By Clemens Rettich, on November 24th, 2011 
There is in the human soul a desire for reproducibility. Not reproduction, (we have that for sure!), but a need to reproduce things, perfectly and repeatably.
Traditional MBA programs are built on that desire; on the belief that the behaviours that constitute good management can be learned and repeated in any context. Those programs suggest, by making management a discipline, that if you get the basic skills down, you can manage a retail business or a bank or a restaurant, each with equal success.
The trouble is, it just isn’t true. But it seems that the desire to create . . . → Read More: A System or A Symphony?
By Clemens Rettich, on November 22nd, 2011 
The biggest misconception about improvisation is that it is all about making stuff up… that anything goes.
The reality is that good improvisation, whether it is jazz, classical Indian music, or improv theater, is always grounded in a strong set of rules and guiding principles.
A new improv game for business
The next time you are onboarding a new recruit, here’s a little improvisation I would like you to undertake. The rules:
Confirm that the candidate has the basic skills (and only the basic skills) required to do the job Present the candidate with the current written objectives for . . . → Read More: The Ultimate Business Improv
By Clemens Rettich, on November 1st, 2011 
We all procrastinate. But most of us are not procrastinators.
When was the last time you put off eating that ice cream because it was too much bother? How about finding all kinds of excuses not to cash in that cheque for 10K.
No?
How many of us pack the car in a flurry to hit the road and get to that fishing or camping spot before everyone else? Gardeners getting lost for hours in their gardens? Those of us who love to cook, unwinding in our kitchens, cooking 4-course meals?
Where are the procrastinators?
Every time I work . . . → Read More: There are No Procrastinators
By Clemens Rettich, on October 6th, 2011 
It’s never what it seems…
We’ve all heard the stories so many times we’ve kind of come to expect them: the stories of celebrities who seem to have everything until the mask slips. Then they seem to have nothing.
Alcoholism, addictions, emptiness, abuse, loneliness, issues with debt, self-esteem, shattered families.
Yet even though we know all that, we still too often find ourselves in a new environment, surrounded by seemingly successful people, feeling a serious case of ‘imposter syndrome’ coming on. Why do we do that? Why do we understand the pains and struggles of our own journeys, and the repeated . . . → Read More: It’s Not What it Seems – Finding Your Confidence
By Clemens Rettich, on October 4th, 2011 
Engagement has become one of those nod your head buzzwords. We all suspect it’s a good thing, but most of us have no concrete understanding of what it means.
What engagement does means:
The feeling that we matter at work; that the unique skills and experience we bring to the team are valued, and would be missed if we weren’t there The deliberate act of engaging with employees to share their input and feedback to improve the organization. Done right, this leads back to #1!
The decades-long work by Marcus Buckingham and the Gallup organization have provided irrefutable evidence that the absence . . . → Read More: Tell Me I Matter & We Both Win
By Clemens Rettich, on August 25th, 2011 
One of the joys (and challenges) of being a business coach is that I get paid to tell the truth, especially when no one else will.
Recently I was with a small business client who prided himself on his ability to “pick ‘em” when it came to employees. The client told me that a new employee was having some difficulties performing, but that she would come around. “I’ve got great people instincts, and I think this one is going to work out great.” Sigh. We’ve been here before.
“No.” I said. “You don’t…” And proceeded to remind him of . . . → Read More: Where are Your Blind Spots?
By Clemens Rettich, on August 13th, 2011 
What gives you the right to expect ‘more’ from your employees?
When you provide only the very basics on your side of the relationship as the employer how can you expect more than the very basics from your employees? If all you give me is money, all you get is my hands.
If you want my heart and my head, you’ll have to put yours in there too.
Brett Simons has written another excellent and thoughtful piece. This one explores Enabling Covenantal Relationships. As Brett writes:
“Unless and until you are willing to hold yourself accountable for performing your . . . → Read More: Will You Be Mine? The Employer As Covenant Partner
By Clemens Rettich, on August 7th, 2011 
In the Management Tip of the Day from the Harvard Business Review, there are some excellent tips about providing valuable, useful feedback.
Ask Permission Don’t Hedge Do it Often
I would love to comment on #3 because it is one of the pre-conditions for success that I just don’t see enough of in small business. But I won’t.
Number 1 is the one that caught my attention.
Permission is necessary not only in providing (especially negative) feedback, I believe it is necessary component in any vital relationship.
Some examples:
Leaders looking for feedback. If you want to know how you . . . → Read More: Want the Truth? Permission and Gratitude Will Get It
By Clemens Rettich, on July 20th, 2011 
We spend our life waiting for cues.
It’s all about trying to get the timing right. We look for cues to speak our turn, to ask for a raise, to lean in for a kiss…
Act too soon, and it sends the wrong signals of pushiness or desperation. Too late and the moment slips by.
Getting it right takes skills they don’t teach at school. It’s one of those things we have to figure out on our own, usually painfully. It takes empathy, good listening skills, confidence, some intelligence, and a fair degree of luck to make our entrances . . . → Read More: Improv in Heels: Exit Game
By Clemens Rettich, on July 19th, 2011 Each week I bring together a few articles that add value to our work of becoming better communicators in business. Short on time? Watch for the *Must Read* where I think you’ll get the best bang for your reading buck!
What Employees Say Behind Your Back
Surprise, surprise, surprise. The big finding in a new survey about how employees feel about middle and senior management? You don’t listen enough. Are you having regular scheduled meetings and taking notes of peoples’ input and feedback? No? Then read this article 10 times for homework. Read more…
Is This Why Employees Don’t . . . → Read More: On Message:The Best of Business Communication – July 19
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