Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

This week, we’ve been exploring ideas from Tim Keller in his book Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.  

At PCI, we hire people of many different … continue reading

1: Ted was a “smart, personable, hard-working, deliver-the-numbers-and-live-the-values type, cherished by his bosses, admired by his colleagues, and loved by his direct reports,” Marshall Goldsmith writes in What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

There was, however, “one recurring flaw in this otherwise perfect picture: Ted was disastrous on follow-up with clients and colleagues,” Marshall writes.

Ted would only pay attention to people when he needed something from … continue reading

Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

This week we’ve looked at the importance of will in Ryan Holiday’s brilliant book The Obstacle is the Way. What is will? Ryan tells us will is our internal … continue reading

“We had seven minutes left on the clock until the event was officially over,” Priya Parker writes in her book The Art of Gathering.

1: It was the end of a two-day workshop. Priya and two other facilitators had spent countless hours preparing the content of the sessions.  “Everything–every session, every transition, every break–was tightly designed, down to the minute.  Everything except for the final ten minutes of the … continue reading

The short answer? Yes, writes The Lean Startup author Eric Ries.  

1: Asking potential customers what they want doesn’t work because many times, customers don’t know what they want.

A much better strategy, Eric suggests, is to build a simple product, a “minimum viable product” or MVP, and then watch what actual customers actually do. “The minimum viable product lacks many features that may prove essential later on,” Eric … continue reading

“Agreement is optional; commitment is not.” 

This is Ground Rule #1 for the annual planning session, write Mark Moses, Craig Coleman, Chris Larkins, and Don Schiavone in Making Big Happen: Applying The Make Big Happen System to Grow Big.

Yesterday, we looked at how to prepare for our annual planning session. Today, we look at the specific elements of a successful meeting.

Which starts with establishing … continue reading

Author Priya Parker once attended the funeral of a close friend.

1: “The church was packed.  Hundreds of family members, friends, and former colleagues gathered in a beautiful room to honor a man who had towered in his field and helped so many,” she recalls in The Art of Gathering.  “Sadness hung in the air, and many of us were already crying.

“The minister got up and walked to … continue reading

I lost my cool yesterday.  True story.  Those who know me know that isn’t my “go to.”  

Being overtired plus my perception of a lack of urgency on a long-standing business issue sent me over the edge.  I raised my voice.  The whole nine yards.  

To top it off, this happened on a day on which I wrote a blog post on “Conversations Worth Having.”  

The irony wasn’t lost … continue reading

Yesterday we looked at the benefits of having better conversations.  

Sounds great.  But how do we do that?  How can we flip a negative conversation into a Conversation Worth Having?

The Appreciative Inquiry model provides us with a simple but powerful model: focus on adding value (appreciative) and asking questions (inquiry). 

Does this mean we can’t deliver critical feedback? Of course not.  If we aren’t meeting our numbers,  we need to … continue reading

“We live in the world our conversations create,” writes David Cooperrider, one of the creators of the Appreciative Inquiry framework.  

So, does living a better life start with having better conversations?  If so, how might we do this?  

Like the best theories and frameworks, David’s answer is straight-forward: 

1: Focus on strengths and what’s working

2: Ask question instead of making statements  

In their book Conversations Worth Having, … continue reading