How many SOPs does your organization have? Do you have SOPs on how to write an SOP?

What core values guide the people in your organization? Are those values real as you hire people, work together, and serve your clients? Or, are they just pretty posters on a boardroom wall?

How do you handle your training? Do you give people a list of the 791 things they can do, a list of the 427 things they can't do, and then have them sign the bottom of the page indicating they understand it all (I've heard it called "check a box training")?

One of the costliest mistakes I see teams make is when they hire people who are just like they are. This, more often than not, happens on executive teams where the primary leader has a very dominant personality.

The problem is that it creates a culture where certain behaviors are rewarded and other much needed behaviors in the organization are criticized. It also breeds "group thinking."

So, how do you avoid this costly situation?

Inscape Publishing has taken DiSC to a whole new level with the new Everything DiSC Workplace. Checkout a Sample Profile.
I have consistently seen amazing results when teams embrace this tool. Team members are able to build better relationships and reduce conflict.

Have you had a chance to read The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner? It's a bit dry, but provides great stories about leadership and, more importantly, a simple and understandable leadership model. It's a great resource to have around the office.

The first of five Practices of Leadership they talk about in the book is "Model the Way." Here's a short excerpt:

Last week I had an amazing hiking, camping, canyoneering trip in Zion National Park. I "took the plunge" so to speak in some beautiful canyoneering routes. Check out the video on this post.

I just ran the Steamboat half-marathon this past weekend and had a blast. The half-marathon course starts at around 7,200 feet above sea level and winds through the most beautiful countryside you can imagine into the western style downtown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. As I ran through the cheering crowds along the last mile of the course, I was amazed at how much faster I started running. It made me think about the importance of recognition in the work place.

One of the most frustrating experiences I have had when interacting with others is when I receive feedback from someone who decides to use "softeners" instead of being direct in his or her communication. These "softeners" come in the form of:

• saying "we" when you really mean "I"
• using words such as "kinda", "sortof", and "right"
• being indirect in asking for something by saying "would you mind..."

These "softeners" often result in ambiguity and confusion about a person's intent. Effective communicators and influencers, on the other hand:

We had a great three-day leadership development program last week with a group from UCAR. As part of the program, we integrated our Hi-tech Treasure Hunt. Teams navigated through a course with their GPS device, compass, and map, and completed activities related to creating shared values, planning for the future, and understanding personality styles with DiSC.

On May 23, 2009, Melissa Arnot became the first American Woman to summit Mount Everest for the second time. I met her father in a workshop last week, and he was beaming with pride. Melissa's team reached the summit in adverse conditions - conditions that seem to be threatening to end the climbing season on Everest earlier than usual this year.