Blind Spots. In cars, we have blind spots where we can’t see what is going on right around us. The larger those blind spots are, the more dangerous we are. We can have blind spots in our life as well – things and behaviors that we do that we don’t understand or appreciate the impact…
You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service that you are now being paid for. – Napoleon Hill In his book, Waking the American Dream, Don McCullough relates a story about Winston Churchill during World War II. England decided to…
“As a speaker, trainer, coach and consultant helping companies and organizations to improve customer and workplace relationships one question I always get is, “What are some ways to deal with complaints?” The word “complaint” is loaded with negative connotations. But in fact, complaining does offer an opportunity to set things right. According to Sandra Crowe,…
The above image is taken from a great infographic on Techcrunch. It’s message is simple: The more you sit, the worse you’ll feel. Recent studies suggest that of all of our bad contemporary habits, sitting all day is a killer. With the rise of the information age, more of us earn a living sitting down,…
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve Sports Illustrated columnist Kostya Kennedy wrote a moving tribute recently in honor of Rachael Robinson, the widow of the late baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Now 93-years old, Rachael Robinson remains very…
For me, a coach who specializes in executive communications, the topic of attire is like an unwelcome neighbor who keeps popping over. It’s a subject I’m not entirely comfortable talking about as it seems superficial and off-topic. (I’m a business coach not a style consultant, thank you very much.) But we all know it matters.…
Piggy-backing on a blog post by Morag Barrett on the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce site titled How to Avoid Mistakes New (and Experienced) Managers Make, we address the new manager’s role in supporting change within the organization. To clarify, by “new managers” we are referring to individual contributors who have recently been promoted into roles…
One of my favorite speaking topics is about the power of one person. One person, or a small group of likeminded individuals, can accomplish anything. Likely, they have more power than mega-organizations, due to their nimbleness and ambition. One of the greatest impacts a conference can have on an organization is to unleash this type…
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James A story is told that Napoleon’s genius had been attributed to many things, but above all, he was a superb natural leader of men. Like any wise leader he was aware that his own success would have been nothing had…
“Good communicators are open to my ideas. They respect me. They know who they are and what makes them ‘tick’ and they want to know the same about me. They foster my growth while attending to their own. They are proud of their accomplishments and of mine-for our mutual benefit.” A Get Along seminar participant…
A few weeks back Greg Smith published his letter of resignation from Goldman Sachs in the New York Times. There were those who applauded Mr. Smith’s call for human dignity in a professional world turned shark tank. Most of the reaction I encountered, however, spoke of sour grapes. Mr. Smith’s detractors cast him away as…
For many of you, finding new leaders is an on-going challenge. In HR world, they call this the “bench-strength” issue and it can be a game changer. As companies expand, new divisions are formed, requiring fresh leaders to guide them to effectiveness. For startups, this is even more critical. Pick the wrong one and you…
I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it. – Walt Disney Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in…
By Derek Murphy If there is one thing movies about the workplace tells us is that Hollywood believes bosses come in all shapes and sizes, and they are all pretty terrible people. Why the bad rep for leaders? Well, it’s no secret most employees have been disappointed and let down at some point in their…
Towers Watson recently published their 2011/2012 Change and Communication ROI Study Report. Unlike their four previous reports, which focused solely on communications ROI, in this study they expanded their inquiry to include change management. This study encompassed 604 organizations, six global regions, and more than eight industries, and provided new insight into the role that effective…
Historically, trainers and coaches rely on the trickle down method of impacting an organization: train or coach the boss and then everyone who reports to that person will change their behavior and the organization will benefit. Or sometimes the opposite approach is taken – put the staff/employees through training, thinking that will change things, only…
The most pathetic person in the world is someone with sight, but has no vision. – Helen Keller Do you know and understand the vision of your organization? Better yet, do you understand the role you play in fulfilling that vision? If your answer was no, you are not alone. In fact, sad to say,…
For leaders of all types, here’s an assignment: Hand out some praise today. Think about how long a weekend can be for someone who feels under appreciated or over worked. It’s emotional stew time, and you aren’t around to defend yourself. When Monday rolls around, your team members are not refreshed. They are back to…
In my workshops and coaching focusing on improving customer and workplace relationships I find that one of the major issues of concern in companies and organizations is workplace bullying. To build a more positive, productive and profitable organization this issue must not be overlooked. Companies and organizations that dismiss or avoid confronting workplace bullying usually…
It’s been an interesting week in the world of NFL free agency. Peyton Manning was excused by his former employer prompting a recruiting frenzy for one of the industry’s top professionals. In the attempt to court this top performer to their organization the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos were forced to look at…