I became an entrepreneur 20 years ago. I was 30 years old at the time and had recently left my career as a medical social worker in order to follow my dream of moving to an island. That move forced me to start my own business. I had both an expertise and a passion for self-care and burnout prevention within … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] Some managers are like the person who tells their partner, “I said ‘I love you’ when we first got together, and I’ll let you know if anything changes.” The underlying belief here is that no news is good news. Despite the fact that, for leaders, no news often is good news, some employees fill the … Read More

Those who find themselves taking up the mantle of leadership would do well to Google “leader scandal” as a sobering reminder. It seems that hardly a day passes when there isn’t another story of a leader brought to their knees because of words, deeds, or deals dragged out from the shadows. These transgressions are then amplified, accelerated, and publicly shredded … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] Early in my career, I, Randy, worked for a manager who clearly embodied an “old-school” management style. He was full of bravado and purposely intimidating. He was a terrible listener and would frequently yell in an effort to get his desired results. Initially, it was exciting to be around him. I felt an intoxicating energy … Read More

Given the current focus on workplace culture in business media, why do so many organizations still struggle with creating and sustaining a healthy workplace culture? A friend of mine recently confided to me that her leaders are brilliant contributors to their industry, but they seem clueless about how to actually lead people. And therein lies the problem – organizations often … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] An organization’s CEO may be brilliant, its employees may be great to work with, and the work it does may have a valuable purpose, but if its leaders aren’t easy to work for, there’s a good chance it won’t be a healthy place to work. When we write “easy to work for,” we’re referring to … Read More

Sometimes leaders make poor decisions. Human history is littered with stories of decisions that make you wonder, Why did they think that would be a good idea? “Leaders are human beings, just like the rest of us,” is what people often say. Indeed, it’s true that our tendency to see our leaders with halos around their heads is part of … Read More

It struck me recently that, as leaders, we need to apply the hiring lens to ourselves. Like most organizations, at ACHIEVE we choose the people we hire very carefully. We want employees who are committed to working collaboratively, identify with our values, and demonstrate integrity with their actions. Beyond our hiring process, we regularly give feedback to ensure these expectations … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] One of the problems with motivation is that we often don’t consider who actually wants the work to be done. It is typically a leader who wants work done in a particular way or within a precise time frame. It is their motivation that is the impetus for action. Many leaders provide negative or positive … Read More

Excerpt from The Culture Question: At ACHIEVE, we have discovered that ensuring employees find meaning in their work begins at the point of first contact: during the interview process. We have dramatically changed our hiring processes over the years. Through trial and error, and observations in our own personal journeys, we have come to appreciate that a person’s innate talent … Read More