I have an outstanding employee who has asked me to mentor him. He sees me as an example of the kind of leader he would like to become, and he would like to travel a career path similar to my own. I’m flattered, and yet I’m unsure how to help him. He’s incredibly competent already and I don’t want to agree to mentor him and then shortchange him. What can I do?
I have a staff member who is diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She also has a very low sense of self-esteem. Giving her constructive feedback on her performance is painful—for both of us. I have a hard time helping her feel safe when she seems to only focus on the negative stuff. How can I establish a sense of safety and keep her from going into survival mode?
I have an employee who tends to talk a lot and drift off topic in our one-on-one meetings, to the point where I can’t focus. I have tried to keep them on track, but it is very difficult. They often take up an hour instead of the scheduled 30 minutes, and I completely lose track of what they are saying. I try hard not to look bored, but I’m concerned that I’m getting distracted because I’m bored. Please help.
Dear Joseph, In the opinion article “Accountability is a Key to Changing Police Culture,” you outline many of the issues of police culture that are ingrained in the fabric of law enforcement. You refer to the “warrior mentality” culture in some police departments as well as the demand placed on police to address societal issues …
Dear Emily, Earlier this year, I mentored a team member who was taking on additional responsibilities and learning new processes. As she was not a new employee, I expected her onboarding to go quickly and smoothly, and became frustrated when she was not growing in her independence and understanding in the timeframe I anticipated. After …
This op-ed from Joseph Grenny and his colleagues Tim Stay and Dave Durocher at The Other Side Academy was recently published in The Deseret News. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, cities and municipalities across the nation are desperately trying to find solutions to eliminate police brutality, especially …
Dear Justin, We are learning how to use videoconferencing as our new meeting platform. Do you have tips for facilitating meetings to promote participation and feedback, as many people seem uncomfortable because they can’t read non-verbal cues from others? Also, do you have effective methods for guiding people with interaction? No one is using the …
Adapted from an article written March 22, 2020 March 2020 will go down in history as the month that changed everything. In a matter of weeks, the novel coronavirus spread rapidly across the globe, rocking governments, stock markets, healthcare systems, education systems, entertainment, travel, you name it. Seemingly, nothing was spared. Routine life has been …
Dear David, Our organization is non-profit with a family-oriented culture. Unfortunately, we act like a family that has no accountability. Instead of holding people to account, our approach is to avoid and dumb down. No one is ever fired for poor performance. People arrive late, fail to complete time-sensitive tasks, and chat a lot—I mean …
Visit the Crucial Skills blog to read Al Switzler’s response to this question: What do you do when you feel you are falsely accused?
