Counter Mentor Leadership

As it turns out, what Millennials want at work isn't so different from what other generations have wanted, but what they bring to the workplace IS quite different, in many ways. So, are Millennials good for business? Join Kelly and Robby as they examine the latest research on the impact of Millennials in the workplace and try not to get sidetracked by a few good rants along the way. The post CM147: “Are Millennials Good for Business?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Is it worth it for Millennials to try and understand the BOSS? Join Kelly and Robby as they break down the over-generalizations and the bad communication that prevent Millennials and Boomers from connecting at work. And stay tuned until the end for a set of principles that can help Millennials maximize their success in the workplace. The post CM146: Is It A Waste Of Time To Understand The BOSS? appeared first on CounterMentors.

There seems to be an assumption that extroverts are better leaders than introverts. But is that actually true? Join Kelly and Robby as they discuss our biases about leadership, what it looks like, and how leaders behave. More importantly, stick around as they share how the habits of great leaders can be cultivated by anyone with the discipline and desire to excel. The post CM 145: Are Extroverts Better Leaders Than Introverts? appeared first on CounterMentors.

CM144: “Are Employees Holding You Hostage?” LISTEN below, and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. If you’ve been working more than a couple of months, you’re probably aware of a problem employee. The prima donna. The bull-in-a-china-shop. The bad attitude. The ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ bulldozer. It seems like we’ve come to accept drama as a […] The post CM 144: Are Employees Holding You Hostage? appeared first on CounterMentors.

Bad behavior didn't use to be so public! In this episode, Kelly and Robby examine recent examples of team conflict from the world of sports, and discuss the vital role of emotional intelligence in building a high-performance team. The post CM143: More (or Less) Emotional Intelligence appeared first on CounterMentors.

It's too easy to simply dismiss emotional intelligence as something you are too busy to consider. After all, where is the return on investment for these so-called "soft skills??" That's an easy question to answer, and the numbers are scary! EQ is vitally important to workplace success - especially for leaders!! The post CM142: “The Source of Workplace Failure You Don’t Recognize” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Tired of those unsolicited friend requests? If the very idea of networking makes you cringe, you are going to want to hear some good news from our guest, David Burkus, author of Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career: Those methods DO NOT WORK. The post CM 141: “Your Friend Requests are Annoying” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Coaching is, for many managers, a highly under appreciated skill. It is usually assumed that anyone who is good at something, when promoted to manager, will naturally be good at teaching and coaching those skills. Not so much. Teaching and coaching are powerful skills that have to be learned just as much as the skills that get managers promoted. And those skills will make you a far more effective leader. In this episode, Kelly and Robby are joined by perennial champion football coach, Bill Blankenship to talk coaching for leaders in the workplace. The post CM 140: “Coaching For Leaders” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Join Kelly and Robby as they celebrate another Pats Super Bowl and outline what great leadership can do for an organization. The Pats provide vivid leadership lessons that anyone can take into the workplace. (Also, discover the easiest way to get your hometown team into a championship game. Hint: it involves Robby moving there.) The post CM139: “The Greatest of All Time” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Another book about Millennials? REALLY? Well, hold on, cupcake. Yes, there are a lot of leadership books out there and lots of books about Millennials, but you definitely haven't seen anything like Counter Mentor Leadership. #truth We've done the research, and we have over two decades invested in helping leaders transform potential into performance, regardless of generation. The post CM138: “Another Book About Millennials? (a shameless plug)” appeared first on CounterMentors.

You Millennials think you have Boomers all figured out, don't you? Think again. After arguing their way through all the stereotypes about Millennials in "Millennial Fact or Fiction," it was only fair that the boys take on all the generalizations Millennials bring to the table about Boomers. Raised to be hard working and risk averse by parents who survived the Great Depression and World War, Boomers see themselves as stable and responsible. The post CM137: Boomer Fact or Fiction appeared first on CounterMentors.

140 characters has become the standard for social media conversations, but it's certainly playing havoc with communication in the corporate world. With more communication tools than ever before, communication has nevertheless not improved. In fact, it's probably worse than ever. In this episode of the Counter Mentors podcast, Kelly and Robby take on workplace communication and the many ways in which it completely sucks. The post CM136: “140 Characters is Bad for the Workplace (LOL)” appeared first on CounterMentors.

CM135: “How Did YOU Get Promoted?” LISTEN below, and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Were you recently promoted? Would you say it’s going well? Or, like many new leaders, have you learned that you were ill-prepared for a management role? That you have neither the experience or adequate training to function as […] The post CM135 “How Did YOU Get Promoted?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

CM134: “Millennial Fact or Fiction” LISTEN below, and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You’ve heard a lot of generalizations about Millennials and Millennial employees, in particular. There are a million articles about them. There are books about how to understand them. Everyone seems to think they have a handle on Millennials and […] The post CM134 “Millennial Fact or Fiction” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Cupcakes. Is that Pops' favorite term for the Millennials? Or is it snowflakes? OK, we'll allow that Millennials are different...but why? Are they really "soft"? Or are they simply a product of their helicopter parents and the technology they were raised around? At what point do they have to own their behaviors? In this episode of the Counter Mentors podcast, Kelly and Robby explore these questions and much more. Are Millennials (and GenZ) really that much different than Boomers were at their age? The post CM133: “Who Raised These Cupcakes?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Managers never have enough time, so they try to be efficient, even with people. The problem is that you can't be efficient with people! Developing your people takes time. In many ways, leadership is about changing the way you invest your available time. Join Kelly and Robby as they continue with this second episode about the value of recognition. The post CM132 “You Can’t Be Efficient With People” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Join Kelly and Robby as they welcome special guest Jeremy Todd Ford, VP of Talent at United Natural Foods Incorporated, to discuss the value of recognition and discover the next "frontier" in recognition at work. You can't afford to get this one wrong - recognition is for everyone! The post CM131: “Recognition is for Everyone, Boomers!” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Join Kelly and Robby as they investigate the impact of technology on personal and professional relationships and the differences between how Boomers and Millennials "do" relationships. The post CM130: “Do Cell Phones Ruin Relationships?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

It seems like every Boomer manager is trying to learn how to coach Millennials...or something. On rare occasions, the enlightened Boomer manager can actually see the value in being coached BY a Millennial. In this phenomenal episode, we are joined by the incomparable Tim Sanders (@sandersays) for a discussion about how to coach Millennials...and the insane idea (to some managers, at least) of being coached by Millennials. The post CM 129: “How To Coach (and be coached by) Millennials appeared first on CounterMentors.

Boomers may think they are the only ones getting anything done, and Millennials may think they are the only ones who know how to inspire, but it turns out these are both key elements of effective leadership. Research indicates that the most effective leaders are those who can produce results and have excellent people skills. And, according to that same research, it appears that Millennials (gasp!) actually make better leaders. The post CM128: “Millennials Make Better Leaders?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Actually, the Millennial mindset has a lot to say for itself: passion and creativity, industry-changing ideas, unique solutions to modern problems. They are reinventing our understanding of work-life balance and shaping culture with their drive for purpose. True, they have a different set of perspectives, and they often approach a problem with different ideas about the solution, but why are Boomers so resistant to that? Why can't they embrace the Millennial mindset? The post CM127: “Embrace the Millennial Mindset” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Who do YOU trust? Well, the phrase, "Never trust anyone over 30," was coined by Jack Weinberg, a political activist at Cal-Berkeley in the 1960s. But now, on the other side of the fence, Boomers are more likely to say you shouldn’t trust anyone under 30. The reality is that trust - as a general idea - is seemingly non-existent in society. Bottom line? Millennials and Boomers don’t trust each other, and it is wreaking havoc in the office. The post CM126: “Never Trust Anyone over 30” appeared first on CounterMentors.

In the show this week, we are joined by "Distraction Expert," Curt Steinhorst (www.curtsteinhorst.com), whose work is focused on this singular problem. Join Kelly and Robby in a conversation with Curt about distractions in the workplace and the impact on performance. The post CM125: “Working While Distracted?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

You've heard it all before. Boomers claim they work harder, 8 to 5 like clockwork, and then some; showing up and getting it done day in and day out. Millennials, on the other hand, say they work smarter, using their mobile devices and flex time to accomplish more in two hours than Boomers do all day. But really, who works harder? The post CM124: “Who Works Harder – Boomers or Millennials?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

How should Millennials confront Boomers, and how should Boomers do performance management so it doesn't sound like constant criticism. In this episode, Nathan Regier, the author of "Conflict Without Casualties," drops in to shed some light on conflict, and offer up some knowledge bombs on dealing with the natural conflict that exists between Boomers and Millennials. The post CM123: “How Do You Conflict?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

In this episode, we unpack the idea of "emotional intelligence" (EQ) and how you can be your own worst enemy. But, while leaders are far more effective when they possess a higher EQ, emotional intelligence is just as important for the success of an employee. The post CM 122: “You are Your Own Worst Enemy” appeared first on CounterMentors.

It rarely takes more than a few minutes for a Boomer manager to start complaining about how much time Millennials spend on their cell phones: "Will you get off your cell phone? No wonder we can't get anything done around here!!" But is it a REAL problem, or a PERCEIVED problem? Do cell phones actually impact workplace productivity? The post CM121: “Get Off Your Cell Phone!” appeared first on CounterMentors.

In a world where superstars recount failure as the vital turning point toward their success, is it now OK to fail? Is there really such a thing as "failing upward"? Or is this new way of talking about it just reinforcing Boomers' criticism of Millennials and Millennials' unwillingness to take risks? Join Kelly and Robby as they discuss common attitudes towards failure and why they are killing performance. The post CM120: “FAILURE is Not a 4-Letter Word” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Boomers LOVE to criticize Millennials when they don't "act like adults" - an observation that is often subjective. And, of course, not every Millennial is guilty of childish behavior, but both generations love to generalize! However, where there is smoke, there is often a fire around somewhere. Join Kelly and Robby as they take on dysfunctional behavior in the office and figure out what is childish - and what is negotiable. The post CM 119: “Why Can’t You Act Like Adults?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Your old-school, micro-management approach scares off all the talented young employees. There are three habits in particular that Millennials hate about managers. Despite the stereotype that all Millennials have grown up coddled with a shelf full of participation trophies, they really just need a little bit of feedback and face time. The post CM 118: “3 Things Millennials Hate About Managers” appeared first on CounterMentors.

We've always believed that raises and promotions are a reward for a job well done. You've got to earn your keep and demonstrate your value before coming to the boss with your hand out, right? Apparently not. In contrast with Boomers (and every other generation preceding them), Millennials tend to want a raise, or a promotion, or perks like their own offices as a right of employment! They are more like rights they deserve rather than rewards that are earned. Not surprisingly, that doesn't always sit well with Boomers, who see themselves as having worked their way to the top. The post CM117: “You Want a Raise Already?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Crazy work hours can be a huge disruption to communication and collaboration, and Boomer managers typically aren't adapting very well to the idea of "come and go as you please." So, what are leaders to do?? Join Kelly and Robby as they try to figure out why Millennials can't seem to make it to work by 8:00 am (allegedly), and why Boomers insist on rigid work hours (usually). The post CM116: “Who Says Millennials Don’t Work on Weekends” appeared first on CounterMentors.

REVERSE mentoring is a relatively new idea that has come of age with Millennials. The reason? Millennials bring value to the workplace from Day 1 with their familiarity and expertise with social media, digital tools, and connectivity. Join Robby and Kelly as they discuss real-world stories about reverse mentoring and its benefits. The post CM114: “Reverse Mentoring: How About I Mentor You, Boss?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Hey, it's enough of a challenge for a Millennial just to work with a Boomer, but how about when that Boomer is also your dad? Join Robby and Kelly as they talk about the hazards of working in the family business, and learn from the experiences of Jessica and "Mr. Palmer."Don't miss this powerful introduction to CounterMentor™ leadership! The post CM113: “All in the FAMILY Business” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Join Robby and Kelly as they discuss the modern workplace and how it seems to be constantly evolving. Find out which ones work, which ones don't, and which ones you should be considering for your company right now. If you want Millennials to stick around, that is. The post CM112: “The New, Millennial Approved Workplace” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Join Robby and Kelly in this episode and find out what did go wrong (yeah, it's funny!). Stick around as they poke fun at traditional "team building" activities, and find out what you should be doing instead. Yes, you can build a high-performance team, but team-building "activities abound" and they are typically a train wreck. Why? Because building a great team has very little to do with those kinds of activities. The post CM111: “Team Building is a Train Wreck” appeared first on CounterMentors.

It’s another one of those skills that does not get taught to leaders, and people learn how by watching other people who don’t do them how. Big surprise that the RULE, not the exception, is that most meetings are terribly done and people freaking HATE them! Join Robby and Kelly for a thorough thrashing of group meetings, AND some great advice on how you can do them much better in the future. The post CM110: “I Freaking HATE Meetings!” appeared first on CounterMentors.

They are everywhere, "leaders" (by virtue of position) who won't accept input or feedback; who basically want you to sit down and shut up, and just do as your told. Join Robby and Kelly for a hilarious examination of Mr/s. Old School Micro-Manager, and the skills that set the NEW CounterMentor™ leader apart from his/her peers. The post CM109: “I’m the Leader. Now Sit Down and Shut Up!” appeared first on CounterMentors.

There are some REALLY bad workplace cultures out there. Everything from gossip to bullying to out-of-control leaders -- and everything in between. Sometimes it feels like you've walked right into a 7th grade classroom. The question is, is YOUR office like junior high?? The post CM108: “Is Your Office Like Junior High?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

If your idea of implementing change in the workplace is to send out an email, schedule training, and tell people to "get over it," your killing your company's performance! Join Robby and Kelly as the look closely at the dramatic impact change has on employees, and how leaders can make that process far more effective. I mean, really...could you do change ANY worse? The post CM107: “Could You Do Change ANY Worse?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

This is a complicated issue with lots of questions: Are Millennials disrespectful? Should Boomers show respect to Millennials if the Millennials won’t show respect “until the boss earns it?” Do you earn respect or do you grant it unconditionally? Join Robby and Kelly as they go toe-to-toe on this hot-button topic: When did respect go out of style? The post CM106: “When Did Respect Go Out of Style?” appeared first on CounterMentors.

This week we invite author and comedian, Paul Ollinger ("You Should Totally Get an MBA"), in to talk about the value of an MBA - which is perfect timing, since Robby is finishing up his MBA at Boston University this week! Join Robby, Kelly and Paul for a lively discussion about why you should - or should NOT - get an MBA. The post CM105: “Your Worthless MBA” appeared first on CounterMentors.

What is "social selling?" And how exactly do you sell social selling to the boss? Social selling has completely changed the way selling works. Join Robby and Kelly as they dissect the impact of social media and technology on the sales profession. The post CM104: “Selling Social Selling to the Boss” appeared first on CounterMentors.

Big companies are bailing left and right on annual performance reviews. Everyone from leadership experts to business professors to CEOs have pointed out the many issues and problems associated with this out-dated practice. Listen in this week as Kelly and Robby dissect the dreaded annual performance review and see what's not to like. The post CM103: “Annual Performance Reviews Suck” appeared first on CounterMentors.

In this episode, Robby and Kelly argue and assess Boomer and Millennial ideals about competition, winning and losing, participation, and the impact the "trophy generation" on the workplace. Surely there is more to success than simply saying, "I got a trophy!" The post CM102: “I Didn’t Win, But I Got a Trophy appeared first on CounterMentors.

The very first episode of CounterMentors! We turn to the dynamic, for-this-show-PG-rated, tell-it-like-it-is, Jim Keenan to kick off the show. Hosts Robby and Kelly argue "old school" and "new school" -- from baseball to the workplace! And Jim has plenty to share about personal brand, creating value, and getting educated (outside of education). The post CM101: “Old School is Definitely Dead” appeared first on CounterMentors.