Kevin Anderson, Dr. Organizational Design (OD)

The Pandemic: What Are You Learning About Yourself?

This past week I heard a pop psychologist on a talk show say that this pandemic is not happening “to” you, it is happening “for” you. As a result, a useful question is: “What am I learning about myself from this experience?” I am usually a cynic when it comes to Dr. Phil media typesContinue reading “The Pandemic: What Are You Learning About Yourself?”

All The Consulting World’s A Stage

“Great consultants are as much actors as they are fonts of knowledge.” The founder of the consulting firm I had just joined delivered these words to me after my first week on the job. I was initially taken aback. A number of questions rushed to my head. Wasn’t I just hired because of my skillsContinue reading “All The Consulting World’s A Stage”

#Reinvent Yourself At Work Like the #TryGuys

The @TryGuys are four #millenials who have created a media frenzy out of simply trying new things. These millennials are creators of a comedy documentary series that shows them getting outside of their comfort zone. They try just about anything, from watching baby twins for a day to dog sledding in Alaska. In the process,Continue reading “#Reinvent Yourself At Work Like the #TryGuys”

What Every Organization Design Needs

At the start of a recent organizational design the leader asked me to provide a list of outcomes for the effort. Being a good consultant, I turned the question back on him. I explained that he and his team needed to craft the specific design principles that they hoped to accomplish via our work. TheContinue reading “What Every Organization Design Needs”

Process Mapping – The Key is to Establish Principles

Anyone who has participated in process mapping sessions will tell you how painful these events can be. It is not uncommon to sequester folks for hundreds of hours and ask them to conduct intense discussions in order to capture the processes for carrying out work. The author John Green said “The marks humans leave areContinue reading “Process Mapping – The Key is to Establish Principles”

A New Year’s Resolution for #Leaders and #Teams: Who Are We?

A #NewYear’s resolution: Connecting in a deeper manner with your work team. We spend a great deal of time together being #productive. Let’s answer the question: “Who are we?” At my father’s retirement ceremony as a college president, the local reigning politician concluded his remarks with a heartfelt statement. He indicated that if he wereContinue reading “A New Year’s Resolution for #Leaders and #Teams: Who Are We?”

Being in a Thanksgiving Reality Show: The Uber Leadership Development Experience

My family was filmed last weekend for a reality show depicting how American families celebrate Thanksgiving. Since the show was produced by a German pop up museum, I am referring to our experience as the “Uber” leadership development experience. For you non-Germanic folks, Uber means “being a superlative example of its kind or class”. TheContinue reading “Being in a Thanksgiving Reality Show: The Uber Leadership Development Experience”

A Creative Method For Developing Innovative Solutions: Magic Tool Box

It can be helpful to use analogies to inspire new ideas. I have leveraged a brainstorming tool for years called the Magic Tool Box. In this exercise one uses a box full of tools as a metaphor for solving the problem at hand. The objective is to spur new thinking. I leveraged this brainstorming exerciseContinue reading “A Creative Method For Developing Innovative Solutions: Magic Tool Box”

True Organizational Culture Change: “Everyone Talks Different”

The #culturechange that Sandra Johnson engineered at a challenging City Government division is the most astounding cultural turn around that I have ever witnessed. An informal City leader who missed 50% of the meetings due to an illness came back and said, “I don’t know what happened but all I can say is everyone talks different.” It isContinue reading “True Organizational Culture Change: “Everyone Talks Different””

No more Drivel! Give us the Practical and Useful.

There is no substitute for business advice which is practical and useful. Yes, I am talking about suggestions which actually work. … As in make things better in the real world! Drivel, on the other hand, is defined as “silly nonsense”. Unfortunately there is a lot of these unhelpful opinions flying around our field ofContinue reading “No more Drivel! Give us the Practical and Useful.”