Organizational Miscommunication? There’s a Good Way to Avoid It.
It's all too easy for team members to misunderstand something. Effective leaders know the value of the "pre-brief."
Russ Linden is a management consultant, educator and author. His major areas of expertise include change management, performance improvement and collaboration. He has written five books, his most recent being Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked World (Jossey-Bass, 2010).
His clients have included several intelligence, natural-resources and defense agencies; the departments of State, Treasury, Interior, Veterans Affairs and Education; more than 40 state and local government agencies; and nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel.
It's all too easy for team members to misunderstand something. Effective leaders know the value of the "pre-brief."
It's critical for public leaders to take the time to distinguish the signal from the noise.
Search and rescue task forces need to deploy at a moment's notice, and they have to be ready for any challenges they may encounter.
There is a range of customer-feedback tools, including very simple ones.
There are risks, and there still must be accountability. But some leaders have shown the way.
There is plenty that local officials can do to avert the kind of deadly violence that erupted in the Virginia city.
Public-sector organizations aren't designed for it, but some are finding ways to make it part of their culture.
Despite all the media coverage, assault and harassment remain too common. There's a lot that public leaders could be doing.
They have a powerful influence. But unrealistic, unreachable goals can produce unethical behavior.
When accusations are flying or scandal erupts, it's crucial to get the initial response right.
PTSD is common among those who respond to disasters and other emergencies. It's hard to deal with, but there are ways to help them.
It takes a lot of energy to get elected. But that's the time to think about how to accomplish things once in office.
Knowing your organization's story and why it's important can go a long way toward helping workers cope with change.
Rosy, unrealistic scenarios just cause trouble down the road. It's far better for managers not to deceive their leaders -- or themselves.
There are better ways to handle a situation like the one that has ignited a firestorm at the University of Virginia.
The VA scandal has its roots in two related management failures. Government leaders everywhere should keep them in mind.
Creating a culture of openness and candor is critical to organizational success. It takes a strong, concerted effort by leaders.
When it comes to trying something new in the public sector, we're especially averse to risk. But there are ways to gain support for these kinds of initiatives.
Today's turbulent environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity means new challenges for government managers and policymakers. There are ways to cope with them.
Nurturing the next generation of leaders is one of the best things you can do for your organization.
A remarkable book provides leaders with a practical, simple framework, based on the latest brain research, for turning an organization to a new direction.
The leadership fight at the University of Virginia is a powerful example of why so many change efforts fail.
It's hard to imagine a better demonstration of its potential than the worldwide volunteer effort that helped rescue thousands of people after the earthquake in Haiti.
Most of us are all too comfortable in our habits. The lesson for leaders in an era of change: Make the novel seem familiar.
All too often, the first meeting of a collaborative group is a waste of time. Here are some ways to keep that from happening.
Managing an enterprise requires keeping the focus on “the main thing” and not being distracted by the daily tasks and deadlines that always seem urgent.
Not so fast. What many people fear about organizational change is loss.
They can help governments achieve the outcomes they want. But they have their downsides.
The way a successful airline finds employees who fit in with its distinctive culture holds lessons for the public sector.
Effective leaders know the importance of focusing not only on the things they can control, but on the larger picture.
As the story behind the U.S. Constitution illustrates, history is chock full of lessons on collaborative leadership.
Dwight Eisenhower said, 'If you can't solve a problem, enlarge it.' It's a powerful insight into problem solving.
When employees have a line of sight, they can see the connection between their everyday work, and something larger.
A guide to avoiding these five traps, and successfully implementing public initiatives.
Four ways agencies and organizations can use Web 2.0 to foster collaboration.
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’” Here’s an approach for dealing with those who insist on putting an “I” in “team.”
Russ Linden on bringing about major change in a short amount of time.