As we round out the holidays this year, many leaders are looking into the new year and setting some New Year’s resolutions. Whether you believe in resolutions or not, it is a good time to... The post Take your Leadership to the Next Level with a More Capable team for the New Year appeared first on Peter Barron Stark Companies ..read more

If your company is like most of the ones we have worked with this year, staffing and retention are at the top of the minds of most HR departments and leadership teams. While the employee... The post Are you struggling with retention? appeared first on Peter Barron Stark Companies ..read more

Have you seen the morale of your team dip? We have heard from some of our clients that they are having challenges with the morale on their team. One thing that we have seen in... The post Boost Team Morale: How to Reenergize Your Team appeared first on Peter Barron Stark Companies ..read more

We were working with a client on a leadership development program for their leaders when they asked us our thoughts about Succession Planning. Is it a ‘nice to have,’ like life insurance, or a ‘must have?’  They asked.  Of course, we are on the must-have, but the real question is, how formal is your succession plan? Most organizations have a leader in mind who could step into a CEO role if an immediate need arises. But that is not really a succession plan – more a casual backup vs a plan or program. If you don’t have a succession plan, your organization could be at risk.  A form ..read more

Have you ever had an executive or manager who doesn’t take your feedback? We have all been there—you feel like you are speaking another language because nothing seems to come from your repeated requests or feedback! Maybe it’s time to bring a coach. But how do you know when it is time or if it will help? And, would they take the coach’s feedback either? You may be asking yourself, why would a leader refuse or resist coaching? Some see it as a gift or investment in themselves and their future. While others see it as a punishment and only go through the motions to get it over with as fast as pos ..read more

We are working on several coaching projects where CEOs struggle to hold their team members accountable. When we ask these leaders why they don’t hold employees accountable to do the things they are responsible for doing and in the timeframe they have set for accomplishment, some of the common excuses include: They expect their direct reports to communicate, collaborate, and work well with their cross-departmental colleagues and do not feel they should have to resolve conflict between team members. They are too busy getting the operational parts of their job done and have not had the time to s ..read more

Over the last few years, the staffing questions on our Employee Opinion Surveys have been sitting in the lowest-rated questions for a lot of our clients. One contributing factor is the hot employee market causing people to change jobs at record highs.  During the pandemic, we had people out of the office quite frequently for illness, quarantine, etc. In 2023, there have been several rounds of layoffs, especially in the tech industry, causing a real or preserved staffing shortage. The result for most employees and managers is the pressure of having to get more done with less, i.e., get the ..read more

When we look at the most desirable characteristics of a job, having meaning in our work always comes up in the top three. That is because it is human nature to want to belong to something bigger than ourselves. As we start to come out of the hot employee market, it’s important to remember that money alone is not enough to push us to do our best. We feel personally at our best and most motivated to contribute when we feel that our work has meaning.  Doing meaningful work is important, not just for your mental health, but also your physical well-being. The opposite is also true. W ..read more

The quote “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time” is a great reminder by Zig Ziglar that we need to have goals to be successful. One thing that we have learned about planning and goals is that you can guarantee that something will always change that will cause you to have to adjust. The faster we can pivot and adjust, the more successful we are as leaders and as team members. Despite our best planning, occasionally, things just don’t turn out the way we expected.   With 2024 approaching quickly, now is a great time to set or revisit your goals. To help with that task, bel ..read more

When you think of a leader, you may think of someone who’s confident, caring, decisive, and determined. While these are all very important attributes, leaders should also leave room for employees to respectfully challenge their ideas. Some of the strongest and most successful leaders we have coached, make decisions, or talk them through, in groups. Sometimes you may think that you’ve got the answer, or covered all of your bases, and then, out of left field, an employee says, “What about…” and provides a great idea that hasn’t been considered. Be thankful for these employees. Confident emp ..read more