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Joy at Work Thinking

Competency Fallacy management Mar 11, 2022

Written by Ed Cook

In corporations around the globe, managers are engaging in a process to develop their associates. At least they are trying to do it. These well-meaning attempts typically include some sort of a model of competencies. The manager is supposed to “ground” an...

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3 Steps to Actually Hitting Your Goals decision management Jan 07, 2022

Written by Ed Cook

It’s the beginning of the year and you are setting goals - again. We set these annual goals in so many contexts: business goals, fitness goals, financial goals, education goals. Our list is long. You set these goals with such hope for success, only to watch the...

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The Secret to Virtual Work joy at work management Aug 17, 2021

Written by Ed Cook

Perhaps the most consequential business decision of 2021 will be to what extent a business should return to the office. With COVID-19 continuing to impact the planet (and sadly showing signs of a very strong resurgence), it seems likely that we will continue working...

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Debate Can be Enriching and Energizing joy at work management Jan 20, 2021

Written by Roxanne Brown

When you're surprised to learn that your colleague thinks very differently than you, that’s a good time to get curious.

“I wonder why they feel that way? I wonder what life experiences brought them to that point of view?”

You won’t know the...

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Virtual Meeting Joy change leadership management virtual teams Jul 10, 2020

Written by Roxanne Brown

Have meetings become friendlier? When a colleague’s child bursts on your screen to show you their toy, does that make people laugh? When a cat jumps up on the back of a colleague’s chair, does that bring smiles? Working from home is a lot of things....
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The 3 (and a half?) Types of Virtual Meetings management virtual teams Apr 06, 2020

Written by Ed Cook

As we all scramble because of the COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus to move to virtual work that means virtual meetings.  Anything that has not gone well with our in-person meetings is going to go even more horribly with your virtual meetings.  Every distraction,...

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The People Part of M&A management Dec 27, 2019

Written by Ed Cook

The amount of research on why Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) succeed or fail is voluminous but not particularly clear. M&A is often not successful. Early research focused on strategy and structural factors, but the results were mixed.  More recently cultural...

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Conducting Joy change leadership joy at work management Dec 08, 2019

Written by Ed Cook

While watching a symphony or orchestra or choir, I’ve often wondered what the value of a conductor is to the other musicians. Afterall other music groups seem to do fine without one. Rock bands, jazz groups, a cappella ensembles, all manage without a conductor. I got an...

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Focus the Struggle change leadership management Jan 29, 2018
Written by Ed Cook
On February 14, 1990, the scientist of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) turned Voyager 1 around to face the solar system. The spacecraft was just beyond the orbit of Neptune and on its way toward interstellar space. While out there, Voyager 1 took what came to be known as...
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