planning – Nathan Magnuson

Where Do We Go From Here?

What happens after a big win? For all the focus (and press) directed at planning and executing, what comes next? Whether your team has achieved a significant goal or is looking to get back on track after a shake-up, here are some basic ways to get everyone back on course.

How to Bounce Back from Adversity

January 20, 2014 Courage decision-making Inspiration Personal Effectiveness perspective planning Resilience

Adversity is no respecter of persons. Our experiences are usually different, but each of us gets our turn. Our organizations do too, for that matter. So what happens when adversity strikes? How can we climb our way our of it? This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some thinking…

Powerful Question #12

December 4, 2013 Powerful Questions

Some people are planners and some people are opportunists. Each approach has its merits and challenges. Neither one guarantees success by itself. We usually plan for good outcomes and try to avoid poor ones. But many times unplanned situations come up, both for the better and worse. Has an opportunity…

What Does It Actually Mean to Be Generous?

November 25, 2013 Inspiration Misc.

How will you spend Thanksgiving this week? As an American holiday, it usually includes time with family and ridiculous amounts of food and football. Talk about a great combination! As we prepare to celebrate the holiday, it’s important to note that thankfulness actually encompasses four different areas: gratitude, generosity, sharing…

Powerful Question #11

November 6, 2013 Powerful Questions

Sometimes when I meet with a leader of a team or a department, I’ll ask a question about priorities that usually raises an eyebrow or two. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the ones who can answer it usually seem to be on top of things a lot more…

The Main Reasons Strategic Planning Fails

March 25, 2013 Human Resources Leadership Organizational Effectiveness planning

When I was a college student, my New Venture Studies class had the opportunity to advise a local resident starting his own coffee shop. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I was excited to be involved – that is, until I realized the capital came from an inheritance. I was further perturbed…

The Problem with Good Ideas

February 11, 2013 Leadership Organizational Effectiveness Strategic Thinking

Are good ideas ruining the effectiveness of your team or organization? Yes, you read that correctly. Are good ideas keeping you from winning? At a time when creativity and innovation are at a premium, good ideas are actually more threatening than ever. As organizational leaders, we tend to worship good…

How to Build a Professional Mentoring Program

January 28, 2013 Human Resources Influence Leadership Learning Networking Organizational Effectiveness

Have you ever been a part of a formal mentoring program at your organization? If so, how did it go? It not, would it have been helpful? Maybe you’ve even wondered how to set up a mentoring program yourself so that you and/or others could benefit from it. In my…