Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. – Denis Waitley The story is told of Karl Benz, who in 1866 drove his first automobile through the streets of Munich, Germany. He named his car the Mercedes Benz, after his daughter Mercedes. The machine angered the citizens, because it was noisy…
If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking. – General George S. Patton A story is told of a man who bought a new gadget- unassembled, of course, and after reading and rereading the instructions he couldn’t figure out how it went together. Finally, he sought the help of an old handyman who was…
Following the Second World War, the allies determined that if the enemy nations were going to be able to make meaningful contribution the world’s economies, then they would have to receive some assistance in rebuilding their manufacturing infrastructure. A particular challenge was to get the Japanese up to a point where they could actually compete…
Maturity is the ability to reap without apology and not complain when things don’t go well. – Jim Rohn A story is told of a guide at Blarney Castle in Ireland who was explaining to some visitors that his job was not always as pleasant as it seemed. He told them about a group of…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. – George F. Will The Boston Red Sox are the 2013 World Series Champions. They won the series at Fenway Park in dramatic style in Game 6 of series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The championship…
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town. – George Carlin In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus. “These five…
What you do when you don’t have to will determine what you’ll be when you can’t help it – William D. Hersey In his book, The Grace Awakening, Charles Swindoll tells a story about Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions who were travelling across country on horseback. They came to a river which had…
Have you not learned great lessons from those who rejected you, and braced themselves against you, or disputed the passage with you? -Walt Whitman A story is told of a boy who asks his father to explain the difference among irritation, aggravation, and frustration. The dad picked up the phone and dialed a number at…
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths – Walt Disney In Bits & Pieces there was a story told of a sign in the window of an English company that read: We have been established for over one hundred years…
A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit. – Arnold H. Glasow John Killinger tells a story about the manager of a minor leader baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the…
Whenever volatility occurs in the market, companies start thinking about how to reorganize themselves so that they can cope with those changes effectively. But since they’re trapped by traditional thinking, they tend to recycle old models rather than to create new ones. One such model is matrix; and like so many that have gone before…
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. – Albert Einstein In his book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Charles Swindoll tells of meeting a man who once served on one of Walt Disney’s original advisory boards. The early days were tough; but that remarkable creative visionary refused to give up. What…
Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. – Albert Einstein A story is told that during the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked by the rider,…
Here is a compilation from my presentation skills training workshops and one to one coaching sessions of what is involved in delivering an excellent presentation. Whether you are presenting at a staff meeting, conference, briefing, oral proposal or in a one to one meeting, the following are the keys to success. Practice… Practice … Practice…
Hope is a waking dream – Aristotle August 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C. That speech sparked the conscience of the American people and helped to right the course of our history as a nation. As was the case…
Up until recently, I would have told you that texting did not create much of an opportunity for businesses as it might be considered obtrusive. Of course, for critical communications like flight delay info, I’ve given out my text for a notification to airlines. A few friends of mine, have their bank balance texted to…
3 Questions You Must Ask to Boost Employee Engagement to Build a More Positive, Productive and Profitable Organization One of the key ingredients necessary to build stronger customer and workplace relationships involves keeping your employees engaged, motivated and happy. If your employees aren’t happy; employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction will be diminished. In my…
Drag your thoughts away from your troubles…by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it. – Mark Twain A story is told of Somerset Maugham, the English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor in St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor…
We all fantasize but the object of our fantasy is seldom an organization, an ideal one, the one we would create for us to work in if we were king. Of course, if we were king–or queen–we wouldn’t be worrying about working, but I digress. Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones reported in the May 2013…
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with an assortment of highly successful facebook page owners and administrators. The include the manager of a popular band, two Fortune 500 Company Social Media Directors and the CEO of a firm that manages hundreds of high traffic-high profile pages. Collectively, they’ve given me some good advice…