One of the greatest assets we have as natives of a culture is our ability to quickly “read” another person’s emotions. Over time we learn how to understand whether our colleagues are truly interested in a project or just giving it lip service by noticing the expression on their faces. We can tell when someone really likes something we’ve proposed by the way they react. And we can often detect motivation as well: whether someone is truly willing to put in the extra time and effort to make something happen, just by seeing the fire in their eyes or the passion in their voice.

https://hbr.org/2015/04/emotional-intelligence-doesnt-translate-across-borders

Transformational change is still hard, according to a new survey. But a focus on communicating, leading by example, engaging employees, and continuously improving can triple the odds of success.

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/how_to_beat_the_transformation_odds

Rivalries can push people to perform at the highest level. They can also encourage them to engage in shocking – and even illegal – behavior.

While it is rare that workplace rivalries end in physical injuries and arrests, they can become a distraction, harm morale, and diminish productivity. In this article, we’ll explore rivalry in the workplace, and we’ll look at how you can limit unhealthy competition and improve collaboration in your own team.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-rivalry.htm

If you are like us, you often find yourself working on weekends and are criticized by somebody (your spouse, a friend, a colleague) who thinks there is something inherently wrong in spending some time over the weekend on work-related activities. Do they have a point? We thought there might be some truth to their criticism. And since we are scientists, we’ve looked for empirical data that would help us understand this phenomenon (and ourselves). What we’ve found is that many of us work on weekends for a very simple reason: We enjoy it. Think of it as a productivity high. But research shows that we often overdo it and that it may be more costly than we realize. Let’s dig a little deeper into the data.

https://hbr.org/2015/04/its-the-weekend-why-are-you-working

Most of us begin a new position with energy and a desire to impress. Our effort is high. Our passion is infectious. Our enthusiasm helps us to excel quickly.

But for some, work becomes mundane and repetitive. They lose some of their passion, and their work can begin to feel like a chore. Eventually some of those executives who had initially loved their careers enter the dimension we call the “day prison.” As they enter their workspace, they feel the metaphorical bars close around them in a zone where they are unmotivated, dissatisfied, and much less productive than they could be.

https://hbr.org/2015/04/why-you-should-watch-out-for-your-5-year-job-anniversary

Looks at what flow charts are and why they are so useful, and explores how you can use them to document and improve business processes.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_97.htm

Key leadership issues identified by the Pope, these he likens to diseases they include:

1. The disease of thinking we are immortal, immune, or downright indispensable
2. Another disease is excessive busyness
3. Then there is the disease of mental and [emotional] “petrification
4. The disease of excessive planning and of functionalism.
5. The disease of poor coordination.
6. There is also a sort of “leadership Alzheimer’s disease.
7. The disease of rivalry and vainglory.
8. The disease of existential schizophrenia.
9. The disease of gossiping, grumbling, and back-biting.
10. The disease of idolizing superiors.
11. The disease of indifference to others.
12. The disease of a downcast face.
13. The disease of hoarding.
14. The disease of closed circles.
15. Lastly: the disease of extravagance and self-exhibition.

https://hbr.org/2015/04/the-15-diseases-of-leadership-according-to-pope-francis

Despite our best efforts over 75% of people are disengaged or actively disengaged at work. The natural leadership response is to communicate more, when that often just exacerbates the problem. What people are really seeking is context and meaning to navigate the intense challenges of the workplace, not more information, facts and figures.  To truly engage people, we must speak to their emotions; their hopes and dreams, and their fears and worries.

http://www.peterfuda.com/2015/04/16/people-dont-want-more-communication-they-want-meaningful-communication/

Great managers strive to do right by their employees — treat them well, motivate them to succeed, and provide the support and coaching each person needs. This is often easier said than done, especially when it comes to coaching. That’s because coaching takes time, skill, and careful planning. And there are certain types of people who may be particularly challenging for managers to coach. Think about the Eeyore on your team who is pessimistic at every turn, or the person who refuses your advice with a smile on his face. It’s not fair to you or to the employee to give up, so what do you do?

https://hbr.org/2015/04/overcoming-the-toughest-common-coaching-challenges

Think about the last time you had to cope with stress in the workplace. You probably felt anxious, and maybe even a little afraid. But, in all likelihood, you resolved the situation and moved on, and maybe even felt a little wiser for the experience.

Now imagine being burdened by stress and fear for weeks, months or perhaps even years. There are people who have seen or been involved in events that are so harrowing, they are seared into their minds for the rest of their lives. They could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short.

It is possible that, unknown to you, someone on your team could be fighting a private battle with this debilitating condition. For them, the workplace can seem to be a hostile, confusing environment, and your compassion and understanding is vital to helping them be a valuable member of your team.

PTSD is most commonly associated with military veterans who have witnessed the horrors of combat. But anyone who has been exposed to a traumatic event can suffer from it, because of an accident, injury, disaster, or physical or sexual abuse, for example.

In this article, you’ll learn how to identify the symptoms of PTSD, and discover strategies to support your team members and help them succeed in their role.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-people-ptsd.htm