Comments for Erik Van Slyke

Comment on The Trouble With Layoffs by Micalizzi

Micalizzi — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:03:41 +0000

Marvelous post, please do issue more posts!

Comment on The Leadership Power of Vulnerability by mark Frey

mark Frey — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:17:35 +0000

Erik, this one gave me pause to think on the times I have fronted a certainty that was most certainly seen through by my experienced colleagues. Oh, I think a dash of good natured bravado is importaznt and healthy, people want to see confidence not so much in outcome but in process, a willingness to acknowledge reality and a strategic openness to tap into the expertise around us. Thanks!

Comment on Failure: The Secret to Success by Rodney Delapaz

Rodney Delapaz — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:26:32 +0000

I’ve always believed that “perspective” creates one’s reality. The ability to recognize opportunity after failure is “perspective” at its finest. After a long career in casual advice-giving (and lost relationships), I’ve realized that it takes a healthy amount of courage to change perspective. Without that certain level of courage, a person will continue to fall flat on his face because the feeling is familiar territory. Due to this very valuable knowledge, my advice giving has now become much more efficient and yet more sophisticated. Instead of slamming the concept of a perspective change down someone’s throat, I simply say, “If you really want advice, let me know when you’re done whining and complaining about life, and at a dead-end. We’ll talk then.” That usually opens the door to new beginnings (or final goodbyes).

Comment on The Trouble With Layoffs by Erik Van Slyke

Erik Van Slyke — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:21:43 +0000

Thanks for the suggestion and for adding me to your blogroll. What’s your blog url? I think you will find that I try to use video as often as I can and encourage you to click around to other posts and see whether it’s in the direction you suggest. I look forward to reading your blog! . . . Erik

Comment on The Trouble With Layoffs by high equity

high equity — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:09:11 +0000

Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I simply read via the entire article of yours and also it was quite great but since I’m more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful well let me know how it turns out! I love what you guys are continually up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the perfect works guys I’ve additional you guys to my blogroll. This is a superb article thanks for sharing that informative information.. I will check out your blog often for a number of latest post.

Comment on Checking the Change Management Box by Erik Van Slyke

Erik Van Slyke — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:43:42 +0000

Thanks for your terrific insights, Chris. It sounds like you’ve experienced the challenges of life on the front lines. Your Field of Dreams analogy is spot on and shows that optimism is no substitute for engaging stakeholders early . . . E

Comment on Checking the Change Management Box by Chris Cowan

Chris Cowan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:34:41 +0000

People will change, especially if there are both incentives to change and penalties for not doing so, however over what period of time and with how much lost time and energy? Too often systems engineers think it’s a “Field of Dreams” scenario – Build it and they will come, however more times than not, it simply doesn’t work that way. You need to engage your constituents in the process early, make adaptations based on testing and feedback, and most importantly, engage senior management as early adopters and best practitioners. I can’t tell you how many systems have been scrapped for lack of adoption.

Comment on The Trouble With Layoffs by Emily Rachel

Emily Rachel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:39:29 +0000

I hate layoffs. It creates so much social ills and problems for people trying hard to make a living. Companies should learn how to maximize every employee capability to make more profits, rather than cutting costs by laying off to increasing or maintain profits.

Comment on Say What You Need to Say by Erik Van Slyke

Erik Van Slyke — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:45:45 +0000

Lovely words, Nan. It is great insight to know that the first step to increasing our ability to listen to others is to learn to listen to ourselves with compassion and understanding. The quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is one of my favorites.

Comment on Say What You Need to Say by Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:08:54 +0000

Separation. The way we have handled things so far in life, has brought us to where we are today..in business…politics….our world…often sensing such a gulf between us and others….a lack of communication, compassion and understanding. If feeling separated and divided is not working for us anymore, then something different has to be done. We first have to come to the end of our own personal roads before we are willing to go down… perhaps….the road less traveled.. and be willing to approach situations differently. Where we are today, remember, is a result of what we have done so far.

Often we first have to address the feelings of separation or alienation within ourselves….our own inner conflicts…. before we are willing to even listen about the differences or conflict between ourselves and others. “Peace…no battles within that need to be fought without…. How often when we have turmoil and unrest within, we search without for a scapegoat upon whom we can project that turmoil and unrest.”

Listen then…first to ourselves and our own inner conflicts, connect with those situations…live in their solution…and then we will be able to bring peace to “the conference table of life” and have the willingness to listen to others. Someone has to be the one to put down the emotional guns and stop the battle.

As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “If we could read [listen to] the secret history of our enemies [within or without], we should find in each man’s [woman's] life such pain and suffering to disarm all hostility.” First listen to ourselves with compassion and understanding. We will then be more equipped to bring a willingness to listen to others, and resolve our feelings of separation.

Listening is the “bridge of hope” that spans the gap of separation that is within ourselves and with others.