SuperVISION Motivation

Hellllooooo?!

2012-01-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

I have but one question . . . "How hard is to say hello?"

"Hellllooooo" is what I'd like to just say sometimes as I walk by some people - managers - in the morning.

When you become a manager, director, or what have you, it's not a license to become arrogant. I greet everyone I know - and then some - the first time I encounter them each day - and even throughout the day.

Your greeting, or lack of, tells a lot about you. It shows staff how approachable, or not, you are. It shows staff how interested, or not, you are in them. It shows staff how appreciative, or not, you are of them.

You may not be in the best mood and not really want to converse with people, but if someone extends a greeting to you, you ARE expected to return the greeting. Even just a simple "hello" or "hi" will do. And don't forget eye contact.

Just as we tell staff who work with customers to leave their problems at the door before punching in, you as a leader, need to do the same thing when dealing with staff and co-workers. Remember: all eyes are on you.

Feed Your Employee's

2012-01-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

By FEED, I don’t mean buy them lunch everyday (although once in awhile would be great). I mean feed them knowledge and experience.

With all the talk about Millennial’s, Gen-Xer’s, Y’s and Z’s, we’re seeing more and more employee’s that don’t want to take over the reins of the company. They just aren’t quite as ambitious these days as say the Baby Boomer’s have been.

Employees don’t have their sights on the corner office as much as they used to. They’re perfectly happy trying to balance work and life – with an emphasis on life. There’s too much challenge and demand on CEO’s and VP’s these days so the ambition to get that high is lacking.

Now that’s not to say that today’s workforce is lazy - to the contrary. They work very hard. Actually, a recent study found that the notion of Gen-Xer’s being lazy was way off and that it’s really just the opposite.

Now is the time to start grooming – learning and training - or you may just find your succession plan slipping away.

Pick the Fit

2011-12-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've read a number of articles lately about how bad unemployment is BUT how employers can't find the right match to hire. Really?

Companies need to take a look at their current hiring practices, which are quite often OLD hiring practices, and see what can be revamped. Especially in the areas of required experience.

Take a look at some of the most successful companies like Zappo's and Disney. A big focus of theirs is on personality and "fit". Zappo's has two sets of interviews. In Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh says, "The hiring manager and his/her team will do the standard set of interviews looking for relevant experience, technical ability, fit within the team, etc. But then the HR department does a second set of interviews, looking purely for culture fit."

You can sometimes (often) forgo some of the "experience" in order to get a better fit. If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will often happen naturally on its own.

Are You Listening?

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Listening to your employees is at the top of the list in Boss 101. Your organization depends on you doing this. It’s just as important as listening to your customers.

Your customers are the final authority of your success. But try this out - start there and listen back - to your employees.

It's not necessarily your products or services that create your customers. It's your employees. Take a few minutes and ask yourself a couple of basic questions.

•Are your customers evangelists or vigilantes?
•Do they refer their friends or warn them off?
•Are they repeat buyers or one-hit wonders?
Your employees create, reinforce, and support those definitions OF your customers, FOR your customers.

And remember - your employees are also listening to YOU. They’re listening to you for answers to three questions:

•What’s in it for me?
•Why should I believe?
•Why should I care?
Those answers are delivered by you in everything you say and do in communicating your Purpose, Mission, and Vision.

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN!

Full Circle . . . and Beyond!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

On November 1, John Lasseter will become the 2,453rd star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Here’s a leader that’s come full circle . . . and beyond!

Lasseter started his career as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Disneyland in California. It was shortly after that when he became an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation. He realized that computers could be used to make films with three dimensional backgrounds where traditionally animated characters could interact to add a new, visually stunning depth. So he began the push . . . but pushed a little too hard and was terminated.

Lasseter was then hired on at Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group. Here he worked on their first computer animated short: The Adventures of André and Wally B. His original thought had been to create only the backgrounds on computers, but by the time it was all finished everything was computer animated, including the characters.

Most of what Lasseter had been working on had been considered “experiments” by George Lucas and his interest soon began to fade. Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986, which then became Pixar. Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer. He personally directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2 – some of the biggest animated feature films of all time.

When Disney purchased Pixar in April 2006, Lasseter was named Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was also given the responsibility as Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. He bypasses Disney's studio and theme park executives and reports directly to Disney President and CEO Bob Iger.

Congratulations John Lasseter!!!

Do you have an idea . . . a dream . . . a plan? See it through and make it happen. You never know - it may take you . . . to infinity and beyond!

For the whole Pixar story check out, “The Pixar Touch” by David A. Price.

Remarkable In Tampa

2011-10-18T06:00:00.003-04:00

The leading new supervisor training, based on the book, From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership, is coming to Tampa, FL on November 9-10. Having worked with the writers, Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris, I recommend this workshop for anyone who is looking to increase their leadership skills. Find out more right here - B2B Workshop Tampa.

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the Bud to Boss Workshop:
#10 You are a new supervisor and you want to learn more so you can be successful in your new role.
#9 You train new supervisors in your organization and you'd like new resources and tips to share.
#8 You'd like to be more effective in leading others.
#7 You loved the book From Bud to Boss and you'd like a chance to interact on the topics in the book with an expert trainer.
#6 You haven't read the book yet but you want a chance to interact and learn from an expert trainer.
#5 You're struggling with a particular leadership issue and you'd like to get insights from others.
#4 You happen to have Nov 9-10 wide open on your calendar, and you have plenty of money left in your training budget.
#3 You're in the mood for a road trip.
#2 You've always wanted to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa.
#1 You want to attend a premier training event for new supervisors because you know you will gain knowledge and skills to raise your leadership expertise to a new level.

You'll have a remarkable time. I hope to see you there!

Do You See What I See?

2011-10-13T06:00:00.002-04:00

No, I'm not talking Christmas songs . . . yet.

Robert Frost once said, “Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream of things that never were and say why not?” Doesn’t that sound like a leader?

One of your biggest responsibilities as a leader is to see things that others can’t see. Use your visionary capabilities to grow your mission. Think big! Use your imagination. Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission. Why do children come up with such imaginative ideas? They allow themselves to be imaginative – they don’t know any better. But you know that it’s extremely important to do so.

Allow your mind to look at ALL possibilities. One may not be the answer. But grab assorted details from various ideas and you’ve got a viable solution.

Walt Disney said, "I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse”. A mouse! Look at Disney today. Although Walt is gone, the empire still grows.

Have faith that you can accomplish the mission that you’ve chosen, and impart that faith on to your staff – and grow.

What Does It Take?

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

What does it take to recognize employee's? Not much.

Michael LeBoeuf, author of The Greatest Management Principle in the World said, "Everybody works smarter when there's something in it for them." For you managers that have been around for "awhile" that may be a lot of hoo-hah. For you leaders that work in "the now" it makes a lot of sense.

Reward programs are extremely important today, and contrary to common thought, it does NOT have to be expensive. What's expensive is not having a reward program.

Here are a few examples:

pay for a trade magazine subscription
off-site training seminar
lunch with the CEO
day off with pay
certificate
traveling trophy
pay for a professional membership
"thank you" and a handshake (wow, what a concept)
tickets to a game
restaurant gift card
make your own taco party
visit to headquarters
free car washes
spa day
bowling party
off work 1 hour early
Entertainment book
lottery tickets (hope there's not a $20million in it)

All of these things are either inexpensive or basically free to you. Add a little fun to your recognition program and watch employee's get more involved and stick around longer.

Where The Heck Did The Time Go?

2011-09-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

Where the heck did the time go? Wow. How many of us have asked ourselves that one . . . many times?

The average day can be divided into six segments (with average hours):
Sleep - 8
Work - 8
Eat - 3
Personal Hygiene - 1
Commute - 2, and
Various - 2

Most people think they know how much time they spend on what they do. But unless you’re keeping track of it, mmmmm no, you really don’t. It’s like a diet. Until you start writing down EVERYTHING you eat, you don’t really have a clear picture of what you’re putting in your body – believe me, I’ve done it.

According to Merrill & Donna Douglass in their book Manage Your Time Your Work Yourself, “we have about two hours each day to do the various personal things that make life worth living. That’s not much. But it gets worse. By their own account, most people waste at least two hours every day”! Any free evening is a luxury.

The only way to get out of this rut is to sit down and figure out just what you’re spending time on and learn to manage your time better. This is called – work life balance.

The Douglass’s suggest drawing three circles divided like a pie. In one, distribute your time the way you THINK is true. In the second, indicate how you ACTUALLY distribute your time. In the last, draw an IDEAL pie. “The difference between where you are now and where you would like to be is the source for possible goals.”

Just like anything you do to be successful, you need to plan and set goals.

Design Your Culture

2011-08-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

"But I thought a culture just happens?" Well Skippy, a lot of them do. But a lot of them are baaaad.

The title of this post comes from one of the strategies that Lee Cockerell discusses in his book, Creating Magic, on how to create a culture of INCLUSION. The first line in that section defines a corporate culture (via Disney Institute) as "the system of values and beliefs an organization holds that drives actions and behaviors and influences relationships."

I've actually heard stories of organizations saying they don't need to work on their culture because it will just happen, that that will be their TRUE culture. Alert - Alert - Alert Will Robinson. You're looking at the makings of one of those baaaad culture's.

Leaders of your organization need to work on directing the culture - focusing on your values, beliefs, and relationships - so that it doesn't turn or work against you. One of the best ways to direct your culture is to use INCLUSION. I don't think there's any faster way to derail a culture than to exclude employee's. The less they know - the less they are asked - the less they are "partners" - the worse your culture will be.

Just think about it a second. With a lack of inclusion, comes more opportunity for "grapevine" and "water-cooler" talk. Your culture quickly becomes one that works AGAINST your organization.

Now I could ramble on about many aspects of growing and directing your organizational culture (and maybe some day I will) but if you create a sense of INCLUSION, you're going to be well on your way.

What kind of changes can you make, today, in the creation of a culture of INCLUSION?

Give Em Your All

2011-08-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

Just a quick spiel this week about giving people your all. I'm talking about training. Aaaaand maybe I'm up on my soapbox a bit.

Have you ever been to a training class or workshop that the trainer just doesn't "show up"? He or she is physically there, but is mentally still at home?

Have you ever been to a training class that the format is not taken seriously? That the instructors don't do everything they should . . . and you know it?

Have you ever been to a course where the instructors obviously don't agree with the information they're putting out . . . and show it?

If you're one of these instructors, listen up. You're wasting my time and the time of everyone in the class, their supervisors, and their (your) organizations. Trainers/facilitators have a responsibility to all of the aforementioned people. You're not just dealing with the people in the classroom - it's all of the others also. If you're going to waste my time by not giving me your full effort, hey, I can definitely find many other productive and more important things to be doing.

So the next time you don't quite feel up to facilitating that class or don't agree with those policies, work on the one thing you always CAN change - your attitude - and buck up. I'm going to thank you for it!

Guestology - Know Your Customers

2011-08-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

I had the great privilege of attending Disney Institutes Approach to Quality Service a few months ago. What a great experience. They've really got this customer thing down.

For one thing - customers are GUEST'S. One of the keys to great service is treating people the way you'd treat guests in your own home. Treat them the way you want to be treated. Good leadership understands this type of thing.

Sit yourself in a position to form a customer oriented culture. An organizations culture is only as good as its leadership.

The book, Be Our Guest (from Disney Institute), describes Guestology as "the study of people for whom Disney provides service". For over half a century "the one constant has been a relentless focus on the needs, perceptions, and expectations of Guests". This is driven by great leadership.

In order to treat customers like Guests, you have to learn everything you can about them. Some of the things Disney knows are:

where they come from,

the average party size,

their length of stay,

frequency of visits,

attraction utilization, and

per capita spending patterns.

Wow - wouldn't it be great to have staff that knew that much about their customers?

Lead your staff in a direction that exceeds expectations. Keep the bar high. Guests continually tell Disney that "a key driver determining their overall level of satisfaction is the interaction they have with Cast Members" (employee's).

Remember that leaders are role models. The better service that YOU provide and the more YOU learn will directly affect the service your staff provides.

It's New, It's Exciting

2011-07-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

"What?", you ask. Why Google+ of course. Hey. Everyone else is talking about it, why can't I.

What is Google+? It's a new social network. You can either share with people you actually know, or with anyone who wants to follow you. Seems to me like a cross between Facebook and Twitter. Until it's fully up and they have the kinks out, you can join only by limited invitations - I got one.

I was lucky enough to get an invite last week and jumped right on it. At first glance it didn't seem too awful special. But as I started getting into it a little I quickly began to see some good things.

First of all, it's a chance to start over. How many people have a bazillion friends on that other big social network and only actually know a handful? How many people have friended all of your elementary and high school buddies and are now realizing, "I hadn't communicated with these people in years for a reason"?

The best thing I like, so far, about Google+ - besides the slate being clean - is the use of Circles of friends. You can add friends to Circles like, Business, Family, Acquaintances, or just Following. Instead of seeing every Tom, Dick, and Harry in your Stream of posts, you can click on a Circle and see only those people.

And another neat thing - if people add you to their Circle . . . you don't have to follow them back - it's not automatic. And visa versa. No requesting to "be friends". Plus, neither party knows what Circle they're a part of.

Check it out. Google is on to something here. Stay tuned for the expansion.

Cliques Gone Organized

2011-07-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

I first learned of "tribal leadership" while reviewing the pre-launch book by Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness. I was curious to find out more about it when low-and-behold I received an email from the publisher of Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization (Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright) asking me to review the updated re-release (June 7) of the book. Awesome!

At first glance tribal leadership reminds me of cliques in school. There are various groups of kids who hang around together - preps, jocks, etc. - which you have to belong to in order to "hang" with them. As the school year progresses, so do the groups . . . or not.

LinkedIn co-founder, Reid Hoffman described Tribal Leadership as "a clear road map for the new reality of managing organizations, careers, and life". The key words here are, "new reality of managing organizations". In today's world, leaders must manage all aspects of the organization including the tribes. We have to help our people go from "they" or "I" attitudes to "we" attitudes.

The authors of Tribal Leadership take us through the five stages of building relationships between leaders, tribes and culture. It's, at times, comical because of the way tribes and leaders are described is sadly so true - reality check.

The goal of tribal leadership is to "upgrade as many people, and clusters of people, as are willing and able to move forward to Stage Four, the zone of tribal pride". A tribal leader is "someone who artfully builds his corporate tribes, then gets out of the way so people can achieve greatness".

By developing the tribe you'll create loyalty, hard workers, innovation and collaboration. Helllooo. Doesn't that make your job a bit easier? Sure it does. And just as importantly, it contributes more effectively to the success of the organization . . . and doesn't exactly hurt your own chances for advancement.

Tribes - culture - is not something that you want to "just happen". There's guidance and building that needs to be done in order for them to jive with your organization in order to create overall success.

Reading this book really opened my eyes to what was happening in my own organization. Pick up a copy of Tribal Leadership and learn how to become the leader of the tribe - go from "life sucks" to "life is great" - and you'll have that success.

Gotta Have It

2011-06-24T06:00:00.002-04:00

Energy, that is. We’ve all been there – some more than others – wish you had more energy to do more, stay awake longer, or have more concentration. Yeah, you’ve been there.

Jon Gordon, author of The 10-Minute Energy Solution says that, "Everyone has lows. The key is to know when your energy is down and what you can do to turn it around." He maps out a 30-day plan with a simple 10-minute exercise each day to give you a boost physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Here are 10 things you can do:
1. Start your day with a positive energy walk. Step briskly and say what you're thankful for. Think positive thoughts like "I look forward to the rest of the day, the people I'm going to meet, the things I'm going to learn." Or complete these sentences: "I believe that... I trust that..."
2. Neutralize the "energy vampires," the people who drain you. They’re everywhere. Counter their negative comments and attitude with kindness and compassion. Notice something? Another person's negativity can only bring you down if you let it. Like I always say, attitude you give = attitude you get.
3. Lose your mind. No, don't go any more crazy than you already are. Go meditate. Sit in a quiet place. Focus on your breathing. Inhale and think of a word like "so" or "one" or "peace". Exhale and think of the same word or another. (Gordon likes the mantra "so hum".) Repeat with each breath. If a thought floats into your head, let it float out, and focus on your breathing and mantra again. "You want to lose your thoughts, your thinking mind, so you can be one with the moment," Gordon explains.
4. Add play to your day. Run around the yard with your kids or your dog (chase a squirrel). Put on your favorite pick-me-up song and dance. Grab three tennis balls and try to juggle them. Go for a bike ride. Build something out of Legos or Lincoln Logs – remember those? Write the lyrics to your life as a funny country song (and then share it with me!).
5. Connect. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Invite a coworker to lunch. Drop a line - not by email but by good, old-fashioned pen and paper (wow, what a concept) - to someone you don't see often.
6. Smile and laugh. Walk around your office and smile at your coworkers. They won't think you're strange (probably), just in a good mood. Several times a day, think of a funny joke or experience, and laugh.
7. Let stress go. "Energy is like a river," Gordon says. "Stress blocks it." To get it flowing again, first, list your stresses. Take a deep breath and clench your hands into fists, as if you're holding on to all the stress. Exhale forcefully, opening your hands and throwing your arms wide. Feel your tension release? Good. Say, "I choose not to have my stress. I let it go." Repeat this exercise for each stress you listed and let it go.
8. Pray for someone. It recharges your spiritual batteries. Studies suggest those who have a strong faith are better able to handle adversity. Make a list of people and what they need help and prayers for. Find a quiet spot and get comfortable. Listen to your breath, feel your heart beat. When you're nice and relaxed, pray for each person on your list.
9. Look for signs of grace. Think about the times in your life when you thought something bad happened, but it turned out to be a blessing. It may have happened and you just haven't realized it yet. Write these experiences down. Next time something you didn't want or expect occurs, look back on this list and remind yourself everything happens for a reason, even if you don't see it just yet.
10. Do a little lifting. Giving someone else a lift gives you a lift too. In one study, college students who performed five small acts of kindness a day (such as helping a friend with a paper or visiting an elderly relative) experienced a significant increase in well-being.

What will your five acts of kindness be? Plan two. Then look for three random opportunities to be kind as the day unfolds. If you come across more, keep going! As Gordon says, "Positive energy never decreases by being shared. With each gift, it grows."

Dare to Expect

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

What we usually get from people is what we expect to get. If we expect greatness, we'll get greatness. If we expect mediocrity, we'll get mediocrity.

Good leaders expect the BEST from themselves and their staff. Your expectations play a huge role in your own success and they also have a profound effect on the people around you.

ATTITUDE - What you expect from your staff determines your attitude toward them. And those around you reflect your attitudes right back to you - whether those expectations and attitudes are positive or negative. Attitude out=attitude back.

How many have ever worked for, or known, someone who thinks all staff are there just for a job. They have no motivation and will take advantage of any situation that comes along? Wow - that does sound familiar. If that's what the leader believes - that's what the leader will expect - that's how their staff WILL act.

In ALL relationships with others, develop a positive outlook. One that recognizes that they have the very best of intentions - with no ulterior motives.

Hey! Here's another good reason to be positive and expect the best. According to The Longevity Quotient, by Edward L. Schneider, M.D., "researchers interviewed 800 Minnesota residents to assess and rate their optimism levels, then tracked them for 35 years to see how long they lived." And the results? "Regardless of age or sex, the optimists lived longer. The pessimists died prematurely. In fact, for every 10 percent increase in the pessimism index, there were 20 percent more early deaths." That sounds like a pretty decent reason to think positively.

Communicate your expectations! Let your team know you have faith in them, while they might not yet have enough faith on their own. Knowing your expectations of working toward their best and being a positive influence will carry everyone to higher successes.

You ARE Your Staff

2011-06-10T06:00:00.004-04:00

You are your staff - Your staff are you. Huh? In other words, the way customers, competition, and your bosses look at you is a direct reflection of your staff . . . and visa versa.

As Lee Cockerell says in his book, Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies From a Life at Disney, "your people are your brand". As I've said before, you are not alone. Leadership is not a one way street. If you have remarkable staff, chances are you'll be looked at as remarkable. If you have lazy staff, well, you get the picture.

Just as you would work hard to choose the best materials to create a product or develop the best routine's for your CSRs, you have to choose the right people to create those products and answer those phones. It all really becomes part of your brand - the ability to make the right choices.

Lee uses a great example in his book to illustrate this: "A head chef may be a great culinary artist, but if he or she does not hire the right people, train them well, and inspire them to prepare every single dish perfectly, he or she will quickly end up cooking for one."

A key to your top branding is - hire people with leadership ability and potential. These people think - and perform - differently than your average "it's just a job" employee. They WANT to be there. They WANT to learn and succeed. They WANT the organization to succeed. They'll act as a positive influence on others and help "keep the peace". You think you're stressed? Hire the right people and watch that stress level drop.

Remember - Leadership is not a one man show. You are not alone. You CAN'T be alone. It takes some good planning and smart thinking.

Schmoozing

2011-06-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

I had a great time last week at the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Expo in Orlando. It was actually my first time attending, but definitely won’t be my last.

Networking is so important these days for advancement. One of the best ways to network is by joining associations related to your profession. Just about every profession has at least one association. You can connect with people all over the world through the organizations website (blogs, forums, etc).

With membership in the group usually comes an annual meeting or conference. Now you have a great opportunity to “put faces to the names” and meet many more people (and maybe have a nice vacation mixed in).

At this year’s ASTD Expo I was able to meet one of the great “guru’s” in leadership, Ken Blanchard. That was an extreme honor. You know why you always see pictures of him smiling? Because that’s exactly the way he is. I was able to talk to him for just a couple of minutes, but that was all it took to know that he’d be just a pleasure to be around.

I was also able to meet Kevin Eikenberry, Guy Harris, and Becky Robinson of the Kevin Eikenberry Group. Kevin and Guy wrote the remarkable book, From Bud to Boss, which I had the honor of reading, pre-launch, and writing about here on my blog, Twitter, and Linked2Leadership. What fantastic people they are.

So check out your professional associations. You never know what doors it will open or success it will bring.

"Oh yeah"

2011-05-24T06:00:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, right up the street from me in Seminole, FL, we lost a great example of personal “branding”. “Macho Man” Randy Savage suffered a fatal heart attack while driving and hit head on into a tree.

“Macho Man”, as he is affectionately referred to the world around by young and old, grew up in Downers Grove, IL where he dreamed about becoming a baseball player. He would eventually do just that, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. You don’t remember that? That’s okay. I don’t either. However I do remember “Macho Man” Randy Savage - the wrestler.

After his baseball career took a sudden downfall, Randall Poffo of Downers Grove, IL took to professional (you be the judge) wrestling. He completely re-made himself with a new look, a new name, flamboyant attire, an ‘I will succeed’ attitude, and a flair for business.

Through Savage’s wrestling career, he was a “good guy” and a “bad guy” - but always likeable. But no matter what he did or who he teamed up with (like Hulk Hogan), he’s always going to be remembered as the “Macho Man” – good, bad, or indifferent. He’s still very well known and his image can be seen, and bought, all over the world.

His wrestling career began in 1974 and ran until 2004. “Oh yeah!” Randy Savage knew how to play the game and use it to his advantage.

RIP “Macho Man”.

Keep It Fresh

2011-05-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Fresh. Up to date. Renewed. Different. People get tired of the same ole, same ole. Whether you're selling products, services, or your leadership style - you have to keep it fresh.

I remember going to Walt Disney World (WDW) as a child and seeing Tropical Serenade (Tiki Room). The 200 birds, tiki's, and flowers were based on Disneyland's Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room which was the first attraction to ever use Audio-Animatronics (1963). Tropical Serenade opened at WDW in 1971. Over the years it's been updated with new characters and is currently being renovated yet again. It will be opening as Enchanted Tiki Room later this summer.

The point here is that you HAVE to change. You HAVE to update. Tropical Serenade would have fallen by the wayside years ago if Disney had not continued to update it. People return to WDW for years by themselves, with children, and grandchildren, and just like your products and services they have to change with the times in order to stick around for so long or they get too dated and bland.

Leadership is the same way. If you're still "leading" like you were 15-20 years ago, you're out-dated dude. As generations change, leadership styles have to change with them or you won't be nearly as effective as you could be.

Jim Rohn said, "For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better". To do this, you need to READ. Two of the best books I've read lately should be added to your library - From Bud to Boss and 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role. Leadership is not rocket science but you do have to work at it.

Make the move. Step away from the TV. Keep it fresh and up-to-date by reading - and changing.

You Did It? You Fix It.

2011-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever worked for a "leader" that didn't accept blame? It can be extreeeemely frustrating - especially if he turns it back on you.

I believe one of the biggest positive factors in success is having the ability to say, "I did it", "I'm sorry", or just plain, "I screwed up". I've always taken responsibility for my actions and believe it's one of the biggest reasons for my success. I have NEVER tried to push blame onto others. Frankly, that's about the worst thing you can do as a leader. You will NEVER have the respect of your staff if you do.

In Pam Fox Rollins new book, 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role, she says to "ban the blame" and ask "what are we learning from this?" Screw ups are learning experiences, folks. If it was your screw up, "say you were wrong, make repairs, and explain how you're going to ensure it doesn't happen again".

Don't waste time and energy on the blame-game. Hold yourself and your staff accountable. When you come across a problem, use your problem-solving tools to find the root cause as soon as possible. Remember, the actual cause is not always as obvious as it seems.

Immediately acknowledge mistakes, figure out what went wrong and why, fix it, and learn from it. Then all that's left is to mooove on.

Read Your Email

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

You heard me. Read you email. "But I do", you say. I bet you do it selectively though. Do you look at the emails that impact only your immediate job? The one's that affect what you're doing at that moment?

There are other emails out there. You can usually tell the jokes and the "pass this on" one's just by the subject or even the sender. That's okay. Leave those alone. But email has become an easy, quick, universal way of getting important information out to the masses. Sometimes it's the only way.

Here's a great example of why you need to look a little closer. A friend of mine works at an organization that's recently gone through a major IS project that changed the way that EVERYONE interacts with their computers - new servers, new Windows, version jump in MS Office, etc.

In order to help employee's make this change, one person in the IS department (so they would always know to look for it) had been sending out updates with FAQs to help make the transition a little less "scary". You would think that people would at least take a glance at these communications, if not for any other reason, to see what would be affecting them.

Implementation was postponed THREE times - not because IS wasn't ready - because too many employee's had NOT been reading those emails and literally had no idea what was going on.

My point here is that the world doesn't always revolve around what you're immediately working on. No matter how busy you are (or think you are), instead of looking for specific emails from specific people, open up your "search criteria" so you can see the whole picture. There are other people in your organization trying to get their jobs done also.

It's The Little Things

2011-04-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

In a recent blog by Mike Reardon, Disney Institute Facilitator, he describes a personal note left in his room by a Marriott Courtyard housekeeper, wishing him a good stay. It made his "whole stay more enjoyable". Funny how some of the most "trivial" things can make such a difference.

Well sometimes it IS just the "little things" that make the biggest difference. That goes for customer service and employee motivation.

About 11 years ago I was walking into the building I worked in and I picked up a piece of trash (as I normally do). My supervisor saw me from her office window and about five minutes after I reached my office she came around the corner, told me she had seen what I'd done, thanked me, and gave me a little "good job" sticker. Not much. Just a sticker. But I really appreciated it. So much so, that I still have it to this day.

Don't ignore good service just because you don't have it "within your budget". Sometimes it's JUST THE LITTLE THINGS that MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.

Freshen Up

2011-04-20T06:00:00.003-04:00

"Freshen up" is one of the headings in Rule 2 in Pam Fox Rollin's new book, 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role: The Manual They Didn't Hand You When You Made VP, Director, or Manager. It comes out the week of May 9th.

As I was reading through my advance copy, Rule 2: Begin Ready, really caught my eye. Pam says, “Shake off your old job (or job hunt), and start the new one rested.” Think about that. How many people actually do that? How many of us go from one job or position to the next by ending one day and starting the next? I believe that’s one of the main reasons that people fail or don’t live up to their expectations. Think Transition!

You really need to have some transition time – especially when going from one position to the next, within your organization. You’re used to doing things a certain way and employee’s are used to seeing you in a certain light. That all changes now. Prior to beginning your new position – especially if it’s into a leadership role - be sure that you complete some research. Not only do you want to check into,
• “the company site,
• blogs, and
• news releases for clues on strategy and culture”,
but also ask yourself what you'll need to do to thrive in your new position and what needs to be done to help your new team succeed. These are all things that will help you effectively get up to speed.

In freshening up, Pam refers to things that you may need to clean up prior to starting – your calendar, car, or relationships. Have you thought of any of this? Take a “reset” vacation. Take some time off to leave behind the old position and rest up and plan for the next.

Becoming a successful leader means more than moving into another office and getting more responsibilities. Whether you’re a new manager or moving into the corner office, pick up a copy of Pam’s book next month (already available on amazon.com) and recognize those things that you hadn’t thought about. You’ll be amazed at just how successful you can be.

It's All In The Details

2011-03-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

Dick Nunis, former Chairman, Walt Disney Attractions said, "There are two words that make (operations) work around here . . . quality and pride. If you design, build, operate, and maintain with quality, people will take pride in what they do".

It's not enough to design and build. Without proper operation and maintenance there will be no pride - there will be no quality. Whatever you design will ultimately be a wonderful new product, service, or attraction. But what happens when it's just left to tend to itself?

Everyone "picks up trash". In other words, everyone pays attention-to-detail. That goes for all staff, from the CEO to the guy that just started at minimum wage yesterday. Quality and Pride are a part of everybody's job description. It's the entire "show" that, in the end, "wow's" your customers and guests.

React rather than overlook. It's really quite easy. When you approach your customers - smile and greet them. If you see trash on the floor - pick it up. If you see a burned out light - report it. If you see a customer looking confused - help him/her. If you see magazines scattered in the lobby - straighten them. Now how much time does that take? Seconds. You can afford seconds. React rather than overlook.

Your ability to provide attention-to-detail in all respects is the key to delivering that extraordinary experience that will keep your customers coming back.

Leading Happiness

2011-03-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week I’m attending Disney’s Approach to Quality Service at the Disney Institute at Walt Disney World. In the last couple of days, so far, I’ve learned an incredible amount of proven service traits. I thought I knew a lot about Disney already, but wow, I had only the tip of the iceberg.

Disney is continuously translating Walt’s simple philosophies into successful business strategies.

One of the first things that stood out for me was the simplicity of the Disney Strategy:

- Exceed our Guests’ expectations,

and the Disney Tactic:

- Pay attention to every detail of the delivery.

Again, Wow – just think how successful your organization would be, just by building these two things into your culture.

Research has shown that consumers believe that about 48% of employee’s, collectively, are helpful, but don’t go the extra mile. That’s almost half, folks! If the same survey was completed, specifically, at Disney Parks, I’d be willing to bet that that percentage would be WAY less than that. Where would your employee’s fall in that same survey?

How many of you REALLY pay attention to detail? Don’t just look at things that you know your customers will see. Disney thinks that it’s better if Guests DON’T notice something rather than notice something that’s out of place or not up to standards.

For those of you who have been to the Magic Kingdom, have you ever noticed the hitching posts on Main Street? Most people I ask that of haven’t noticed them. That’s because they’re painted every night. If they weren’t, Guests would notice scratches and chips. It’s better that they aren’t noticed.

The next time you watch a Disney/Pixar movie, pause it here and there and take note of everything you see. There’s an abundance of visuals in there for everyone.

Exceeding expectations and paying attention to detail . . . two things that will make the difference between success and mediocrity.

Vision At Any Age

2011-02-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm honored to have for a guest post, Kevin Eikenberry, author, speaker, trainer, consultant, and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group . His new book, co-authored with Guy Harris, From Bud to Boss – Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership launched on February 15, 2011. When you buy the book this week (through Friday), you'll be able to access valuable gifts from Kevin and Guy’s partners.

While I’ve never worn any sort of corrective lenses, at my age, I am becoming increasingly more aware of my vision.

Things that were once perfectly clear are now sometimes hazy. I once took my vision for granted; now it is becoming harder to do so. (Before you all give me the name of your optometrist, know that a new eye exam is already on my list.)

In a literal sense if you don’t see something you can’t react to it – if I am driving and don’t see the deer in the road clearly I can’t apply my brakes or otherwise try to avoid it.

The vision I am writing about today is just as literal, but far less obvious. In fact it might be something you’ve never thought about before now.

If you have ever purchased a new car (or a new one to you) you have probably experienced this situation: when you drove it off the lot and as you drove for the next several weeks, didn’t it seem like your car is everywhere! You had no idea Honda even made that color, but now you see your car model and color everywhere you go.

Now logic would tell you that these people didn’t all conspire and buy the very same car the very same day you did. But didn’t it sort of feel that way?

Of course those cars were on the road before, you just didn’t see them.

The reason for this phenomenon is something in your brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). The RAS works as a filter between your all-noticing and very powerful subconscious and your far-less-powerful conscious mind.

When you bought your car your conscious mind told your subconscious that these cars were important to you. So, dutifully, your subconscious with the help of the RAS let you “see” your car like never before – on the road, on the television and even hearing ads on the radio and noticing it being discussed in everyday conversation.

The fact is the RAS allows you to see exactly what you are looking for.

Stop and read that sentence again.

If the RAS allows you to see what you are looking for, then perhaps the most important vision question for us all is … “What am I looking for?”

You are looking for what you are seeing!

Let me get less esoteric.

Have you ever left a movie and talked with someone about it, and through your conversation it seemed like you saw two completely different movies? You each noticed different things, cared about different things and were moved in different ways by different parts of the film? Since we each have our own powerful RAS filters, this is easy to understand. Each person sees what his/her brain was looking for and therefore “wanted” to see.

Let me make this more useful for leaders and high performers:

Feedback. Most people realize that positive feedback is important (if you don’t think so, think again!). The challenge most people find in giving more positive feedback is finding the positive things to comment on. Challenges and problems will always be there, and they will always be noticed. However, if you want to give more positive feedback and support, you need to first adjust your vision! You must begin looking for what people are doing well. Once you adjust your vision, you will see these things everywhere.

Challenges. Many people look at every situation and see only the problem. They see all the reasons things can go wrong; all the cracks in the concrete. Some people look at the situation, and while recognizing the problems, see all the opportunities and notice possible solutions. It all starts with the choice of how to use your powerful RAS and to look for what we want to find. Would you rather find problems or solutions? Which are you looking for?

World view. Many people will tell you to stop watching the news, it will only bring you down. While I agree that a huge inflow of negative images isn’t what you want to continually plant in your brain, you must recognize the power of the RAS here too.

When you watch the news, what do you see and hear? Remember your RAS is helping you filter those words and images. Some people see opportunity, some see strife. Some see change, some see chaos. Some see recession, others, recovery. In every case, the same words create different visions for every person – based on what you are looking for.

These are just three examples, I could cite many more, but these hopefully will open your mind (and your RAS) to think about your context differently and allow you to choose to see the things you want to see in your life.

A final and very important note: while your RAS works most of the time without you even noticing, it is important to remember that you can choose what you want to look for, and therefore improve the chances you will see it.

If you aren’t seeing what you want, adjust your vision and make some new choices.

So, what do you see?

Potential Pointer: To create the future you want you must have a clear vision – and you must be able to see the world you want to create. You can make choices that will allow you to correct your vision and see the opportunities and situations that will lead you to your desired future.

Launch Day!

2011-02-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I've had the great opportunity to receive and read an advance copy of From Bud to Boss. Over the last couple of weeks I've been writing and tweeting about it as I've found it to be a VERY refreshing look at what it takes, when promoted, to leave the "bud" mentality behind and gain the "boss" mentality.

Not having the knowledge for proper change is the biggest obstacle to becoming a successful leader. Change can be many things in different situations. As Kevin and Guy discuss in their book, "people who are feeling good about something that is changing in their lives will generally look more favorably on other changes at the same time and soon thereafter". Promotion means people believe in you. Believe in yourself and the change "from bud to boss" and in other things in your life will come so much easier. Living up to the challenge of leading your former peers doesn't have to be as stressful as some people make it out to be.

In this book you'll find all of the tools you need to become a great boss, whether you're just beginning or have been a leader for some time. The information is easily understood. They even make sense of the popular DISC model!

To celebrate today's launch of From Bud to Boss, authors Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris are offering great gifts including the chance to win a Kindle - http://launch.budtobosscommunity.com/ . So go to your favorite online bookseller today and purchase the book that really will make a difference in your life.

Great Scott!!!

2011-02-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've had a great opportunity to preview a new book that's already making a lot of "buzz" around the leadership community. From Bud To Boss is a title you're going to want to get whether you're a new OR seasoned supervisor. From Bud To Boss covers, in a new refreshing light, everything you need to succeed, including why and how you need to change, and the commitment you need to succeed.

Now here's the kicker - Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris' new book, From Bud to Boss, launches on February 15^th. To celebrate the launch, they're offering special bonuses to people who purchase the book on the day of the launch. These bonuses include FREE content from a variety of partners who are promoting the launch. To take advantage of these bonuses when you buy the book, be sure to visit the special links - I'll be posting them when provided. Be sure to join the new Bud to Boss Community to be connected with a wealth of resources about how to be a better leader every day.

BELIEVE in Yourself - As Others Do

2011-01-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

Every time I think of the word, BELIEVE, I can't help but think of Josh Groban's song from the movie, The Polar Express. By the end of the movie the boy believes in Santa, Christmas, good unto others . . . and himself. Wouldn't it be great if everyone just believed in themselves.

I've had the privilege of reviewing Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris's new book,"From Bud to Boss" (due out Feb 15) and before I even got into the meat and potatoes of the book, something struck me right off the bat. When you're chosen to become your organizations next supervisor a couple things have happened:

someone in your organization has thought you're able to succeed, and
people who care about you thought you can succeed.

Those are things new supervisors don't always think about. They just take the promotion and kind of move on.

Those are two very important aspects to promotion but the thing that Kevin and Guy go on to discuss is the need for YOU to BELIEVE in YOURSELF and your ABILITY to SUCCEED. Without your own belief, success is going to be much more difficult - if it happens at all.

I've known a few people who have fit right into this category. Everyone knew that they could be great leaders, but they lacked just ONE thing . . . their belief in themselves. Most of them returned to their previous position, while one actually ended up quitting.

Do yourself a favor. Get on Amazon, Borders, B&N, whatever - and purchase "From Bud to Boss". BELIEVE in yourself, LEARN from others, and become the successful leader you're cut out to be.

K-F-C W-O-W

2011-01-28T06:00:00.002-05:00

Every now and then when I receive exceptional customer service, I like to pass the story on.

My wife (Judy) and I stopped at a local KFC last night to get a 12-piece Family Meal - we had a $3 off coupon. We ordered from the drive-up and got our food very promptly. Sounds good so far, right?

Well, we got home and started sorting things out and found that we'd been given the 10-piece Family Meal instead. We should have thought something was up when we got the order so quickly (it was on special).

Anyway. Judy got on the phone and called the manager at the KFC. He was very cordial, apologized and told her he'd give us what we were missing if we'd want to come back - plus something extra for having to return.

After diner we did return and picked up the extra pieces of chicken and biscuit's (we were shorted 2 of each). PLUS he gave us 6 of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies (yes, we shared with the kids). Chocolate chip cookies may not sound like much to some, but it's not something he HAD to do.

What may have turned out to be a very negative experience and the last time we went to that KFC store - and probably would have been - turned out to be a positive experience and kept us as customers.

It doesn't always take an extravagant form of service to make people happy. All you have to do is show you actually do care about your customers.

Take A Culture

2011-01-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

When staff speak and understand the language of their organization’s culture, they know how to behave in the organization and what’s expected of them. How’s YOUR culture?

Founders of organizations can have a profound – and long lasting - effect on the organizations culture. But so can you, the leader. You, along with your counterparts, have an ability to hold onto that culture or to mold a brand new one.

A founder’s own values guide the building of the company. He/she has substantial influence on the values, norms, and standards of behavior that develop over time. That’s typically a good thing. But what happens once the founder is gone?

Creator and President of Wendy’s, Dave Thomas, resigned from his day-to-day operations in 1982. However, by 1985, several company business decisions and loss of brand awareness and organizational culture urged the new president to bring Thomas back into an active role with Wendy's. He began to visit franchises and promote his hardworking, “mop-bucket attitude” - something that hadn’t been seen since he left. New management just didn’t keep up with the successful culture of the organization.

Marty Sklar, former Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said, "From the beginning, starting with Walt Disney, we have had five things that make me proud to be part of this Company: high-quality products, optimism for the future, great storytelling, an emphasis on family entertainment and great talent, passion and dedication from our Cast Members." This has been the Disney culture from Walt, through the Michael Eisner years, and now with Bob Iger.

In the case of Wendy’s, new leadership allowed the culture to change - for the worse. With Disney, they recognized a good thing and stuck with it. A saying they have at Disney Traditions sums it up the best – “We don’t put people in Disney, we put Disney in people.” Do the same with your organization.

Soccer-Mom Communication

2011-01-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

Next time you’re on any of the social networks or your email, take a look at the differences in writing styles (linguistics). Who writes “softer” and who writes “harder”? Without sounding sexist . . . I bet you’ll find there’s a difference between women and men.

Gender differences are evident in the ways that women and men use email and other types of electronic forms of communication – such as social networks. For example, Susan Herring, a researcher at Indiana University, has found that in public electronic forums such as message boards, Facebook, Twitter, etc., men tend to make stronger assertions, be more sarcastic, and be more likely to use insults and profanity than women, while women are more likely to be supportive, agreeable, and polite.

David Silver, a researcher at the University of Washington, has found that women are more expressive communicators in the social media arena and encourage others to express their thoughts and feelings, while men are more brief and to the point.

Of course these are just general tendencies, evident in MANY women and men, not in ALL women and men. But before you go assigning someone as your organization’s social media writer/poster, take a good hard look at their writing and communication styles. The best choice may not be the CEO’s long-time male speech-writer. It just may be the soccer-mom admin assistant you just hired.

Little Green Book

2010-12-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks to a tweet from Disney Institute today, I discovered this quote from Walt Disney - “We developed so many talents as we went along that I lay awake at night figuring out how to use them. That's how we become so diversified. It was natural branching out."

How many times have you had a great idea in the middle of the night or while sitting relaxing at the pool, beach, or back porch and told yourself, “I’ll write it down later”. How many times has “later” never come? I wish I had a nickel (or a dollar, to account for inflation) for every time I said that but forgotten the idea 15 minutes later.

Ideas, and thoughts on how to develop them, begin streaming when we’re relaxed - when we don’t have the stresses of phone calls, meetings, and people popping into our offices. And, because we’re not prepared, we lose many ideas. We have to be equipped for these instant concepts at all times.

That takes me back to my Navy days. I ALWAYS carried around one of those little green, government-issue memorandum books in my back pocket - constantly at the ready to record my thoughts or work schedule of the day. It was a great asset (and great application for CYA).

These days, that little green book has been replaced by a smart-phone. It can record thoughts just as easily and they can be converted directly to memos or emails.

Make sure you have the available means to record your instant thoughts and the next time you can’t sleep, at least be productive and pull out that “little green book”.

Share The Milk and Cookies

2010-12-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Who's one of the greatest manager/leaders of all time? Look no further than the North Pole. Yes, I'm talking about Santa Claus.

One of my favorite leadership books is "The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus-How to Get Big Things Done In YOUR "Workshop"...All Year Long". It's very easy to relate to.

Santa says that one of his biggest benefits of being him is the fact that he's on "the point". All of the elves and reindeer work their "ears and antlers off" all year so the mission and vision can be fulfilled, yet Santa's usually the one that gets all of the credit. He's the one that gets to travel all over the world, attend meet and greets, and have his picture plastered all over greeting cards. The elves and reindeer don't get to experience all the fun so "their feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment must come in different ways".

Just like you as a leader, Santa must help his elves and reindeer see the "positive differences" that they're making. He practices MBWA (management by wandering around) just like you should be doing. He shares thank you letters and posts them on a bulletin board labeled "SEE WHAT YOU MADE HAPPEN" - just like you should be doing. He uses crayons to draw diagrams showing the link between the elves and reindeer and the smiling children that get the presents - that's communication that you should be providing (maybe not with crayons though).

Nothing motivates an employee - whether elf or not - more than actually seeing that they're contributing and making a difference for the organization and their customers. So look for ways to make it happen for your staff.

Suck Em In

2010-12-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

I looooove Chinese buffet's. I could eat there about every day. General Tsao's Chicken? . . . The bomb. Anyway. Earlier this year we had found a buffet pretty close by. What a find, right? Wrong. It was close but the price was $10.99 for a buffet that was the size worth MAYBE 2/3 of that price. And not all that tasty. Of course we never returned.

So, last week we happened to be doing some Christmas shopping at the strip mall where this buffet is and I noticed a sign on the door that said $6.99 all day on Tuesday's during December. BINGO. So guess where we ate last night? A Mexican restaurant . . . just kidding. We went to the Chinese buffet.

Well holy cow. They had, at least, doubled the size of the buffet and added a made-to-order sushi counter. It was fantastic . . . and now worth the $10.99.

But on the way out we spotted another price sign that says beginning January 1st, the everyday price would increase to $11.99! Ahhhhh, the hook.

This restaurant implemented a few great marketing strategies. They:
- lowered their price for December to bring in more customers that have less expendable cash due to buying Christmas presents,
- lowered their price to bring in more customers to learn about their great strides in improvements, and
- informed their customers of the price increase following their great meal - in which they devoured more food than they normally would in two days - making $11.99 seem more justifiable.

This seemed to me like a well thought out marketing plan. Many times these types of establishments (buffet's, etc) just throw things at you - $6.99 one day, $11.99 the next - with no warning or justification. My hats off to New China.

Why Work Doesn't Happen At Work

2010-12-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

If you want to understand the true feelings about office work at your organization - take a look at this video.

I came across this video, "Why Work Doesn't Happen at Work", by Jason Fried, through a post on the Disney Entrepreneur Center group on LinkedIn. I thought it sounded like it might be interesting so I clicked on it. I quickly found myself smiling and nodding my head in agreement while I watched . . . especially because here I am sitting in my "man cave" at home . . . working. *after watching, you'll know why that's humorous.

Take a look (click on the blog title) and think about what Jason is saying - it's so true. The office is basically, not a conducive place to do work. Those of you in "cube farms" know exactly where I'm coming from.

Maybe there are things that you can't change, for one reason or another. But after watching this video I think you'll have a brand new understanding of how things (people) actually "work".

Enjoy.

Manage Stressful Times

2010-11-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

In stressful times people tend to change in one way or another. They take shortcuts in procedures - they hurry through steps - they skip steps in reviews. Procedures are made for a reason . . . to document correct ways of doing things so that there is consistency throughout the organization.

Supervisors need to step up during tense times to ensure that procedures are being completed correctly. Depending on the type of company you work at, skipping steps may not be a real big deal. In others, like the medical field for instance, it could literally mean the difference between life and death.

Do things right the first time, all the time! If people are allowed to slack off, at ANY time, there's a good chance that it's going to happen more often than what you want. They soon begin to reason for themselves in order to substantiate non-conformance. That will then trickle down to other staff and soon into the training of new employee's. Then you've got new employee's thinking that it's the common practice and now you have new issues to work with - in particular, additional time for retraining.

Walk the talk. It's up to the supervisor to be a role model for employee's. If they see you slacking off and taking shortcuts it becomes an excuse for them to do the same. Put yourself in the customer's shoes. No matter what kind of business you're in, would you as a customer, tolerate anything but perfection? Of course not! Act as if you're part of the team, not always the head of it.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Your Endless Journey

2010-11-18T06:00:00.009-05:00

You should NEVER end your journey of learning.

In the December issue of SUCCESS magazine, Paula Deen is asked for her "ingredients for a life well spent". Here's, in part, how she answered (buy the magazine to get the rest):

"I think it's about the journey. It's about learning things about ourselves. . . . It's about lookin' over your shoulder and learnin' from your mistakes. . . . It's really about that journey, you know, and the people we meet, the opportunities that we need to go after. It's about our relationships with our family and our friends. It's so much more. I'm not through with my journey yet."

Paula is right on. You can't improve and continue to succeed by ending your journey. I know for some people it's a chore just to get the journey started, but you soon find out that you're much better off.

Learning doesn't end with a high school or college diploma - they're just the anchors. Don't think of it as the end - they're the beginning. Your formal education gets you on the right track and provides the basic footing to a long and prosperous journey. Add your relationships with family, friends, and business associates and you have a winning combination. Jim Rohn said:

"Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins."

Each of us is defined, and enriched, by our relationships to others. You've heard the ole saying, "you are what you eat"? Well . . . you are who you meet. Our relationships are a fundamental source of learning.

So what are you waiting for? Get going. Go read a book - develop a relationship - read a book about developing relationships. Just don't stop.

Really??

2010-11-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

This week I was looking around at new laptops and had narrowed it down to two. One was at a major office supply store (not Depot or Max) and the other at Best Buy. The two were very similar but with spending that much money, I wanted to see them both in action to determine which would suite my needs the best.

I did all the prerequisite research on Google of course so was heading out with my wife to check them out in person. The first place we went to was the office store. We headed right for the laptop area and looked and looked. We couldn't find the one we were looking for - which happened to be on the front page of their ad that week. To make a long story short - they didn't have the laptop on display. They were ALL in the stockroom - in their boxes. Now do you think that they'd at least take ONE out of the box for customers to see? NO. Instead they tried to talk me out of seeing it because if we decided not to buy it they'd have to sell it as an open package.

Hence comes the big question - Unless you've done some massive researching, or are just that much more knowledgeable than the average joe, who's going to buy a computer sight unseen?

Needless to say, Best Buy got our business (and we received EXCELLENT customer service - thank you Matt) and the office store will have to settle for our "staples", paper, and pen purchases.

I worked retail for a number of years and know that there's just too much competition out there to do things like this. Customer service has got to be the name of the game at all times. Businesses, such as office stores, are so similar that the quality of your customer service and satisfaction are the main - or only - things that differentiates them from one another. You HAVE to make yourself stand out . . . in a positive way.

Keep in mind that, either consciously or even unconsciously, you're compared to other companies with every contact.

Well Jiminy Cricket

2010-11-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

In sports, when a time-out is called just before the tie-breaking point is played, the coach reminds team members what's at stake . . . the rewards that await the players who make the winning effort. As a leader, you challenge team members with the memory of their past victories, with examples of what they accomplished.
- You enthuse,
- you excite,
- you encourage,
so they believe they can do it. Motivating and inspiring are about them, not you. It’s about instilling the confidence and energy that helps them to achieve the desired results. It’s what causes them to get excited enough to take ownership of their work.

In 1940, Walt Disney stopped production of Pinocchio because he thought Pinocchio was looking TOO wooden. He called the young animator Ward Kimball into his office.

Kimball, who was already upset because his long hours of work on Snow White had ended up on the cutting-room floor, was planning to use the occasion to resign when Walt called him in. But the young animator never had a chance. He got so excited listening to Walt talk about his dreams for the film and his ideas about Jiminy Cricket that Kimball entirely forgot about his own intentions of resigning.

Ward Kimball went on to become one of the greatest animators of all time. How many leaders can say that they enthuse, excite, and encourage that way? Had it been you in Walt’s situation, would Ward Kimball have stayed around?

But It's Not Illegal!

2010-10-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

C’mon people. Lets drop the unethical behavior and act the way you’re expected to. Try to remember the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Ethics are the inner-guiding moral principles, values, and beliefs that we use to analyze or interpret situations in order to decide what’s the “right” or “appropriate” way to behave or react. Laws tell us we either CAN or CAN’T do something. If there’s no law – or a law that’s not well enough defined – we're left to use our own ethics (or lack of) to decide how to act. Problem is, TOO many people these days are unethical.

According to the annual USA Today/Gallup Poll, less than one American in four rates highly the ethical standards of business executives, attorneys, members of Congress, or stockbrokers. Bankers had it especially rough in the latest poll: their approval rating fell from 35% to 23%. Only 22% of Americans held state governors in high esteem. With two unethical candidates, I would guess that Florida is even less than that.

It’s not just business and politics. A report by the Josephson Institute showed that 64% of high school students cheat and 30% steal. WOW! Nothin like starting early.

Neither laws nor ethics are fixed principles. Both are always changing. Unfortunately, people will always try to get away with things by going around and misinterpreting laws, so continuous change will always be necessary.

People will always argue that, “it's not illegal”. Maybe not. But keep this in mind the next time you have a thought like that – not being illegal does NOT make it ethical.

Keep On Wandering

2010-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

I sware by Tom Peters' Management By Wandering Around (MBWA). It’s really more than what the name implies. It’s not enough for leaders to just “walk around”. It’s also not “just a theory”. MBWA has been embraced, over the years, by highly successful organizations such as Hewlett-Packard, GE, PepsiCo, LucasFilm, Disney, and 3M.

As you “wander”, in order to be effective, you should be doing at least these three things:
• listening to what staff are saying,
• using the opportunity to continuously discuss the organization’s values face-to-face, and
• be prepared AND able to give people on-the-spot assistance.

At first, staff may suspect that MBWA is just an excuse for you to spy and interfere. That'll subside when they see the walk-arounds happening regularly, and they see that it actually benefits THEM. It works best when staff see that you are genuinely interested in them and their work and also see that you are there to listen and help. If things you see or hear require some type of follow-up, then make sure you take care of it.

Here are a few tips to assist in making MBWA a success:
• Publicize the fact that you are out wandering 50% of the time.
• Appear relaxed as you make your rounds. Staff will reflect your feelings and actions.
• Remain open and responsive to their questions and concerns.
• Observe and listen.
• Make sure your visits are spontaneous.
• Talk with staff about what they like – family, hobbies, vacations, or sports.
• Ask for suggestions to improve operations, service, etc.
• Try to spend equal time in all areas.
• Have meetings in others’ spaces rather than your own office all the time.
• Catch staff members doing something right and recognize them publicly.
• Convey the image of a coach – NOT an inspector.
• Encourage your staff members to show you how the “real work” of the company gets done.

The point is - make your walk-arounds count. Go out there with a purpose, and make a difference.

Walk That Talk

2010-09-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

In the past, I’ve known so many supervisors and managers that talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Good leadership means that you “walk the talk”. Leading is sometimes like raising children – sometimes there’s really not much difference at all. If you’re going to say “do as I say”, you also have to “do as you say”. That goes for any situation. You, as a leader, are on stage . . . the star of the show. You’re being watched more than you realize. In some cases, some may even call it stalking.

Over the past number of years, leaders have been getting more into the “employees are important to me” frame of mind. That’s a good thing. But at the same time, if you tell your staff, “if you are ill, stay home”, you can’t take things away from them or give them bad appraisal marks if the do (unless it’s obviously being taken advantage of).

If you keep telling your staff that they’re doing a good job when they’re not – that’s your fault. You can’t take things away from them or give them bad appraisal marks.

If you give your staff a survey to find out what’s on their minds or what problems or issues they have, then never do anything with the information, youuu might be a redneck. Oops, sorry - actually they’ll lose confidence in you and your abilities to effect change.

If you reap praise on your staff, as you should, but then take all the credit when it comes to your bosses – they’ll lose confidence and acceptance in you.

Are you seeing some kind of trend here?

Leadership Rule #1 – You’re the Leader – You’re being watched – You must be the example – You must set the bar – You must do as you say.

It's All About ME

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Rufus Wainwright said,“Everything I do, I feel is genius. Whether it is or it isn't.” Ahhh, arrogance.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines arrogance as: “An attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.”

Let me see. Does that definition fit anybody we know? Just a hunch, but I’ll bet you could apply that definition to a lot of people occupying leadership positions.

Some have been given their leadership roles too quickly and therefore pick up a degree or two (or three) of arrogance along the way. Unfortunately, the people around them end up suffering for it.

Arrogance causes natural confidence to disintegrate while the person primarily serves themselves. The real sad part is that the arrogant assumes his views and opinions are the truth. He sees no weakness in himself and may even secretly rejoice in finding flaws in others. Team cohesiveness quickly goes down the drain.

You DON'T have to put up with arrogance. Give the arrogant the benefit of the doubt - consider confronting him after he's displayed inappropriate behavior. Explain how you interpreted the behavior and let him know you're trying to help him and the team.

Many people quickly realize they were perceived negatively and work to deal with their arrogance. Even if they're not completely successful in altering themselves, they're now at least aware of it and should be able to limit the behavior to some degree.

Sure, there'll be others that won’t get it . . . at all. You did the right thing though, by making them aware of how they're perceived and you may want to bring it up to him again at a later point. But give him some specifics on what he's doing and how it's impacting the team.

Bottom line - watch it! If it's your supervisor that's the arrogant one, subtly let him know. If it's you that's the arrogant one, listen to your peers and learn to change.

It's Show Business

2010-09-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Whatever business you’re in . . . it’s show business. Everyone from the attraction cast to the costumed characters to the housekeepers in the hotels, Disney’s cast members know that they're part of a show designed to delight and entertain guests. Whenever they’re “onstage” (Disney-speak for any area where they might encounter guests) they have to keep their smiling, approachable, helpful demeanour. At Disney, every employee follows the same guidelines as a cast member on Main Street. Make eye contact. Smile. Never eat, drink, or smoke in guests’ presence. Disney executives will never step over a piece of trash: like any cast member, they’re expected to help keep the park clean.

Does any of this make any sense at all to you? It really should. Whatever business YOU'RE in . . . it's show business. Any time your employee's interact with or can be seen by customers, they're onstage.

Exceeding your customers' expectations means maintaining professionalism, cleanliness and friendliness beyond what's already expected, and giving “that something extra". You have to show that you'll go the extra mile to make customers (guests) happy, even if that means you open the doors 10 minutes early or close 20 minutes late. If you can satisfy your customers (guests) with their experience, they'll come back. And if that means it costs a few extra dollars, that great service will overcome all else.

Disney cast members are taught to take the extra step - just like your own employee's should. No matter what role they play, the goal is happiness and exceptional service. No one should EVER have to hear the words "It's not my job" from ANY of your employees. Employees should always be onstage and exceptional service should always be the norm.

Go Home and Change

2010-08-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

You never get a second chance to create a positive first impression. It’s said that it takes only 4 seconds for someone to form an opinion of you at the first meeting. That's not long. So you can actually handle situations much better just by dressing right. The better your self-image the more confident and positive you'll be about your work.

Perceptions are formed by three modes of communication:
- what we say,
- how we say it,
- what we do and how we dress.
What we do/how we dress (body language) can account for OVER ½ of our message.

If you’re in a position where you’re likely to interact with angry customers, you have a chance to use your image as one of your more effective tools. You can use your image to signal your,
- power,
- control,
- knowledge, and
- composure.

If you’re dressed inappropriately (wrinkled and dirty) or too casually (jeans/t-shirts) for your position and business, customers are more likely to push to get their way, and call for a higher authority if they don't like your response.

In other words, if you’re the supervisor, dressed inappropriately, and your new guy is standing next to you, spic and span – who do you think the customer is going to approach? Well it’s sure not you!

Any career building learning will tell you that you should always dress for your NEXT position. ALWAYS look your best – it improves service. ALWAYS look your best – it gets you noticed. ALWAYS look your best – it improves your own self-image.

Feelings . . . Nothing More Than Feelings

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Emotional intelligence (kind of contradictory for some, huh) is the ability to understand and manage your own mood and emotions and the moods and emotions of other people. Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence (EI) are more likely to understand how they're feeling and why, and they're more able to effectively manage their feelings. When leaders are experiencing stressful feelings and emotions such as fear or anxiety, emotional intelligence enables them to understand why and manage the feelings so they don't get in the way of effective decision making.

Understanding how your subordinates feel, why the feel that way, and how to manage their feelings is important in developing strong interpersonal bonds with them. Moreover, it has the potential to contribute to effective leadership in multiple ways and can help leaders make lasting contributions to society.

Recent research suggests that EI may be especially important in opening and enhancing employee creativity. Avon CEO, Andrea Jung says that, "Emotional intelligence is in our DNA here at Avon because relationships are critical at every stage of our business."

It's about time you get your emotions under wraps. Since EI has the potential to increase our understanding of how individuals behave and adapt to their work and social environment, I'd say it could very well be an important topic for you to start taking a look at.

Tell The Truth

2010-08-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

I just read the coolest quote from Pixar President Ed Catmull. He said, "Management's job is not to prevent risk but to build the capability to recover when failures occur. It must be safe to tell the truth."

Wow. The End.

Recognize Daily

2010-08-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

Good leaders remember to recognize and motivate employees. Great leaders do it every day. Take a look at the following methods for ensuring that praising employees becomes a part of your DAILY routine:

Make employees a part of your weekly "to do" list. Add the names of the people who report to you to your list of goals to accomplish. Then cross off names as you give them praise.

Use voice mail. Rather than using it only to assign tasks, leave employees voice mail messages praising them for a job well done. Do it from your cell phone on the way home if you need to.

Write notes at the end of the day. Keep a stack of note cards on your desk, where you can't ignore them. At the end of the day, take a couple of minutes to write thank-you notes to any of your employee's who made a difference that day.

At the beginning of the day, put 5 coins in your pocket. Throughout the day, each time you praise an employee, move a coin to your other pocket. Pretty soon it will become habit and you won't need the coins.

It doesn't always take a lot to make that leap from good to grrrreat. A bit of appreciation goes a long way.

I Won, I Won

2010-07-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

A lot of supervisors think that what motivates them also motivates everyone else. That's simply not true. Everyone is different. You didn't hire clones. If you're going to hold a public presentation of an award for one of your staff, you may just be DE-motivating them. If they don't like public attention, they may just fall back and punt, not wanting it to happen again.

As far as awards and motivation goes, take a queue from The Walt Disney Company. They do something that more organizations should think about doing (one of many). When a new castmember (employee) is hired they're given a survey which asks them how they like, and don't like, to be rewarded and what motivates them. By doing this, their supervisor can tailor, to that particular castmember, the way they're rewarded. You need to know this information because some people just don't like to get up in front of a crowd to receive awards - but then again, some people thrive on it. Again - too much public recognition can be DEEEEE-motivating.

It's commonly believed that money is the biggest motivator for employee's. Nope. A number of research papers over the last few years have proven this wrong. Sure people like money, but they also like recognition, education, career development, and influence.

Two of the most important types of recognition programs you can have are peer and customer. It's very easy and cheap to start a peer recognition program where co-workers can nominate others for going above and beyond. A certificate and maybe a gift card is all you'd need. It goes a long way.

Customer recognition is another biggie. If you have ANY means of receiving customer feedback in which employee's or teams are named, SHARE IT with them. They can then see that what they do really matters to someone other than the boss.

Whatever you end up doing, make sure that your motivation techniques and rewards always revolve around organizational goals. Employee's often attribute their success to how they're able to contribute to the organization.

We're Never Finished

2010-07-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

“The park means a lot to me. It’s something that will never be finished, something I can keep developing, keep ‘plussing,’ and adding to. It’s alive. It will be a live, breathing thing that will need changes . . . not only can I add things to it, but even the trees will keep growing. The thing will get more beautiful year after year. And it will get better as I find out what the public likes.” Don’t you think that’s the way every business should be run? Well, you should.

This is a quote by Walt Disney, back when Disneyland was first developed. It’s a very simple concept. Being able to continuously make changes allows the Park to grow and makes it possible to entertain more guests (visitors). They keep technology up-to-date (actually it’s on the cutting edge) allowing the rides and attractions to improve and stay exciting. It’s what people want. It’s why so many people keep returning to the Parks.

A successful business will find out what their customers want or need and develop their products and services accordingly. You don’t “build it” for yourself, you build it for your consumers. Think about it – you’re not the one buying the products or services.

Always be looking at what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and what you could be doing differently. In Rich Hamilton’s book, Disney Magic: Business Strategy You Can Use at Work and at Home, he says to ask the following questions:
- What can you change about your business to get the work done faster, or better, or for lower cost?
- What can you do within your business to serve your customers better, to make them want more of your products or services, or to purchase from you more often?
- What can you do to make your business new for your customers, so that each time they come back they can enjoy the experience in a new way, even if it is a subtle difference?

You don’t need to make major changes to make a difference. Some customers will see the changes right away, while others will see them at a later time. No matter when they notice – or if they even consciously notice – they’ll have a much better experience with your business.

I AM the Manager

2010-07-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

This week I’m going to share a tale with you. A tale of bad customer service by a manager – not a leader – a manager.

Recently a colleague and I went to Vero Beach to hold a couple of classes for our counterparts. We stayed over night so we brought our spouses along (separate rooms of course). The hotel we had reservations at was a nice one, not upscale but a very comfortable business and travel site. When we checked in we were given wonderful service by the woman at the desk (Betty). She was friendly, accommodating, and would do anything she could to make our stay memorable. I was thoroughly impressed.

Since my partner and I were going to be heading to class at about 6:45a.m. (ugh), we asked that we be allowed a late check-out. Betty said that we could have until 1:00p.m. – that’s all that she could authorize. Well that was much better than 11:00 so we said that would be great, and thanked her. Then one small omittance brought about our customer service snafu. Betty recorded my late check-out in the turnover book, but forgot to record my teaching partners. Oh-oh.

The next day my wife had no problem, however the other party did. He was called at 12:00 and told he had to get out (in not so many words). When he went to the front desk to sort the issue out, he was greeted with rudeness. He asked to talk to a supervisor and was told by the gentleman he was speaking to that, “I AM the manager”. Long story short, nothing changed – no apology, no concession - just get out.

Because of that ONE person - and the manager at that - none of us will ever stay at that particular hotel again.

In any service organization all staff should be constantly asking themselves, “How can I make these customers’ experiences better than from other places or better than they were the last time?”

Remember that “Everything Speaks”. Everything the customer sees, hears, smells, tastes, or touches will impact their experience with you. It’s a darn shame when the only “bad taste” comes from a correctable predicament made worse by management – the very person(s) that you’d expect to make things better.

As they teach at the Disney Institute, (even though this time the guest WAS right) “Guests may not always be right, but they are always our guests.”

Meet Me Before Work

2010-07-07T05:00:00.000-04:00

A good leader is going to provide a supportive environment for his staff. You have to encourage them to think (and act) like they belong to a team. In order to do this, you’ve got to give them the “time of day”. Provide staff adequate time for short pre-work meetings to start each day. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. “But we don’t have time,” you say. A mere ten minutes a day will add up to more than 40 hours of free education a year! Imagine what that much training would cost if you sent staff to seminars for that long.

Pre-work meetings provide opportunities to:
- have two-way communication daily,
- tell staff what’s important,
- thank them for their great performance,
- answer any questions,
- provide product and service knowledge,
- find out what they need to perform properly, and
- inspire them.
And on top of everything else, demonstrate faith in their ability to succeed.

A common mistake leaders make is trying to cover too many issues in a pre-work meeting. With too many points to concentrate on the group learns "everything and nothing." The key to holding successful pre-work meetings is to stay focused on one or two short objectives. If it helps, think of your pre-work meeting as a pre-work “moment”. In a world of “too many meetings”, that’ll help you stay clear of the meeting “stigma” and you’ll be able to get everyone to focus in a more relaxed manner.

You want to be able to keep your teams attention so make the meetings interactive. Have questions ready so you can bounce them off your folks so they have to respond. Don’t ask “test questions” where everyone’s going to dread getting together before their shift. It should be an enjoyable interactive communication experience.

Remember that pre-work “moments” are opportunities to teach, inspire and pump up energy levels of your teams before they "go on stage." Your enthusiasm for both teaching and having FUN learning together will drive the day. Toni Kottom, Director of Training at Perkins (yum) puts in it perspective when he says that, "Attention goes where energy flows."

I’m In Voicemail Hell

2010-06-30T05:00:00.001-04:00

Voicemail. Oh, don’t get me started . . . too late. I just dread pushing those couple of little buttons on the phone to get my messages because I just KNOW that at least one of them is going to have me wanting to shoot myself in the temple before the caller has finished his message.

Voicemail was invented in the late ‘70s by Gordon Matthews. I’m sure he thought he was contributing something really spectacular to the business world. But I don’t think he could have imagined the abuse his little office miracle would be getting 30-some years later.

There’s a good chance that you, and everyone you know, has been in a voicemail nightmare. It’s not a place that you want to get to know. Leaving messages should be a very simple and SHORT process. They’re not meant to get everything off your chest. Be PREPARED, prior to making your call, to leave a coherent and concise message if the person doesn’t answer.

When leaving messages, have mercy on your listeners and do the following:
1. Speak slooowwwly and clearrrly and leave your phone number at the beginning AND the end of your message. Please save us from having to listen to the whole message twice in order to get your number.
2. Limit your comments to one or two quick subjects.
3. If you find yourself rambling, for the sake of my sanity (and your reputation), stop yourself and re-record the message.
4. If you need some type of action, simply state what you need. Voicemails that simply say, “call me” are just plain irritating . . . and may possibly be ignored. Give a short sentence or two about WHY you want me to call you.

And while we’re on the subject (soapbox) of phones, you know that little speaker button on your phone? FORGET you have one. If I wanted to call you AND everyone in your cube farm, I would have made a conference call.

When used properly, voicemail can improve communications dramatically. It can be a great asset. Just think about what it would be like if YOU were getting your message.

Wah - Get Over It

2010-06-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

We all have at least one person we work with that just crawls under our skin (and slowly eats away at our very being – did I write that out loud?). It ends up affecting the morale of your other employees who get tired of having to constantly hear and see the skirmish. What’s worse are the two employees that come to you "telling" on the other one. Don’t you just want to say “Wah!” sometimes? It takes up a lot of time to deal with them. But you have to deal with them a bit more judiciously.

You – the leader – have to take control of the situation BEFORE it gets out of hand. While conflict in any environment is inevitable, when it goes unchecked and effects the workplace environment, it’s getting to be too late to deal with it quickly. It’s always easier to resolve the disputes before they become problems.

Here are a couple of things that you can do to help the situation turn around:
1st, Bring the two employees together so you can:
• show them how their behavior is affecting their colleagues and workplace,
• advise them that anything that’s interfering with a nice pleasant workplace (that you’ve tried so hard to develop) must be resolved,
• remind them that they’re both valuable employees and that you’re confident that they can resolve their differences and be able to work together (give them the benefit of the doubt),
• get their COMMITMENT to work out their differences so they can work together, and
• ensure that they understand the seriousness of the problem and that – here’s the KEY - while they don’t have to like each other, you do expect them to learn to work together.
And don’t forget to DOCUMENT everything – just in case.

2nd, Review the options with your problem children employees:
• They can work it out on their own.
• You can meet with them to address the issues.
• You can bring in a mediator to work with them to resolve the issues.
• They can refuse to work on the issues, in which case, you will be accepting their resignations in the morning (tough love).

It’s never easy, or desirable, to have to deal with these types of issues. But a good leader is going to be ready for it. This is something that you can plan on happening at some point in time. Stash this little checklist away and be ready to pull it out at the earliest onset of a problem – don’t let it get to the full on problem stage and you’ll have a much easier time dealing with it, all the way around.

Try These Words On For Size

2010-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Knowing the right way to communicate is important because, as the good leader that you are, you coach, coordinate, counsel, evaluate, and supervise through it. It’s the chain that keeps you connected with the members of your team. It’s not really all that hard either, no matter what you may think.

Often leaders shy away from simple lists of suggestions and guidelines. They’ve seen it all, heard it all, and know it all. Yet by following a few basic suggestions we can become better leaders and enhance our communication skill tremendously.

Most managers try to get “buy-in” from their staff. Try this for a change – rather than getting buy-in from people, get them engaged by allowing “input”. Instead of spending your time trying to influence them, help them to feel more a part of the organization or process by making them feel like their opinion matters.

I recently read the following countdown to the most important words you can use as a leader but unfortunately the author is unknown.
- The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."
- The five most important words: "You did a good job."
- The four most important words: "What is your opinion?"
- The three most important words: "If you please."
- The two most important words: "Thank you,"
- The one most important word: "We"
- The least important word: "I"

Effective leaders recognize the importance of good – and honest – communication (like admitting fault). Communication problems can cause bottlenecks in the organization. The next time you’re tempted to blame staff for bottlenecks, stop and examine a bottle. Take a little note of where the neck is. HINT: It’s not at the bottom.

Delivering Happiness

2010-06-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

This week I’m breaking with “tradition” a bit in order to write a review of a new book. Like I’ve mentioned before, I received an advance copy of Tony Hsieh’s (CEO of Zappos.com) upcoming book – it’s actually released today – Delivering Happiness: A Path To Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Let me just tell you this – it’s a must read.

Many books on business jump right into the business at hand without a lot of early background. Tony takes us on a journey from his early childhood entrepreneur beginnings to the billion dollar success of Zappos.com. He tells us about his money making ideas as a child, including making buttons (which he advertised in Boys Life) and selling greeting cards. He manages to take us “mid-agers” right down Memory Lane.

We get an inside look at how Zappos grew, following Tony’s sale of LinkExchange (to Microsoft) in 1989 for $275 million dollars. Eventually all of the money would be gone as a bunch of friends tried (and succeeded) to keep afloat a company they dearly believed in. During that time, Tony would grow a relationship with a friend that may be seen accompanying him, to this day, to “breakfast, lunch, and dinner”. That friend being a little drink called Red Bull.

The ups and downs that the Zappos team went through prior to becoming a real success story would have been enough to cause most mere mortals to give up. Not so here. Zappos has a close, family-like, relationship that embraces every employee. They work together, play together, drink together, and basically have fun together.

Zappos’ main focus has always been on customers. The customer experience is literally number one on their list. I challenge you to find another company that allows returns, with free shipping - for an entire year. Do any of the internet companies you work with automatically upgrade to next day shipping? Free of charge?

Sure Tony and friends have made mistakes along the way. But they learned valuable lessons with each one of them. Most notably was that you “never outsource your core competencies”. If you want the best warehouse – run it yourself. If you want the best customer service – take the calls yourself.

Probably the best example of all of how important and transparent the customer experience is, is the Zappos Culture Book (I have one). They put together a hardbound culture book that includes comments from employees, customers, partners and even vendors. Included are the good AND bad comments. Again – how many companies do you know that would do that? Needless to say, most comments ARE good. The book is described as a short-term expense for a long term investment. Get one for free at www.zapposinsights.com/main/culture-book.

Now I could go into so many more examples and stories, like the 10 Core Values, or the leadership training available to everyone, but I don’t want to take anything away from your reading experience. If you’re interested in employee motivation, leadership development, corporate culture, or just Zappos in general, do yourself a favor and head out to your local bookstore (or go to www.amazon.com/deliveringhappiness) and pick up a copy. Then grab a Red Bull, sit back, and enjoy.

So. How Am I Doin?

2010-06-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

This is a question that your staff shouldn’t have to ask you. If you’re “managing by wondering around” (MBWA) and giving clear concise FEEDBACK, they shouldn’t have to. But many leaders do put off giving feedback to staff even though they know that giving and getting honest feedback is essential for growth and development of successful staff and organizations. Hmmm. Maybe it’s because there are so many ways to mess it up and people just don’t know the most effective way make it right.

I know, I know. You’ve heard all the tips and common mistakes for feedback. Well, you must be an expert then. Wrong. I’m continually finding new and interesting twists. And here’s one now. In an article by Brian Ward called "How To Provide Feedback", he gives these five easy tips:

1 - Never just 'deliver feedback'. Feedback should be part of a larger process which includes coaching for superior performance. Feedback is ONE step in that process.

2 - Provide feedback to the whole person. Treat each person as a whole person, not just the part that you observe that needs attention. The person receiving feedback isn’t broken, and they don't need to be fixed. Provide praise and reinforcement when you catch them doing something right, as well as feedback when they are off track.

3 - Make feedback a conversation, not a lecture. Keep it conversational. If a conversation does not happen naturally, then back off and ask yourself and the other person a simple question "what are you feeling (or thinking) right now?"

4 - Think about their goals as well as yours. Discuss the feedback in the context of what will make the person more successful. Don't just concentrate on your goals or the company's goals. That makes the conversation too one-sided. If the person has no goals, then . . . that's what you need to address first.

5 - Finish on a positive note. Okay, so some feedback sessions may not finish that way. But you have to ask yourself why that's so . . . is it because you've let the issues compound, and perhaps it’s gone too far? Either way, offer support to the person as a way to stay in the picture. Never let them struggle alone . . . stay close to them and coach, coach, coach!

If you’re not doing these things then who is? Probably no one, I’d imagine. You OWE it to your staff, yourself, and your organization to make good feedback part of your continuous development regime.

. . . Till Her Daddy Takes The T-Bird Away

2010-05-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

I’m of course talking about Fun, Fun, Fun. Work CAN be fun. Yes it can. Yes it can. Trust me. More and more businesses are turning to fun as a part of their business model. And they’re very successful businesses. A couple of good examples: Google, Zappo’s, eBay. I know you’ve heard of them.

Now Google, Zappo’s, and eBay are very large organizations. Money? Oh yes, they also have a lot of money. But you don’t need to have a lot of cash though, to have fun. The real problem comes from being taken out of the comfort zone. People just aren’t used to having fun at work. Taking on a fun initiative is just plain difficult – it’s CHANGE. But by taking action and making fun a priority, businesses have been able to excel in areas where challenges and problems had been the everyday norm (does that sound at all familiar?). Having fun may not be “the one” tactic that turns your business around, but it’s one that may make the biggest difference.

Employees value fun as a means of becoming more successful at work. According to a survey conducted by Interim Services, nearly 75% of employees believed that promoting fun would make their jobs more attractive and reduce turnover. Use fun to improve customer service, sales, marketing, and human resources. And don’t forget leadership.

Keep in mind that everyone’s idea of fun may be different. You can’t just make up one activity and expect everyone to love it. It’s not fun unless they can be included in it – to have the opportunity to be included. People need a reason to stay these days. According to a USA Today study, people change jobs an average of nine times before they’re 32 years old. NINE times. Having fun is a pretty good reason to stay.

As a leader, you’re at the front line of your “Magic Kingdom”. All you really need to do to get started is lighten up and learn to laugh at yourself and with others. Notice that key word – WITH – not AT. As in any other situation, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Create a sincere atmosphere of fun around YOU and your employee’s will soon follow.

It's Your Call

2010-05-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

Decisions. In Lee Iacocca’s autobiography, he says, “If I had to sum up in one word what makes a good manager, I’d say decisiveness. You can use the fanciest computers to gather numbers, but in the end you have to set a timetable and act. And I don’t mean rashly. I’m sometimes described as a flamboyant leader and hipshooter, a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants operator. But if that were true, I could never have been successful in business.”

This quote from Lee Iacocca illustrates how you’ll never get anything accomplished unless you’re prepared to make decisions. When you reach the top, the workers below you will only be as effective as YOUR decisions.

A decision can go one way or another – either POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY. INdecision, though, can only be negative. Now that you have that nice office with the window, it doesn’t mean that you sit around reading the sports section all day just letting things happen. Get off your duff. The more decisions you make, the better your judgment and decisions will become. Not sure how to make the best decisions? Here a few tips:

- Never make decisions based on emotion or to prove a point. That will bring you more problems then you had in the first place, and ones that tend to escalate.

- Make sure you have a good grasp of the subject. Write it down and list the pros and cons. Don’t take too long to make decisions. Writing things down will help move it along.

- Get input from people whose opinions you trust. Use your network – if you don’t have one, build one – now.

- Once you make your decision, make sure it’s executed swiftly and fully.

You’ve been making decisions your whole life. Now’s the time to put together everything you’ve learned. Be confident, carry it, and show it. You owe it to your team and yourself.

EXTRA NOTE: I'm currently reading an advance copy of Tony Hsieh's (CEO of Zappos.com), book, "Delivering Happiness". It's a great book detailing his early childhood entrepreneurism up to current time. It will inspire your own success, better customer service and focusing on your company culture. If you'd like a chance to win an advance copy, comment back to me the name of the company that Tony sold to Microsoft. If you'd like to find out more about Tony's upcoming book release (June 7) go to http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com/.

Apologize And Learn Your Lesson

2010-05-11T06:00:00.004-04:00

Have you ever made a mistake and not known what to do to make things right? You say you don’t make mistakes? Let me tell ya – you make more mistakes than you think you do. Mistakes HAPPEN, whether you want to admit it or not. A mistake can be the result of misinformation, confusion or just a simple accident. Once discovered though, a mistake can shake trust and cause people to question your abilities. Making amends following a mistake is one of the most important things you can do. It helps you move beyond the confrontation and prevent the same mistake from happening again.

The first thing you need to do is ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. Admitting that you made a mistake and letting others know you're to blame makes people more receptive of your apology. APOLOGIZE to the people you offended. Be genuine and forthright. Without going into great detail, explain the reason you made the mistake and reassure the person(s) it won't happen again.

Try your darndest to MAKE THINGS RIGHT if you can. Take any opportunity to reverse the effects of your mistake. Unless you own a DeLorean with a “flux capacitor”, you cannot erase the mistake you made, but striving to improve the situation is crucial to making amends.

You may actually have to BACK OFF a bit because some people feel wounded when they’re the victim of someone’s mistake. Trying to push for acceptance of your apology may leave them feeling resentful. Give them time to recover and re-establish trust with you.

After proving through your actions that you have LEARNED YOUR LESSON, try to regain a sense of normalcy in your relationships (hopefully "normalcy" is good). The other person's demeanor and body language will indicate when you've made satisfactorily amends. MOVE FORWARD and put the incident behind you.

Remember to let the other person(s) set the tone for your interactions until things get better. In trying to put it all behind you quickly, you may become overbearing. That’s the last thing you’ll want. TIME heals all.

EXTRA NOTE: I'm currently reading an advance copy of Tony Hsieh's (CEO of Zappos.com), book, "Delivering Happiness" (it's reeaaly good so far). If you'd like a chance to win an advance copy, tell me what was the name of the company that Tony sold to Microsoft. If you'd like to find out more about Tony's upcoming book release (June 7) go to http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com/.

Watch The Snake Oil

2010-04-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hey, you’ve been reading leadership books. Great! Before you try out something new, remember – you have to lead according to your own style. Books and articles are wonderful but they’re a base from where you need to begin. If you want to implement the styles that you read about, do it in the most successful manner.

If you come across an exciting new idea that you read about in a book, you’ve got to read and learn more about it first. You can’t read one book and be ready to go. Read a number of books or articles by different authors. You need to have a good grasp of what it’s all about BEFORE you start. One author may make it sound great – different authors may not.

Remember that management “fads” or "trends" are TOOLS. They’re going to work in some situations, but not others. Taylor it to your own needs and beliefs. Be sure you know WHY you’ve picked these tools and HOW you’re going to use them. If you don’t know how you’re going to measure your success, then don't do it.

For gosh sakes, when you do implement your new style, be sure that you stay with it. Don’t get into the "flavor of the month" mode. With each new technique will come a new failure, and increased disparagement from your team. If you keep ringing the bell, sooner or later the dog won’t come (Pavlov).

Part of being a successful leader is being consistent. Get new ideas . . . discover new tools . . . but don’t try to be something you’re not. If the tools WORK for you, then great. Go for it. Don’t try to force it just because you like the ideas of this new style. Keep in mind that authors write books to make money. They make these things sound as good as possible. Go with the things that sound like they’ll be the best fit - for YOU.

Special Note: I'm privileged to be reviewing an advance copy of Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh's new book, "Delivering Happiness". Stay tuned for my take. The book will actually hit the stores June 7.

The Best Is Yet To Come

2010-04-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

So. You’re getting into that middle aged (or over) area and you haven’t fulfilled your “destiny” yet, huh? So what? Maybe it’s not time for your destiny. If God would fulfill all of our destiny’s early in life, what would we have to look forward to or work towards? The best may be yet to come.

Famed business guru Peter Drucker wrote 39 books. Wow. Took a long time to do that, right? By the time Drucker turned 65 he had only written about one-third of his books. For you non-math majors out there, that means he wrote about 26 books after turning 65. Now you can say WOW.

Zelda Rubinstein was 48 before she had her first acting role, a minor part in “Under the Rainbow”. She’s most known for her "debut" in the “Poltergeist” film series starting the following year (“Now clear your minds. It knows what scares you. It has from the very beginning. Don't give it any help, it knows too much already”).

Colonel Harland Sanders didn’t begin his Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise until he was 65. He used $105 from his first Social Security check to fund visits to potential franchisees.

Baseball pitcher Randy Johnson was celebrated for having one of the most dominant fastballs in the game. He made his Major League debut at 25, but didn't reach superstar status until he was 30. In sports years (kinda like dog years) that’s a pretty advanced age.

Ever heard of seven-time Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau? He released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, at age 35.

So what are you going to do? Give up? Take a back seat? I don’t think so. Hold on to your dreams and aspirations. Keep moving forward and keep LEARNING. The best is yet to come!

I Want The Window!

2010-04-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

Employers look for staff who have that special something - the skills, tendencies and attributes that help to keep productivity - and profits - up. They look for people who are going to make a positive contribution for the company.

“So what are these things?” you ask. I’m glad you asked. More and more organizations are looking for employees with strong "personal" skills, not just the right “experience”.

Here are five of the top attributes employers are looking for:

Creativity: You've heard of the saying, "thinking outside the box"? Employers want innovative people who bring a fresh perspective to the organization.

Discipline: They look for the ability for you to keep to the task at hand and complete projects without becoming distracted or bored. Being well organized helps you to work without major distractions. Organizations want employees who have high aspiration levels and work hard to achieve their goals.

Good Attitude: This has been shown to be able to predict counterproductive work behaviors, job performance and even theft. Willingness to connect personally in workplace events is very important. A positive attitude goes a loooong way toward productivity.

Influence: Groups need strong leaders to guide the way. Influence includes positively impacting circumstances by speaking your mind and becoming a group leader.

Sociability: How much you enjoy interacting with coworkers affects how well you work with them. This isn't just about job knowledge, but knowledge of coworkers and the environment. It includes being able to read other people's motives from observed behavior and using the information to guide your thinking and actions.

To have these attributes means a better chance of being hired or moving up. To master these attributes means moving into that nice office with the window.

You Don't Know Me

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

In the April edition of SUCCESS magazine, Food Network star Guy Fieri said that one of the top three elements in his marketing strategy is having an “organized effort”. “We don’t need everybody thinking the same way and doing the same thing, otherwise somebody’s not necessary.”

What a concept. But you know? Many staff and leaders do look at certain positions as not being “necessary”, or sub-human even. This is why organizational charts and job descriptions are needed. Each specific position needs to be planned out. But chances are, if you're a new supervisor, you have no control over it. Unless you’re in on the ground floor of creating an organization or a new department, it’s all set up already when you come in.

So where do you start? A-ha – getting to know the org charts and the job descriptions – along with your new staff. These things should have been looked at enough already for you to know that you do indeed need all the staff you just inherited. Don’t fall into the trap of believing you don’t need someone or that they’re not important just because you don’t know what they do.

I’ll give you a good example. Anyone that’s been in the military knows that Mess Cooks, or whatever your branch calls them, get a bad rap. “They don’t do anything.” “All they do is cook.” “Heck, I can cook and I didn’t need any training.” All things I’ve heard before. Okay you know-it-all’s, let’s see what happens when they don’t show up for work. Are you going to jump in and cook up your famous scrambled eggs for 1 - for 5000 people? Ahhhhh, now it’s a different story.

Never underestimate others or their positions within the company without first LEARNING what they’re all about. As Socrates said, “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.”

Linked To LinkedIn

2010-03-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

In case you haven’t gotten out much lately, LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, has been taking on greater importance on how people conduct business, learn, and network.

Information you include, or exclude, in your profile could affect your overall identity on the Internet as well as future job opportunities. The downfall of a poorly constructed LinkedIn profile, or utilizing bad etiquette, can alienate your connections or even turn away potential employers or customers interested in hiring you. You can’t afford that these days, so listen up.

A couple of important pieces of information to look closely at are your LinkedIn Summary and Biography.

Many magazine and website articles don't get read without a good headline. This is where a good Summary comes in. You need to be very concise and engaging in your Summary. If the Summary doesn't draw people in, all the great accomplishments you've had over the years may be looked right over. Then you’re just wasting your time.

The Summary is where you want to express your personal brand. Show us who you are, what you do, and why you’re unique.

A problem a lot of people have is not being quite so honest on their resume - tsk, tsk, tsk. I mean, who do you know that’s going to see it, right? LinkedIn encourages honesty in your resume since your profile may be viewed by any of your colleagues and customers – and bosses. So keep your experiences on the up and up.

While you want to include your past accomplishments, emphasize your strengths and highlights while providing background on your job responsibilities. You’ll need to shorten it up in order to be suitable for a few different areas of your industry. This isn’t the place for full on resume. Keep that for the recruiters.

In addition to a good Summary and Bio, here a couple of other quick tips to help you stand out.
- Most LinkedIn profiles URLs (web address, for you non-techs) will have a slash and then your name (/andyuskavitch). Some names (other than mine) can be common. You can change your URL to whatever you want – just make sure it’s professional and recognizable – no /studmuffin.
- Remember that you don't matter on the Web if Google can’t see you. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is public and includes keywords that people might search for.

Don’t just set up a profile and let it go. Use LinkedIn. Search to see who else you know. Post something AT LEAST a few times a week and get involved with some groups. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn and who you can meet.

"Damn It Jim, I'm a Doctor, Not a Mechanic"

2010-03-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

People are not machines! We’ve read it many times in leadership books. But just for shites and giggles, lets think like that for a moment. With a machine, you use it as it was designed to be used in accordance with its operating manual. But to effectively use it for a long period you would also have to include maintaining it in good condition (well lubricated, fueled or powered, overhauled, parts replaced when worn, etc).

You know that if we continued to use the machine and never properly cared for it, the machine would degrade steadily over time and eventually suffer some misfortune which would render it useless. Right? So you have to include routine preventive and corrective maintenance in order to "maintain" the machine in the best operating condition. The better we maintain it, the better its output. No rocket science here.

So really, are people any different than machines?

To be successful at maintaining machinery or a function like operations, you must thoroughly understand that machine or function, how it works and what it needs. Is it any different for managing people? Nah, not really.

You need to “maintain” your employees by keeping up high morale. You need to provide them a strong sense of ownership for their work and create an environment where they can use their full potential and creativity. Your employees need to be kept productive, motivated and committed in their work?

There’s one pretty significant difference between machines and people. People have a brain! They have the capability of deciding what, when, and how they should do something before actually doing it. Thinking this way would suggest that managing people is more about maintaining their natural abilities rather than just “using” them.

Bombs Awaaaay

2010-03-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

I was Googling around the Internet the other day and came across a leadership style that I’d never heard of – but it’s catchy. Being from Florida, it’s quite appropriate - “Seagull Management”. This is an expression used to describe a style of management where the person “flies in, poops on you, and then flies away again”. Gotta love it. It was actually referred to in Ken Blanchard's 1999 book 'Leadership and the One Minute Manager'.

When these folks are around, they typically give criticism and direction, often with no real understanding of what the job actually requires. Then, before you can object or try to clarify what they’re really looking for, they have an “important meeting” to get to – swoop, there they go. “Wow. Yuk. What just hit me?”

This type of management is by no means a positive one. When they’re around, these people talk continuously and actively discourage anyone else from saying anything. That includes avoiding eye contact and incessantly talking over people. Staff may typically feel under-valued and quite generally abused.

The Seagull Manager likes to think of themselves as important but they know they don’t know that much and fear being exposed by staff asking questions. So they immediately grab the reigns and don’t stop until they can duck out.

Seagull Management is something you need to AVOID . It may seem like an easy way to do things – swoop and leave - but it’ll alienate and demotivate your staff very quickly. The people above you will eventually find out what’s going on and your advancement will come to quick and painful death. So keep up good, meaningful relationships with your staff. Give them the time they deserve, respect, and communicate regularly AND with INTEGRITY.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

2010-03-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

You can look forward to many new duties as a new supervisor. So what can you expect? First off, supervisor duties WILL include employee interaction, and you will have the most direct contact with the employees. Interaction helps to assure that the work is meeting organizational goals. Part of this will be making sure that people receive the training they need to do their jobs capably. Otherwise you’re fighting a losing battle.

The smart supervisor delegates some of thier work, and training could be part of this. In many different environments, the supervisor may not have the technical know how of line staff, and the training assignment may very well be delegated to other staff or technical groups, like engineers, instead. For supervisors that have risen from the ranks, they might choose to do as much of the training as possible. Training should include basic things such as work ethics and work responsibility . . . don’t just rely on the dreeded Orientation Week (or two) training. Ideally, training should never stop, and though less intensive, providing a continuing work/learning environment will be most valuable.

Supervising also includes MOTIVATION. Yes you! Some supervisor duties could include offering incentives or assigning special projects. Motivation should be reflected in the way staff get treated by their supervisors. They look up to you. Typically motivation is highest when staff feel valued and appreciated and when they see that you work as hard as they do - this is key – money doesn’t always talk. Walk the Talk.

One of the supervisor duties that you also may have is scheduling. Many supervisors will have the responsibility of determining when and how much each staff will work each week. This could be flexible, or it might stay relatively fixed.

In working with management, duties can be much more extensive. You could also be responsible for disciplining employees that break the rules, implementing new rules, or in stricter organizations (yuk) occasionally acting as a liaison if an employee wants to approach management (don’t work there). Some supervisors will also handle HR functions to hire and fire employees, or handle payroll.

Those that are interested in a career in supervision will find MANY possible paths. A lot of people get hired from line staff positions. Others are hired directly into supervisory roles. Having strong people skills, being precise in your work, and demonstrating responsibility are all valuable attributes to have.

Hey, Look at Me!!

2010-03-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

LOOK and LISTEN. When you become a new supervisor your fellow supervisors immediately become your best resource. Don’t overlook them!! You can definitely tell the good ones from the not so good ones. Learn from them all.

I got my Bachelors Degree through Southern Illinois University – in Florida. It was a full program except the instructors weren’t professors that have been in a classroom for 15 years. They were actual working medical directors, finance officers, and administrators. I didn’t get taught with a 10 year old text book. I got the most up-to-date and firsthand information possible. The information that I learned made much more sense to me that way. This is the same thing you’re going to be doing. Take advantage of it.

Look and listen to how your fellow supervisors handle different situations. Note the impact their decisions have on staff, other supervisors, and customers. Compare the “tough guys” and “nice guys”. Do staff want to work for them? Do they want to come to work? Are they productive? How are their attitudes towards staff? Are they working together, or as individuals?

Once you begin to gain knowledge, you have to put it into practice. Keep these four things in mind:
- Take time to assess problems. What works and what doesn’t? Why or why not? Remember that "Rome wasn’t built in a day". Concentrate on the most important issues first.
- Take a close look at yourself. What do you do that helps or hinders staff in doing their jobs? Do you support them and the organizations rules and goals?
- Try out the things you’ve learned from observing other supervisors.
- Step back and watch what happens --- You’ll see the difference you’re making.

Pimp My Energy

2010-02-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Cash? Raise? Bonus? They may help a bit, but none of them will make an energizing impact on employees these days like they have in the past. The ole standby of threats and intimidation may have worked in days gone by, but now only serve to decrease morale and build up resentment. Employees today want their supervisors to hold their best interests at heart and to SHOW IT each day. They want more meaning and responsibility in their work.

According to Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Energize Employees, “trust, respect, and consideration from managers are the foundation of an energized organization.” Executives at the Cigna Group, “personally push coffee around the office, serving drinks and refreshments to their front-line partners.” This serves two purposes. First, the employees feel appreciated by the gesture made by top management. And second, they have the opportunity to raise concerns and resolve issues all at the same time – on the front line.

One of the best ways to involve employees in an organization, and to energize them in the process, is by asking for employee ideas. The City of Phoenix openly receives employee suggestions and then notifies each one “in writing about the final disposition of their suggestions within 60 days of the date the suggestion was received.” When someone’s suggestion is rejected, they’re also sent a letter giving a full explanation of why the idea wasn't accepted. How many organizations do you know of that do that? Actually, how many do you know of that have a SERIOUS suggestion program? Most talk, but don’t walk.

Who knows best what motivates your team better than they do? Get them involved with the process. That added bit of energy can come from the most “unorthodox” places. To challenge normal tech thinking, and to spur energy and creativity, Honda Motors (obviously not Toyota) places individuals who know nothing about technology on the company's design teams. Huuh? This is classic thinking outside of the box. Great ideas and discussions can come from the questions that arise from the person who knows nothing about the system. Things the people closest to the system would never have thought about.

Workplace boredom is a major cause of turnover. Energizing the job shouldn’t be a tricky task (if it is, maybe YOU’re in the wrong job). It just requires you to stay alert to opportunities to encourage people and to suggest ways for them to energize their own jobs.

My Employees Show Me Up

2010-02-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

Or, “How To Lose Respect From My Employees”. My wife and I went to a fast food place this weekend (Arby’s - yum) where I got to experience one of those, “really?”, expressions on my face. Supervisors should be the ones providing the walking-the-talk attitude for their employee’s . . . not the other way around.

The supervisor was running the register when we got up to the counter – very quickly, I might add. He took our order quickly and efficiently and then went around back to help with the preparation. At that point one of the employees relieved him at the register. She also was very nice and helpful to the additional customers. So far, so good.

When the supervisor placed the boxes with our sandwiches in the slide one of the lids opened up and we could see that the bread had not been toasted. So my wife said something and the supervisor’s reply was – wait for it – “the bread was accidentally put through the ‘warmer’ instead of the ‘toaster’”. That’s it! He didn’t have it toasted when he noticed it was not done correctly, nor did he even OFFER to fix it. He just continued on his merry way.

Upon seeing the, “really?”, look on our faces, the employee immediately told us that if we’d like the bread toasted that she would “personally” do it herself. PERSONALLY. Those should have been the words of the supervisor. As appreciative of this employee as we were, it should never have been up to her. She told us she’d bring the sandwiches out to us, finished taking a customers order, and went right back and fixed our sandwiches.

This was a perfect example of not walking-the-talk. Being the good supervisor he is, he’s certainly not making a very good example for his employee’s. It’s great to have knowledgeable and caring employee’s. It’s even fine for them to sometimes be more versed in their particular job than you. But NEVER put yourself in a position that, as a supervisor, you’re shown-up like that by an employee of yours. That gentleman not only lost any respect from my wife and I (and the other customers listening), but I’m sure he lost it (if not already) from that employee.

Walk-the-Talk. Act as you want your employees to act. Attitude=Attitude!

Xvxryonx Makxs a Diffxrxncx

2010-02-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Does the title look a little strange? I should hope so, otherwise you may want to get checked out. You can read it (Everyone Makes a Difference), but it’s difficult right? The “e” is gone, replaced by the “x”. That ONE letter makes a biiiig difference. Just like the employee’s in your business.

Take a look at this exercise from Tom Connellan’s book, Inside The Magic Kingdom.
Somxtimxs I gxt to thinking that what I do doxsn’t mattxr. But whxn I start thinking that way, I rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr. Most of thx kxys workxd finx most of thx timx. But onx day, onx of thx kxys stoppxd working altogxthxr. And that rxally mxssxd xvxrything up. So whxn I’m txmptxd to say, I’m only onx pxrson, it won’t makx much diffxrncx if I don’t do this quitx right, I rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr. And I say to mysxlf: “I am a kxy pxrson and nxxdxd vxry much.”

Every one of your employee’s is as important as the next. If not, then why do you even hire for that position? Huh! I remember in the Navy how the mess cooks were always looked down on. That they had menial jobs. That my job was more important than theirs. Think about it – what would happen if they decided that they weren’t important and all called in sick one day? How important would they be then? I better everyone would quickly change their tune a bit.

Think about this. Who’s the MOST important person in your organization? The CEO? The President? The Chief Financial Officer? The front-line manager? The custodian? Not one of them. They’re all equally important. Everyone has a specific job to do that contributes to the success of the organization. You couldn’t run the office without any one of these folks.

So lets work on one another to ensure that EVERYONE feels just as important as everyone else, no matter where they sit on the totem pole. Because Xvxryonx Makxs a Diffxrxncx.

The Missing Link

2010-01-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

LinkedIn is the world’s largest business-oriented “social” network. It’s a Facebook for professionals – but more meaningful. There are no lame games to waste your time on or “which one are you” tests. It “connects” you to professional contacts all over the world and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities. You can find out if people in Timbuktu are having the same issues as you are in Cleveland. Having launched in May 2003, LinkedIn now has over 55 million members and is still growing.

The purpose of LinkedIn is to permit registered users to “connect” with professionals in all types of businesses, anywhere where they can get to a computer. Connections can be used in a number of ways:
- build your own network to learn/share more about your business and others’. Stay on top of the days most pressing issues by asking questions, posting surveys, and joining in on discussions.
- use it to find jobs, people and business opportunities.
- list job openings.
- if you’re job seeking you can review profiles of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can "introduce" you.
It’s really one stop shopping.

Here’s a list of a few things you can do to get more out of your experience.
1 - Register with your personal email address. Don’t use some goofy email either. This is a professional site. So keep your manstud@yadayada.com for MySpace.
2 - Create a quality profile. Keep it professional (are you seeing a trend here?) and honest. Just like a resume, you'll be scrutinized and your bluffs will be called, buddy.
3 - Upload your email address book from gmail, yahoo, netzero, etc and connect with everyone who's already a member. The site will search for you and let you know who's registered. Then you can choose who to connect with.
4 - Use personal messages for EACH person you're requesting to connect with. Don’t send the generic message to blanket everyone.
5 - Look for connections to make recommendations for. It’s just like writing a letter of recommendation. Give a good recommendation and they’re likely to return the favor. Once you get a recommendation, you’ll start showing up in that person’s list of recommended professionals. So get as many as possible to increase your exposure.
6 - No one’s going to care that you made mac & cheese for dinner or just gave your dog a flea bath. Post meaningful statements and discussions.
7 - Promote your LinkedIn profile on your other social networks, personal websites, and blogs. It’s your online business card.

Whether you’re looking for new business opportunities, discussions, or just wanting to “be seen”, LinkedIn is the site that you need to be on. And the best thing? It’s FREE!

Another Interview? You Do It.

2010-01-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

“Jeez, I have to hold another interview today. I’ve got more important things to do.” To take a quote from tennis great John McEnroe, “You can’t be serious!” Maybe that’s why you have such a big turnover. The key to successful hiring is to take it seriously and not to pawn it off on someone else.

Your preparation for an interview is just as important as the preparation of the job-seeker. There are a number of things that you can do in order to make interviewing less painless and more successful.
Review resumes the morning of the interview. Don’t sit in front of the candidate reviewing his/her resume. That’s just tacky and shows a lack of commitment.
Be sure you know the job description. You have to ensure that the candidate knows exactly what he’s in for. You can’t leave things out or describe things beyond the scope. The candidate is making a decision on you as much as you are on him.
Think about and write out your questions ahead of time. Don’t sit in the interview going, “um, what else can I ask?” Hey Boy Scout, “be prepared”. Show the candidate that you're serious in hiring just the right person.
Have a place for the interview set up ahead of time. Don’t wait till the last minute looking for a room. Again, it looks as if you’re not too serious, and you’re showing the candidate that you’re unorganized. In addition to finding a place, make sure that it’s in comfortable surroundings. Not somewhere where you have to pull up folding chairs – ouch.
Avoid the power trip. Now’s not the time to show them that “I’m the boss!” Forget the trick questions and sitting in the bigger chair. Provide the opportunity for them to be open and candid.

Even though some small talk is appropriate for helping the candidate relax, the interview questions are one of your best tools for determining the right fit. PREPARE and LISTEN. Limit your talking time.

Asking the right questions and using the tips outlined above will put you in a position for making a better educated decision – a decision (and employee) you’ll be able to work with.

How Weird Are You?

2010-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

That’s an odd question, isn’t it? Not if you’re applying for a job at Zappos.

I just read an interview in the NY Times with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh on Zappos’ company culture. I wanna work there. They’ve formally defined their culture into 10 Core Values with which they use to hire and fire. What a neat concept. Most organizations talk about their culture in orientation (you know, that week long sleep-fest) and that’s about the last time you “experience” it.

Zappos holds two sets of interviews for prospective employee’s – one with the hiring manager and team to determine knowledge and team fit. The other is with HR to determine culture fit. Cool.

One of their values is, “Create fun and a little weirdness.” So for this HR asks, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?”. One means you’re probably too straight-laced for them and 10 means you may be too psychotic. This is good stuff.

Because “everyone is a little weird”, Hsieh says, they want to “celebrate each person’s individuality, and want their true personalities to shine in the workplace environment, whether it’s with co-workers or when talking with customers”. Wouldn’t it be great to work at a place where you can actually just be yourself, quirks and all?

Now check this out - each year they create a "culture book" in which all employee's are asked to write about what the Zappos culture means to them. The unedited employee reviews of the company are then "freely available to visitors and anybody who asks for a copy." If you've ever looked up employee company reviews on www.glassdoor.com (Zappos reviews rated no less than 4 on a 5 scale) you'd know that most companies would never make such books available.

Where most organizations let the culture happen, Zappos has taken the lead in defining it. Employee's need to FIT INTO the culture, not transform it.

To read the whole fascinating interview with Tony Hsieh on nytimes.com, click on the title of this blog.

Gotta Get Some!

2009-12-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Energy, that is. We’ve all been there – some more than others – wish you had more energy to do more, stay awake longer, or have more concentration. Yeah, you’ve been there.

Jon Gordon, author of The 10-Minute Energy Solution says that, "Everyone has lows. The key is to know when your energy is down and what you can do to turn it around." He maps out a 30-day plan with a simple 10-minute exercise each day to give you a boost physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Here are 10 things you can do:

1. Start your day with a positive energy walk. Step briskly and say what you're thankful for. Think positive thoughts like "I look forward to the rest of the day, the people I'm going to meet, the things I'm going to learn." Or complete these sentences: "I believe that... I trust that..."
2. Neutralize the "energy vampires," the people who drain you. They’re everywhere. Counter their negative comments and attitude with kindness and compassion. Notice something? Another person's negativity can only bring you down if you let it. Like I always say, attitude you give = attitude you get.
3. Lose your mind. No, don't go any more crazy than you already are. Go meditate. Sit in a quiet place. Focus on your breathing. Inhale and think of a word like so or one or peace. Exhale and think of the same word or another. (Gordon likes the mantra so hum.) Repeat with each breath. If a thought floats into your head, let it float out, and focus on your breathing and mantra again. "You want to lose your thoughts, your thinking mind, so you can be one with the moment," Gordon explains.
4. Add play to your day. Run around the yard with your kids or your dog (chase a squirrel). Put on your favorite pick-me-up song and dance. Grab three tennis balls and try to juggle them. Go for a bike ride. Build something out of Legos or Lincoln Logs – remember those? Write the lyrics to your life as a funny country song (and then share it with me!).
5. Connect. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Invite a coworker to lunch. Drop a line - not by email but by good, old-fashioned pen and paper (wow, what a concept) - to someone you don't see often.
6. Smile and laugh. Walk around your office and smile at your coworkers. They won't think you're strange (probably), just in a good mood. Several times a day, think of a funny joke or experience, and laugh.
7. Let stress go. "Energy is like a river," Gordon says. "Stress blocks it." To get it flowing again, first, list your stresses. Take a deep breath and clench your hands into fists, as if you're holding on to all the stress. Exhale forcefully, opening your hands and throwing your arms wide. Feel your tension release? Good. Say, "I choose not to have my stress. I let it go." Repeat this exercise for each stress you listed and let it go.
8. Pray for someone. It recharges your spiritual batteries. Studies suggest those who have a strong faith are better able to handle adversity. Make a list of people and what they need help and prayers for. Find a quiet spot and get comfortable. Listen to your breath, feel your heart beat. When you're nice and relaxed, pray for each person on your list.
9. Look for signs of grace. Think about the times in your life when you thought something bad happened, but it turned out to be a blessing. It may have happened and you just haven't realized it yet. Write these experiences down. Next time something you didn't want or expect occurs, look back on this list and remind yourself everything happens for a reason, even if you don't see it just yet.
10. Do a little lifting. Giving someone else a lift gives you a lift too. In one study, college students who performed five small acts of kindness a day (such as helping a friend with a paper or visiting an elderly relative) experienced a significant increase in well-being. What will your five acts of kindness be? Plan two. Then look for three random opportunities to be kind as the day unfolds. If you come across more, keep going! As Gordon says, "Positive energy never decreases by being shared. With each gift, it grows."

So You Think That's Funny? Good!

2009-12-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Things getting a bit too serious and stressful around the ole think tank? I bet you didn’t know that, besides making it a more enjoyable place to work, adding a bit of humor can significantly enhance your own professional development. In a survey conducted by Robert Half International, 91% of executives surveyed consider a sense of humor important to career advancement. The other 9%’s last name was Scrooge.

A chuckle here and there can help you build rapport with the staff around you, encourage open communication, and contribute to a positive work environment overall. And, possibly most importantly, a comic touch can work to relieve tension on even the most stressful days (even if that’s every day).

But keep in mind that not all fun and games are well received. It's crucial to take into consideration your organization's, and your co-workers', perceptions when it comes to comic relief. Humor should be work appropriate and never mean-spirited or at the expense of others.

Here are some tips to keep things on the up and up:
Just say no to sarcasm
People often use humor as an indirect way of criticizing others. "I can't believe you're here on time -- what's the occasion?" Sarcasm is rarely a good idea, so keep these types of comments to yourself.

Be the butt of your own joke
Go ahead, poke fun at your peculiarity’s. This can put others at ease when you’re around, and you don't risk offending someone else by making him or her the target. Just be sure to keep your comments light - you don't want your co-workers to think your attempt at humor is a cry for help.

Laugh with others
You don’t have to be the court jester. You can be perceived as having a great sense of humor without ever telling a joke. Just tune in to the humor styles of those around you and share in the fun.

Creating a fun culture at work can bring about positive advantages such as improving communication, reducing stress, and increasing productivity. So don't be afraid to flex the ole funny bone once in awhile - just be sure you do it in an appropriate way.

AND - HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WHY, WHY, WHY??

2009-12-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

THE root cause of a problem is seldom the first idea that you come up with. So you end up struggling with what types of problem-solving techniques to use (there are MANY). The 5 Whys is a simple technique that helps you get to the root of the problem quickly. It simply involves looking at any problem and asking, "Why?" The answer to the first "why" will prompt another "why", and the answer to the second "why" will prompt another, and so on. This is pretty much where the name 5 Whys comes from. Duh. Pretty simplistic.

Like I said, it’s easy. Start at the problem and work backwards to find the root cause, continually asking, "Why?" Repeat it over and over until the root cause of the problem becomes apparent. It’s kind of like trying to explain something to a kid – “You have to go to bed.” “Why?” “Because it’s time.” “Why?” Yadda-yadda-yadda. You get the picture.

Here’s an example:
1. Why is our client ready to drop us? Because we didn’t deliver our product when we said we would.
2. Why didn't we deliver our product when we said we would? The job took much longer than we thought it would.
3. Why did the job take so much longer? Because we underestimated the complexity of the job.
4. Why did we underestimate the complexity of the job? Because we made a quick estimate of the time needed to complete it, and didn’t list all the steps needed to get it done.
5. Why did we make such a quick estimate? Because we were running behind on other projects and didn’t clearly review our time estimation and procedures.

From there you can make plans to ensure that no matter how behind you’re running you have a process in place to properly plan and review time estimations and procedures.

The 5 Whys is an easy and quick tool for uncovering the root of a problem. Because it’s so elementary, it can be adapted quickly and applied to most any problem, AND by most ANYONE. Keep in mind though, that if it doesn't get you a decent answer, there are many other problem-solving techniques you can choose from. The 5 Whys just happens to be my personal favorite.

We’ve Got Some Work To Do

2009-12-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

I recently read the Josephson Institute’s 2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth. It was based on a survey of nearly 30,000 students in high schools across the U.S. It’s quite alarming as this is the future. NOW is the time to be working with kids to get them, and keep them, on the right track to success. These are the people that will be running our local businesses and international corporations in the near future.

The report showed that a “total of 30 percent of teens admitted stealing from a store within the past year.” One “good” thing about this is that “Honors students (21 percent), student leaders (24 percent), and students involved in youth activities like the YMCA and school service clubs (27 percent) were less likely to steal.” Although not totally, positive influence programs DO help.

It goes on to say that “42 percent said that they sometimes lie to save money. More than eight in ten students (83 percent) confessed they lied to a parent about something significant.” And “64 percent cheated on a test during the past year (38 percent did so two or more times).”

“Despite these high levels of dishonesty, the respondents have a high self-image when it comes to ethics. A whopping 93 percent said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character and 77 percent said that when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.”

Personal responsibility, personal ethics, leadership – these things don’t necessarily come naturally. Why wait to teach them till bad habits have already taken root? Get involved with local schools or the “Y” as a volunteer or a mentor and start shaping tomorrow’s replacements today.

What Will You Celebrate?

2009-11-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Imagine what would happen if, after a lot of time and hard work, success of a large project was achieved but the leaders never communicated the news, and never acknowledged the staff who helped in making it all happen. There would be a great loss of motivation and desire to work as hard on the next projects and assignments. “Why should I work so hard if no one’s going to appreciate it?”

Celebrating success is a valuable opportunity for leaders to reenergize their staff by thanking the people who helped make the achievements happen. By not celebrating these important landmarks, you’re missing great opportunities.

It’s all too common to see organizations focus on communicating successes to customers but forgetting to pass the word to their staff. If you take advantage of the opportunities to positively connect with your staff, each one can become a part of the marketing department by sharing their enthusiasm with customers, business associates, friends and family.

By holding some type of celebration you’ll hear people commenting on how refreshing it is to work for a company that acknowledges staff for their contributions. That’s usually followed by stories about working at other companies that did NOT bother to celebrate their achievements, and the negative impact that had on staff morale. What a great, and easy, way of placing yourself in the “I wanna work there” category.

A great leader doesn’t go it alone. Because of that leader there develops a talented group of people who align their vision with their leader and the organization, and who will work very hard to achieve the desired results. You have to motivate your folks to want to follow you. A smart leader will make his/her staff feel empowered by giving them a sense of ownership, and recognizing their accomplishments. Celebrating achievements is a great way to make that happen!

Responsibility and Owning Your Job

2009-11-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

I recently read a speech by Admiral Hyman Rickover, the Father of the Nuclear Navy, that he delivered at Columbia University in 1982. He was one of the most successful - and controversial - managers of the 20th century. He was big on providing clear purpose, emphasis on staff development, and a willingness to give them ownership. Admiral Rickover was definitely a management visionary. Trivia: Admiral Rickover and his team designed and built the first nuclear submarine in just 3 years.

This week I'd like to share the following few paragraphs from Admiral Rickover's Columbia speech:

"When doing a job - any job - one must feel like he owns it, and act as though he will be in the job forever. He must look after his work just as conscientiously, as though it were his own business or his own money. If he feels he is only a temporary custodian, or that the job is just a stepping stone to a higher position, his actions will not take into effect the long-term interests of the organization. His lack of commitment to the current job will be perceived by those who work for him, and they, likewise, will tend not to care. Too many spend their entire working lives looking for their next job. When one feels he owns his present job and acts that way, he need have no concern about his next job.

In accepting responsibility for a job, a person must get personally involved. Every manager has a personal responsibility not only to find problems but to correct them. This responsibility comes before all other obligations, before personal ambition or comfort.

A manager must instill in his people an attitude of personal responsibility for seeing a job accomplished. Unfortunately, this seems to be declining, particularly in large organizations were responsibility is broadly distributed. To complaints of job poorly done, one often hears the excuse, 'I am not responsible.' I believe that is literally correct. The man who takes such a stand in fact is not responsible; he is irresponsible. While he may not be legally liable, or the work may not have been specifically assigned to him, no one involved in a job can divest himself of responsibility for its successful completion."

There is no substitute for hard work and determination. Take responsibility. Do these things, as the leader, and staff will follow your "lead".

Playing Favorites? Or Just Your Perception?

2009-11-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

The boss is having a Monday morning laugh with one of your counterparts. You wait for him to stop by and have a laugh with you but, alas, he passes right by with a “morning”. Favoritism? Maybe. But yet again, maybe not.

Some leaders actually do play the favoritism game. We all know - or should - that this is just wrong. There is no place in the workplace for it. It causes disengagement and distrust. But the “perceived” favoritism just may be a case of liking someone better than others. Workplace or not, it’s just human nature. But it doesn't make it any better.

Take a look at who you’re dealing with. Who are you socializing with? Who are you engaging in small talk with? If it’s the same people all the time, while disregarding others, you’re going to have to do some changing in order to keep everyone in tune.

Now this doesn’t mean to just cut out socializing. Socializing is a big part of establishing rapport with staff. You need to be establishing a rapport with everyone, not just the people that you “like”. Having that rapport can be thought of as a kind of recognition by some. It’s a motivator. If staff see you yucking it up with some, but not with others, it’s perceived that you just don’t care about them. That’s definitely not what you want. It IS, however, one of the things that you just have to deal with in today’s world – negative thoughts come before positive ones. Once a perception is ingrained, it’s hard to reverse it.

Talk with all of your staff. Get to know a little bit about them and their families. Find out a couple of key likes and dislikes. A short conversation here and there is all you need to make EVERYONE feel appreciated.

Risky Business

2009-11-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

To steal a quote from a classic 80’s movie, “Sometimes you just hafta say WTF”, (Risky Business).

In their drive to be successful (or to stay on the payroll) leaders, especially new ones, often begin to be driven by a fear of failure which actually ends up overshadowing their desire to succeed. This puts them into risky areas that can't be sustained for long periods. People begin to look at their past successes creating undo pressure on themselves. Questions start swirling in their mind as to whether they’ll be able to sustain the great performance they’ve been used to. About the worst thing you can do is start thinking, “how am I going to top that?” The more you do this, the worse it gets. Leadership speaker Mark Sanborn says that, “The longer a leader is successful, the higher his or her perceived cost of failure.” You can’t let fear drive down your success.

When leaders are driven by the fear of failure, they become unable to take reasonable risks. They tend to stick with the time proven, “we’ve always done it that way” (I hate that statement), accomplishments. Ideas – great ideas – that come about (or could come about) never get developed. Remember, we’re talking reasonable risks here. Good leadership never takes reckless chances that could end up risking things that have already been achieved, but you also can't sit back and do nothing.

Take a good look at yourself and your accomplishments. What have they been? How did you come up with them? When were they? What have you been doing since? You may be in a rut and don’t know it.

So take a queue from an old 80’s classic movie – or a shoe advertisement – and just do it!

No One's Perfect

2009-10-27T06:00:00.005-04:00

If you’re trying to be the perfect, complete leader – STOP. You’ll just wear yourself down. No one is perfect. No one’s got it all. You can still be a great leader though without knowing all the answers. That’s why you have a team of managers and supervisors.

In an article by John C. Maxwell in Success magazine, he says, “incomplete leaders differ from incompetent leaders in that they understand what they’re good at and what they’re not good at. And they have good judgment about how they can work with others to build on their strengths and offset their limitations”. No one’s perfect.

Use your resources. That includes people. Everyone who works for (with) you has some type of area of expertise. Part of your job, as the leader, consists of finding out what those areas are. They have the answers to your questions. There’s no need in reinventing the wheel. It already exists.

You and your entire team work off of the same mission and vision. Do you know what they say? Does your staff? The mission and vision puts you all on the same path to success. Use them in conjunction with your teams knowledge and you’ll be headed toward the top. Remember my brainstorming blog (Sep 29, 2009)? This is the perfect opportunity to put the two together. Get everyone involved. The more answers and ideas you have, the more decisions can be made and the more new products, services, and success you'll have.

You don't always have to have every answer. No one's perfect. But you can still be grrrrreat. (sorry, had to)

HELP Them

2009-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Your employee’s can only do their jobs if they have the correct tools and knowledge. Without them, you’re setting them up for failure. Here are four points to remember in helping your employee's

Knowledge – Your staff must know what’s expected of them. No one can improve and no one can get a fair performance review unless they know what to do. They need a job description and ongoing coaching to fulfill their requirements. Roles are constantly changing. You have to keep them up-to-date.

Materials and Equipment – Work cannot be performed properly, even with the appropriate knowledge, unless staff have the proper equipment. That means working properly, in-date, clean, up-to-date, appropriate amounts, etc. Without it, well, they just CAN’T properly function.
Recognition – If you’re not providing constant recognition and kudos, then YOU are part of the lack of motivation problem. You, as their supervisor, should be out there every day showing that you care about them, what they’re doing, and how they’re doing it.

Develop – You must continuously encourage further development in your staff. Not just their every day procedural training. Help them get into some seminars (http://www.nationalseminarstraining.com/index.html, http://www.amanet.org/individualsolutions/seminars.aspx?SelectedSolutionType=Seminars), join an association, let them teach a class at a staff meeting.

Some organizations like to hand off all or some of these four points to departments, most commonly to HR. They may be able to act as a coordinator on the ground floor level, but it’s up to YOU, as the employee’s supervisor, to see that it gets done. And by “done”, I mean it’s being carried out. This is not a four point check-off list that you go, “check, check, check, check, done”. You must constantly and consistently ensure that all of your employee’s are covered.

Realize that the success of your employee’s directly impacts the success of YOU!

The Pen Is Mightier Than . . .

2009-10-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

There are a wide variety of communication tools these days. No matter how convenient any of them may be, you cannot skimp on the necessities. Being able to write well in business is a requirement. You need to write concisely and be able to make a clear point.

First off, think about what it is you want to achieve with your memo or email. What’s the point? Who exactly is your audience? What do you want the reader to do as a result?

Organize your thoughts BEFORE you start writing. Jot down a few notes or a short outline. This will make the writing go a lot quicker for you.

Write the same way that you speak. The best writing most closely resembles normal, everyday speech. If it’s too formal, it becomes harder to understand. But watch out - that doesn’t mean to throw in a bunch of slang like “ain’t”, “gonna”, etc. That’s a bit too loose.

Be brief and concise. Make your point, support it and move on. This is not a time for a bunch of fluff (there’s never a time for a bunch of fluff). You’re not impressing anyone with it.

Write and re-write. It’s really not often that we get it absolutely right the first time. Write your memo, re-read it, let it sit, and re-read it again. Especially if it’s a critical piece. Don’t send something out when there’s a possibility that it might come back to haunt you. Get it right the first time.

BE POSITIVE, even if you’re conveying bad news. No one likes to read negative memos, so it will sound much worse than it actually is to the recipient. Negative writing often back fires on the writer by reflecting poorly on him and in return, loosing the message for the recipient.

Like so many other things – treat everyone as me – write your memos and emails to mimic what you would want to read. Ask yourself what types of statements would offend YOU being on the other end of the communication.

Resistance is Futile

2009-10-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Most people don't like change because they don't like being changed. When change comes into view, fear and resistance to change follow – often despite its obvious benefits. People fight against change because they don't understand the change and its implications or they find it difficult to cope with either the level or pace.

If you think that you can stop change, you’re fooling yourself. You may as well try standing in the path of a hurricane to make it change its course (no thanks). The sooner you realize that the world – yes, even your world – will change whether you like it or not, the better. Then you can concentrate your efforts on taking actions that make a positive difference in your organization. You must discover how to adapt to change and use it to your advantage rather than fight it.

Face it – it’s going to happen. I’ve never worked in any organization that didn’t’ have change. It’s a requirement for improvement. Remember that favorite saying, “We’ve always done it this way.”? Argghh. Take that statement out of your vocabulary and from everyone in the organization!

Instead of reacting to changes after the fact, you need to proactively anticipate the changes that are coming your way and make plans to address them BEFORE they hit you. Ignoring the need to change doesn’t make that need go away. The best leaders are positive and forward looking, AND they also communicate.

Leaders armed with a complete understanding of the need for change and knowing the type of change required can best communicate with employees. Open discussion of change is the best tool in reducing the resistance to change. Get employees on board by projecting positive and strong discussions. Show the fiercest resisters what’s in it for them. Appeal to them either in terms of personal gain (status, salary bonus, recognition, etc) or avoided loss (financial or job).

Rumors, if allowed to run rampant, are extremely harmful. Keep everyone updated on the most recent decisions. This will make employees feel that they’re a part of the process. With healthy communication, employees are more apt to remain with the company - and often develop an even deeper bond during a time of change. That’s exactly what you need.

No "Blamestorming" Allowed

2009-09-29T06:00:00.002-04:00

When was the last time you held a brainstorming session . . . a REAL brainstorming. Most people who hold group brainstorming do it wrong. “Huh”, you say? “All it is is throwing out ideas and weeding them out.” That’s pretty much true. However, most people go at it the wrong way. It's not the appropriate time for blame or criticism.

All comments on participant's ideas should be held until the end! Brainstorming is allowing participants to put out their ideas with no pressure to hold them back. Here’s what a good group session should look like:

The facilitator presents the problem and gives further explanation if needed.
The facilitator sets a time limit and asks the group for their ideas.
All participants present their ideas, and the person documenting records them.
Participants may elaborate on their ideas to ensure clarity.
When time is up, the facilitator organizes the ideas based on the topic goal.
Categorize ideas.
Review the whole list to ensure that everyone understands the ideas.
Remove duplicate ideas and obviously unfeasible solutions.
THEN discuss.

If you want a more effective group brainstorming session – don’t make the boss the facilitator. In fact, don’t even let him in the room. That’s a sure way of intimidating your more timid participants.

The biggest reason group discussions don’t work is because participants feel too much pressure or are intimidated. Research at the University of Texas (Arlington) and Texas A&M University have found that traditional brainstorming is not as effective as other techniques because of social pressure – the fear of looking foolish among peers and superiors, or even being afraid of saying something that will offend someone.

The next time you want to brainstorm, try the individual approach. Most of the research performed shows us that people working by themselves will come up with more ideas than when they’re in a group. They just don’t have that group pressure. Individually, they can be more relaxed and take a little more time to think or maybe get ideas elsewhere, like books or the Internet.

Brainstorming IS a very effective technique of producing new ideas and solutions, IF you perform it properly. So next time you think of brainstorming, take a few minutes to plan it out.

Motivation Starts With Recognition

2009-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

I recently read a good article from Successful Promotions magazine called, “How Mickey Makes Magic”. It discusses how some companies will cut back on their employee recognition programs when times get tough. What a mistake. Just think about it. What happens to your employees when you take away motivation? What happens to their service? What happens to retention?

In 2004 Disney World was hit by three major hurricanes within about five weeks (once during Labor Day weekend) and this year has seen a drop in revenue due to the economy. Yet even in hard times they realize, “you don’t mess with employee recognition programs.”

“Disney’s theme parks and hotels have the lowest staff turnover rates in the travel industry.” That’s made possible, in part, by keeping cast-members engaged. They’re not the highest paid people around so it’s got to be something more. You may think that they have some big elaborate program for recognition but they really don’t. Most of it is very simple and things most companies could also do.

One of the tools that Disney uses is the “Recognize Everyday Magic” kit. The kit consists of simple sticky notes, thank-you cards and praise cards that managers give out to cast-members when they find them “doing something right.” Every manager gets one of these kits.

Managers are also encouraged to come up with their own types of recognition. Some managers have designed their own pins to carry around in their pockets and hand out as they see someone doing something right with a comment like, “Thanks for making a difference.” Pins really don’t cost that much to produce – maybe a couple of dollars a piece, give or take depending on the style.

Another very simple idea is to let everyone know when you implement suggestions that employee’s have made. Disney has a newsletter entitled, “You Said … We Listened.” This is a quarterly newsletter that lists “ideas generated by employees that resulted in changes.” Let others know that you really do listen.

A very important thing to remember with any recognition program is that recognition is NOT a yearly check-off. Good behavior should be reinforced immediately. So don’t look for your annual Christmas party to show your only thanks.

These are just a few things that you can do that have been proven successful by one company. Take a few minutes and think about what you can do. Maybe even get suggestions from your employees. There’s a simple type of recognition right there. What better motivation then to let your employee’s get involved in decisions?

What CAN You Change?

2009-09-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

In many organizations, especially those under heavy regulation (banking, healthcare, etc), you just don’t have a lot of opportunity for change. For a gung ho leader, that can make a tough job even more though, not to mention more stressful.

There are actually some things that you CAN change in your environment to decrease your stress. The thing is, you’ve probably thought about some of them already, but just haven’t gotten around to implementing them. Now is the time. It’s on your mind. You have some time (you’re reading this, aren’t you). So Do It.

Learn to Have Some Fun. Business is business, but it doesn’t have to be all spit and polish all the time. Release that inner humor. Smile. Talk at the water cooler about what happened last night on “Two and a Half Men.”

Learn to Say NO. Remember this? – “You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” When you’re plate is already stuffed, you just have to respectfully say no. It's better to do fewer things well than to do more things half-a**ed.

You’ve got to Manage Your Own Schedule. Too often supervisors get so caught up in managing others that they forget that they need managing also. Don’t leave it up to your boss, do it yourself. Get a planner, PDA (my personal favorite), or a desk calendar (do they still sell these?). Record every meeting and event as soon as you find out about it. Do a little triage. Is it a meeting you actually NEED to go to?

Be Optimistic. It’s human nature to pick out the negative. Be conscious of that and look for the good in everything that you do AND everyone that you meet. People have good qualities. Look for that first. You’ll feel so much better about yourself, your staff and co-workers, and your job. Attitude reflects attitude.

You can’t change everything, but you can recognize the things that you CAN change and work on them. You may not be able to change the regulations, but you can always change yourself.

So You Think You Have Ethics . . .

2009-09-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

Well? Do you? You probably think you do. We all do. Most leaders do know the difference between right and wrong, but a lot of them talk it more than they walk it. Some just don’t care.

As a supervisor, you’re a leader and you’re expected to set an example for your staff – and other leaders. You’re in a position that you’re being constantly watched. When others see you behaving unethically, you’re sending a loud message to your co-workers that ethics doesn’t matter to you. And guess what. It won’t matter to them either.

If you don’t exhibit the following personal qualities and behaviors, you have some work to do:

Honesty
Integrity
Impartiality
Fairness
Loyalty
Dedication
Responsiblity
Accountablity

Most organizations have a written company code of ethics policy. Have you ever read it? The "code" should be able to convey to others that you value ethical behavior and that it guides the way you and your employees do business. But it’s not worth squat unless it’s shared (discussed) with your employees more than in their first day of work, as is usually the case. I’ve seen a number of organizations pass off ethics “training” as giving employees a piece of paper to sign once a year. Really? That is NOT enough. How many people do you think really read it?

According to Trainingscape, there are six keys to making better ethical choices:
E – Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters (culture, policies, laws, relationships, etc) .
T – Treat people and issues fairly within the established boundaries. Fair doesn’t always mean equal.
H – Hesitate before making critical decisions.
I – Inform those affected of the standard/decision that has been set/made.
C – Create an environment of consistency for yourself and your working group.
S – Seek counsel when you have any doubt (but from those who are honest and who you respect).

You may have a Code of Ethics, but if you don’t live it from day to day, what’s the use?

Hire Personality

2009-09-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again. You hire the guy with the most experience and education and he turns out to be a jerk. You hope (pray) that once he gets to work he has good customer service skills and he gets along with his new co-workers. Oops. You’ve just wasted a whole bunch of time and ticked off a lot of people because that little voice that was talking to you really did make sense after all.

Sometimes you have to take a closer look at the situation and head a bit off the beaten path. Use your gut instinct. That’s what it’s there for. If you need to take a little more time to train someone else that doesn’t have as much experience but has a great personality, do it. These are the people that are looking outside the box – top, bottom, and sides. They WANT to work for you.

Take a look at a couple of successful examples. In 1984 Michael Eisner became Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Prior to that, he had been President of Paramount Pictures. He was pretty darn successful at what he did but was passed up for the top job because they felt he was “too childlike”. Paramount’s loss was Disney’s gain. The first decade of Eisner’s reign (prior to the internal frays) blew Paramount away.

Not being a big Internet shopper, I first learned of Zappos on The Apprentice. What I learned of this very successful Internet shoe (and now much more) company made me go “wow”. Zappos' hiring policy stands in favor of personality rather than job experience. CEO Tony Hsieh says that, “One of our core values is to be humble. So if there is someone who is really talented, and we know they will make an immediate impact on our top or bottom line, but they are really egotistical, then we won’t hire them.”

The idea is to keep the stress level down, not to increase it. Supervisors shouldn’t have to be always looking over staff’s shoulders and your customers shouldn't have to suffer. Go for the people who are going to be most advantageous to you, without you having to baby sit and continuously watch them. Everything from teamwork to customer service will benefit.

Make Time for People

2009-08-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

When people become new supervisors they usually go through the, “I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that” phase. This is a great thing to do. Set goals. Plan things out. The bad thing is that many people don’t follow through. They get tied up in operations and forget about all those great plans.

One thing that people normally say is that they’re “going to make time for their staff”. Sound familiar? How quickly we forget.

As a supervisor, you’re a resource for your staff, a mentor, a teacher. To others, you’re a trusted colleague. You’re in a people job now. If that doesn’t fit into your agenda, then you’re in the wrong position. You have to make time for people.

Some of your staff won’t need a lot of supervision, or time for that matter. That’s fine. Let em work. But you still need to be available when they do need you. Others are going to need constant supervision and an open door. When these folks come to see you, ignore the phone, put down the pen and listen. Show them how important they are and how much you care. This is not only courteous and respectful, but also motivating. They’ll believe that you find them important and begin to act like it more. They’ll have more confidence and act more decisively.

If you’re not in the same physical area as your staff you can still be available. Provide a means for them to get in touch with you quickly – phone, e-mail, voicemail, etc. Make sure that you get back in touch with them quickly. No more than 24 hours. Make this a habit and they’ll have greater trust and respect for you.

Need another reason for making time for people? You’ll reduce turnover. As I’ve posted before - most people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses.

Negaholism

2009-08-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

It's unfortunate that negativity comes so naturally to people. "No, you can't do that. No, I can't do this." To some, NO is the first thing that comes to mind. It's extremely stressful to be around these people all the time. But hey - what can you do? You can stay positive is what you can do. Realize who's causing the negativity and why and help them out.

A lot of times it just takes someone to point out to the "negaholic" that they have a problem. We've all been there, whether at work or at home. I was there. When my kids were growing up, any time they asked for something, my immediate answer was "NO". Not because the answer was really no, it was because "no" became a habit. Once I realized it, I had to work at losing it.

Negaholism causes many problems in the workplace and just keeps building if nothing is done about it. Some of the biggest problems negaholism causes are:

breakdowns in communication,
loss of trust,
arguing over seemingly childish issues,
the blame game (what does that TV commercial call it - "blamestorming"?), and
competition where there should be cooperation.

So what can you, as a leader, do to help? Mentor your negaholics. Meet with them, talk with them. Show them how things are and how they should be in order to improve. Point out that their road to advancement depends on their change. You should discuss your (and the organizations) behavioral expectations. And most of all, give good honest - and frequent - feedback. Just showing a negaholic that you care can be enough to turn him/her right around.

Work With Locations

2009-08-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

If you work for a large organization with a main headquarters and numerous locations, you’ll relate well to this. There’s always been a disconnection in most organizations with an organizational structure such as this, mostly because the locations are out of sight and out of mind. It's like trying to hold on to a long distance relationship. For some people it works well. For others . . . not so well.

HQ’s commonly develop SOPs and policies and distribute them with no thought on how they’re going to impact locations around the region or country. In organizations set up like this, you don’t have one culture. You may have one “corporate” culture, but there are numerous sub-cultures within it. Just the fact that you have locations around the country in the North, South, East, and West is going to give you four sub-cultures. People are brought up differently and have different work ethics in various geographic areas. Age variations and length of employment also create sub-cultures of their own which often stress different beliefs and actions. The authoritarian, “my way or the highway” thinking of HQ can do more damage to the overall organization than anything else. Internal strife is hard to deal with.

Now if you want to add mergers to the mix, you’ve just doubled the number of your cultures and sub-cultures. This will take extra involvement all the way around. But that's for another blog.

The means to solving these issues takes effort from all locations, but in the end, it’s HQ that has to take the time to truly care and implement solutions for everyone. Someone (management), needs to travel to your various locales and sit down and truly watch and listen so that you can get an accurate picture of what’s going on and what people need to do their jobs to the best of their ability. This act alone will build trust just because you made the effort to get involved with those that feel they're not being heard.

If you don’t listen and your locations are continually fighting to be heard, they’ll eventually give up. Then you’re in for lackluster, unproductive work. Their customer service suffers and retention suffers. What’s good for me isn't necessarily what’s good for you. Stop, look, and listen.