Motivation – Erik Van Slyke

The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

August 28, 2020

A few weeks ago I was talking with a project manager who wanted an assessment of his team’s capability. The project was moving along without significant problems, but was approaching an intense period with several critical milestones. The project manager felt unsettled because his team was not providing the analysis and insight he expected. “I don’t think … More The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

The Truth About Paying for Performance

March 15, 2012

One of the great myths of corporate life is that incentive pay leads to better performance. Corporate leaders often speak with great moral conviction of creating pay for performance cultures that only reward people when they meet performance expectations. The logic suggests that if organizations provide a big enough carrot, people will work harder to … More The Truth About Paying for Performance

Context is Everything

May 25, 2011

At 7:51 am on January 12, 2007, a man wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt and faded jeans entered L’Enfant Plaza in Washington D.C. amid the morning rush of commuters and quietly removed his violin from its case. The violin was the rare Gibson ex-Huberman handcrafted in 1713 by Antonio Stradivari during the Italian master’s “golden … More Context is Everything

Gaining Support for Change

October 7, 2010

I’m sentimental So I walk in the rain I’ve got some habits Even I can’t explain I go to the corner I end up in Spain Why try to change me now Whether voiced with the fragile anguish of Fiona Apple or the charming cockiness of Frank Sinatra, these Cy Coleman lyrics express the unapologetic … More Gaining Support for Change

Failure: The Secret to Success

September 17, 2010

Nobody likes to fail. We think failure is the opposite of success. In organization life, failure is unacceptable. It demands action. It requires a response. It gets you fired. It is better to maintain the status quo and achieve mediocre results than to take a risk and fail. Unless you are an effective change leader. … More Failure: The Secret to Success

Killa Appz: Droppin Science for Live 9 to 5

August 9, 2010

Dave Berzack loves his career. Check out his website, www.daveberzack.com, and you will see more evidence of the passion, and talent, he has for his chosen profession. (Shout out to Dan Schawbel for pointing me to this video.) Droppin science (here’s the secret) for live (for a great) 9 to 5 (career): It’s about finding your passion. Said … More Killa Appz: Droppin Science for Live 9 to 5

Lead Like a Great Conductor

June 18, 2010

Orchestra conductors must exercise a unique style of leadership. They must listen intently, and without saying a word, draw out strong performances from their orchestras. This requires that they learn to be the ultimate collaborators, understand the unique capabilities of each musician and decide how best to blend them into a coherent whole. In this … More Lead Like a Great Conductor

Motivation Is Not About the Money

June 9, 2010

The economic crisis has called into question the pay practices of some of the nation’s largest financial services companies. In particular, the Federal Reserve and other regulatory organizations have found that many of the bonus and incentive programs led executives to make decisions that not only contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great … More Motivation Is Not About the Money

The Mindset of a Great Boss

June 2, 2010

Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, has been researching great bosses for many years. His last book was the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. His work suggests a number of techniques and behaviors that research has shown good bosses … More The Mindset of a Great Boss

Earn It

May 31, 2010

“I hope that at least in your eyes I have earned what all of you have done for me.” Imagine the quality of our lives, our leadership and our service to each other if we asked this question everyday.

Erik Van Slyke

Building Organizational Capacity to Lead Change

Tag: Motivation