How to Deal with Crazy Policies and Crazy People

We deal with a lot of craziness in the workplace ranging from crazy policies to crazy people. The better you’re equipped to handle those situations before they happen, the more successfully you’ll be able to navigate them.

Today’s post is by Paul Smith, thoughtLEADERS instructor and bestselling author of Lead With a Story.

I’d like to share an easy way to learn some new leadership skills. Below are 5 great lessons in easy-to-digest 10-minute podcasts you can listen to at your convenience.

These podcasts are based on interviews with 100 executives and leaders at dozens of companies around the world. Each episode brings you an important leadership lesson through a single compelling story.

These next episodes will help you avoid the unintended consequences of senseless corporate policy, describe what you do in a more interesting way, address the serious issue of workplace diversity, and deal with the irrational and impossible people you have to work with.

Monkeying around with corporate policy

A lesson in how corporate policy really works, and how to make it work for you, from a bunch of monkeys.

A better answer to the question, “So, what do you do?”

Author and consultant Lori Silverman offers advice to help anyone give a non-boring answer to the anxiety producing question, “So, what do you do?”

When a suicide bomber shows up in a Women’s Studies class

In light of the recent terrorist attacks, I hope this story can be one small part of a productive solution to make our workplaces safer for everyone.

3 absurd consequences of the ‘escalated approver’ rule

What to do when rules lead to unintended consequences that cause more damage than the problem they were designed to prevent in the first place.

A Sharecropper’s Daughter in the 21st Century

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this week’s story reminds us that despite the progress we’ve made, we have more work to do.

Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life

My guest is psychiatrist and author, Dr. Mark Goulston, with three practical tips to deal with the crazies at work and at home.

So there you go… six great leadership stories in a few minutes apiece.  If you want more stories like these, you can subscribe on iTunes or click here to sign up for a weekly newsletter delivery to your inbox.  If you’re interested in becoming a better storyteller yourself, check out our Influencing through Storytelling course where we can come into your organization and help you build this powerful, critical skill.

If you want to hear me speak live about how to be a great storyteller, join me at Executive Insight 16. It’s a two day conference in New York where you’ll attend sessions on storytelling, leadership, communications, and a bunch of other critical skills. All the sessions are led by real-world executives. You’ll even get a copy of my book (among others) with your registration. CLICK HERE to learn more about the event. Register before September 8th and save $300.

– Paul Smith is a former director and 20-year veteran of the Procter & Gamble Company, and author of Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire and his most recent book Parenting With a Story (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Paul is also the primary architect of a thoughtLEADERS course on Influencing through Storytelling and loves teaching every minute of it.

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Photo: policy imp… by Jeff Knezovich