Joan Lloyd

Most companies are hard at work trying to reinvent themselves. They realize the old culture that made them successful must evolve if they are...

“It's all about Charlie,” my colleague muttered, as we waited for him once again for a meeting. “He never thinks about anyone else's schedule. His is always more important – and he'll let you know it.”

Fifteen minutes later, with a few quick jokes and a dazzling smile, he swept into the room. Before long he was on his email, and then stepped out to take a call.

What's going on here?

Dear Joan:
“I have recently been appointed marketing manager of the firm I work for. My new duties include crossing functional lines of a dozen departments to direct and implement our marketing programs. Two of the individuals I deal with are close personal friends, who prefer to deal with each other directly rather than following the chain of command. In order to be effective in my position, I must have the cooperation of them on a day-to-day basis and need to assure them it is necessary to respect the chain of command. How can I be assertive and obtain their cooperation without appearing aggressive?”

If making a presentation in front of a group makes your heart pound and your throat close up, you're not alone. And even more...

“We measure ourselves by what are we doing new, versus what we are doing well,” a client told me recently.