The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog

Stop trying

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 30, 2012


“Doing more of what doesn’t work won’t make it work any better.” Charles J. Givens

This quote made me laugh. It’s so true. Yet somehow we seem to forget and we continue to operate on the belief that if we just try harder, even if it’s not working, we’ll somehow figure it out and push things through.
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7 questions you must answer to strengthen your great idea

Posted by Robyn McLeod on January 26, 2012

There’s nothing I love more than learning something new from one discipline and applying it to something different. Such was the case recently when a client of mine, a thermal scientist, shared Heilmeier’s Catechism with me. George Heilmeier was an engineer who headed the research group at RCA that developed the first liquid crystal display and eventually went on to become the CEO of Bellcore in the 1990s.
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4 Responses to “7 questions you must answer to strengthen your great idea”

  1. This is absolutely on point. It articulates much more eloquently my three questions of So what? Who cares? Whats in it for me? It brings the discussion to a whole new level. thank you.

  2. Cynthia Walker says:

    Thank you Robyn for your excellent article. I actually used these questions for a making a life decision and it worked out extremely well!!!

    • Robyn McLeod says:

      Thank you for your comment, Cynthia! It’s great to hear that the questions helped you in a life decision. I find them to be simple yet powerful — and, as you discovered, applicable in many different contexts. Glad it was helpful for you!

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Professional Development on a Shoestring

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 24, 2012

For many of our clients, this is not only the start of a new calendar year but also the start of a new budget year. And while some organizations are rebuilding their investment in people development, others have budget line items that are still woefully lean for the kind of professional and leadership development necessary to increase employee engagement and retention.

In response to the need to find ways to stretch Training & Development budget dollars and creatively offer development opportunities for employees, we published the attached article – Professional Development on a Shoestring – which offers ideas for professional development experiences that you can implement on your own or with minimal resources.
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Building with thrown bricks

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 23, 2012


“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” David Brinkley

I was speaking with a colleague recently who told her tale of woe about a large project she was heading up at work. She shared a litany of roadblocks and obstacles. “Every time I turn around,” she said, “It’s like someone else has come up with yet another ridiculous hoop I have to jump through and a reason why my project will fail…or shouldn’t even be started. At times I just want to quit.”
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What hospital janitors can teach us about wisdom

Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 19, 2012

Someone forwarded me another TED video – they always make me think, and I always want to share them.

Barry Schwartz speaks about our loss of wisdom. He argues that our society, businesses, and lives are becoming increasingly stuck on rules and incentives, and that what we need in order to thrive is instead practical, everyday wisdom that will guide us to do the “right” thing.
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How do you get unstuck?

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 16, 2012


“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” Helen Keller

I’ve noticed a pattern in my life, and sometimes in the lives of others. Something will go “wrong” for me, or something will happen that I don’t like or don’t want, and I’m driven to push against it. Without realizing it, I find myself complaining, or strategizing how to fight the issue, or the person, I’m up against. At times I even plunge into frustration and darkness, overwhelmed with how “wrong” everything is and how hopeless I feel to change things. And the more I push against, the more the issue or situation seems to overcome me.
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Ask these questions for a better performance appraisal experience

Posted by Robyn McLeod on January 12, 2012

This is the time of year when many of us are in performance appraisal mode – writing our self-appraisal, preparing documentation for giving appraisals to others, reflecting on what went well in 2011, and remembering what did not get accomplished that we expected to achieve. While it is certainly important to look back and assess whether accomplishments were made, goals were achieved, and skills were developed, it is just as important – really, more important – to devote equal time to looking ahead and planning ahead for what you want to achieve in 2012.

Many people fail to truly think about and plan for the coming year in preparing for performance appraisal conversations, focusing instead on how to position past accomplishments and compile back-up data for last year’s goals and projects. So, before you head off to your annual performance review session, set yourself up for a more effective and forward-looking discussion by answering and asking the questions below.

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No pain, no gain?

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 9, 2012


“You don’t have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.” John C. Lilly

We have been taught since we were young, “No pain, no gain.” I no longer adhere to that approach.

The world is filled with organisms that grow without pain and chaos. People grow, cities grow, businesses grow, flowers grow – all, at times, without chaos and pain. The world shows us that it is entirely possible, and yet when I share this concept with my clients, they find it enlightening.
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The gym is overcrowded for only a few weeks: Why make New Year’s resolutions anyway?

Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 5, 2012

It’s that time of year. The weather is (finally) cold, at least here in the mid-Atlantic states. The holiday season is officially over. The gym is more crowded than usual at 5:30 in the morning. A new year is here.

Everyone is friendlier during the change of years. People I don’t usually talk with are wishing me a “Happy New Year.” People I talk with but don’t know that well are offering me hugs. And everyone is asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are.
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Is your certainty getting in your way?

Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 2, 2012
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain

Sometimes I think that nothing gets in our way as much as our certainty. We argue with others incessantly, steadfastly insisting how right we are on a specific topic, even when they have proof as to another answer. We maintain that our view of a situation or a person is the Truth, and simply refuse to consider that others may view things differently. Somehow we’re simply sure, and nothing can convince us otherwise.
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2 Responses to “Is your certainty getting in your way?”

  1. Sue Karlin says:

    You are certainly correct. I’m sure about this!

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