Culture, Leadership, People
Matthew Harrington
Unlock the Secrets to Revitalize and Retain ...

We are thrilled to announce the release of our new e-book, "Revitalize and Retain Staff", now available for free download on our website! This comprehensive guide is packed with actionable strategies designed to boost employee engagement, retention, and resilience. Whether you're leading a small team or managing a large organization, this resource is your roadmap to creating a thriving workplace where people want to stay, grow, and succeed.

Unlock the Secrets to Revitalize and Retain Your Staff: E-Book Launch Today!
People, Leadership
Matthew Harrington
The Deep Ocean Model – Unseen Currents of ...

This post draws parallels between ocean currents and human behavior, suggesting that just as deep currents shape the surface waves, underlying beliefs drive visible behaviors. These beliefs, though often unseen, influence actions and decisions in the workplace, making it essential for leaders to uncover and address them rather than merely focusing on surface behaviors. By engaging in meaningful belief discussions, leaders can guide behavior changes, much like oceanographers study currents to predict and influence ocean movements.

The Deep Ocean Model – Unseen Currents of Belief and the Behavior That Shape Us
People, Leadership
Matthew Harrington
The Leader as a Gardener of People: Maturity

The final stage of development, Maturity, represents team members who have high aptitude and attitude, capable of bearing fruit and mentoring others. Leaders should empower these individuals by delegating responsibilities and encouraging them to guide those in earlier stages, like the Adolescent follower. By assessing and strategically supporting each team member's growth, leaders can cultivate a thriving and productive environment where everyone can flourish.

The Leader as a Gardener of People: Maturity
Leadership, People
Matthew Harrington
The Leader as a Gardener of People: Disgruntled ...

The "Disgruntled" stage in a follower’s development mirrors the secondary growth phase of plants, where individuals become experienced but may harbor negative attitudes and exhibit inconsistent behavior. These team members often have high aptitude but are susceptible to negativity, which can impact both their performance and the morale of others. Leaders must address these behaviors through open communication, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for growth to help them re-engage positively with the organization.

The Leader as a Gardener of People: Disgruntled Stage
People, Leadership
Matthew Harrington
The Leader as a Gardener of People: Adolescent ...

The "Adolescent" stage of follower development, akin to the teenage years, is a critical period where initial enthusiasm fades, and individuals start testing boundaries while seeking greater responsibility. Leaders must adopt a coaching approach that balances support and accountability, addressing behaviors that don’t align with organizational values, reinforcing early wins, and consistently adhering to established boundaries and goals. By proactively coaching and maintaining a positive environment, leaders can help their team members navigate this transitional phase and continue their growth into confident, competent contributors.

The Leader as a Gardener of People: Adolescent Stage

succession

GenX Rising

GenX Rising

One of the biggest challenges we run into when we work with organizations is that GenX does not have the fundamental competency and skill set to think strategically for the organization.  This isn’t a slight at GenX; I don’t believe the organizations have prepared them well nor have organizations invested the necessary resources for GenX to be where they need to be at this stage of the game.  Whether in meetings or on the shop floor or helping prep for a presentation, we find that many GenXers have a tendency to stay at an operational, 10,000 foot thinking capacity.

The Millennial Gen-X Challenge: Driving The Future of the Organization, Together

The Millennial Gen-X Challenge: Driving The Future of the Organization, Together

In this post-recession business world, we need to prepare our organizations for a huge transfer of leadership and knowledge to new leaders that are ready and competent to close the gap.  The looming issue for our workforce and our organizations is that Gen-X and Millennials don’t like each other quite frankly.