The Inquiring Leader: Five downsides to being the Answer Guy

From Mike and Mark’s new book, “The Inquiring Leader:” It’s easier, more efficient, to be the Answer Guy–the leader who gives all the direction and tells people what to do. Or is it? There are limitations to directive leadership. …  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love to hear from you! Email …

The Inquiring Leader: Four types of powerful questions great leaders ask

From Mike and Mark’s new book, “The Inquiring Leader:” A manager’s “impossible choice” was solved with a powerful question. All four types of powerful questions help a leader clarify the situation, analyze what’s really going on, gain awareness and plan for the future.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love to hear …

employee retention story

The Inquiring Leader: How five managers asked employees questions and avoided the exit interview

From Mike and Mark’s new book, “The Inquiring Leader:” How five different leaders used questions—not counteroffers—to retain employees ready to resign. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!) Spotify Apple Amazon How to retain employees without a raise Coaching …

New book "The Inquiring Leader"

The Inquiring Leader: How curiosity saved $1.2 million

From Mike and Mark’s new book, “The Inquiring Leader:” The real-world story of a general manager who slashed “time-to-line” from 38 days to 5—and saved $1.2 million—because of a single question. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. (And buy the book here!) Spotify …

monitor kaizen progress

Better at being better: Continuous improvement culture is a habit, not a finish line

We conclude our series on fostering a culture of continuous improvement by talking about how it needs to be … continuous! You need regular check-ins that look at progress through three different lenses. And there are pitfalls to avoid when you do that.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We’d love to hear …

Better at being better: Your idea needs an owner–who isn’t punished

Champions: It’s a corporate buzzword … and it is a crucial element for anyone hoping to develop a culture of continuous improvement.  3M, Pixar and Intuit all have lessons for us to learn about how to–and how NOT to–engage champions for your initiatives. Are you punishing your champions?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your …

Too many ideas? Not enough time? We can help!

Better at being better: Too many ideas? Not enough time? We can help.

In our ongoing series on developing a culture of continuous improvement, it’s time to start filtering all of those ideas you’ve collected. If you are overwhelmed, take a pruning lesson with this episode: There are many prioritization techniques and time management strategies, such as the Eisenhower Matrix and the MoSCoW method. Improve your strategic decision-making by focusing on high-impact activities …

Put your ego aside

Put your ego aside: Your people can help you “be better at being better”

In our series on developing a culture of continuous improvement–as Seth Godin says, “being better at being better”–it’s time to share how you FIND those improvements. How do you create an idea bucket … with a tap? Mike has lots of experience getting teams to share their ideas.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your …

Beyond words on the wall: We get better when we align with our values

If talking about corporate values makes your eyes roll, this episode is for you. A culture of continuous improvement requires that you uncover your DNA: your values.  Defining them–and the stories behind them–lead to an organization that can live them out. The hosts share several exercises you can use to uncover those values.  Hat tip to “Co-Active Coaching,” “Start with …