As we raise our son, we strive to develop his critical thinking and leadership skills.  As I relaxed with him this week, I considered what is helping him mature the most.  I believe it is constantly giving him the authority and responsibility to make the choices he is capable of making.  Sometimes, he doesn’t make the right choice, but he learns from those choices.  Because we control the environment of his choices, he still has a safety net of not failing too big.

Do we do this enough with our employees that we are developing?  Do we give them the chance to make choices in just enough of a controlled environment that they can miss the mark by a small enough margin that it doesn’t damage their reputation too badly, or damage the department’s ability to execute?  Do we give them the chance to wind up with a gross mixture of ice cream and toppings, which will help them stop and think about their choices a bit more the next time? Or will they consult more expert ice cream eaters to increase their chance for success the next time? read more »

There are so many traits that make up a good leader. One area that often is overlooked when you talk about good leadership, but seems to almost always be present when you discuss poor leadership is Accountability.  A good leader welcomes accountability and takes responsibility for their own actions and their followers actions, when the followers are acting on behalf of the leader or under her instructions. read more »

What has the succession department and teams looked like at BP for the last few months?  I am sure they have been busy and they were not proactive, it has been excruciating painful to live in  their shoes.  It was apparent early on that the public would want to see somebody at BP personally pay for the gulf disaster and as Hayward became a repeat offender of the ‘foot in mouth award’, it became obvious that no matter how well he runs the company, he was going to go.

But besides all the rabbit holes we could go down for that specific topic, let’s talk about the needs for succession planning.  Do you think that 6 months ago BP thought they would be discussing the replacement of their CEO this summer?  Do you think that there is only one person being replaced at BP? – NOT  What about the people that specifically managed the work around regulations to avoid building a relief well?  I would bet these less visible positions will be turning over quickly too. read more »

An ardent supporter of mentoring programs, Lois Melbourne reveals the secret to ensuring successful mentor-mentee matches and explains why corporate mentorship programs are more important than ever to organizations. Discover how she has shaped her own career and taken her company global with lessons learned as both mentor and mentee. From students to entrepreneurs, mentors and mentees, Lois shares the benefits of this enriching personal development tool.

When we were together at #HREvolution in Chicago this Spring, Paul Hebert, @incentintel, led a session with Jason Seiden with the objective of discussing how to influence people.  I found an interesting twist to the conversation that I have not been able to get out of my head for the last couple of months.  So, I have been reading and thinking and watching with this topic in mind.  I feel that my thoughts might be helpful for some.

The topic about influencing continually moved to compensation and incentives.  I believe some in the group had a very different perspective of these terms then I did. And, if I am going to develop myself and my managers as good leaders at Aquire, I need to figure out why!   read more »