Organizational Development

Five Strategies to Help Startup Leaders Focus on What Matters Most

Russ Powell

Dec 173 min read

Five Strategies to Help Startup Leaders Focus on What Matters Most

Effective leaders focus where they have a comparative advantage, delegate other tasks, and prioritize developing their future leaders.

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The High Cost of Workplace Loneliness (and What to Do About It)

Russ Powell

Dec 133 min read

The High Cost of Workplace Loneliness (and What to Do About It)

Loneliness is a silent drain on your startup's most valuable resource: your people. It's costing your business more than you think.

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From Blame to Accountability: How to Recognize and Escape from the Victim Trap

Russ Powell

Nov 224 min read

From Blame to Accountability: How to Recognize and Escape from the Victim Trap

Escaping the blame-game unleashes untapped potential. Improve problem-solving by shifting your focus from finger-pointing to accountability.

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The Knower Trap: How Certainty Sabotages Problem-Solving

Russ Powell

Jul 275 min read

The Knower Trap: How Certainty Sabotages Problem-Solving

In this post, I explore how the "knower trap" hinders problem-solving and offer strategies for recognizing and getting out of it.

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Developing a Learning Organization: Five Principles for Improving Performance

Russ Powell

Jul 135 min read

Developing a Learning Organization: Five Principles for Improving Performance

Cultivate a workplace where the practices of continuous learning and growth thrive—with these five principles.

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The S-Loop Problem-Solving Framework: A Primer for Business Leaders

Russ Powell

Jul 26 min read

The S-Loop Problem-Solving Framework: A Primer for Business Leaders

The S-Loop is a cyclical, four-stage problem-solving framework that can help you tackle complex problems in human systems.

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A Caution Against Using DiSC and Myers-Briggs When Making Hiring Decisions

Russ Powell

May 13 min read

A Caution Against Using DiSC and Myers-Briggs When Making Hiring Decisions

DiSC and MBTI can be useful for team-building and personal development, but I strongly recommend against their use in the hiring process.

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Peer Coaching: A Surprising Solution to Faster, Better Leadership Development

Russ Powell

Mar 111 min read

Peer Coaching: A Surprising Solution to Faster, Better Leadership Development

Unlock potential in your startup or small business with peer-coaching. Develop your leaders and solve problems better, faster, and cheaper.

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"We know a lot about organizations; they’re not as mysterious as they seem." –Bill Daniels

Russ Powell

Oct 3, 20237 min read

"We know a lot about organizations; they’re not as mysterious as they seem." –Bill Daniels

Four systems outlining the relationships between leaders and their teams to help you understand productivity, progress and how to improve.

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Cowboys, Pit Crews, Doctors and Checklists – A Physician's Take on Systems-Thinking

Russ Powell

Jan 24, 20233 min read

Cowboys, Pit Crews, Doctors and Checklists – A Physician's Take on Systems-Thinking

In a TED video, Atul Gawande summarizes what we do at RPC every day—we help managers learn to analyze and solve problems in human systems.

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Six Rules of Training Every Manager Should Know

Russ Powell

Oct 18, 20225 min read

Six Rules of Training Every Manager Should Know

Skill alone is not enough to guarantee performance. You must also have opportunity to perform, self-efficacy, and a supportive environment.

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If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win every time

Russ Powell

Oct 4, 20223 min read

If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win every time

Here's a model of behavioral influence that's useful for any leader invested in helping people and teams perform better.

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Three Steps for Having Better Difficult Conversations

Russ Powell

Jun 27, 20222 min read

Three Steps for Having Better Difficult Conversations

To have productive difficult conversations take the perspective of the other, think about what you truly want, and don't take it personally.

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Dunbar's Number and the Limits of Friendship

Russ Powell

May 9, 20223 min read

Dunbar's Number and the Limits of Friendship

A few excerpts from an article by Maria Konnikova about Dunbar's number, the nature of friendship and the limits of social media.

160 views0 comments

Systems Thinking and the Juggling Girls of Berlin

Russ Powell

Feb 23, 20225 min read

Systems Thinking and the Juggling Girls of Berlin

A troupe of jugglers from Berlin helps us apply a simple, powerful framework for thinking about and diagnosing problems in human systems.

456 views0 comments

Three Things High Performing Teams Do Differently

Russ Powell

Feb 23, 20224 min read

Three Things High Performing Teams Do Differently

A study from psychologist Ron Friedman suggests high-performing teams find success by making better, stronger social connections.

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Russ Powell

Feb 22, 20223 min read

Sometimes a Leader Needs a Good Poet

As leaders, we don't often think much about poetry, until it becomes a necessity.

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Data-Poor Conversations Lead to Poor Problem-Solving.

Russ Powell

Feb 4, 20221 min read

Data-Poor Conversations Lead to Poor Problem-Solving.

A problem-solving must: ensure the data collected is accurate and comprehensive before discussing solutions.

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Russ Powell

Mar 22, 20212 min read

Game-Theory and The Evolution of Trust

Three recommendations for building lasting relationships - professional and personally.

69 views0 comments