I don’t care what industry your company, non-profit, government agency, etc. is in, the bottom line is that everyone needs to provide the best customer experience. Although I have blogged about values, and mission and vision statements, the sole purpose of any organization really is to give their customers/clients/partners the optimal effort necessary to make … Read more
It seems that there is an uptick in the number of employees complaining that their bosses are micromanaging more, or at least trying to be a bit more controlling than they used to be. I used to think that it was this way because leaders’ roles are multi-faceted so trying to minimize mistakes and reduce … Read more
This phrase means that it is better to say nothing than to speak. It was also a title of a song that was recorded by the American rock band the Four Seasons. After reading Gretchen Rubin’s book, Life in Five Senses, I feel that silence also means tuning out all the “noise” that we are … Read more
Recently I asked my students in my Team Building and Conflict Resolution class, who are all seniors, what they want future employers to know. Many of them say they are tired of being called “lazy” and that they have a poor work ethic. They gave examples where they finished their work (in some cases faster … Read more
I conduct several trainings a week besides teaching college students at two different universities. It is always interesting to me who really retains the information they are taught and who barely remembers it after they leave the room. This reminds me of when I was growing up and had to learn a lot of facts … Read more
Wheaties, the first ready-to-eat cereal that was invented in 1921, is known for being “the breakfast of champions”. So that got me thinking – what is the breakfast of leaders? I am not referring to actual food but what do effective leaders do to start their day? The many books I have read on leadership, … Read more
Think about this – you have a piece of fruit that has been sitting on your counter for a while. On the outside, it looks “perfectly fine”. No brown spots or blemishes. You bite into it and you think it is OK but on the second (or third) bite you encounter mold. You immediately get … Read more
I have seen this expression in a few places, mostly talking about breaking through the glass ceiling. The issue is that no two people will do it the same way, so it is challenging for leaders to develop their people in order for them to be promoted. In other words, we all have our unique … Read more
I have been thinking lately that more and more people are hard of hearing, maybe due to listening to loud music or noise pollution. However, I realized that the real issue is that many people just are not listening. In fairness, educators especially in elementary, middle, and high school focus on what used to be … Read more
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of self-discipline is the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it. So why this is so difficult? The most common reason is that we tend to run away from the hard, and maybe even uncomfortable, things and focus on … Read more