Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Pat Lynch | Selfgrowth.com
- Three Key Elements for Addressing Organizational Challenges Effectively - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2011 from Pat LynchOrganizational challenges come in all different forms and levels of difficulty. Regardless of what form they take, one critical success factor stands out above others as a determinant of leaders’ effectiveness in addressing them: having a clearly articulated “big picture.” More specifically, an ...
Views: 923 - Are You Enabling Organizational Insanity? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2011 from Pat LynchIt is impossible to “square a circle,” which makes this phrase an apt metaphor for what many organizations are trying to do now. That is, they continue to conduct business the way they’ve done it in the past in spite of the fact that the environment has changed dramatically in the last few ...
Views: 768(1 vote) - Framing: What Does YOUR Elephant Look Like? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2011 from Pat LynchThe way that we see the world is critical: it shapes our beliefs, thoughts, and actions. While we often don’t think consciously about how we view things, perhaps we should. More importantly, we should examine closely how other people, particularly our leaders, view the world. How we and they ...
Views: 669 - The Courage of Your Talent - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Pat Lynch“You must have the courage of your talent.” With that statement, Alan Weiss opened his three-day Thought Leadership symposium in Palm Beach last fall. It was meant to provoke us and stimulate some serious soul-searching. It did both. Talents are innate abilities, gifts that people are born ...
Views: 695 - 2 Simple Steps to Organizational Alignment - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Pat LynchA few years ago I was in Santa Barbara, CA visiting a client on Halloween. The students at the University of California, Santa Barbara have a tradition of dressing up in costumes and parading informally throughout the downtown area on Halloween night, so I stayed into the evening to enjoy the ...
Views: 827(1 vote) - The Gift of Your Talents - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Pat LynchIn the classic holiday movie It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart played the role of a small town young man whose greatest ambition was to leave for the big city at his earliest opportunity to seek his fortune. When fate seemed to have other plans for him, he grew despondent and felt hopeless. A ...
Views: 759 - How to Accelerate Success: Create an Appreciative Culture - by Submitted on Sep 19, 2011 from Pat LynchWould you like to accelerate your organization’s success? It’s as simple as making appreciation an integral part of your daily practices and culture. More than a dozen years ago a friend introduced me to a relatively new concept called appreciative inquiry. It has changed my life ...
Views: 1006 - How High a Priority Are Your Employees? Are You Sure? - by Submitted on Sep 19, 2011 from Pat LynchOne question that I often hear these days is, “What can we do to be successful in today’s economy?” My answer comes in the form of two questions: 1. “How high a priority are your employees?” AND 2. “Would your employees agree with your answer?” Leaders who want their organizations ...
Views: 665 - 6 Critical Organizational Success Factors for Embracing Volatility - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2011 from Pat LynchGone are the days of predictability. Volatility is here to stay. Organizations no longer have the luxury of allowing their employees and leaders to sit back and enjoy the tranquility of a stable environment, which required relatively little upkeep to maintain the status quo. Instead, their very ...
Views: 1057 - 7 Tips to Prepare for the New NLRB - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2011 from Pat LynchIn the face of the power vested in the five-member National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to effect substantive changes in laws that cover non-union as well as union workplaces, many employers may fear they will lose their autonomy in managing their organizations. While there is little or nothing ...
Views: 771 - What You Don’t Know about the NLRB Could Hurt You and Your Employees - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2011 from Pat LynchIt is safe to say that relatively few employers and even fewer employees can accurately identify the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and describe its role. Yet this five-member panel is about to transform the nature of the workplace. Here are seven things employers and employees need to ...
Views: 953 - 6 Strategies for Keeping Employees Engaged - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2011 from Pat LynchAs the U.S. economy begins to recover and jobs become more widely available, workers can choose whether to remain with their current employers or to go elsewhere. In fact, leaders who are looking ahead to better economic days are worried about whether and how they can retain their key employees. ...
Views: 1188 - 8 Obstacles to Public Sector Success - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2011 from Pat LynchIn my experience, public sector agencies and government entities (i.e., cities, counties, states) face eight common obstacles to their success. See how many of these issues you have experienced, either as a provider or a user of public services. 1. Lack of a common “big picture.” The ...
Views: 1010(1 vote) - Budget Cuts: Why Fire Departments and Police Departments Need to Change the Question - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2011 from Pat LynchAs city, county, and state budgets are being discussed and finalized around the country, one thing is clear: those who allocate resources are asking the wrong questions. As a result, recipients of government services are being short-changed because resources are being misallocated. During ...
Views: 925(1 vote) - Public Sector Pensions: Why “Fixing the Problem” IS the Problem - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2011 from Pat LynchDramatic increases in public sector pension liabilities at a time when state and local governments have seen their revenues shrink drastically have resulted in an explosive backlash against public sector unions and the workers they represent. At the very time that high levels of unemployment ...
Views: 811(1 vote) - Succession planning myths and realities - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2011 from Pat LynchSuccession planning is a concept that often is misunderstood, to the detriment of all concerned. People tend to use the term incorrectly, thinking it means one thing when actually it means something quite different. For example, people often confuse the succession planning process, which focuses ...
Views: 887 - Why City Governments are Floundering - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from Pat LynchAcross the U.S., scores of municipalities technically are bankrupt, as their financial obligations far outstrip their ability to cover them. Some cities already have declared bankruptcy legally. Politicians nationwide desperately are seeking ways to stave off bankruptcy by stemming the flood of ...
Views: 685 - Wanted: Courageous Leaders - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2011 from Pat LynchOrganizations across the U.S., especially those in the public (government) sector, are struggling to overcome the obstacles and identify the opportunities presented in the aftermath of slashed budgets, plummeting revenues, and forced layoffs and furloughs. The challenge is to prioritize scarce ...
Views: 689 - How public safety professionals are shooting themselves in the foot - by Submitted on Jun 21, 2011 from Pat LynchWhen the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported recently that Long Beach’s Chief of Police had vowed that the police would “get the job done” regardless of what they were tasked with doing in the face of drastically reduced resources, I had two immediate and contradictory reactions. As a Long Beach ...
Views: 888 - Guidelines for Resource Allocation - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2011 from Pat LynchScarce resources are a fact of business life. In the wake of devastating budget cuts, furloughs, and/or layoffs, however, "normal" levels of scarcity have been exacerbated. The question for many organizations has become, "How do we move forward from here most effectively?" When asked to help ...
Views: 792(1 vote) - Guidelines for Allocating Scarce Resources - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2010 from Pat LynchScarce resources are a fact of business life. In the wake of devastating budget cuts, furloughs, and/or layoffs, however, “normal” levels of scarcity have been exacerbated. The question for many organizations has become, “How do we move forward from here most effectively?” When asked to help ...
Views: 1346(3 votes) - What Do We Do Now?: Options for Allocating Scarce Resources When You Haven’t Planned Ahead - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2010 from Pat LynchAlthough advance planning for resource allocation is the ideal scenario, many organizations found themselves caught short by the severe constraints imposed by the economic downturn. What are the alternatives when organizations are operating in crisis mode and there is no “Plan A?” Given the ...
Views: 782 - From Chaos to Calm: The Experts’ Guide to Setting Priorities - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2010 from Pat LynchOne set of skills that is critical in any organization is that of setting, aligning, and implementing priorities. These skills are particularly important in times such as those we have experienced recently, when management has to find effective ways to “re-group” in the aftermath of devastating ...
Views: 762 - Candid Conversations: How to Drive the Political Correctness “Elephant” Out of Your Workplace - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2009 from Pat LynchNote: “The elephant in the living room” is a common metaphor for situations in which people refuse to confront or even acknowledge a major issue even though everyone knows about it and it is causing serious problems. Individuals who are faced with difficult issues frequently choose to ignore ...
Views: 802(2 votes) - 6 Steps to Optimize Results When “Business as Usual” Doesn’t Work Any More - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2009 from Pat LynchIs your organization one for whom “business as usual” no longer works? Whether that result is precipitated by fewer customers, budget cutbacks, employee layoffs and/or furloughs, or some other unplanned change, the point is that you find yourself having to do more with less. The question I hear ...
Views: 843(6 votes) - How To Ensure Customers and Employees Recognize Your Organization’s Value - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2009 from Pat LynchOrganizations cannot optimize their business results unless their customers and their employees clearly recognize the significant value they provide. How can you discover whether these two important groups really see this value? Ask them. To discover whether your customers perceive the ...
Views: 1286(1 vote) - How to Prevent Your Employees from Becoming Collateral Damage in the Labor-Management Battle - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2009 from Pat LynchWhile members of Congress talk about improving the workplace for employees, the actions of many indicate that they are far more interested in serving the interests of either management or unions than they are in securing better conditions for workers. Unless this attitude changes quickly, ...
Views: 1121(1 vote) - Survive or Thrive: It’s Your Choice - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2009 from Pat LynchThe U.S. economy is experiencing a rough patch right now, and organizations in all sectors are faced with the challenges of weathering the storm. While the media focus on stories about how people and organizations are suffering financially and otherwise (which many are), the fact remains that ...
Views: 906 - Employee Free Choice Act: An Opportunity for Employers to Choose their Future - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2009 from Pat LynchThe proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) that is before the U.S. Congress is sending chills down the spines of many employers. Feeling threatened by the prospect that they soon could be bargaining with unions instead of dealing directly with their employees, and fearing the possibility they ...
Views: 1104 - Ten Ways to Create an Employee-centered Workplace - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2009 from Pat LynchAn employee-centered workplace is one in which all individuals, programs, processes, and systems are focused on helping employees become fully successful. Individuals who feel valued will provide excellent products and service, which will result in the achievement of organizational goals. In ...
Views: 1167(2 votes) - Warning! Values May Be Detrimental to Your Organization’s Health - by Submitted on May 14, 2009 from Pat LynchDo your employees complain of favoritism, or inconsistency in decision-making, or lack of fairness? If so, the problem – and the solution – may be your organization’s values. On its face, identifying values to guide workplace behaviors and decisions seems reasonable, productive, and highly ...
Views: 1211(2 votes)