Working relationships can be a minefield, especially when a relationship that’s generally good starts to go bad. I’m not talking about severe wrongs of the lawsuit variety here. I’m referring to the myriad injuries we inflict on one another, often without realizing it. These injuries can...
It happens to nearly everyone at least once. You find yourself working for an ineffective boss whose issues impact you and your team. While it’s certainly disappointing, it doesn’t have to be an unstoppable force of destruction. There are three mistakes I see talented professionals make...
It’s been a tumultuous two weeks. Two events, seemingly unrelated, provide both a cautionary tale and an excellent role model for leaders. The two events are Trump’s response to the violence incited by white supremacists in Charlottesville and a Google employee’s memo. This blog isn’t...
Many corporate holiday parties are among the weirdest hybrids of work and play that I have ever experienced. Few companies are able to blend the two seamlessly, so the parties become a veritable minefield in which no one will remember you if you perform well....
This may be the shortest article I’ve ever shared with you. The fastest way to figure out who’s in power is… Are you ready for this? It’s humor. Noticing the dynamics around humor is a failsafe way to figure out the power structure of almost any group of...
“I can’t wait to see what HR is going to do with this.” The other day, I overheard someone wonder aloud what HR was going to do in response to particularly troublesome behavior by a group of managers. As an anthropologist of company cultures, I see this...
“Jennifer, I’m so fed up with these two guys! I have told them – again and again -- they have to stop going to the mat on every little thing. I gave them your articles on how to give feedback to a coworker and how...
“How do I get my peers to speed up decision-making?” “How can I get the rest of the C-suite to agree to my recommendations for strategic investment? What worked at my old company isn’t working here. No one will commit.” “How can I get these people on...
Two weekends ago, Kirk gamely agreed to go shopping with me. While he doesn’t exactly live for the excitement of waiting for me while I’m in a dressing room, he’s a good sport. We headed up to the Fourth Street shopping area in Berkeley. The first...
I bet if I asked, you could rattle off dozens of examples of people who caused great harm from being drunk on power. It makes for great movies and it arguably was responsible for triggering the Great Recession. But I see a different and equally destructive...