I don’t know about you but it pains me to see so many people in organizations not contributing near to what they are capable of. Many of course, for any multitude of reasons, just don’t want to, thank you very much. They are satisfied with average, with just enough. That’s a topic for another time.…
Details“How can I keep up with social? Why should I care.” I have this conversation weekly with very smart people, who are still stumped by the social media phenom in our culture. They feel a strong sense of urgency if they aren’t fishing in the social stream, but at the same time, it feels like…
DetailsMake a difference about something other than yourselves. – Toni Morrison In an interview with Open Forum (http://amex.co/SDQOLd), Johnny Rocket’s CEO John Fuller offered some fascinating business insights. Fuller says that one of their guiding principles is to be a difference maker verses a care taker. He explained that he wants people to feel that…
DetailsYou start your day by hitting snooze twice, you yell in traffic, and your heart pounds as you approach the office door. It starts and ends with your boss and his/her ability to instill confidence in you! …Reset…. You leap out of bed ready to attack the day, rock out to the radio on the…
DetailsThey are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations – Francis Bacon According to a survey reported on in People Management (http://bit.ly/MmCPet) the number of employees who are ‘proud’ to work for their organization has fallen from almost half of workers at the start of 2012 to just two-fifths. A survey of 1,114 office…
DetailsHow often have you heard that our favorite topic is ourself? This is certainly true but a few people go overboard. We call them egocentric. At a neurotic level, they become narcissistic. This comes from the Greek character Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and remained there,…
DetailsA warm smile is the universal language of kindness. – William Arthur Ward An entry in Reader’s Digest relates the story of an individual calling for information about one of his credit cards. He stated, “I got the following prompt: ’Please enter your account number as it appears on your statement.’ Then the system said,…
DetailsIt is safe to say we were all inspired by the 2012 Olympic games. None more so than the 70,000 volunteers who gave their time to ensure the event was safe and efficient. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a worldwide extravaganza where each nation sends their most gifted athletes to represent their flag.…
DetailsIn our lives, we get feedback from others. Positive, negative and befuddling. It’s too easy to let that feedback become part of our self-image, personally or even as an organization. That’s a huge mistake, because often, feedback/criticism/stereotyping is just one glimpse into the fabric of who/what you are. It’s just an opinion. One of my…
DetailsEgo Problem #1 You’ve seen this individual many times. The employee who regularly shares with you how great he (she) is, what a terrific job he is doing (“I just made an awesome presentation.”), how much he knows (“Sorry to correct you but the research on this says…”). He refutes or deflects constructive feedback (“No,…
DetailsIt’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you. – Billy Hornsby Last year MarketTools, Inc. conducted a survey on employee satisfaction. The results revealed that most employees may not feel appreciated. Nearly 50 percent of employees surveyed have considered leaving their jobs. And…
DetailsHow many of your employees are simply not engaged any more? Are there some who seem to just be going through the motions of their job? Yeah, they show up every day. They do the essential tasks. They don’t miss deadlines or cause any major screw ups. But something is clearly missing. The spark has…
DetailsLeadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren G. Bennis One of the emerging stars of the 2012 London Olympic Games is Gabby Douglas. If you missed her performances with her teammates, the Fab Five, you missed quite a show. Douglas won the gold medal in the all-around contest and in the…
DetailsI can’t help but notice the abundance of articles dedicated to workplace stress. Bottom line: Workplace stress is a very real phenomenon that can bring about an array of health concerns. It’s no secret that stress is a major contributor to employee absenteeism and low morale, which can result in a substantial loss of productivity.…
DetailsIt is not necessary for all men to be great in action. The greatest and sublimest power is often simple patience. – Horace Bushnell A recent story in Business Management Daily about the success of online shoe retailer Zappos brought my attention back to one of leadership’s most needed and personally challenging virtues – patience.…
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