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When employees are fully engaged in their work life, they contribute beyond their immediate role or team, collaborate across groups, and are open to innovation. They feel committed to the company, have fun and take pride in their work. Internal engagement happens when individuals focus on preserving their professional brand, reputation, and values, withdrawing from…

How many times have we heard stories of company culture, leadership styles, or good/bad reputations?  Every person, leader and organization comes with a story.  Sometimes individuals feel they are unfairly portrayed, or leaders think they can’t control what other people think of them, and organizations don’t consider their own reputations seriously enough. Every person, leader…

Hierarchy is a human need for order and understanding of where we fit in the workplace, sports teams, associations and family.  It has its benefits and detractors.  In the workplace, hierarchy reflects levels of responsibility, positions of authority, and sometimes seniority and leadership.  The benefits of top-down hierarchy are; a general comfort with traditional structures,…

Leaders often think of their reputations in limited ways.  They may frame it as someone who solely drives metrics goals, or being nice, or coldly decisive, or ruling over their people.  Often intentions do not translate into reality.  They may even try to deliberately form their reputations – which is good if it’s good for…

Behavioral mandates in business can be effective for safety, process or regulatory compliance. They clearly communicate expectations and operational guidelines, helping employees understand required standards and appreciate defined work boundaries. However, in workplace culture, the effectiveness of mandates is significantly limited. While organizations are responsible for establishing standards of conduct and ethics, prescribing behaviour becomes…

We often think of workplace culture as kind of a fluffy, nebulous concept parked in HR as a “feel good” thing. In fact, it is a powerful economic force that directly affects the bottom line of a company. A poor workplace culture is a hidden tax on an organization’s financial performance. Unlike a statutory tax,…

Belonging is a state of being, not a state of sameness. I spent most of my childhood in Bolivia, South America where my parents served as missionaries for many years. I grew up bilingual in Spanish and English and formed lasting friendships. Although kids often overlook racial differences, I was aware of my distinct appearance…

In 2015, less than two years after my Mom passed away, my Dad moved into an assisted living complex. As is usually the case, it was not an easy transition for him, or us. Sadly, his cognitive impairment from early Alzheimer’s made the move necessary. I could write a lot about that specific experience, but…

Many years ago, a sales guy lost a deal because he made a mistake in negotiations. Defeated, he faced the furious company president, “taking his licks”. The president didn’t think his anger had enough of an impact, so a couple of weeks later, he ordered the salesman a new company truck with specific customization. When…

When we go through a recruiting process, we evaluate a candidate’s experience, qualifications, demeanour and their potential fit for the organization. However, the impact of an individual’s previous workplace is often overlooked. This aspect is considered only when the candidate’s former employer is known to have a poor culture. Otherwise, it is not a significant…

For many years, inclusion has been an important topic in workplace culture. It is often associated with racial, gender, or orientation values. While these are valid considerations, inclusion also extends into areas such as workplace disciplines, worker experience levels, socio-economics, company hierarchies, departments and even physical workplace spaces. A common area of non-inclusion in organizations…

Years ago, I had a defining experience with my leader on support and resilience. One morning, I came into my office only to see my boss standing in the hallway. I was immediately shocked and confused, as he was supposed to be on a flight to one of our production sites. I asked him what…