A recent survey of over 2000 U.S. employers done for CareerBuilder found that 27 % of bosses had an employee they would like to see leave the organization. This is not surprising but what struck me was the proportion of managers who could see themselves adopting a strategy that avoids the problem entirely or borders…
DetailsLeadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitudes and in actions. – Harold S. Geneen In his book the 360° Leader, John Maxwell shares a story about President Harry S. Truman speaking at the National War College. In the speech, Truman said, “You know, it’s easy for the Monday morning quarterback…
DetailsOn Monday mornings I am dedicated to the proposition that all men are created jerks. -H. Allen Smith In The 360° Leader, John Maxwell shares a humorous story about a turkey chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, “but I…
DetailsCompanies are turning to employee recognition as an internal strategy to boost employee engagement and positively impact such metrics as productivity, ROA, ROE, and retention of both employees and customers. For example, companies that have a formal strategic recognition program in place had a voluntary turnover rate (i.e. people choosing to leave) of 14%, vs.…
DetailsHave you ever heard the phrase, “horizontal turnover”? This is where the jerk stays and the team around him or her leaves. This happens more than you think, especially in a sales driven culture where top producers are god-like Rock Stars to management. How can it happen? Easy: They get hired, and once in, their…
DetailsIf you are a meeting planner, event manager or charged with organizing your company’s annual conference, you likely hire speakers to give keynotes. Their fees can range from a few thousand to six figures, mostly depending on their celebrity or business profile. Since the last recession, speakers have had to fight for every piece of…
DetailsA colleague of mine, Gwen Kinsey, led a crisp, interactive presentation at a recent leadership breakfast event. The topic was about how mission statements engage (or not) your employees. Gwen’s session drove home a point for me and I’d like to share it here. She put us in small groups and handed out two mission…
DetailsFor the last few years, business owners and fellow bloggers have asked me whether Google+ is “a good investment of my time.” Up until last year, unless you were in the technology, social or dating services business, I’d say, “not very good.” Why? Although they have 100 million plus users, the demographic is: Most likely…
DetailsRemember those first-day of school jitters? You were nervous with anticipation and, as a result, probably slept very little wondering where your classes were and what your new teachers were like (stickler for rules or laid-back and fun)? That’s not even considering all the social issues that arise such as who would be in your…
DetailsLife is too short to be little. – Benjamin Disraeli The late Fred Rogers, speaking at his acceptance speech into the Television Hall of Fame, gave a speech that I believe typifies what leadership is truly about. Rogers says, “Fame is a four-letter word: and like tape or zoom or face or pain or love,…
DetailsWhat leadership competencies do newly minted Millenial employees need to develop, from the get go? And what strengths do they, as a cohort, bring to the workplace? We hear so much “gen Y bashing” these days. We hear the stereotypes: unfocused, texting obsessed, ADHD prone, the world owes me recognition and, BTW, I’m pretty well…
DetailsReality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it. – Lily Tomlin According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens, a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.…
DetailsOptimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. – Helen Keller A story is told of Floyd Collins who in February, 1925, climbed into Sand Cove in search of fortune. Suddenly, his lantern failed. Crawling through the darkness, Collin’s foot hit a seven ton boulder. It fell…
DetailsSurprise is a good thing when followed by the phrase, “Happy birthday!” Otherwise, it’s a negative emotion, and when it happens in a customer-provider relationship, it’s a source of dissatisfaction. Regardless of what you sell or who you serve, your customer’s expectations need to be met for you to succeed (in their eyes). In fact,…
DetailsThey’re either disengaged or under engaged in their work but they very much intend to stay with their current employer for a long time. This is what a new study by Modern Survey revealed. For government workers, 80% were less than engaged but 60% plan to stay. Not like the private sector, you say? Well,…
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