Minnesota is known for something called "Minnesota Nice," It has a wonderful side—but the shadow side is just plain ugly. After working in all states for over 20 years, there is something unique I find in just about every Minnesota organization, something far less common anywhere else—passive aggressive behavior. It's the dark side of Minnesota nice.

Sure, you've heard that organizations should work off a plan and follow it. But very few organizations expect each and every employee to create a quarterly plan that ties into the strategy with specifics about numbers met and projects completed. As a result, most organizations have people running around with their hair on fire every day but never accomplishing what is critical.

There are two times of the year when people are more open to change than any other—the beginning of a new year and the beginning of a school year.