’t do alot of great work at work

Jason Fried stole my thunder. We really don’t do our best work at Work.  During a recent workshop, I asked 15 young pros at a client company to tell me when they were at their thinking, creative best.  

Does your leadership style create or suppress innovation?

There are thousands of books on being a good leader and I will not begin reinvent the wheel.  However, no matter how many of these books you’ve read, chances are you could use a coach now and then

Mindmapping Can Bring International Thoughts Together

I had the good fortune to participate in an international meeting between members of the US military, State Dept, and representatives with ministries of health in four other countries.  The meeting had three primary goals

Better Meetings by Design

Over the past several weeks, I’ve spent not less than 16 hours as a participant in a  multi-disciplinary strategic planning team.  The goal is to produce a product that sets the direction of the organization over the next five to ten years.
The pace of progress has been dauntingly slow.