What I’m about to say is abundantly self-serving and even somewhat arrogant on the surface, but hear me out: you should hire PhDs. Several articles have been written recently outlining some positives of hiring PhD consultants — access to institutional knowledge, increased ability to incorporate the latest researched perspectives, and bolstering an organization’s professional reputation. … Read More
Consensus Culture Kills Agility: When Decision-Making Rights are Undefined, Everyone has a Veto
As our face-to-face meetings with new and potential clients increase, we are noticing the rise of the “De facto Consensus Culture.” Such cultures secretly sap organizations of agility and drain their time. To illustrate, let’s start with an analogy. At 14 years old I cleaned the McDonald’s parking lot, dining area, and restrooms. I used … Read More
Three Ways to Respond When Your Meeting is Hijacked by a Righteous Underminer
Three hours into a strategy session, we were making significant progress. Excitement grew as the team envisioned what is possible. After a couple of cups of coffee in the morning and a diet coke for lunch, I excused myself and passed the marker to the woman on my right. Little did I know that my meeting … Read More
Non-Toxic High-Performers — An Organization’s Biggest Assets
In the 90s I listened to The Ticket, a high-performing sports radio station, almost every day. When anyone called in, the first words out of their mouth was their affiliation. In keeping with that tradition, my affiliation is the Green Bay Packers. Since my youth, I have been a fan and remember Superbowl Packers starring … Read More
Your Mental Model Influences How You Handle Change, Uncertainty – and Your Job Performance
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life.” Due to innovation and disruptions caused by technology, some have gone so far as to say the pace of change is accelerating. Whether constant or accelerating, change leads to uncertainty, and uncertainty can feel, pardon the clinical jargon, “icky.” Uncertainty produces anxiety, … Read More
Five Mental Obstacles to Overcome in Your Audience to Drive Change (Applies to Vaccine Hesitancy Too)
On May 19, 2021, New York lifted its mask mandate, with more than 60% of adults receiving their vaccination. Considering the apparent success and abundant supply, why are 30 to 40% of adults still unvaccinated? At Psynet Group, we believe elected officials could borrow some of the techniques from influential leaders to convince the hesitant … Read More
I Didn’t Learn to Ride My Bike in Class: The Importance of On-the-Job Coaching and Psynet POWER Meetings (PPMs)
I got on my bike with some help; my dad held the back of my seat while I peddled. He let go — I fell. He gave me a few tips (coaching) — I tried again and got a little farther. More coaching , a little more help and soon I was cruising the neighborhood. … Read More
Getting Insights into a Job Candidate is Crucial, But How Far Should You Go?
Let’s Start with Two Well-Established Facts In a knowledge-based economy, it is perpetually essential to have effective talent strategies. Sound strategies are underpinned by selection and promotion processes; and, for investors, human capital due diligence on executive teams before investing. Second, it’s possible to measure almost any characteristic through various assessments, including online behavioral and cognitive … Read More
Advice Culture can Keep your Company from Sailing into Hurricanes or Blocking Canals
For six days, the world’s eyes were on the Ever Given, the container ship stuck between the banks of the Suez Canal. Although a unique news story, maritime disasters are more typical than most of us realize. According to the insurer Allianz, 41 large ships were lost in 2019 and 46 in 2018. Over the … Read More