Rethink Your Elevator Pitch
I recently attended a swanky little speed networking night hosted by Amherst’s Emerging Business Leaders. Drinks in hand, we circulated around tables, a sparkling crew of young, Buffalonian professionals. During the formal speed networking time, we were given 90 seconds to “network” with each person. 90 seconds. Have you ever tried to authentically present yourself and your experiences, to make a real connection with someone, and to listen well and ask questions – all in the time you spent microwaving last night’s leftovers? 90 seconds is NOT a long time. But by...
Read MoreDreaming of Video Storytelling
I recently discovered the Daily DoGooder, and I cannot. stop. watching. The site serves up a seemingly bottomless platter of fresh-picked video goodies: short clips that aim to “change the world one video at a time.” The issues range from marriage equality and environmental sustainability to international movements like World Water Day. After I watch a film, like the one below, I’m instantly eager to join the movement. Then I watch the next video, and again I’m completely moved. Thinking Versus Feeling There’s something intensely powerful about video as a...
Read MoreWhat to Do When Your Iceberg Melts
This week in the world of MBA 647 Organizational Change & Leadership, we’re reading John Kotter’s “Our Iceberg is Melting.” For this book, Kotter has taken winning principles from his Leading Change and Heart of Change, two books that focus on leading teams to success through periods of inevitable change. “Our Iceberg is Melting” synthesizes these ideas in the form of a fable, where one ingenious penguin named Fred goes for a swim. When he does, he sees fissures, bubbles, and a water-filled cave: signs that the colony’s indestructible iceberg...
Read MoreFit is Key in Finding Your Dream Job
There’s a secret that Google, Zappos and Facebook all know – the secret that makes them Dream Employers. It’s not just the swanky in-house lunches or the mythic indoor slides. The real secret behind these famously fun and wildly successful workplaces isn’t the perks, it’s a Human Resources practice called “hiring for fit.” Employers who hire for fit look beyond the resume, understanding that educational background and career experience aren’t the only indicators of a successful candidate. They look at an employee as a whole person,...
Read MoreProblem Solving and the 4 Stages of Community
Here’s my idea of a dream team: We understand one another. Our opinions are equally valuable. We’re safe to create, take risks and call one another out. We just click. You can already imagine how this team works – focused, dedicated, caring and unstoppable. In a world where many teams feel stuck in neutral, what separates this dream team from the rest is a sense of community. Without a sense of community in a team, we see unproductive conflict, team members marginalized, battles for power and spinning wheels. Often the greater organizations itself is stuck. Members don’t trust one...
Read MoreHow Leaders Build Community
It’s the feeling we all had on September 12, 2001. For a few days or weeks, when we looked at one another, we saw more than just another face. We knew what those in our community were thinking, knew how they were hurting, knew that we could make their day better by lending a hand or an ear. We were all vulnerable together, hoping and working for the same things – peace of mind, security, understanding. That’s a sense of community – and it’s magic. In her lecture at Canisius last month, executive consultant and author Eve Berry shared a career’s worth of insight explaining just...
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